Editing The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)

{{short description|American TV anthology series (1959–1964)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2016}}{{Use American English|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) logo.svg
| genre                = {{ubl|[[anthology series|Anthology]]|[[Fantasy]]|[[horror (fiction)|Horror]]|[[Science fiction]]}}
| creator              = [[Rod Serling]]
| based_on             = <!-- {{Based on|work|author}} -->
| developer            =
| writer               = 
| screenplay           = 
| story                = 
| director             = 
| creative_director    = 
| presenter            = Rod Serling
| narrated             = 
| theme_music_composer = 
| opentheme            = 
| endtheme             = 
| composer             = {{ubl|[[Bernard Herrmann]] <small>(also [[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series, season 1)|season 1]] theme)</small>|[[Marius Constant]] <small>(theme from season 2 forward)</small>|[[Jerry Goldsmith]]|[[Fred Steiner]]|[[Leith Stevens]]|[[Leonard Rosenman]]|[[Franz Waxman]]}}
| country              = United States
| language             = 
| num_seasons          = 5
| num_episodes         = 156
| list_episodes        = List of The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) episodes
| executive_producer   = Rod Serling
| producer             = {{ubl|[[Buck Houghton]] <small>(1959–62)</small>|[[Herbert Hirschman]] <small>(1963)</small>|[[Bert Granet]] <small>(1963–64)</small>|[[William Froug]] <small>(1963–64)</small>}}
| news_editor          = <!-- Content editor or editors of a current affairs/political show such as Newsnight. -->
| location             = <!-- Nation the series was primarily filmed in, if different from the nation of origin. -->
| cinematography       = [[George T. Clemens]]
| animator             = 
| camera               = <!-- Either Single-camera or Multi-camera -->
| runtime              = 25 minutes (seasons 1–3, 5)<br/> 51 minutes (season 4){{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
| company              = [[Cayuga Productions]]<br>[[CBS Productions]]
| network              = [[CBS]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1959|10|2}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|1964|6|19}}
| related              = {{plainlist|
* ''[[The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' (1985–86)
* ''[[The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' (2002–03)
* ''[[The Twilight Zone (2019 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' (2019–20)
}} 
}}

'''''The Twilight Zone''''' (marketed as '''''Twilight Zone''''' for its final two seasons) is an American fantasy science fiction horror [[anthology series|anthology television series]] created and presented by [[Rod Serling]], which ran for five seasons on [[CBS]] from October 2, 1959, to June 19, 1964.<ref name="NYT-20190329">{{cite news |last=Tallerico |first=Brian |title='The Twilight Zone': Here's Why We Still Care |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/29/arts/television/the-twilight-zone-guide-reboot.html |date=March 29, 2019 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=March 29, 2019 }}</ref> Each episode presents a standalone story in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described as entering "the Twilight Zone", often with a [[Plot twist|surprise ending]] and a [[moral]]. Although often considered predominantly [[Science fiction on television|science-fiction]], the show's [[paranormal]] and [[Franz Kafka#"Kafkaesque"|Kafkaesque]] events leaned the show much closer to [[fantasy]] and [[Horror fiction|horror]] (there are about twice as many fantasy episodes as science fiction).{{Fact|date=February 2025}} The phrase "twilight zone" has entered the vernacular, used to describe surreal experiences.

The series featured both established stars and younger actors who would become much better known later. Serling served as [[Executive producer#Motion pictures and television|executive producer]] and [[head writer]]; he wrote or co-wrote 92 of the show's 156 episodes. He was also the show's [[Television presenter|host]] and [[Narration|narrator]], delivering monologues at the beginning and end of each episode, and typically appeared on-screen to address the audience directly during the opening scene. Serling's opening and closing narrations usually summarize the episode's events encapsulating how and why the main characters had entered the Twilight Zone.

==Development==
By the late 1950s, Rod Serling was a prominent name in American [[Broadcast programming|television]]. His successful television plays included “Patterns” (for ''[[Kraft Television Theatre]]'') and “[[Requiem for a Heavyweight]]” (for ''[[Playhouse 90]]''), but he was frustrated by constant [[Censorship|changes and edits]] made by the networks and sponsors. In “Requiem", the line "Got a match?" had to be cut because the sponsor sold lighters; other programs had similar striking of words that might remind viewers of competitors to the sponsor, including one case in which the sponsor, [[Ford Motor Company]], had the [[Chrysler Building]] removed from a picture of the [[New York City]] [[skyline]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Zicree|first=Marc Scott|author-link=Marc Scott Zicree|title=The Twilight Zone Companion|location=Hollywood|publisher=Silman-James Press|year=1992|page=14}}</ref>

According to comments in his 1957 anthology ''Patterns,'' Serling had been trying to delve into material more controversial than his works of the early 1950s. This led to ''Noon on Doomsday'' for the ''[[The United States Steel Hour|United States Steel Hour]]'' in 1956, a commentary by Serling on the defensiveness and total lack of repentance he saw in the [[Mississippi]] town where the [[Emmett Till|murder of Emmett Till]] took place. His original script closely paralleled the Till case, then was moved out of the South and the victim changed to a Jewish pawnbroker, and eventually became just a foreigner in an unnamed town.

Serling thought that a science-fiction setting would give him more freedom and less interference in expressing controversial ideas than more realistic settings.<ref>Zicree, Marc Scott. op. cit. p. 15</ref><ref name="pohl196212">{{Cite magazine |last=Pohl |first=Frederik |date=December 1962|title=Opportunity Knocked|department=Editorial |url=https://archive.org/stream/Galaxy_v21n02_1962.12#page/n3/mode/2up |magazine=Galaxy Science Fiction |pages=4–8}}</ref> "[[The Twilight Zone#"The Time Element" (1958)|The Time Element]]" was Serling's 1957 pilot pitch for his show, a [[time travel]] adventure about a man who goes back to [[Honolulu]] in 1941 and unsuccessfully tries to warn everyone about the impending [[attack on Pearl Harbor]]. The script, however, was rejected and shelved until [[Bert Granet]] discovered and produced it as an episode of ''[[Desilu Playhouse]]'' in 1958.<ref>Zicree, Marc Scott. op. cit. p. 19</ref> The show was a great success and enabled Serling to finally begin production on ''The Twilight Zone''. Per the [[British Film Institute|BFI]] Film Classics library, "the cruel indifference and implacability of fate and the irony of poetic justice" were motifs for Serling.<ref>BFI Film Classics. ''Invasion of the Body Snatchers.'' pp. 46–47.</ref>

==Episodes==
{{Main|List of The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) episodes}}
{{:List of The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) episodes}}

===Season 1 (1959–60)===
{{main|The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) season 1}}
{{blockquote|There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call ''The Twilight Zone''.|Rod Serling}}

[[File:Rod Serling dictating script 1959.jpg|thumb|upright|Serling working on his script with a dictating machine, 1959]]
''The Twilight Zone'' premiered on October 2, 1959, to rave reviews. "''Twilight Zone'' is about the only show on the air that I actually look forward to seeing. It's the one series that I will let interfere with other plans", said Terry Turner for the ''[[Chicago Daily News]]''. ''[[Daily Variety]]'' ranked it with "the best that has ever been accomplished in half-hour filmed television" and the ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'' found the show to be "certainly the best and most original anthology series of the year".

