I used to look for monsters on the wings of planes. I’d often check to see if my dolls had moved since placing them on the shelf in my bedroom. I scanned the sky for UFOs at night, and stayed away from red phone booths. Rod Serling said there was a fifth dimension beyond that which was known to man, and I believed him.
Both my parents were big lovers of The Twilight Zone, but for different reasons. My three siblings and I soon grew to be the same, but similarly on our own grounds. The show meant something different to each of us, but for me it was an anchor. I found solace in the stories, which usually consisted of one main protagonist facing a moral, cultural or psychological dilemma. While some may say the show critiques the culture of 1950s America, I think it takes things one step further.
Born during the golden age of television, the show represents a significant departure from the norms of its era, instilling powerful messages that are both universal and everlasting. Through the lens of fantasy and science fiction, the show’s creator, Rod Serling, set out to write about topics such as war, racism, addiction, violence, ageism, consumerism, and more. He did not shy away from the uncomfortable or the disturbing and often clashed with television executives and sponsors over a wide range of issues, including censorship and his personal views. He challenged and changed the popular cultural landscape of television, and other forms of entertainment, through his writing and ultimately created a classic.
Born on Christmas Day of 1924, a young Rod Serling was seen as the class clown. He often put on shows in his basement for his siblings, and was known to recite plays out-loud on long family car rides. An avid radio listener, with a special interest in thrillers, fantasy, and horror shows, he began to cultivate an interest in storytelling. He went on to write for his high school newspaper and became an active participant in politics and activism. He was accepted into college during his senior year of high school, but opted to enlist in the US Army the morning after graduation in order to support the war effort. His experiences in war greatly shaped his views as he was witness to numerous extreme situations, involving death, hatred, and the overall darkness which humanity has to offer. These experiences left him with nightmares and flashbacks that affected him for the rest of his life. This shift in perspective went on to influence much of his writing, and was the inspiration for the stories that would change storytelling.
The Twilight Zone series ran on CBS for five seasons from 1959 to 1964, containing 156 episodes in total. The episodes contain narration from Serling at the beginning and end, setting up and closing out each one. I will always remember his shiny, combed hair and black suit, as well as the cigarette in his hand spilling smoke into the background while he spoke. These monologues usually ended with the infamous line “…only in The Twilight Zone,” followed by the show’s haunting theme song, often the last thing I heard before falling asleep on the couch.
A well known characteristic of the show is its twist endings, usually showcasing a moral or lesson. He was as famous for writing televised drama as he was for criticizing the medium’s limitations. Serling created a show that left viewers with more questions, rather than alleviating them (as was seen as the general purpose for television at the time — a relief/escape from life’s stresses and questions). By going against the usual style of television writing, Serling’s show began to gain traction and was a hot topic of discussion by writers and producers all over the world.
Every episode consists of a new story (new characters, setting, plot), yet each has something in common: a message for the audience. One could argue that Serling’s background in newspaper writing trained him to write with a purpose. His words were never intended to float in the air unheard, but to strike you where it hurts. While several of the topics/issues at play in the episodes are directly pulled from circumstances of the time of its release, a multitude of such speak to universal themes. Serling was able to write about what people were dealing with at the time, while also creating narratives that are just as relevant to us now in 2024. I often found myself shocked by the fact that the show had debuted 41 years before my birth, as its lessons and morals felt just as relevant to me as they had to those witnessing the show live. Through his harsh social commentary on contemporary topics, Serling examines human nature, often leaving audiences with grim outcomes that are not easily resolved.
There have been several attempted revivals of the show since its ending in 1964, but none have been able to resemble that of the original series. The show came out during a turning point in the history of storytelling. The rules as to what was acceptable were being challenged and redefined. Society as a whole simmered with a sense of disillusionment. And technological advancements were changing people’s mindsets of what we collectively thought to be possible. The fears were different than they are today, whether it be the anxiety of those who survived WW2, or the Cold War era panic of nuclear war. Serling addresses all of these fears in various episodes of the show. Each week brought something new and provoking. Any attempted revival has since fallen flat, unable to create the same sense of power and magnitude present in the original series, especially with the absence of Rod Serling who died in June of 1975.
A specific episode that speaks to the show’s ability to act as a time capsule includes “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street”, one of the show’s most famous episodes. The episode follows the destruction of a town as the community begins to question and turn on one another, suspecting each other of being from another world. When the electricity of the entire neighborhood is shut off, all except one house, neighbors question why only that house’s lights remain on. This directly relates to the Communist Scare which sweeped the US during Serling’s early adulthood. The ideas of distrust and destruction are heavily present in the episode as we watch the town tear each other apart, all the while the aliens responsible for the lack of electricity watch from a hill, satisfied that their job is being done for them, just by flicking off some lights.
While several of the show’s episodes act as time capsules into the fears of 1950’s American society, it is important to look beyond that in order to see the timeless and universal themes present in the stories. The Twilight Zone is not a horror show, not to me. While it was born out of a time period flooded with fear, by a man who had experienced the horrors of war and was witness to its outcomes, the show does more than tell scary tales. Serling used the show as a platform to explore various milieus, and how one’s milieu affects a person. The show does not provoke a tone of wanting to scare you, but wanting to inspire questions in you. To place you in a state of deep contemplation and leave you with a message, along with a hunger to find out more. This is done through stories of love as well as fear, longing as well as loathing, optimism as well as uncertainty.
An episode that exemplifies this is “A Penny For Your Thoughts,” which follows the life of a young bank clerk who finds himself with the ability to hear other peoples thoughts after tossing a coin and it landing on its side. While many might use this newfound ability for crime or to spy, the bank clerk simply learns what others truly think of him, learns to stand up for himself, and therefore gains confidence. He eventually loses his supernatural ability after flipping another coin and it landing flat, rather than on its side, but he finds that he no longer needs the mind reading attribute, because of the newfound confidence the experience of being able to do so had allowed him. This example of taking the supernatural and tying it to an optimistic and character building cause is just one of the many that Serling includes in his series.
While some may say The Twilight Zone is a horror, sci-fi, psychological thriller based show, I would argue that it is simply one that analyzes human nature, while oftentimes focusing on the darkness of it. Serling’s life experiences and practice in the field of writing prepared and inspired him to write stories that are still as pertinent to today as they were in the ‘50s. The circumstances by which the show came to be are also crucial to understanding its growth and strength as a series. By showcasing a different story every episode, each with their own character and issue at hand, audiences are able to connect to certain stories more strongly than others, making it a show that anyone can enjoy, whether 10 or 100 years old. Just as my family and I did, each person gets something unique out of the narratives, no matter what that might be.