The New Twilight Zone
Encyclopedia
The Twilight Zone is the first of two revivals of Rod Serling
's acclaimed 1950/60s television series of the same name
. It ran for two seasons on CBS
before producing a final season for syndication
.
revival. As an in-house production, CBS
stood to earn more money producing The Twilight Zone than it could by purchasing a new series produced by an outside company. Even so, the network was slow to consider a revival, shooting down offers from the original production team of Rod Serling and Buck Houghton
and later from American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola
. Their hesitation stemmed from concerns familiar to the original series
: Twilight Zone had never been the breakaway hit CBS wanted, so they should not expect it to do better in a second run. "We were looking at the success of the original series in syndication and the enormous popularity of the Steven Spielberg
films," said CBS program chief Harvey Shepard. "Many of them (such as E.T.
or Poltergeist) deal with elements of the show. Perhaps the public is ready for it again."
Despite the lukewarm response to Twilight Zone: The Movie
, Spielberg's theatrical homage to the original series, CBS gave The New Twilight Zone a greenlight
in 1984 under the supervision of Carla Singer, then Vice President of Drama Development. "Twilight Zone was a series I always liked as a kid," said Singer, "...and at that point it sounded like an interesting challenge for me personally." These sentiments were seconded by a number of young filmmakers eager to make their mark on a series which had proved influential to their life and work—people like writers Harlan Ellison
, George R. R. Martin
, Rockne S. O'Bannon
, Jeremy Bertrand Finch, Paul Chitlik
and directors Wes Craven
and William Friedkin
. Casts featured such stars as Bruce Willis
, Helen Mirren
, Season Hubley
, Morgan Freeman
, Martin Landau
, Jonathan Frakes
, and Fred Savage
. New theme music was composed by Jerry Garcia
and performed by The Grateful Dead.
Filling in for Serling (who died in 1975) as narrator was Charles Aidman
, himself the star of two classic Twilight Zone episodes. The Twilight Zone ran for two seasons (in an hour format) on CBS. An additional third season of half-hour programs was produced in 1988 to "pad" the series' syndication package. Robin Ward
replaced Aidman as the narrator of these Canadian-produced episodes. Unlike Serling (whose image appears fleetingly in the revival's opening credits) and Forrest Whitaker, host of the 2002 revival
, neither Aidman nor Ward appeared on screen.
(whose "Shatterday" launched the new series), Greg Bear
, Ray Bradbury
, Arthur C. Clarke
, Robert McCammon and Stephen King
. A new batch of scripts was supplemented with remakes of classic Twilight Zone episodes like "Dead Man’s Shoes
", "Shadow Play" and "Night of the Meek
". Though the production crew was convinced that they were making all of the right decisions, ratings began to slide as the novelty of the show wore off. "You have not known humiliation until you have been beaten by Webster
and Mr. Belvedere
," said executive story consultant Alan Brennert
. Then came the "Nackles" incident.
That the show's producers had even managed to hire Harlan Ellison
was considered by many to be nothing short of miraculous; Ellison was an extremely vocal critic of television who had already published two collections of essays on the subject, “concluding that to work in television is akin to putting in time in the Egyptian
House of the Dead
.” These feelings surfaced once again when the script he submitted for Twilight Zone' s Christmas
special – an adaptation of Donald E. Westlake
's 1964 story "Nackles", in which an obnoxious and mean-spirited drunk frightens his children with stories of a malicious anti-Santa Claus
– was rejected by CBS' West Coast Program Practices
. The segment, which was to be Ellison's directorial debut, was halted in mid-production. This cost the program between $150,000 to $300,000 and Ellison’s services as a creative consultant. “[Their] suggestions were vile, infamous!” Ellison recalled of his aborted attempts to change the network’s mind.
The "Nackles" incident generated a flurry of press which ultimately proved inadequate to revive public interest in the series. "I can see why people who were expecting The Twilight Zone were disappointed with it," said staff writer Michael Cassutt
of the show's low ratings. "...our show always seemed uneven to me. There were episodes perfectly in keeping with The Twilight Zone spirit, and then others that could have been from The Outer Limits
or from anything." Thanks to such successes and despite poor ratings, The Twilight Zone was renewed for a second season in early 1986.
replaced Aidman as the narrator of these Canadian-produced episodes. To lead the writing team, the producers brought in a new group led by executive producer Mark Shelmerdine (I, Claudius) and supported by story editors Paul Chitlik
& Jeremy Bertrand Finch and J. Michael Straczynski
. Straczynski authored more episodes that season than anyone else on staff. The producers named Straczynski the sole story editor following the release of Chitlik and Finch. Notably, Harlan Ellison was coaxed back to "The Twilight Zone" in the third season, and wrote what would be the next-to-last episode of the series, titled "Crazy As A Soup Sandwich
."
released The Twilight Zone on DVD in Region 1. Season 1 was released on December 28, 2004 and Seasons 2 and 3 were released together in a 7-Disc DVD on June 28, 2005. In Region 2 the series was released on DVD by Cinema Club UK. Season 1 was released on September 19, 2005 on 6 DVDs, season 2 on December 23, 2005 on 4 DVDs and season 3 on May 12, 2006 on 4 DVDs.