Even as the show proved popular with television critics, it struggled to find a receptive audience. CBS was banking on a [[Nielsen ratings|rating]] of at least 21 or 22, but its initial numbers were much worse. The series' future was jeopardized when its third episode, "[[Mr. Denton on Doomsday]]" earned a 16.3 rating. Still, the show attracted a large enough audience to survive a brief hiatus in November, after which it finally surpassed its competition on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[NBC]] and persuaded its sponsors ([[General Foods]] and [[Kimberly-Clark]]) to stay on until the end of the season.

With the exception of "[[The Chaser (The Twilight Zone)|The Chaser]]", the first season featured scripts written by Rod Serling, [[Charles Beaumont]] and [[Richard Matheson]]. The trio was responsible for 127 of the 156 episodes in the series. With the exception of "[[A World of His Own]]", Serling never appeared on camera during any first-season episode (as he would in future seasons), present only as a voice-over narrator. Serling did appear on screen in ''Twilight Zone'' promotional spots plugging the following week's episode – just not in the episodes themselves. These promo spots were unseen for several decades after their initial airings; while many have been released in the DVD and Blu-ray releases of ''The Twilight Zone'', a few are lost completely and some survive only as audio tracks.  Most are available through [[Paramount+]] when watching the full episodes.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121130215650/https://www.cbs.com/shows/the_twilight_zone/ CBS - All Access]</ref>

Many of the season's episodes proved to be among the series' most celebrated, including "[[Time Enough at Last]]", "[[The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street]]", "[[Walking Distance]]", and "[[The After Hours]]". The first season won Serling an unprecedented fourth [[Emmy Award]] for dramatic writing, a Producers Guild Award for Serling's creative partner [[Buck Houghton]], a Directors Guild Award for [[John Brahm]] and the [[Hugo Award]] for best dramatic presentation.<ref name= RodSerlingProgrammeGuidePage2>{{cite book |last1= Lofficier |first1= Jean-Marc |last2= Lofficier |first2= Randy |date= 2003 |title= Into the Twilight Zone: The Rod Serling Programme Guide |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=r5_KO2PGtTkC&pg=PA2 |publisher= iUniverse |page= 2 |isbn= 0-595-27612-1 |access-date= July 24, 2020 |archive-date= November 19, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023242/https://books.google.com/books?id=r5_KO2PGtTkC&pg=PA2 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name= Hugo1960>{{cite web|url= http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1960-hugo-awards/ |title= 1960 Hugo Awards |website= The Hugo Awards |access-date= November 4, 2015 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110507164541/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1960-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=May 7, 2011}}</ref>

[[Bernard Herrmann]]'s original opening theme music lasted throughout the first season. For the final five episodes of the season, the show's original surrealist "pit and summit" opening montage and narration was replaced by a piece featuring an eye that closed (revealing the setting sun) and shorter narration, and a truncated version of Herrmann's theme.

Some first-season episodes were available for decades only in a version with a pasted-on second-season opening. These "re-themed" episodes were prepared for airing in the summer of 1961 as summer repeats; the producers wanted to have a consistent opening for the show every week. During the original 1959/60 run, Herrmann's theme was used in every first-season episode. The first season openings for these episodes have since been restored to recent DVD and Blu-ray reissues although incorrect openings were restored on two episodes, "[[Mr. Denton on Doomsday]]" and "[[A Passage for Trumpet]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/shows/the-twilight-zone/episodes/|title=The Twilight Zone|publisher=CBS Interactive|work=TV.com|access-date=April 13, 2016|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023249/http://www.tv.com/shows/the-twilight-zone/episodes/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Season 2 (1960–61)===
{{main|The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) season 2}}
{{blockquote|You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead—your next stop, the ''Twilight Zone.''|Rod Serling}}

[[File:Rod Serling Inger Stevens Serling model airplane collection 1960.JPG|thumb|Serling models an airplane with actress [[Inger Stevens]], who appeared in "[[The Hitch-Hiker (The Twilight Zone)|The Hitch-Hiker]]" and "[[The Lateness of the Hour (The Twilight Zone)|The Lateness of the Hour]]."]]
[[File:Pippa Scott Twilight Zone 1960.jpg|right|thumb|[[Pippa Scott]] in "[[The Trouble With Templeton]]"]]
The second season premiered on September 30, 1960, with "[[King Nine Will Not Return|''King Nine'' Will Not Return]]," Serling's fresh take on the pilot episode "[[Where Is Everybody?]]" The familiarity of this first story stood in stark contrast to the novelty of the show's new packaging: Bernard Herrmann's stately original theme was replaced by [[Marius Constant]]'s more jarring and dissonant (and now more-familiar) guitar-and-bongo theme.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1= Kovalchik |first1= Kara |title= Happy 50th Anniversary, Twilight Zone! |url= http://mentalfloss.com/article/22971/happy-50th-anniversary-twilight-zone |magazine= Mental Floss |access-date= 23 February 2019 |archive-date= November 19, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023243/https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/22971/happy-50th-anniversary-twilight-zone |url-status= live }}</ref> The closing eye was replaced by a more surreal introduction inspired by the new images in Serling's narration (such as "That's the signpost up ahead"), and Serling himself stepped in front of the cameras to present his opening narration, rather than being only a voice-over narrator (as in the first season). The openings of the first three episodes of the season retained the eye opening's narration.

A new sponsor, [[Colgate-Palmolive]], replaced the previous year's [[Kimberly-Clark]] (as [[Liggett & Myers]] would succeed [[General Foods]], in April 1961), and a new network executive, [[James T. Aubrey|James Aubrey]], took over CBS. "Jim Aubrey was a very, very difficult problem for the show," said associate producer Del Reisman. "He was particularly tough on ''The Twilight Zone'' because for its time it was a particularly costly half-hour show...  Aubrey was real tough on [the show's budget] even when it was a small number of dollars." In a push to keep the show's expenses down, Aubrey ordered that seven fewer episodes be produced than last season and that six of those being produced would be shot on [[videotape]] rather than film, a move Serling disliked, calling it "neither fish nor fowl."<ref>Zicree, Marc Scott. op. cit. p. 194</ref> Two additional episodes filmed in the second season ("[[The Grave (The Twilight Zone)|The Grave]]" and "[[Nothing in the Dark]]") were held over to the third season.

