BRING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THE TWILIGHT ZONE!
It’s time for THE TWILIGHT ZONE Marathon on the SyFy channel! December 31 through ALL NEW YEARS DAY! What’s YOUR Twilight Zone Fave? I’d love to know! Below are 13 of mine! I’ve been a HUGE FAN for as long as I can remember. (And that’s a loooooong time.) Watching always brings back the memory of anxiously waiting in front of our black and white TV for that unmistakable tune which has beguiled us through the decades, even greeting us on our ringtones. (Mine!) 
So naturally, I was simply pleased-as-otherworldly-punch, when I was honored to get to know the marvelous Anne Serling, daughter of the great Rod Serling, when we were both Special Guests at Comic Con.
Every time I re-watch an episode of The Twilight Zone, I find yet another nugget of wisdom, mirth or irony, carefully hidden just beneath the surface of the obvious. Rod Serling was a brilliant pioneer in his field with a tremendous talent and heart. He didn’t need to get on a pulpit or soapbox and shout out his thoughts. With his good looks and a voice like none other, he rendered eloquent, provoking introductions, then wove fascinating stories for us to watch, letting us look within and come to our own conclusions.
Just like any great literature, they are as relevant now, as when they first aired. Perhaps more so, which certainly gives one pause. “Man’s Inhumanity to Man” is often an underlying thread, but also often Humanity, as we learned from classic characters like Ebeneezer Scrooge – magical stories that make us reflect, then hopefully make our and others’ lives better through perspective, caring more, giving more and “Passing it forward” as we move through a new age dimension of a real-world “Twilight Zone”.
HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVES!
“MIDNIGHT SUN” S3/Ep 10
I was always mesmerized by this and now in this day and age, it truly gives me the cold sweats!!!
WHOSE REALITY IS REAL?
“Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (1963) Season 5, Ep. 3
Is William Shatner losing his mind? Who is to say? I never go on an airplane without peering out the window and thinking of this episode!
I could perhaps say this is my all-time fave, but difficult as they are ALL so FAB!
JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER & JUST HOW DEEP IS THAT SKIN?
“THE MASKS”
“EYE OF THE BEHOLDER”
Usually, I am very good at guessing endings. (Sometimes annoying to myself, as I love a good surprise!) I well remember watching this with bated breath the very first time I saw “Eye of the Beholder”, wondering what was under the woman’s bandages. I love it when I’m wrong! 😀
“NUMBER 12 LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU”
At What Price Beauty?
NOSTALGIA
“WALKING DISTANCE” S1 Ep 5
“Don’t let a moment go by, without enjoying it.”
“A STOP AT WILLOUGHBY”
The want of a kinder, gentler place.
ULTIMATE IRONIES
“TO SERVE MAN”
Just Desserts? Are we but fools to get what we want?
“TIME ENOUGH AT LAST”
Finally getting what you want, but you can’t use it.
“THE MONSTERS ARE DUE ON MAPLE STREET”
A far from ‘gentler’ place! Human nature? On which side do we fall?
GHOSTLY DIMENSIONS
“LONG DISTANCE CALL” S2 Ep22
“NIGHT CALL”
This one truly gives me heebie jeebie chills every time I see it. Why? Yes, it’s a SCARY story. But in my case, it is very personal…………… Yes, I had a weird experience about thirty years ago. I think I’ll save that story for another blog! Stay tuned!
“THE HUNT”
Huge favorite of mine. I’m not a fan of hunting by any means…
But I AM a fan of good goosebumps and spending Eternity with your Best Friend!
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So there you go. Just a pinch of my favorites! That was Fun!
WHERE TO WATCH!
You can find it on the Syfy Schedule.
You can watch Twilight Zone anytime, on NETFLIX! (I do, often, but enjoy the marathon, knowing so many others are watching the same episode at the very same time!) 😀
You can find it on MeTv!
OWN IT! The Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection PRIME on amazon. (Currently out of stock – Put in a request and you will be notified by amazon).
If you are a Rod Serling – Twilight Zone and/or Night Gallery fan, Anne Serling’s incredible BOOK is a MUST READ!
As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling by Anne Serling 206 Reviews 5/5 Star rating on amazon!
You can also find books about Rod Serling on @rodserlingbooks.com
Anne is on Facebook!
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Thanks so much for joining me! ~Deba Do ♥
What are YOUR FAVES?
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So many fantastic episodes. He was truly an imaginative genius. As far as favorites, I have a difficult time choosing; each episode strikes me differently. I tend to be drawn to the episodes with social undertones such as Eye of The Beholder, One for The Angels, Obsolete Man, Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge… it’s so difficult to narrow it down. Thank you for posting this. Twilight Zone is such a huge part of me. It has made such an immense impact on my life and its patina only becomes more glorious through the years. Happy New Year, Deborah!!
