"You're traveling to 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." Originally telecast on CBS from October 2, 1959, to September 18, 1964 (not counting a brief spate of network reruns in the summer of 1965),
The Twilight Zone was one of the foremost filmed dramatic anthologies on TV and one of a precious few that specialized in fantasy and science fiction. Created by
Rod Serling, whose previous TV writing credits included such classic live dramas as
Patterns and
Requiem for a Heavyweight, the series specialized in concise, economical playlets dealing with the offbeat andsupernatural, many of them with surprising and ironic climactic twists. Many of the individual episodes have stood the test of time as indisputable classics, among them "
Eye of the Beholder," "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street," "
The Invaders," "It's a Good Life," "To Serve Man," "
The Invaders," and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet."
Rod Serling served as the series' host and narrator, and also wrote most of the dramas. Other noteworthy contributors included
Richard Matheson,
Charles Beaumont, and, on one memorable occasion (the episode "I Sing the Body Electric"), Ray Bradbury.
A veritable constellation of guest stars brought the stories to life; among those making multiple appearances were
Burgess Meredith,
Jack Klugman,
William Shatner,
Martin Landau,
Anne Francis,
Bill Mumy,
Ed Wynn, and
Lee Marvin, while many more showed up for memorable single performances including
Charles Bronson,
Elizabeth Montgomery,
Robert Redford,
Robert Duvall,
James Coburn,
Mickey Rooney, and
Dennis Hopper. The series' famous theme music (heard from the
second season onward) was composed by Marius Constant with unforgettable incidental music provided by the likes of
Bernard Herrmann and
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