Season two saw the production of many of the series' most acclaimed episodes, including "[[Eye of the Beholder (The Twilight Zone, 1959)|Eye of the Beholder]]", "[[Nick of Time (The Twilight Zone)|Nick of Time]]", "[[The Invaders (The Twilight Zone)|The Invaders]]", "[[The Trouble With Templeton]]" and "[[Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?]]". The trio of Serling, Matheson and Beaumont began to admit new writers, and this season saw the television debut of [[George Clayton Johnson]]. Emmys were won by Serling (his fifth) for dramatic writing and by director of photography [[George T. Clemens]] and, for the second year in a row, the series won the [[Hugo Award]] for best dramatic presentation. It also earned the Unity Award for "Outstanding Contributions to Better Race Relations" and an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Drama." ''The Twilight Zone'' was mentioned in [[Newton Minow]]'s landmark 1961 speech "[[Television and the Public Interest]]" as one of the few [[quality television]] series on the air at the time in a "vast wasteland" of mass-produced junk, with Minow praising the series as "dramatic and moving."<ref name=minowspeechtext>Newton N. Minow, "[https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/newtonminow.htm Television and the Public Interest]", address to the National Association of Broadcasters, Washington, D.C., May 9, 1961.</ref> 
[[File:Rod Serling relaxing at home 1959.JPG|left|thumb|150px|Rod Serling at home in 1959]]
Five weeks into season two, the show's budget was showing a deficit. The total number of new episodes was projected at twenty-nine, more than half of which, sixteen, had already been filmed by November 1960.{{citation needed|date=January 2016}} As a cost-cutting measure, six episodes ("[[The Lateness of the Hour (The Twilight Zone)|The Lateness of The Hour]]", "[[The Night of the Meek (The Twilight Zone, 1959)| The Night of the Meek]]", "[[The Whole Truth (The Twilight Zone)|The Whole Truth]]", [[Twenty Two (The Twilight Zone)| "Twenty Two"]], "[[Static (The Twilight Zone)|Static]]" and "[[Long Distance Call]]") were produced in the cheaper videotape format, which also required fewer camera movements. In addition, videotape was a relatively primitive medium in the early 1960s; the editing of tape was next to impossible. Each of the episodes was, therefore "camera-cut" as in live TV—on a studio sound stage, using a total of four cameras. The requisite multi-camera setup of the videotape experiment made location shooting difficult, severely limiting the potential scope of the story-lines. Even with those artistic sacrifices, the eventual savings amounted to only $6,000 per episode,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Presnell|first1=Don|title=A Critical History of Television's The Twilight Zone, 1959-1964|isbn=978-0-7864-3886-0|page=18|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MqtTBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA90|date=July 11, 2015|publisher=McFarland |access-date=January 1, 2016|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023437/https://books.google.com/books?id=MqtTBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA90|url-status=live}}</ref> far less than the cost of a single episode. The experiment was not attempted again. [[Kinescope]] versions of the videotaped episodes were rerun in syndication.

===Season 3 (1961–62)===
{{main|The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) season 3}}
{{blockquote|You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. Your next stop...the ''Twilight Zone''.|Rod Serling}}
<!-- FAIR USE of Toserveman.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Toserveman.jpg for rationale -->

In his third year as executive producer, host, narrator and primary writer for ''The Twilight Zone'', Serling was beginning to feel exhausted: "I've never felt quite so drained of ideas as I do at this moment" .<ref>{{cite book |last1=Presnell |first1=Don |last2=McGee |first2=Marty |date=1998 |title=A Critical History of Television's The Twilight Zone, 1959-1964 |publisher=McFarland & Co |page=21 |location= Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=978-1-4766-1038-2}}</ref> In the first two seasons he contributed 48 scripts, or 73% of the show's total output; he contributed 56% of this season's output. "The show now seems to be feeding off itself", said a ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reviewer of the season's episode two. Sponsors for this season included Chesterfield, Bufferin tablets, and Pepsi-Cola.

Despite his avowed weariness, Serling again managed to produce several teleplays that are widely regarded as classics, including [[It's a Good Life (The Twilight Zone)|"It's a Good Life"]], [[To Serve Man (The Twilight Zone)|"To Serve Man"]], [[Little Girl Lost (The Twilight Zone)|"Little Girl Lost"]] and "[[Five Characters in Search of an Exit]]". Scripts by [[Montgomery Pittman]] and [[Earl Hamner, Jr.]] supplemented Matheson and Beaumont's output, and George Clayton Johnson submitted three teleplays that examined complex themes. The episode "[[I Sing the Body Electric (The Twilight Zone)|I Sing the Body Electric]]" was written by [[Ray Bradbury]]. By the end of the season, the series had reached over 100 episodes.

''The Twilight Zone'' received two Emmy nominations (for cinematography and art design), but was awarded neither. It again received the [[Hugo Award]] for "Best Dramatic Presentation", making it the only three-time recipient until it was tied by ''[[Doctor Who]]'' in 2008.

In spring 1962, ''The Twilight Zone'' was late in finding a sponsor for its fourth season and was replaced on CBS's fall schedule with a new hour-long situation comedy called ''[[Fair Exchange (TV series)|Fair Exchange]]''. In the confusion that followed this apparent cancellation, producer Buck Houghton left the series for a position at [[Four Star Television|Four Star Productions]]. Serling meanwhile accepted a teaching post at [[Antioch College]], his alma mater. Though the series was eventually renewed, Serling's contribution as executive producer decreased in its final seasons.

===Season 4 (1963)===
{{main|The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) season 4}}
{{blockquote|You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas; you've just crossed over into the ''Twilight Zone''.<ref>Serling used this introduction for both seasons 4 and 5</ref>|Rod Serling}}
[[File:Julie Newmar Albert Salmi The Twilight Zone.JPG|thumb|right|upright|[[Julie Newmar]] and [[Albert Salmi]] in "[[Of Late I Think of Cliffordville]]."]]
In November 1962, CBS contracted ''Twilight Zone'' (now sans ''The'') as a [[Mid-season replacement|mid-season January replacement]] for ''Fair Exchange,'' the very show that replaced it in the September 1962 schedule. In order to fill the ''Fair Exchange'' time slot,{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} each episode had to be expanded to an hour, an idea which did not sit well with Serling,<ref>{{cite web|author=Vorel, Jim|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/the-twilight-zone/the-comedian-is-vintage-twilight-zone-but-not-in-t/|title="The Comedian" Is Vintage Twilight Zone, But Not in the Way You'd Want|work=[[Paste Magazine]]|date=1 April 2019|access-date=10 April 2020|quote=In particular, "The Comedian" feels like an entry from TZ's fourth season, when network executives pressured series creator Rod Serling into stretching the show into a 60-minute timeslot against his wishes.|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023248/https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/the-twilight-zone/the-comedian-is-vintage-twilight-zone-but-not-in-t/|url-status=live}}</ref> nor the production crew. "Ours is the perfect half-hour show... If we went to an hour, we'd have to fleshen our stories, soap opera style. Viewers could watch fifteen minutes without knowing whether they were in a ''Twilight Zone'' or ''[[Desilu Playhouse]]''," Serling responded. [[Herbert Hirschman]] was hired to replace long-time producer Buck Houghton. One of Hirschman's first decisions was to direct a new opening sequence, this one illustrating a door, eye, window and other objects suspended in space. His second task was to find and produce quality scripts. Sponsors included [[Johnson & Johnson]].