Shock Entertainment
has released the entire series on DVD in Region 4.
Alan Brennert
, one of the writer-producers who contributed to the series, wrote that the picture quality of the DVD set was "NOT a 'bad transfer'" but rather that the episodes were "shot on film, but edited on video. In other words, the raw footage was 35 mm film, which was then transferred to videotape. Editing, dubbing, special effects—everything was done on video. We were in fact the first drama series on television to do this. So unlike the original Rod Serling TZ, there ARE no original film negatives from which Image could strike new prints for transfer. All that exist are the old one-inch master tapes, and the unfortunate reality is, videotape does deteriorate some over time. Image has, in my opinion, done a superb job packaging our series, and it is to them that I award the five stars in this review! If not for their interest in bringing this show to DVD, those one-inch masters might eventually have eroded into so much static (as my 3/4-inch tapes of the show already have)." He concluded by saying "If you enjoyed this series, just be grateful it's been preserved!"
Rod Serling
Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling was an American screenwriter, novelist, television producer, and narrator best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen and helped form...
's acclaimed 1950/60s television series of the same name
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
. It ran for two seasons on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
before producing a final season for syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
.
Series history
It was Serling's decision to sell his share of the series back to the network that eventually allowed for a Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
revival. As an in-house production, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
stood to earn more money producing The Twilight Zone than it could by purchasing a new series produced by an outside company. Even so, the network was slow to consider a revival, shooting down offers from the original production team of Rod Serling and Buck Houghton
Buck Houghton
Archible Ernest "Buck" Houghton was an American television producer best known for producing the first three seasons of The Twilight Zone, as well as many other television programs from the 1950s through the 1990s...
and later from American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
. Their hesitation stemmed from concerns familiar to the original series
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
: Twilight Zone had never been the breakaway hit CBS wanted, so they should not expect it to do better in a second run. "We were looking at the success of the original series in syndication and the enormous popularity of the Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
films," said CBS program chief Harvey Shepard. "Many of them (such as E.T.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
or Poltergeist) deal with elements of the show. Perhaps the public is ready for it again."
Despite the lukewarm response to Twilight Zone: The Movie
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Twilight Zone: The Movie is a 1983 science fiction horror film produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis as a theatrical version of The Twilight Zone, a 1959 and '60s TV series created by Rod Serling. Those starring in the film are: Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Scatman Crothers,...
, Spielberg's theatrical homage to the original series, CBS gave The New Twilight Zone a greenlight
Greenlight
To green-light a project is to give permission or a go ahead to move forward with a project. In the context of the movie and TV businesses, to green-light something is to formally approve its production finance, thereby allowing the project to move forward from the development phase to...
in 1984 under the supervision of Carla Singer, then Vice President of Drama Development. "Twilight Zone was a series I always liked as a kid," said Singer, "...and at that point it sounded like an interesting challenge for me personally." These sentiments were seconded by a number of young filmmakers eager to make their mark on a series which had proved influential to their life and work—people like writers Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
, George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
, Rockne S. O'Bannon
Rockne S. O'Bannon
Rockne S. O'Bannon is a television producer and writer. He is the creator of the science fiction movie Alien Nation, television shows seaQuest DSV, The Triangle and Farscape. He is married with one daughter and two sons - all three children adopted from Russia. He resides in California,...
, Jeremy Bertrand Finch, Paul Chitlik
Paul Chitlik
Paul Chitlik, author, television and film writer, producer, and director, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He wrote and directed his first play when he was eleven. He moved with his family to Long Beach, California, when he was thirteen...
and directors Wes Craven
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
and William Friedkin
William Friedkin
William Friedkin is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing The French Connection in 1971 and The Exorcist in 1973; for the former, he won the Academy Award for Best Director...
. Casts featured such stars as Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
, Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
, Season Hubley
Season Hubley
-Biography:Hubley was born Susan Hubley in New York City, the daughter of Julia Kaul and Grant Shelby Hubley, a writer and entrepreneur. Her brother is actor Whip Hubley....
, Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
, Martin Landau
Martin Landau
Martin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
, Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
, and Fred Savage
Fred Savage
Fredrick Aaron "Fred" Savage is an American actor, director and producer of television and film.He is best known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series The Wonder Years and as the grandson in The Princess Bride...
. New theme music was composed by Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
and performed by The Grateful Dead.
Filling in for Serling (who died in 1975) as narrator was Charles Aidman
Charles Aidman
Charles Aidman was an American film scenarist and television actor.-Career:Among his many television credits include appearances on NBC's western series The Road West in the 1966 episode "The Lean Years"...
, himself the star of two classic Twilight Zone episodes. The Twilight Zone ran for two seasons (in an hour format) on CBS. An additional third season of half-hour programs was produced in 1988 to "pad" the series' syndication package. Robin Ward
Robin Ward (television)
Robin Ward is a Canadian actor and television personality. He is known for hosting a 1980 revival of the American game show To Tell the Truth and later hosting a Canadian game show called Guess What...
replaced Aidman as the narrator of these Canadian-produced episodes. Unlike Serling (whose image appears fleetingly in the revival's opening credits) and Forrest Whitaker, host of the 2002 revival
The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is a 2002 revival of Rod Serling's acclaimed 1950/60s television series, The Twilight Zone. It aired for one season on the UPN network, with actor Forest Whitaker assuming Serling's role as narrator and on-screen host....
, neither Aidman nor Ward appeared on screen.
First season (1985–1986)
The Twilight Zone debuted the night of September 27, 1985 to a generally warm reception: it would win its Friday-night time slot in four of its first five weeks. Episodes featured adaptations of stories by Harlan EllisonHarlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
(whose "Shatterday" launched the new series), Greg Bear
Greg Bear
Gregory Dale Bear is an American science fiction and mainstream author. His work has covered themes of galactic conflict , artificial universes , consciousness and cultural practices , and accelerated evolution...
, Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
, Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
, Robert McCammon and Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
. A new batch of scripts was supplemented with remakes of classic Twilight Zone episodes like "Dead Man’s Shoes
Dead Man's Shoes (The Twilight Zone)
"Dead Man's Shoes" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.This episode was remade in the first revival as "Dead Woman's Shoes" and in the second revival as "Dead Man's Eyes"...
", "Shadow Play" and "Night of the Meek
Night of the Meek
"The Night of the Meek" is the December 23, 1960 episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Introductory scene:...
". Though the production crew was convinced that they were making all of the right decisions, ratings began to slide as the novelty of the show wore off. "You have not known humiliation until you have been beaten by Webster
Webster (TV series)
Webster is an American situation comedy that premiered on ABC on September 16, 1983, and ran on that network until September 11, 1987, but continued in first-run syndication until 1989...
and Mr. Belvedere
Mr. Belvedere
Mr. Belvedere is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from March 15, 1985, until July 8, 1990. The series was based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel Belvedere, which was later adapted into the 1948 film Sitting Pretty...
," said executive story consultant Alan Brennert
Alan Brennert
Alan Brennert is a United States television producer and screenwriter.Brennert has lived in Southern California since 1973 and completed graduate work in screenwriting at the University of California Los Angeles....
. Then came the "Nackles" incident.
That the show's producers had even managed to hire Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
was considered by many to be nothing short of miraculous; Ellison was an extremely vocal critic of television who had already published two collections of essays on the subject, “concluding that to work in television is akin to putting in time in the Egyptian
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
House of the Dead
Book of the Dead
The Book of the Dead is the modern name of an ancient Egyptian funerary text, used from the beginning of the New Kingdom to around 50 BC. The original Egyptian name for the text, transliterated rw nw prt m hrw is translated as "Book of Coming Forth by Day". Another translation would be "Book of...
.” These feelings surfaced once again when the script he submitted for Twilight Zone
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
special – an adaptation of Donald E. Westlake
Donald E. Westlake
Donald Edwin Westlake was an American writer, with over a hundred novels and non-fiction books to his credit. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers, with an occasional foray into science fiction or other genres...
's 1964 story "Nackles", in which an obnoxious and mean-spirited drunk frightens his children with stories of a malicious anti-Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
– was rejected by CBS' West Coast Program Practices
Standards & Practices
In the United States, Standards and Practices is the name traditionally given to the department at a television network which is responsible for the moral, ethical, and legal implications of the program that network airs...
. The segment, which was to be Ellison's directorial debut, was halted in mid-production. This cost the program between $150,000 to $300,000 and Ellison’s services as a creative consultant. “[Their] suggestions were vile, infamous!” Ellison recalled of his aborted attempts to change the network’s mind.
