One of the most remembered, loved, and commented on anthology series ever. There’s no reason to go into any other details because if you don’t know this series then why the heck are you on this site in the first place? Even though the majority of these episodes are top notch, here are my picks as the best.
008 Time Enough at Last - Bergess Meredith in his first Twilight Zone role plays a librarian who knows exactly what he wants to do with the rest of his life. Damn, endings like this shouldn’t happen to nice guys like Meredith.
017 The Fever - A man gambles for the first time and decides to continue until he gets it right. What starts as an upbeat episode turns ominous real fast. Vivi Janiss is especially good as the worried wife.
020 Elegy - Astronauts land on an Earth-like planet but all the residents are frozen in time. Or so it seems... Nice piece with Cecil Kellaway as his usual jovial self.
022 The Monsters are Due on Maple Street - I know, I know...no spoilers. All I’m going to say is that this episode was the inspiration for certain characters seen on the Halloween episodes of The Simpsons.
028 A Nice Place To Visit - A small time crook is killed and finds himself in a fancy apartment being guaranteed that he’ll have all his dreams come true. If I said it once, I’ll say it again...be careful what you wish for. Mr. Pip is played by Ghost Story host Sebastian Cabbot
034 The After Hours - A woman discovers a floor of a department store where she seems to be the only customer. Great early appearance of Anne Francis.
036. A World Of His Own - A wife catches her husband cheating on her. Or does she? Has a surprise ending after the ending.
038: The Man In The Bottle - Finally! Someone finally realizes that wishes suck!
041 The Howling Man - A man wonders whether monks really have captured the devil.
042 The Eye of the Beholder - A woman gets plastic surgery to fix disfigurements she has had since birth. One of the best, and maybe the most frightening for first time viewers.
051 The Invaders - Best episode of the series! Agnes Moorehead plays a woman terrorized by small aliens. She had no lines and proved she didn't need them.
061 The Silence - A man bets $500,000 that a blabbermouth can’t keep his mouth shut for one year. Wanna bet?
065 The Obsolete Man - Burgess Meredith plays a man who is sentenced to death by the government. His crime? Having no useful purpose in society. One of the best psychological and sociological stories in the series.
069 The Passerby - During the Civil War, a woman grows cold after realizing her husband was killed during the fighting. Sad, sad ending.
072 The Grave - Lee Marvin accepts a bet to go to a graveyard to prove he’s not chicken. Nice camera angle at the end highlights the punchline.
081 Nothing in the Dark - Gladys Cooper plays a woman who has become a recluse because she’s afraid death will find her. Early appearance by Robert Redford.
084 The Hunt - A hunter and his dog die in an accident and discover the term ‘death do us part’ may be exactly that. Amazingly poinent story of companionship.
089 To Serve Man - Finally, friendly aliens land on Earth. Joy, oh, Joy.
098 The Dummy - A ventriloquist's stage companion wants top billing.
106 He’s Alive - Dennis Hopper is a neo-nazi who learns how to direct his hate.
115 The New Exhibit - A man tries to save a set of wax figures from being destroyed only to discover they can take care of themselves.
145 The Masks - A dying man’s last request confuse his heirs.
153 Mr. Garrity and the Graves - John Dehner claims he can bring people back from the dead. But that’s not what the townspeople want. Interesting camera work at the end.
Twilight Zone (1985)
It was great to see this series back on the air again. The stories were tight, thought provoking...and thus, it had to be screwed with. I’m not going to go into any details. You’ll just have to read the forward of the book where the creators go into exhaustive explanation about what went wrong. (And who is to blame.) To its credit, there were several stories which were equal to some from the original series. Unfortunately, in syndication these hour long episodes were cut to 30 minutes. This meant several of the better short stories weren’t included. (Shades of Night Gallery.)
(The episode guide has them numbered according to story rather than episode. So, that’s the way I’m doing them here. So, for instance, 001 and 002 are from the same episode even though they’re not really listed as such.)
001 Shatterday - A man calls home and he answers. Confused? So is he. A great opening story for the series and worthy of The Twilight Zone name.
002 A Little Peace and Quiet - A wife is able to stop time. A heart stopper ending. (no pun intended)
007 Children’s Zoo - A cute little story about a young girl’s day out.
010 Wish Bank - Just like everything else in todays modern society, wish making has its share of bureacracy.
014 Examination Day - A boy worries about a government required test. Amazing story which proves that sometimes ten minutes is all you need to get your point across.
017 Paladin of the Lost Hour - Danny Kaye at his finest as a man who has a sacred trust. A must for Kaye fans.
023 The Shadow Man - A boy has a mystical being living under his bed who promises not to hurt him. Too bad for the other children in the neighborhood.
026 The Beacon - A lighthouse holds a small town in a grip of fear. Can an outsider help them overcome their dread?
028 Her Pilgrim Soul - A scientist studying computer holograms created more than he imagined...and remembers something he forgot. Excellent story that’s sentimental without being wishy-washy.
029 I of Newton - Sherman Hemsley is a mathematitian who accidently makes a deal with the devil. Keep an eye on the devil’s t-shirt.
036 Monsters! - Ralph Bellamy plays an old man who warns a boy to stay clear of him. Wonderful, excellent story in the Ray Brarbury vein. (pun intended.)
037 A Small Talent of War - Reminiscent of one of the most famous episodes of the original series. I can’t say any more without giving a big spoiler. ;)
045 Personal Demons - You have to pay very, very, very close attention to this episode in order to understand it. But it’s worth the effort.
050 Button Button - Amazingly well done store with a gripping ending.
057 Grace Note - Real life opera star Julia Migenes-Johnson plays a singer who gets a glimps of the future courtesy of a dying sister. Sentimental to the extreme.
059 The Last Defender of Camelot - Okay, so I’m a big Jenny Agutter fan. Sue me.
060 The Once and Future King - You don’t have to be an Elvis fan to enjoy this twist of fate. (Made with the help of the Presley estate.)
061 A Saucer of Loneliness - A woman gets a message from a UFO and now everyone wants to know. Yeah, more sentimental clap-trap. But good clap-trap nonetheless.
065 Night Song - I don’t know what it is about this episode that makes it a stand out, it just does. Since there’s no real special effects it has to be the acting.
072 The Card - The question isn’t “What’s in your wallet?” The question is “What’s left in your life?”
081 The Curious Case of Edgar Witherspoon - An old man’s collection of junk keeps the world together. Or so he thinks. (May have been the inspiration for the Night Visions story “Patterns”)
099 Something In The Walls - You’ll never look at your house the same again.
Twilight Zone (2002)
They say, “Lightning strikes twice” not three times. And unfortunately that seems to be true so far for the latest incarnation of The Twilight Zone. Forest Whitaeker hosts and as I’ve stated before he just doesn’t seem to have the knack for it. But hope abounds. So far the only memorable episodes have been...
01 Evergreen - Parents move their children into a highly structured neighborhood which doesn’t tolerate disobedience. You’ll probably at least partially figure this one out. But when you catch on to what’s really happening it is still pretty surprising.
06 Night Route - After being hit by a car, a woman starts fiorgetting important facts about her life.
14 Upgrade - Remember this episode next time you...damn. Argh...must-not-give-spoiler.