This season of ''Twilight Zone'' once again turned to the reliable trio of Serling, Matheson and Beaumont. However, Serling's input was limited this season; he still provided the majority of the teleplays, but as executive producer, he was virtually absent and as host, his artful narrations had to be shot back-to-back against a gray background during his infrequent trips to Los Angeles. Due to complications from a developing brain disease, Beaumont's input also began to diminish significantly. Additional scripts were commissioned from [[Earl Hamner, Jr.]] and [[Reginald Rose]] to fill in the gap.

With five episodes left in the season, Hirschman received an offer to work on a new [[NBC]] series called ''[[Espionage (TV series)|Espionage]]'' and was replaced by [[Bert Granet]], who had previously produced "The Time Element". Among Granet's first assignments was "[[On Thursday We Leave for Home]]", which Serling considered the season's most effective episode. There was an Emmy nomination for cinematography and a nomination for the [[Hugo Award]].

===Season 5 (1963–64)===
{{main|The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) season 5}}

Serling later claimed, "I was writing so much, I felt I had begun to lose my perspective on what was good and what was bad". By the end of this final season, he had contributed 92 scripts in five years. This season, the new alternate sponsors were [[American Tobacco Company|American Tobacco]] and [[Procter & Gamble]].  The show returned to its half-hour format.

Beaumont was now out of the picture almost entirely, contributing scripts only through the ghostwriters [[Jerry Sohl]] and John Tomerlin, and after producing only 13 episodes, Bert Granet left and was replaced by [[William Froug]]—with whom Serling had worked on ''[[Playhouse 90]].''
<!-- FAIR USE of PubTThou01.jpg: see image description page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PubTThou01.jpg for rationale -->
[[File:PubTThou01.jpg|thumb|right|[[William Shatner]] in "[[Nightmare at 20,000 Feet]]."]]
Froug made a number of unpopular decisions; first by shelving several scripts purchased under Granet's term (including Matheson's "The Doll," which was nominated for a Writer's Guild Award when finally produced in 1986 on ''[[Amazing Stories (1985 TV series)|Amazing Stories]]''); secondly, Froug alienated George Clayton Johnson when he hired Richard deRoy to completely rewrite Johnson's teleplay ''Tick of Time,'' eventually produced as "[[Ninety Years Without Slumbering (The Twilight Zone)|Ninety Years Without Slumbering]]." "It makes the plot trivial," complained Johnson of the resulting script, insisting he be given screen credit for the final version of the episode as "Johnson Smith." ''Tick of Time'' became Johnson's final submission to ''The Twilight Zone.''

Even under these conditions, several episodes were produced that are well remembered, including "[[Nightmare at 20,000 Feet]]", "[[A Kind of a Stopwatch (The Twilight Zone)|A Kind of a Stopwatch]]", "[[The Masks]]" and "[[Living Doll (The Twilight Zone)|Living Doll]]." Although this season received no [[Emmys|Emmy]] recognition, ''[[An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (The Twilight Zone)|An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge]]''—a 1962 French short film which was modified slightly for broadcast—received the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Live Action Short Film|best short film]] in 1963. It was based on the [[An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge|short story of the same name]] by [[Ambrose Bierce]]; Serling introduces it as "a haunting study of the incredible from the past master of the incredible."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1304917790377 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120707103518/http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1304917790377 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |title=An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge |year=2011 |work=Academy Awards Database |publisher=A.M.P.A.S. |access-date=May 9, 2011 }}</ref>

In late January 1964, CBS announced the show's cancellation. "For one reason or other, Jim Aubrey decided he was sick of the show…  [H]e claimed that it was too far over budget and that the ratings weren't good enough", explained Froug. But Serling countered by telling the ''[[Daily Variety]]'' that he had "decided to cancel the network". [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] showed interest in bringing Serling over to their network to write a more explicitly horror-themed series, ''Witches, Warlocks and Werewolves,'' but Serling was not impressed. "The network executives seem to prefer weekly ghouls, and we have what appears to be a considerable difference in opinion. I don't mind my show being supernatural, but I don't want to be booked into a graveyard every week." Shortly afterwards, Serling sold his 40% share in ''The Twilight Zone'' to CBS, leaving the show and all projects involving the supernatural behind him until 1969, when ''[[Night Gallery]]'' debuted.

==Casting==
{{Main|List of The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) guest stars}}
Being an anthology series with no recurring characters, ''The Twilight Zone'' featured an array of guest stars, some of whom appeared in multiple episodes. The show features early performances from actors who became famous, among them [[Theodore Bikel]], [[Bill Bixby]], [[Lloyd Bochner]], [[Morgan Brittany]], [[Charles Bronson]], [[Carol Burnett]], [[Donna Douglas]], [[Robert Duvall]], [[Buddy Ebsen]], [[Peter Falk]], [[Constance Ford]], [[Joan Hackett]], [[Dennis Hopper]], [[Ron Howard]], [[Jim Hutton]], [[Jack Klugman]], [[Martin Landau]], [[Cloris Leachman]], [[Jean Marsh]], [[Elizabeth Montgomery]], [[Billy Mumy]], [[Julie Newmar]], [[Barbara Nichols]], [[Leonard Nimoy]], [[Robert Redford]], [[Burt Reynolds]], [[Janice Rule]], [[Telly Savalas]], [[William Shatner]], [[Dean Stockwell]], [[George Takei]], [[Joyce Van Patten]], [[Jack Warden]], [[Jonathan Winters]], and [[Dick York]]. Other episodes feature performances by actors later in their careers, such as [[Dana Andrews]], [[Joan Blondell]], [[Ann Blyth]], [[Art Carney]], [[Jack Carson]], [[Gladys Cooper]], [[William Demarest]], [[Andy Devine]], [[Cedric Hardwicke]], [[Josephine Hutchinson]], [[Buster Keaton]], [[Ida Lupino]], [[Lee Marvin]], [[Kevin McCarthy (actor)|Kevin McCarthy]], [[Burgess Meredith]], [[Agnes Moorehead]], [[Alan Napier]], [[Franchot Tone]], [[Mickey Rooney]], and [[Ed Wynn]]. Klugman and Meredith are tied for the most starring roles with a record of four episodes.

