The Twilight Zone
The 1950s and 60s were the early years of television and that meant experimentation with the medium. No shows were more successful than Rod Serling’s fascinating The Twilight Zone, a series that opened up television’s potentiality for telling short, frightening tales directed towards adult audiences.
The Twilight Zone was a showcase for all kinds of talents, from brilliant writers (mostly Serling) to some known (and unknown) future stars like William Shatner, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Dennis Hopper, and Robert Redford. The Twilight Zone aped some previous science fiction-themed shows, but brought with it political and social commentary to stand right alongside its sci-fi elements. It was one of the first truly adult forays into the science fiction television genre.
We’re never going to replicate what Serling did with The Twilight Zone, but it would be fascinating to reboot the format and structure of the series. Most TV series now are ongoing, with complex plot arcs and recurring characters. The Twilight Zone is the short story format of television, and as such it could be a great opportunity to get some high profile directors to come on and do a single episode. Imagine a series of science fiction and horror stories coming from the likes of Guillermo del Toro (who loves television, after all) or Ben Wheatley. Tell me that wouldn’t be awesome.