Thank you for your Wonderful, Informative comment, Tom! Happy New Year to You! <3
I taught high school English for 7 years before moving into administration. I used that show a lot. My favorite episodesong to show were “The Monsters are due on Maple Street” and “Time enough at last.”
Time enough at last is the one where Burgess Meredith (the coach from Rocky) loves to read and never gets a chance to do so until the world gets nuked while he’s safely in a bank vault. He loses faith and is about to take his own life when he finds the public library and….
I would have my students watch the monsters are due on maple street and then write down what they thought it was about, then I’d show it to them again the next day after having them read the history of mcarthyism and the red scare. Watching the episode again blew their minds because they realized that if you do research, great literature can have much deeper meanings.
Also death’s head revisited is s great episode of Jewish holocaust victims getting haunting revenge on their former nazi guard.
Marvelous, Justin! Thank you for that great insight. I enjoyed very much! Excellent choices and so wonderful what you did there for your students. I greatly appreciate your sharing. <3
I have loved this show ever since I was a little boy. Those marathons (New Year’s Eve and 4th of July) are a tradition for me and always a highlight of the year. Even owning the series on DVD and blu-ray doesn’t stop me from watching it on TV whenever I get the chance. The show has such perfectly spooky atmosphere, incredible music, fantastic acting and social underscoring that is even more relevant today than it might have been 50 years ago.
To pick a favorite episode is like picking a favorite child, as it is near impossible. I have always loved “Eye of The Beholder”. That episode is just shot so perfectly. The score by Bernard Herrmann is so beautiful and eerie and the subject matter is timeless (as infinite). I have also always had an affinity for “The Dummy”. As a kid, this one gave the most creeps. To this day, dummies and dolls (and mannequins) creep me out. “Living Doll” and “The After Hours” are in this group of favoritesthat have given me the willies (along with Willie…get it?!). “The Invaders” is so entertaining in the fact that it is almost complete without any dialogue. It relies on atmospherics, music and emotion to tell its story. “The Midnight Sun”, “The Howling Man”, “The Masks” “Mirror Image”, “Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up?”…the list could just go on, and on, and on. I hope that these marathons go on until well after we are all gone. Generations of viewers should always be able to see this show, as it’s one of the most important series there ever was (or will be).
Mike, I so enjoyed reading this! Gave me the shivers! It is so true that you can’t really choose one or a few. There are those that have always stood out in my mind . . . and then I’ll see one I haven’t in a while and it’s pure magic. Fun to know that while I’m watching the marathons that you are watching right along with me! 😀 Thank you so much for your beautifully put thoughts! <3
I’m going to have to go with the following three episodes as my favs: “Walking Distance”– seeing someone really WISH they could go back and do it again when they were young, but are now sucked into the rigors of adulthood, “The Lonely”- that desire for human’s to have a companion, even if they don’t think they need one at first, and “Third from the Sun”– just a creepy (that guy in those glasses!) yet cool episode with a classic plot twist at the end….
All really great choices, Philip! “Walking Distance”, is indeed a powerful one. “Third From the Sun” is on tonight, just a few episodes away! I’ll be thinking of you! 🙂 Thank you so much for commenting! <3
Happy New Year Deborah! We voted in my household and decided our 3 favorite episodes are The Monsters are Due on Maple Street with Billy Mummy (which happens to be on right now), the one with Burgess Meredith we think is titled The Reader (Justin mentioned this one previously), and last but not least To Serve Man. We also like the one with William Shatner seeing the gremlin outside the plane. I also think, but I could be wrong, William Shatner stars in one where he and his new wife stop in a diner and he becomes obsessed with a fortune telling machine on the table. I can’t remember the title of those episodes.
Love that you did a family vote, Chris! So cool to hear you mention the ones you all revere. I’ve actually added a few on your list while I’ve been watching the marathon! Thank you so very much for taking the time to write and sharing with us your faves! <3
Personally I like the episode guest starring Jonathan Harris, AKA Dr Smith on Lost in Space, as the creepy doctor trying to psychoanalyze the actress who thinks she’ll die if she gets on the airplane (and she was right).
I’m with you on that, Shuvcat! Love that one and anything about premonitions. Have had some of my own! (I’ll share on a blog story one of these days, soon.) Saw it yesterday! That last scene is so great… 🙂 Thanks so much for commenting and sharing! <3
These are cool. It makes me want to have my own marathon on Netflix since I missed this one. Well said about him making a meaningful show without standing on a soapbox!
Fun that I inspired you to watch, Late Bloomer! Thank you for the compliment and for commenting! <3
Good post! Twilight zone is always up there and paved the way for my favorite show, Star Trek. It also tried to tackle similar social problems with hypothetical situations and metaphors…
I’m also all about spending eternity with my best friend!
I love your picks! I think my favorite episode is probably “Time Enough at Last”, I love the build up and the great plot twist!
Thanks, Remington! I sure do love that one, too, and you are right about the build and twist! 🙂 Thanks for commenting! <3
Its such as you read my mind! An excellent read. I will definitely be back.