Character actors who appeared (some more than once) include [[John Anderson (actor)|John Anderson]], [[John Dehner]], [[Cyril Delevanti]], [[Betty Garde]], [[Sandra Gould]], [[Nancy Kulp]], [[Celia Lovsky]], [[Eve McVeagh]], [[Nehemiah Persoff]], [[Albert Salmi]], [[Vito Scotti]], [[Olan Soule]], [[Harold J. Stone]], and [[Estelle Winwood]]. The actor who appears in the most episodes is Robert McCord.<ref>{{cite web|title=11 timeless facts about The Twilight Zone|url=http://www.metv.com/lists/11-timeless-facts-about-the-twilight-zone|website=[[MeTV]]|publisher=[[Weigel Broadcasting]]|access-date=January 27, 2017|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023431/https://www.metv.com/lists/11-timeless-facts-about-the-twilight-zone|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Music==
{{Needs more references|section|date=June 2015}}
Besides [[Bernard Herrmann]] and [[Jerry Goldsmith]], other contributors to the music were [[Nathan Van Cleave]], [[Leonard Rosenman]], [[Fred Steiner]], and [[Franz Waxman]]. The first season featured an orchestral title theme by Herrmann, who also wrote original scores for seven of the episodes, including the premiere, "Where Is Everybody?". The guitar theme most associated with the show was written by the French avant-garde composer [[Marius Constant]] as part of a series of short cues commissioned by CBS as [[Work for hire|"work made for hire"]] library music for the series. The guitar player was [[Howard Roberts]]. Used from season two onward, the theme as aired was a splicing together of two of these library cues: "Etrange 3 (Strange No. 3)" and "Milieu 2 (Middle No. 2)". [[Varèse Sarabande]] released several albums of music from the series, focusing on the episodes that received original scores.

'''Volume 1'''
# Main Title Theme – Marius Constant (:27)
# The Invaders – Jerry Goldsmith (12:57)
# Perchance To Dream – Nathan Van Cleave (9:52)
# Walking Distance – Bernard Herrmann (12:52)
# The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine – Franz Waxman (10:55)
# End Title Theme – Marius Constant (:42)

'''Volume 2'''
# Main Title Theme – Bernard Herrmann (1:11)
# Where Is Everybody? – Bernard Herrmann (11:19)
# 100 Yards Over The Rim – Fred Steiner (12:14)
# The Big Tall Wish – Jerry Goldsmith (11:52)
# A Stop at Willoughby – Nathan Scott (12:24)
# End Title Theme – Bernard Herrmann (1:05)

'''Volume 3'''
# Alternate Main Title Theme – Marius Constant (:38)
# Back There – Jerry Goldsmith (12:51)
# And When The Sky Was Opened – Leonard Rosenman (11:54)
# A World Of Difference – Nathan Van Cleave (11:48)
# The Lonely – Bernard Herrmann (11:09)
# Alternate End Title – Marius Constant (:54)

'''Volume 4'''
# Alternate Main Title – Bernard Herrmann (:28)
# Jazz Theme One – Jerry Goldsmith (9:12)
# Jazz Theme Two – Jerry Goldsmith (3:12)
# Jazz Theme Three – Rene Garriguenc (4:04)
# Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room – Jerry Goldsmith (8:16)
# Elegy – Nathan Van Cleave (8:14)
# ''King Nine'' Will Not Return – Fred Steiner (11:11)
# Two – Nathan Van Cleave (12:09)
# Alternate End Title – Bernard Herrmann (:43)

'''Volume 5'''
# Alternate Main Title #2 – Bernard Herrmann (:29)
# I Sing The Body Electric – Nathan Van Cleave (11:41)
# The Passerby – Fred Steiner (12:58)
# The Trouble With Templeton – Jeff Alexander (11:46)
# Dust – Jerry Goldsmith (11:33)
# Alternate End Title #2 – Bernard Herrmann (1:07)

Many of the above were included on a four-disc set released by Silva America. Varese also released a two-disc set of re-recordings of Herrmann's seven scores for the series ("Where Is Everybody?", "Walking Distance", "The Lonely", "Eye of the Beholder", "Little Girl Lost", "Living Doll", and "Ninety Years Without Slumbering"), conducted by [[Joel McNeely]]. Alongside this release, Bernard Herrmann's score for the episode "Walking Distance" received another re-recording accompanying a new recording of his score for [[François Truffaut]]'s ''Fahrenheit 451'' performed by the [[Moscow Symphony Orchestra]], conducted by [[William T. Stromberg]] and released by Tribute Film Classics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanmusicpreservation.com/TheTwilightZoneTribute.htm|title=The Twilight Zone Revisited - 50th Anniversary Tribute (Film Music Review)|website=AmericanMusicPreservation.com|access-date=April 13, 2016|archive-date=April 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401133451/http://www.americanmusicpreservation.com/TheTwilightZoneTribute.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

==1961 LP record release==
In that year, [[Marty Manning]] and His Orchestra released an [[LP record]] ''The Twilight Zone: A Sound Adventure in Space'' on [[Columbia Records]].<ref>{{Discogs master|220180|Marty Manning And His Orchestra – The Twilight Zone|type=album}}</ref>
It was recorded with top New York City session musicians, including [[Mundell Lowe]] (guitar), [[Jerry Murad]] (harmonica), Harry Breuer ([[vibraphone]]), and Phil Kraus (percussion). [[Lyric soprano]] [[Lois Hunt]] provided the wordless vocals, and [[Teo Macero]] was credited with special effects. Manning himself was credited with playing the [[Serpent (instrument)|serpent]], [[Ondioline]], and [[Ondes Martenot]].

The first track was the title theme. Thereafter, the other tracks, and their writers, were:

===side A===
# '''The Twilight Zone''' (2:07)
#: Written-By – M. Manning
# '''Forbidden Planet''' (2:28)
#: Written-By – D. Rose
# '''[[The Lost Weekend (film)|The Lost Weekend]] Theme''' (2:41)
#: Written-By – [[Miklos Rozsa]]
# '''Invitation''' (3:04)
#: Written-By – B. Kaper
# '''You Stepped Out Of A Dream''' (2:16)
#: Written By – [[Gus Kahn]]-N.H. Brown
# '''The Unknown''' (2:15)
#: Written-By – M. Manning

===side B===
# '''Far Away Places''' (2:13)
#: Written By – J. Whitney-A.C. Kramer
# '''Spellbound Concerto''' (2:16)
#: Written-By – Miklos Rozsa
# '''[[The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1955 film)|The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]''' (2:16)
#: Arranged By – Marty Manning
#: Composed By – Dukas
# '''The Moon Is Low''' (2:25)
#: Written By – A. Freed-N.H. Brown
# '''Night On Bald Mountain''' (2:19)
#: Arranged By – Marty Manning
#: Composed By – Mussorgsky
# '''Shangri-La''' (n/a)
#: Written By – R. Maxwell-M. Malneck

==Broadcast history==
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2015}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Season !! Time slot
|-
| [[1959–60 United States network television schedule|1 (1959–1960)]] || rowspan="3" | Friday at 10:00-10:30 pm E.T.
|-
| [[1960–61 United States network television schedule|2 (1960–1961)]]
|-
| [[1961–62 United States network television schedule|3 (1961–1962)]]
|-
| [[1962–63 United States network television schedule|4 (1963)]] || Thursday at 9:00-10:00 pm E.T.
|-
| [[1963–64 United States network television schedule|5 (1963–1964)]] || Friday at 9:30-10:00 pm E.T.
|}

