Summary
The Twilight Zoneis remembered as one of television’s finest anthology shows. Each week, audiences were presented with a spooky, funny, or simply bizarre scenario (a telephone call from beyond the grave, a man gifted with physical strength, a mannequin come to life) in stories that revealed important truths about post-war America.
Naturally,The Twilight Zonehas both imitators and precursors. Some of these anthologies dial up the fear factor, some are more suited for children, while othersdraw on contemporary fearsabout the misuse of technology. No matter the specific breed of spooks, there’s a series out there for everyone.
8Out Of The Unknown (1965–1971)
The BBC is well-known in nerd culture circles for its role in the production ofDoctor Who, which it has broadcast on-and-off since 1963. Two years afterDoctor Who’s debut cameOut of the Unknown, aTwilight Zonerival that, at least initially, placed a greater emphasis on science fiction storytelling.
As such,Out of the Unknownadapts several works of classic science fiction literature, including E.M. Forster’s 1909 short story “The Machine Stops”, but does shift towards the supernatural for its final season. While the series is a great stylistic alternative toThe Twilight Zone, it suffers from one major drawback—over half of its episodes are considered to be lost media. Since each episode is a standalone story, this shouldn’t be a problem, but it is likely to leave dedicated viewers hungry for more.
7Goosebumps (1995–1998)
The Twilight Zoneis rarely shocking enough to deserve an adults-only designation, but it’s safe to say that some episodes are more suitable for children than others. While juvenile fans are likely to enjoy comedic episodes like “The Mighty Casey “, spookier installments like “The After Hours” arelikely to lead to childhood trauma.
For younger viewers who still crave a good scare,Goosebumpsdelivers. Based on the series of novels of the same name,Goosebumpsdelivers horrorand goofiness in equal measure. While its stories may not be as thought-provoking as those of Serling’s series, they continueThe Twilight Zonetradition of spine-chilling spookiness.
6Journey To The Unknown (1968–1969)
The Twilight Zone’s creepy opening theme is one of its most iconic aspects, but the British horror anthologyJourney To The Unknownmay be one of the few shows to have an even more sinister credit sequence. Viewers are led into a seemingly abandoned theme park while uncanny whistling contributes to the ghoulish atmosphere.
Journey To The Unknownhas much in common withThe Twilight Zonewhen it comes to subject matter. One episode focuses on a man’s romance with a department store mannequin, while another involves a woman who can see the future. The series was overseen by Hammer Film Productions,which specialized in spooky productions. This “Hammer Horror” quality is evident inJourney To The Unknown, which offers a supernatural twist on the anthology drama formula.
5Tales Of The Unexpected (1979–1988)
Author Roald Dahl is best known forhis contributions to children’s literature, from the iconicCharlie and the Chocolate FactorytoFantastic Mr. Fox. However, his fiction for adults (three short story collections) proved the perfect basis for aTwilight Zone-styleanthology series with an emphasis on twist endings,Tales of the Unexpected.
The classic “Lamb To The Slaughter” sees detectives tasked with solving a seemingly impossible (and tasty) murder, while “The Landlady” shows the dangers of renting rooms in strange houses. The aforementioned stories were also adapted inAlfred Hitchcock Presents, thoughTales of the Unexpectedoffers a somewhat updated production aesthetic.
4Night Gallery (1970–1973)
WhileThe Twilight Zoneremains an enduringly popular series, creator Rod Serling was uninterested in the stress of managing a production when it came toNight Gallery, aTwilight Zone-esque series hosted by Serling in the 1970s. Serling’s lack of control over the supernaturally themedNight Gallerycaused him to resent aspects of the series, but several of his scripts formed the basis of episodes.
Rather than each episode being a single story, mostNight Galleryepisodes featured multiple stories per installment, in addition to linking commentary from Serling. While the series is generally regarded as being inferior toThe Twilight Zone(or at leastfar less influential), it still has the power to send a shiver down viewers' spines.
3Black Mirror
WhileBlack Mirroris often derided as being overly focused on the apparent evils of technology, this British anthology series offers a slew of great ideas and spookily prescient concepts. From twisted punishments for child murderers to futuristic parodies of contemporary reality TV, the series takes the anxieties of our age and twists them into intriguing morality tales.
Black Mirroris also a formally innovative series; just asThe Twilight Zoneexperimented with the silent comedy form in the Buster Keaton-starring “Once Upon A Time”, Brooker’s series embraces alternative storytelling practices in “Bandersnatch”,an interactiveBlack Mirrorinstallmentreleased in 2018. Indeed, while the show may be criticized for its excessive exploration of high-tech gadgets, it is also willing to use technology to break new narrative ground.
2The Outer Limits (1963–1965)
Pop culture rivalries are a universal constant: Pepsi versus Coke,Nintendo versus Sega, andThe Twilight ZoneversusThe Outer Limits. Fans of both anthology shows still fight over which is better, but the outcome is something of a moot point, as both offer plenty of spooky intrigue for fans of the genre.
The Outer Limitsdiffers fromThe Twilight Zonein both form and style, as its fifty-minute runtime and heavier emphasis on science fiction set it apart from Rod Serling’s series. Highly regarded episodes include 1964’s “Demon With a Glass Hand” (written by sci-fi maestro Harlan Ellison) and 1963’s “The Zanti Misfits”, although viewers are free to pick and choose where to begin. An award-winning reboot in the 1990s also impressed viewers, and there are ongoing attempts to bringThe Outer Limitsback to the small screen. While it’s hard to say whetherThe Outer Limitseclipses Serling’s show, it’s certainly a viable option in a similar vein.
1Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–1965)
Alfred Hitchcock needs no introduction.His work on movies likePsychorevolutionized the horror genre, while his storytelling techniques are still studied to this day. It’s unsurprising, then, thatAlfred Hitchcock Presentsis a worthy alternative toThe Twilight Zone. This predominately half-hour series foregrounds crime and suspense stories rather than science fiction, although episodes sometimes have a more fantastical tone.
Episodes of Hitchcock’s series with strongTwilight Zonevibes include the alien invasion-themed “Human Interest Story”, “One More Mile To Go”, which resembles a more grounded version of “The Hitch-Hiker”, and “Into Thin Air”, in which a woman’s mother vanishes from a hotel. The wonderfully tense “Bang! You’re Dead” shows Hitchcock’s talent for creating nail-biting drama, while “The Man From The South” pairs Steve McQueen with Peter Lorre to produce an unforgettable story about the dangers of gambling. It may shy away from supernatural elements, butAlfred Hitchcock Presentsstill offers its share of scares.
