Friday, July 11, 2014

You Are Now Entering ...

Yes, I can finally say that I've watched every episode of the original Twilight Zone series (1959-1964). Throughout the last several years I'd occasionally view an episode, but when the ScyFy channel had a Twilight Zone marathon this past New Year's Day I made a goal to see them all. It took six months, but I've done it and even created my own Top Episodes List. 

It's been interesting viewing the world from the early 1960s time period; an abundance of smoking, glorification of small town life, early computers, and the fascination with outer space. I've especially enjoyed the episodes which feature a unique ending twist, totalizing surprising the audience. Many episodes deal with controversial topics of the day, such as war, racial issues, fear, crowd mentality, moral choices, etc. Using a science fiction setting allowed the creator/writers to make social commentary in a non-threatening way. It's also been fun to see well-known actors in their early years perform in this series (Burt Reynolds, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Jack Klugman, among others).

So, here it is. After viewing all 156 episodes, this is my list of the best ones. Each focuses on some kind of philosophical or social issue; I chose them because they made me think. Find them on the SciFy channel or you can find them online here for your summer viewing pleasure.

Best Twilight Zone (original series) Episodes:
  • Time Enough at Last  (season 1)
  • Third From the Sun  (season 1)
  • I Shot an Arrow into the Air  (season 1)
  • People are Alike all Over  (season 1)
  • The After Hours  (season 1)
  • Eye of the Beholder  (season 2)
  • The Invaders   (season 2)
  • Five Characters in Search of an Exit  (season 3)
  • The Midnight Sun   (season3)
  • A Quality of Mercy  (season 3)
  • To Serve Man   (season3)
  • Stopover in a Quiet Town  (season 5)
  • Number Twelve Looks Just Like You   (season 5)
  • An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge   (season 5)

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