==Legacy==
''The Twilight Zone'' is widely regarded as one of the [[List of television shows considered the best|greatest television series of all time]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/10/6-reasons-the-twilight-zone-is-the-greatest-series-in-tv-history/|title=6 Reasons The Twilight Zone Is the Greatest Series in TV History |last=Brownfield |first=Troy |work=[[The Saturday Evening Post]] |date=October 2, 2019 |access-date=November 9, 2021}}</ref> In 2002, the series was ranked {{abbr|No.|Number}} 26 on [[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|''TV Guide''{{'}}s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tv-guide-names-top-50-shows/ |title=TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows |work=[[CBS News]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=April 26, 2002 |access-date=April 13, 2016 |archive-date=June 5, 2002 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020605191607/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/26/entertainment/main507388.shtml |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 2004, it was ranked No. 8 on ''[[TV Guide]]'''s Top Cult Shows Ever,<ref>{{cite news |title=25 Top Cult Shows Ever!|work=TV Guide |date=May 30, 2004}}</ref> moving to No. 9 three years later.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/top-cult-shows-40239/|title=TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever|publisher=TVGuide.com|date=June 29, 2007|access-date=June 21, 2019|archive-date=May 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507142236/https://www.tvguide.com/news/top-cult-shows-40239/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2013, the [[Writers Guild of America]] ranked it as the third-best-written TV series ever<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-best-written-tv-series/list|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429170702/https://www.wga.org/writers-room/101-best-lists/101-best-written-tv-series/list|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 29, 2020|title=101 Best Written TV Series List|access-date=April 13, 2016}} (archived)</ref> and ''TV Guide'' ranked it the fourth greatest drama,<ref>Roush, Matt (February 25, 2013). "Showstoppers: The 60 Greatest Dramas of All Time". ''[[TV Guide]]''. pp. 16–17.</ref> the second greatest sci-fi show<ref>{{cite journal|journal=TV Guide Magazine|date=September 16–22, 2013|title=The 60 Greatest Sci-Fi Shows of All Time}}</ref> and the fifth greatest show of all time.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Fretts|first1=Bruce|last2=Roush|first2=Matt|title=The Greatest Shows on Earth|journal=TV Guide Magazine|volume=61|issue=3194–3195|pages=16–19}}</ref> In 2016, it was ranked No. 7 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s list of the 100 greatest shows of all time<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/100-greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time-105998/the-twilight-zone-102616/ |title = 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time| magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date = September 21, 2016}}</ref> and was ranked No. 12 in 2022.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-lists/best-tv-shows-of-all-time-1234598313/the-sopranos-5-1234599298/|title=The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time - 50-1|first=Alan|last=Sepinwall|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=September 26, 2022}}</ref> In 2023, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' ranked ''The Twilight Zone'' #14 on its list of the 100 greatest TV shows of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/lists/greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time/|title=The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|publisher=Variety|date=December 20, 2023}}</ref> In 2024, ''[[Boston Globe]]'' television critic Matthew Gilbert stated that the show "is still TV’s most influential series six decades after it ended".<ref name="gilbert20240710">{{Cite news |last=Gilbert |first=Matthew |title=Globe TV critic Matthew Gilbert says goodbye to his job of 27 years, and to you, his readers |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/07/10/arts/globe-tv-critic-matthew-gilbert-says-goodbye/ |access-date=2024-07-11 |work=Boston Globe |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1997, "[[To Serve Man (The Twilight Zone)|To Serve Man]]" and "[[It's a Good Life (The Twilight Zone)|It's a Good Life]]" were ranked at 11 and 31 on ''[[TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The Twilight Zone FAQ|last=Thompson|first=David}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|year=1997|title=Special Collector's Issue: 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time|journal=[[TV Guide]]|issue=June 28 – July 4}}</ref> Serling himself named "[[The Invaders (The Twilight Zone)|The Invaders]]" and "[[Time Enough at Last]]" as his favorites.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://geektyrant.com/news/2010/9/7/rod-serling-revels-his-favorite-twilight-zone-episodes.html|title=Rod Serling Revels his Favorite TWILIGHT ZONE Episodes|work=GeekTyrant|date=September 7, 2010 |access-date=April 13, 2016}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
''The Twilight Zone'' was nominated for four [[Primetime Emmy Awards]], winning twice for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series#1960s|Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Brooks |first=Tim |title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows |year=2007 |publisher=Ballantine Books |isbn=978-0-345-49773-4 |pages=1633–1644}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Association !! Category !! Nominee !! Result
|-
| [[12th Primetime Emmy Awards|1960]]|| rowspan="4" |[[Primetime Emmy Awards]] || [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series#1960s|Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama]] || [[Rod Serling]]|| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=2|[[13th Primetime Emmy Awards|1961]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Primetime Emmy |url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000223/1961 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023409/https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000223/1961/1 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |access-date=April 13, 2016 |website=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>|| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series#1960s|Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Drama]] || ''The Twilight Zone'' || {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama || rowspan="3" | Rod Serling || {{won}}
|-
| [[14th Primetime Emmy Awards|1962]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Primetime Emmy |url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000223/1962 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023239/https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000223/1962/1 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |access-date=April 13, 2016 |website=[[IMDb]] |publisher=[[Amazon (company)|Amazon]]}}</ref>|| {{nom}}
|-
| [[20th Golden Globe Awards|1963]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Golden Globe |url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000292/1963 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023429/https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000292/1963/1 |archive-date=November 19, 2020 |access-date=April 13, 2016 |website=IMDb |publisher=Amazon}}</ref>|| [[Golden Globe Awards]] || [[20th Golden Globe Awards#Best TV Producer.2FDirector|Best TV Producer/Director]] || {{won}}
|}

==In media==

===Syndication===
Most episodes continue to be broadcast in syndication. After the cancellation of the series, Serling sold his rights to CBS, unaware of what the future would hold in syndication, and the royalties he would have gained.<ref>{{cite book|last=Stanyard|first=Stewart T.|title=Dimensions Behind the Twilight Zone|year=2007|publisher=ECW press|location=Toronto|isbn=978-1-55022-744-4|pages=67|edition=[Online-Ausg.]}}</ref>

Episodes are broadcast nationally on the [[Syfy]] channel in the United States. They are regularly shown in late-night slots and in marathons aired typically every year on [[New Year's Eve]] [[New Year's Day|and Day]] and [[Independence Day (United States)|the Fourth of July]]. Syfy broadcasts are often re-cut to feature more commercials during the time slot, in order to meet the 22 or 44-minute maximum episode runtime.

Originally, there were five episodes not included in the syndication package. Three of those ("[[Sounds and Silences]]", "[[Miniature (The Twilight Zone)|Miniature]]", and "[[A Short Drink From a Certain Fountain]]") were involved in [[copyright infringement]] [[lawsuits]]. The other two, which have never been in syndication (both from season five), are "[[An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (film)|An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge]]" (a French short film, aired twice per agreement with the filmmakers) and "[[The Encounter (Twilight Zone)|The Encounter]]" (which was pulled after its initial showing, due to the racial overtones).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-twilight-zone-the-encounter-mr-garrity-and-the-1798182150|title=The Twilight Zone: "The Encounter"/"Mr. Garrity And The Graves"|publisher=[[The A.V. Club]]|author=Zack Handlen|date=22 November 2014|access-date=9 April 2021|quote=Due to complaints from Japanese-Americans about the subject matter of this episode (specifically, Arthur's confession about what his father really did at Pearl Harbor), "The Encounter" was kept out of American syndication deals. |language=en}}</ref> "The Encounter" has since aired on Syfy for the first time in 2016.

