Twilight Zone Day is on May 11 and we are celebrating with more science fiction, horror, supernatural drama, and unexpected twists than you could shake a fifth-dimensional stick at. Widely considered one of the greatest television shows of all time, “The Twilight Zone” has led to several spin-offs and derivatives, including graphic novels, movies, radio series, board games, and more. On May 11 we can dive into the show’s 60-year history and what it has meant to viewers and fans across the globe.
The television show The Twilight Zone was created, written and narrated by Rod Serling. It premiered on October 1, 1959. The episodes were wildly popular, stretched the imagination, and captivated viewers. The show aired from 1959-1964.
- 1959 – The first season of “The Twilight Zone” debuts on television.
- 1959 – There were almost six dimensions. While recording the opening to the pilot episode in 1959, Serling exclaimed there was a sixth dimension to explore. When a network executive overheard the introduction, he asked Serling what happened to the fifth dimension. Serling assumed there were already five dimensions, not four. Luckily, the mistake was corrected before the episode aired.
- 1964 – When the show was unable to find a sponsor, CBS executive James T. Aubrey canceled it, as he wasn’t a fan of it in the first place.
- 1983 – “The Twilight Zone: The Movie” is released, starring Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow.
- 1985 – After creator Rod Serling sells his share in the franchise to CBS years earlier, a television reboot is launched by CBS.
- 2013 – TV Guide ranked the original “Twilight Zone” series as the fifth-best television series ever.
- 2019 – Actor, writer, and comedian Jordan Peele serves as host and executive producer of a new “The Twilight Zone” television show.
- Serling narrated for the show, first through just his voice and then on camera during the second season. Serling’s first choice for that role was not himself, but Orson Welles. It never came to pass as the producers could not meet Welles’s salary demands.
- Why May 11th? Just like the mysterious events of the show, we do not know why Twilight Zone Day is celebrated on May 11.
- ‘Star Trek’ actors appeared in the series.
- William Shatner appeared in two episodes, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” and “Nick of Time.”
- Leonard Nimoy appeared as a soldier in the Philippines during WWII in the episode “A Quality of Mercy.”
- George Takei played a Japanese-American man in the infamously banned episode “The Encounter.”
- Only one actor appeared in all five seasons. Many actors have appeared multiple times on the program, but only one has the distinction of appearing in all five seasons. In total, Robert McCord appeared in 67 episodes, most of them as an extra.
- “Submitted for your approval” was only uttered three times. The phrase that has become synonymous with the show was only uttered three times throughout five seasons. Serling used the signature phrase in the introductions to the episodes “Cavender is Coming,” “In Praise of Pip” and “A Certain Kind of Stopwatch.”
- Over the years “The Simpsons” have referenced or spoofed “The Twilight Zone” in 18 episodes.
- The original show won three Emmys for writing and cinematography.
- The Iconic Theme Song Was Not Introduced Until the Second Season Listen Here
- The Twilight Zone was so impactful that its name is now shorthand for describing surreal and mysterious situations.
- There are several Twilight Zone episodes that were pulled from syndication after their first airing, usually because they were tied up in lawsuits over copyright claims.
- A signature element of The Twilight Zone was its unexpected twist endings. Viewers were constantly kept on the edge of their seats, not knowing how each story would unfold.
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