The "Nackles" incident generated a flurry of press which ultimately proved inadequate to revive public interest in the series. "I can see why people who were expecting The Twilight Zone were disappointed with it," said staff writer Michael Cassutt
Michael Cassutt
Michael Joseph Cassutt is an American television producer, screenwriter, and author. His notable TV work includes producing or writing, or both, for The Outer Limits, Eerie, Indiana, Beverly Hills, 90210, and The Twilight Zone...
of the show's low ratings. "...our show always seemed uneven to me. There were episodes perfectly in keeping with The Twilight Zone spirit, and then others that could have been from The Outer Limits
The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)
The Outer Limits is an American television series that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1965. The series is similar in style to the earlier The Twilight Zone, but with a greater emphasis on science fiction, rather than fantasy stories...
or from anything." Thanks to such successes and despite poor ratings, The Twilight Zone was renewed for a second season in early 1986.
Second season (1986–1987)
Unlike episodes from the first season, several episodes contained only one long segment, as opposed to 2 or 3 smaller segments. Season 2 only ran for 11 episodes because CBS canceled it in the middle of the season. Several of the unaired/unfinished episodes would be finished for season 3.Third season (1988–1989)
CBS replaced the original production team, and set out to do thirty 21 minutes episodes for the third season; this way they could have enough episodes to sell the series into syndication. Robin WardRobin Ward (television)
Robin Ward is a Canadian actor and television personality. He is known for hosting a 1980 revival of the American game show To Tell the Truth and later hosting a Canadian game show called Guess What...
replaced Aidman as the narrator of these Canadian-produced episodes. To lead the writing team, the producers brought in a new group led by executive producer Mark Shelmerdine (I, Claudius) and supported by story editors Paul Chitlik
Paul Chitlik
Paul Chitlik, author, television and film writer, producer, and director, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He wrote and directed his first play when he was eleven. He moved with his family to Long Beach, California, when he was thirteen...
& Jeremy Bertrand Finch and J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
. Straczynski authored more episodes that season than anyone else on staff. The producers named Straczynski the sole story editor following the release of Chitlik and Finch. Notably, Harlan Ellison was coaxed back to "The Twilight Zone" in the third season, and wrote what would be the next-to-last episode of the series, titled "Crazy As A Soup Sandwich
Crazy as a Soup Sandwich
"Crazy as a Soup Sandwich" is the sixty-fourth episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.- Opening narration:-Plot:...
."
DVD releases
Image EntertainmentImage Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
released The Twilight Zone on DVD in Region 1. Season 1 was released on December 28, 2004 and Seasons 2 and 3 were released together in a 7-Disc DVD on June 28, 2005. In Region 2 the series was released on DVD by Cinema Club UK. Season 1 was released on September 19, 2005 on 6 DVDs, season 2 on December 23, 2005 on 4 DVDs and season 3 on May 12, 2006 on 4 DVDs.
Shock Entertainment
Shock Records
Shock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...
has released the entire series on DVD in Region 4.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Region 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 24 | December 28, 2004 |
| Seasons 2 & 3 | 41 | June 28, 2005 |
Alan Brennert
Alan Brennert
Alan Brennert is a United States television producer and screenwriter.Brennert has lived in Southern California since 1973 and completed graduate work in screenwriting at the University of California Los Angeles....
, one of the writer-producers who contributed to the series, wrote that the picture quality of the DVD set was "NOT a 'bad transfer'" but rather that the episodes were "shot on film, but edited on video. In other words, the raw footage was 35 mm film, which was then transferred to videotape. Editing, dubbing, special effects—everything was done on video. We were in fact the first drama series on television to do this. So unlike the original Rod Serling TZ, there ARE no original film negatives from which Image could strike new prints for transfer. All that exist are the old one-inch master tapes, and the unfortunate reality is, videotape does deteriorate some over time. Image has, in my opinion, done a superb job packaging our series, and it is to them that I award the five stars in this review! If not for their interest in bringing this show to DVD, those one-inch masters might eventually have eroded into so much static (as my 3/4-inch tapes of the show already have)." He concluded by saying "If you enjoyed this series, just be grateful it's been preserved!"
See also
- List of The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series) episodes
- The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
- The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
- The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series)The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series)The Twilight Zone is a 2002 revival of Rod Serling's acclaimed 1950/60s television series, The Twilight Zone. It aired for one season on the UPN network, with actor Forest Whitaker assuming Serling's role as narrator and on-screen host....
External links
- Postcards from the Zone (Extensive episode guides, including photos)