===Home media===
''The Twilight Zone'' was released on [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]] DVD for the first time by [[Image Entertainment]]. All of the releases feature uncut episodes. The season releases (The Definitive Collection and Blu-rays) also include the radio dramas and the "Next Week" promos (some of the promos on the season DVDs are audio only). The various releases include:

* 43 volumes of 3 to 4 episodes each (released December 29, 1998 – June 12, 2001){{citation needed|date=July 2014}}
* Five 9-disc Collection DVD sets (released December 3, 2002 – February 25, 2003){{citation needed|date=July 2014}}
* Season sets: ''The Twilight Zone: The Definitive Collection'' (released December 28, 2004 – December 26, 2005){{citation needed|date=July 2014}}
* ''The Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection'', 28 discs (released October 3, 2006)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/The-Twilight-Zone-Definitive-Collection/dp/B000H5U5EE|title=Amazon.com: The Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection: Burgess Meredith: Movies & TV|website=Amazon |access-date=April 13, 2016|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023252/https://www.amazon.com/The-Twilight-Zone-Definitive-Collection/dp/B000H5U5EE|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series (Episodes Only Collection),'' 25 discs (released November 19, 2013; reissued November 11, 2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/The-Twilight-Zone-Complete-Collection/dp/B00EEEHLKU|title=Amazon.com: Twilight Zone, the (1959) - Complete Series: Rod Serling, Art Carney, Burgess Meredith, Cliff Robertson, Dennis Weaver, Don Rickles, Jack Klugman, Jay Overholts, Lee Marvin, Martin Landau, Robert McCord, William Shatner, John Brahm: Movies & TV|website=Amazon |access-date=April 13, 2016|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023244/https://www.amazon.com/The-Twilight-Zone-Complete-Collection/dp/B00EEEHLKU|url-status=live}}</ref>

'''Compilations'''
* ''Treasures of The Twilight Zone'' (3-episode compilation released November 24, 1997)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Treasures-Twilight-Zone-Rod-Serling/dp/B00000I20F|title=Amazon.com: Treasures of The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts, Vaughn Taylor, James Turley, Arthur Tovey, Jack Klugman, Burgess Meredith, John Anderson, J. Pat O'Malley, Barney Phillips, George Mitchell: Movies & TV|website=Amazon |access-date=April 13, 2016|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023406/https://www.amazon.com/Treasures-Twilight-Zone-Rod-Serling/dp/B00000I20F|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''More Treasures of The Twilight Zone'' (3-episode compilation released November 24, 1998)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/More-Treasures-Twilight-Zone-Serling/dp/B00004L8IM|title=Amazon.com: More Treasures of the Twilight Zone: Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts, Vaughn Taylor, James Turley, Arthur Tovey, Jack Klugman, Burgess Meredith, John Anderson, J. Pat O'Malley, Barney Phillips, George Mitchell: Movies & TV|website=Amazon |access-date=April 13, 2016|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023449/https://www.amazon.com/More-Treasures-Twilight-Zone-Serling/dp/B00004L8IM|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''The Twilight Zone: 40th Anniversary Gift Pack'' (19-episode compilation released September 21, 1999)<ref>{{cite book|title=Amazon.com: The Twilight Zone: 40th Anniversary Gift Pack: Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts, Vaughn Taylor, James Turley, Arthur Tovey, Jack Klugman, Burgess Meredith, John Anderson, J. Pat O'Malley, Barney Phillips, George Mitchell: Movies & TV|asin = 6305556806}}</ref>
* ''The Twilight Zone: Fan Favorites'' (19-episode compilation released October 26, 2010)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Zone-Favorites-Art-Carney/dp/B004CQZFL2|title=Amazon.com: Twilight Zone: Fan Favorites: Art Carney, Robert Redford, Rod Serling, Burgess Meredith, William Shatner, Ron Howard, Jack Klugman, Jonathan Winters, Elizabeth Montgomery, Don Rickles, Buzz Kulik, Douglas Heyes, Richard Donner: Movies & TV|website=Amazon |date=October 26, 2010 |access-date=April 13, 2016|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023240/https://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Zone-Favorites-Art-Carney/dp/B004CQZFL2|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''The Twilight Zone: More Fan Favorites'' (20-episode compilation released May 8, 2012)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Zone-More-Fan-Favorites/dp/B0074B2N9O|title=Amazon.com: The Twilight Zone: More Fan Favorites: Bill Mumy, Buddy Ebsen, Buster Keaton, Cliff Robertson, Cloris Leachman, Dennis Weaver, Fritz Weaver, James Best, Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef, Richard Conte, Richard Kiel, Robert Cummings, Rod Serling, Shelley Berman, William Shatner, Allen H. Miner, John Brahm, Jus Addiss, William Asher: Movies & TV|website=Amazon |date=May 8, 2012 |access-date=April 13, 2016|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023252/https://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Zone-More-Fan-Favorites/dp/B0074B2N9O|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''The Twilight Zone: Essential Episodes'' (17-episode compilation released July 4, 2014; reissued October 11, 2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Zone-Essential-Anniversary-Collection/dp/B00JKTFQH4|title=Amazon.com: Twilight Zone: Essential Episodes (55th Anniversary Collection): Bill Mumy, Burgess Meredith, Cloris Leachman, Donna Douglas, John Carradine, Rod Serling, Telly Savalas, William Shatner, Alvin Ganzer, Douglas Heyes, Ida Lupino, James Daly, John Brahm, Richard C. Sarafian, Robert Stevens: Movies & TV|website=Amazon |date=July 2014 |access-date=April 13, 2016|archive-date=November 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119023253/https://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Zone-Essential-Anniversary-Collection/dp/B00JKTFQH4|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mediamikes.com/2014/07/dvd-review-the-twilight-zone-the-essential-episodes/|title=DVD Review "The Twilight Zone: The Essential Episodes"|access-date=April 13, 2016|date=July 7, 2014}}</ref>

'''Limited set'''
*''The Twilight Zone: Gold Collection,'' a 49-disc set of the entire series, released by V3 Media on December 2, 2002 – only 2,500 copies of this set were made.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/another-universe-releases-first-ever-twilight-zone-complete-set-76886927.html|title=Another Universe Releases First Ever Twilight Zone Complete Set|date=November 18, 2002|publisher=PR Newswire|access-date=April 13, 2016}}</ref>

'''Blu-ray''' <br>''Note'': all of the Blu-ray releases are Region A
* ''The Twilight Zone: Season 1'' (released September 14, 2010)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Twilight-Zone-Season-1-Blu-ray/13874|title=The Twilight Zone DVD news: Announcement for The Twilight Zone - Season 1 on Blu-ray - TVShowsOnDVD.com|access-date=April 13, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050317/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Twilight-Zone-Season-1-Blu-ray/13874|archive-date=March 4, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Twilight-Zone-Season-1-Press-Release/13986|title=The Twilight Zone DVD news: Official Season 1 Press Release - TVShowsOnDVD.com|access-date=April 13, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015182535/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Twilight-Zone-Season-1-Press-Release/13986|archive-date=October 15, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* ''The Twilight Zone: Season 2'' (released November 16, 2010)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Twilight-Zone-Season-2-Blu-ray/14184|title=The Twilight Zone DVD news: Announcement for The Twilight Zone - Season 2 on Blu-ray - TVShowsOnDVD.com|access-date=April 13, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304201320/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Twilight-Zone-Season-2-Blu-ray/14184|archive-date=March 4, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
* ''The Twilight Zone: Season 3'' (released on February 15, 2011)
* ''The Twilight Zone: Season 4'' (released on May 17, 2011)
* ''The Twilight Zone: Season 5'' (released on August 30, 2011)
* ''The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series,'' 24 discs (released on June 5, 2012; reissued December 13, 2016)

The 1958 ''Desilu Playhouse'' episode, "The Time Element," considered to be a "first" pilot for ''The Twilight Zone'' (see above) is included as a bonus feature on the Blu-ray release (with Season 1), but not on any of the earlier DVD releases.

'''UK release'''

[[Fremantle Media]] released a box set for each season of ''The Twilight Zone'' on both DVD and Blu-ray over 2011 and early 2012. These sets received high praise and won an award from ''[[The Guardian]]'' for Best Special Features of 2011. These Blu-rays and DVDs are multi-region and so can be played around the world.

===Radio===
{{Main|The Twilight Zone (radio series)}}

In 2002, the [[BBC]]<ref name= "BBC4">{{cite news |last=Sherwin |first=Adam |author-link=Adam Sherwin |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/the-twilight-zone-cult-sci-fi-show-to-return-for-bbc-radio-4-extra-series-a6887006.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915050003/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/the-twilight-zone-cult-sci-fi-show-to-return-for-bbc-radio-4-extra-series-a6887006.html?amp |archive-date=September 15, 2016 |url-status=dead |title=The Twilight Zone: Cult sci-fi show to return for BBC Radio 4 Extra series |work=[[The Independent]] |date=20 February 2016|access-date=27 October 2018}}</ref>  engaged producer Carl Amari to license the rights from the Rod Serling Estate to turn the TV series into a weekly radio drama [[The Twilight Zone (radio series)|series]] for [[BBC Radio 4 Extra]] which in turn was purchased and distributed by [[CBS Enterprises]] in the US. The series features [[Stacy Keach]] in Rod Serling's role as narrator and each 40-minute audio drama includes a Hollywood celebrity in the starring role. Some of the stars include [[Jim Caviezel]], [[Blair Underwood]], [[Jason Alexander]], [[Jane Seymour (actress)|Jane Seymour]], [[Lou Diamond Phillips]], [[Luke Perry]], [[Michael York (actor)|Michael York]], [[Sean Astin]], and [[Ernie Hudson]]. The episodes air nationally on hundreds of radio stations and Sirius/XM, and are available for download.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.twilightzoneradio.com |title=The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas |access-date=January 17, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100306025006/http://www.twilightzoneradio.com/ |archive-date=March 6, 2010 }}</ref>

===Online distribution===
As of April 2019, all half-hour episodes (seasons 1–3 and 5) of the series are available on [[Netflix]] Instant Streaming in Brazil, Mexico, and the U.S.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Murray|first1=Noel|title=10 episodes that take viewers into the depths of The Twilight Zone|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/10-episodes-that-take-viewers-into-the-depths-of-i-92459|access-date=November 1, 2016|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|publisher=[[Univision Communications]]|date=February 13, 2013}}</ref>

All five seasons of the series are available on [[Hulu]], [[Amazon Video]], and [[iTunes]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Staff|first1=EW|title=Hulu Hot List: Our Favorite TV Time-Travelers|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/30/hulu-hot-list-time-travelers|access-date=November 1, 2016|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|publisher=[[Time Inc.]]|date=September 30, 2016}}</ref>

All seasons as aired, including promotional spots recorded by Mr. Serling, are available on [[Paramount+]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fratti|first1=Karen|title=CBS All Access Is Totally Winning|url=http://www.adweek.com/lostremote/cbs-all-access-is-totally-winning/54428|access-date=November 1, 2016|work=AdWeek|publisher=Crain Communications|date=November 3, 2015}}</ref>

==Revivals==
The series has seen three revivals:
*[[The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series)|''The Twilight Zone'' (1985 TV series)]]
*[[The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series)|''The Twilight Zone'' (2002 TV series)]]
*[[The Twilight Zone (2019 TV series)|''The Twilight Zone'' (2019 TV series)]]

==See also==
{{Portal|Speculative fiction|Television}}
*''[[Twilight Zone: The Movie]]'' (1983)
*''[[Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics]]'' (1994) American made-for-television film
*''[[The Twilight Zone]]'' (franchise)
*''[[The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror|''The Twilight Zone'' Tower of Terror]]'' (theme park rides)
*''[[Science fiction on television]]''
*''[[Night Gallery|Rod Serling's Night Gallery]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
*DeVoe, Bill. (2008). ''Trivia from The Twilight Zone.'' Albany, GA: Bear Manor Media. {{ISBN|978-1-59393-136-0}}
*Grams, Martin. (2008). ''The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic.'' Churchville, MD: OTR Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-9703310-9-0}}
*Presnell, Don and Marty McGee. (2008). ''A Critical History of Television's The Twilight Zone, 1959–1964.'' Jefferson, NC: [[McFarland & Company|McFarland]]. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-3886-0}}
* Sander, Gordon F. ''Serling: The Rise and Twilight of Television's Last Angry Man.'' New York: Penguin Books, 1992.
* Stanyard, Stewart T. ''Dimensions Behind The Twilight Zone.'' ECW Press, 2007.
* [[Marc Scott Zicree|Zicree, Marc Scott]]. ''The Twilight Zone Companion.'' Sillman-James Press, 1982 (second edition).

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
*{{Official website|http://www.cbs.com/shows/the_twilight_zone/}}
*{{IMDb title|id=0052520|title=The Twilight Zone}}
* {{TV Guide show | 1000250940 }}
*{{cite web | url = http://www.americanmusicpreservation.com/TheTwilightZoneTribute.htm | title= Film Music Review: ''The Twilight Zone'' Revisited | publisher = AmericanMusicPreservation.com | access-date= September 16, 2013 | archive-date = April 1, 2013 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130401133451/http://www.americanmusicpreservation.com/TheTwilightZoneTribute.htm}}
* {{The Interviews title}}
*[http://www.thespectrum.com/story/entertainment/2015/10/01/getting-know-rod-serling/73052538/ ''Twilight Zone'' actors interviewed, October 2015]

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|title = Awards for ''The Twilight Zone''
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{{Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation 1958–1980}}
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