10 Shows To Watch If You Like The Twilight Zone
10 Shows To Watch If You Like The Twilight Zone
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Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone is simply one of a kind, but there are other shows fans of it can binge for a similar vibe.
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Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone is simply one of a kind. It’s a virtual, philosophical journey into the twisted and the unknown. