"The Twilight Zone" (1959) TV series 1959-1964

User Rating:

9.6/10   

Creator:

Rod Serling
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

2 October 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Rod Serling's seminal anthology series focused on ordinary folks who suddenly found themselves in extraordinary, usually supernatural, situations. The stories would typically end with an ironic twist that would see the guilty punished.

Plot Keywords:

Anthology | Moral | Cult Favorite | Surrealism | Supernatural Power

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Nov. 9	5:00 AM	SYFY	Once Upon a Time	#3.13
Mon. Nov. 9	5:30 AM	SYFY	The Rip Van Winkle Caper	#2.24

Cast

Rod Serling

...

Narrator / ... (156 episodes, 1959-1964)

(more)

Series Directed by
John Brahm		(12 episodes, 1959-1964)
Douglas Heyes		(9 episodes, 1959-1961)
Buzz Kulik		(9 episodes, 1960-1963)
Lamont Johnson		(8 episodes, 1961-1963)
Richard L. Bare		(7 episodes, 1960-1964)
James Sheldon		(6 episodes, 1961-1962)
Richard Donner		(6 episodes, 1963-1964)
Don Medford		(5 episodes, 1960-1963)
Montgomery Pittman		(5 episodes, 1961-1962)
Jack Smight		(4 episodes, 1959-1961)
Alvin Ganzer		(4 episodes, 1959-1960)
Ted Post		(4 episodes, 1960-1964)
William F. Claxton		(4 episodes, 1960-1962)
Elliot Silverstein		(4 episodes, 1961-1964)
Abner Biberman		(4 episodes, 1962-1964)
Joseph M. Newman		(4 episodes, 1963-1964)
Alan Crosland Jr.		(4 episodes, 1963)
Robert Florey		(3 episodes, 1959-1964)
Mitchell Leisen		(3 episodes, 1959-1960)
Robert Parrish		(3 episodes, 1959-1960)
Ron Winston		(3 episodes, 1960-1964)
Stuart Rosenberg		(3 episodes, 1960-1963)
David Orrick McDearmon		(3 episodes, 1960-1961)
Jus Addiss		(3 episodes, 1961-1963)
Perry Lafferty		(3 episodes, 1963)
Robert Stevens		(2 episodes, 1959)
John Rich		(2 episodes, 1960-1963)
Anton Leader		(2 episodes, 1960-1961)
Boris Sagal		(2 episodes, 1961)
Christian Nyby		(2 episodes, 1962)
Don Siegel		(2 episodes, 1963-1964)
Robert Butler		(2 episodes, 1964)

Series Writing credits
Rod Serling		(148 episodes, 1959-1964)
Charles Beaumont		(22 episodes, 1959-1964)
Richard Matheson		(16 episodes, 1959-1964)
Earl Hamner Jr.		(8 episodes, 1962-1964)
George Clayton Johnson		(7 episodes, 1960-1963)
Montgomery Pittman		(3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Jerry Sohl		(3 episodes, 1963-1964)
Oceo Ritch		(2 episodes, 1961-1962)
Frederick Louis Fox		(2 episodes, 1962)
Henry Slesar		(2 episodes, 1963-1964)
Martin Goldsmith		(2 episodes, 1964)

Series Produced by
Buck Houghton	....	producer (102 episodes, 1959-1962)
Rod Serling	....	executive producer: Cayuga Productions (36 episodes, 1959-1960)
Del Reisman	....	associate producer (22 episodes, 1960-1961)
William Froug	....	producer (22 episodes, 1963-1964)
Bert Granet	....	producer (18 episodes, 1963-1964)
Herbert Hirschman	....	producer (12 episodes, 1963)
Murray Golden	....	associate producer (10 episodes, 1963)

Series Original Music by
Van Cleave		(12 episodes, 1959-1964)
Bernard Herrmann		(7 episodes, 1959-1963)
Fred Steiner		(7 episodes, 1960-1963)
Jerry Goldsmith		(7 episodes, 1960-1961)
René Garriguenc		(4 episodes, 1960-1964)
Tommy Morgan		(3 episodes, 1962-1964)
Jeff Alexander		(2 episodes, 1960-1964)
Lucien Moraweck		(2 episodes, 1960-1964)
Nathan Scott		(2 episodes, 1960-1962)

Series Cinematography by
George T. Clemens		(117 episodes, 1959-1964)
Robert Pittack		(20 episodes, 1962-1964)
Jack Swain		(6 episodes, 1961-1962)
Fred Mandl		(2 episodes, 1964)
Charles F. Wheeler		(2 episodes, 1964)

Series Film Editing by
Bill Mosher		(43 episodes, 1959-1962)
Jason H. Bernie		(23 episodes, 1961-1962)
Richard V. Heermance		(18 episodes, 1963-1964)
Joseph Gluck		(15 episodes, 1959-1960)
Thomas W. Scott		(12 episodes, 1963-1964)
Leon Barsha		(11 episodes, 1960-1961)
Richard W. Farrell		(10 episodes, 1963-1964)
Edward Curtiss		(4 episodes, 1963)
Eda Warren		(4 episodes, 1963)
Everett Dodd		(3 episodes, 1963)
Fred Maguire		(2 episodes, 1959-1960)
Al Clark		(2 episodes, 1963)

Series Casting by
Patricia Mock		(25 episodes, 1963-1964)
Millie Gusse		(24 episodes, 1959-1960)
Ethel Winant		(22 episodes, 1960-1961)
Larry Stewart		(10 episodes, 1964)
Robert Walker		(9 episodes, 1962)

Series Art Direction by
George W. Davis		(148 episodes, 1959-1964)
Philip Barber		(51 episodes, 1960-1962)
William Ferrari		(26 episodes, 1959-1963)
Merrill Pye		(20 episodes, 1960-1962)
Walter Holscher		(13 episodes, 1963-1964)
Malcolm Brown		(12 episodes, 1963-1964)
Eddie Imazu		(10 episodes, 1964)
Edward C. Carfagno		(7 episodes, 1963)
Paul Groesse		(5 episodes, 1963)
John J. Thompson		(4 episodes, 1963)
William Craig Smith		(3 episodes, 1960-1961)
Robert Tyler Lee		(3 episodes, 1961)

Series Set Decoration by
Henry Grace		(116 episodes, 1959-1964)
H. Web Arrowsmith		(49 episodes, 1960-1962)
Robert R. Benton		(25 episodes, 1963-1964)
Rudy Butler		(21 episodes, 1959-1960)
F. Keogh Gleason		(20 episodes, 1960-1962)
Frank R. McKelvy		(13 episodes, 1963-1964)
Don Greenwood Jr.		(8 episodes, 1963)
Edward M. Parker		(5 episodes, 1963)
Jerry Wunderlich		(3 episodes, 1960-1964)
Arthur Jeph Parker		(3 episodes, 1960-1961)
Buck Henshaw		(3 episodes, 1961)
Budd Friend		(2 episodes, 1960)
George R. Nelson		(2 episodes, 1962)

Series Makeup Department
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist / makeup designer / ... (12 episodes, 1960-1964)

Series Production Management
Ralph W. Nelson	....	production manager (139 episodes, 1959-1964)
E. Darrell Hallenbeck	....	production manager (7 episodes, 1960-1961)
Sidney S. Van Keuren	....	production manager (6 episodes, 1960-1961)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
E. Darrell Hallenbeck	....	assistant director (53 episodes, 1960-1962)
Charles Bonniwell	....	assistant director (25 episodes, 1963-1964)
Edward O. Denault	....	assistant director (24 episodes, 1959-1960)
Carl 'Major' Roup	....	second assistant director (12 episodes, 1963-1964)
Marty Moss	....	assistant director (10 episodes, 1964)
Donald C. Klune	....	assistant director (9 episodes, 1960)
John D. Bloss	....	assistant director (9 episodes, 1963)
Ray DeCamp	....	assistant director (9 episodes, 1963)
Lindsley Parsons Jr.	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1960-1961)
Kurt Neumann	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1960)
Henry Weinberger	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1960-1961)

Series Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	sound (148 episodes, 1959-1964)
William Edmondson	....	sound (44 episodes, 1961-1962)
Joe Edmondson	....	sound (40 episodes, 1963-1964)
Van Allen James	....	sound effects editor (36 episodes, 1959-1960)
Philip Mitchell	....	sound (27 episodes, 1959-1964)
Jean G. Valentino	....	sound (21 episodes, 1959-1960)
Charles Scheid	....	sound (16 episodes, 1960-1961)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
James V. King	....	camera operator (54 episodes, 1963-1964)
Tom D. Schamp	....	lighting director (6 episodes, 1960-1961)

Series Editorial Department
Robert J. Serling	....	technical advisor: aviation editor, United Press International (1 episode, 1961)

Series Music Department
Van Cleave	....	conductor (8 episodes, 1961-1964)
Fred Steiner	....	conductor (7 episodes, 1960-1963)
Bernard Herrmann	....	conductor (6 episodes, 1959-1963)
Lud Gluskin	....	conductor (6 episodes, 1960-1964)
Jerry Goldsmith	....	conductor / composer: stock music cues (5 episodes, 1960-1961)
Jeff Alexander	....	conductor (2 episodes, 1960-1964)
Tommy Morgan	....	conductor / music playing (2 episodes, 1962-1964)

Series Other crew
Richard P. McDonagh	....	story consultant (23 episodes, 1961-1962)
John Conwell	....	assistant to producer (18 episodes, 1963)
Jim Brady	....	technical director (6 episodes, 1960-1961)
James B. Clark	....	associate director (6 episodes, 1960-1961)

Production Companies

• Cayuga Productions
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (in association with)

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1959) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• AXN (????) (Japan) (TV)
• CBS Films (1965-1971)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Fuji Television Network (1960) (Japan) (TV)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD) (season 1)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD) (season 2)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD) (season 3)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD) (season 4)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD) (season 5)
• Kita Nihon Broadcasting (1960) (Japan) (TV)
• Nihonkai Telecasting (1960) (Japan) (TV)
• Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV) (1960) (Japan) (TV)
• Paramount Television
• Radio Aoyama Television (1960) (Japan) (TV)
• Radio Tohoku Television (1960) (Japan) (TV)
• Sapporo Television Broadcasting Company (1960) (Japan) (TV)
• Super Channel (2003) (Japan) (TV)
• Viacom
• Yamagata Broadcasting (1960) (Japan) (TV)
• Yomiuri Television (1960) (Japan) (TV)

Other Companies

• Liggett & Myers  original sponsor (Chesterfield cigarettes)
• Procter & Gamble  original sponsor (Lilt home perm, Crest toothpaste)

Also Known As:

The Twilight Zone: The Original Series (Australia)
Twilight Zone (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

51 min (18 episodes) (season 4) | 25 min (138 episodes) (season 1-3 and season 5)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Australia:M (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Cayuga Productions

Trivia:

Rod Serling started the series after a teleplay of his became the critically acclaimed "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse: The Time Element (#1.6)" (1958).

Quotes:

[Opening narration - season 2]
Narrator: You're traveling through 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. That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Twilight Zone!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Nothing But the Truth (2008)

Soundtrack:

Twilight Zone Theme

The signpost up ahead...

It is completely impossible to narrow down the best episodes of this classic TV series...everything about it (writing, acting, production values) is leaps and bounds above anything around today! That being said, since the Christmas season is approaching, Serling made two holiday episodes that are worth taking the time to watch all over again: "The Night of the Meek" with Art Carney and (my personal favorite) "The Changing of the Guard" with Donald Pleasance. Both are timeless classics, and show a very sentimental side to the Twilight Zone...Every year at the holiday season I like to sit back and take these episodes in; they get better and better with each repeated viewing! Merry Christmas & Enjoy!