What better way to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of one of the world's most influential televisions shows than by reexamining it in the original viewing order? I'd always planned to go back and watch it from beginning to end; it seemed like the only way to be sure that I'd seen every episode. The Twilight Zone was one of the first non-cartoon, non-sitcom shows that ever drew me in. The stories were so fresh to me – I hadn't yet realized how many times it had been referenced, paid homage to, and blatantly ripped off. It was a subtle blend of science fiction conventions and morality tales, a show that could spark your imagination while making observations on the human condition.
Each week I'll post a short synopsis of the episode as well as a little editorial on what I personally took away from it. I'll be reading along with Marc Scott Zicree's The Twilight Zone Companion in order to better understand themes that might be lost on today's audience – specifics about political situations, for instance. In addition I'll be compiling a database for the unfortunate schmucks like myself who laid out hundreds of dollars on the original DVD releases. The "Definitive Edition" DVDs are supposed to have better picture quality and tons of extras. The first sets have menus that take ages to load, almost no extras, and the episodes aren't in any particular order. My database, when completed, will direct you to which episode is on which disc. No longer will I have to dig through 45 discs to find a specific episode.
As I go along I'll have various other related posts to make as well. So many talented individuals helped bring The Twilight Zone to fruition. There are creators to highlight, actors to single out, adapted stories to compare to their televised versions, and countless related topics to explore. So break out your DVDs, click over to Hulu, set your DVR, and let's watch some Twilight Zone! Please leave your thoughts, comments, and memories before you go.
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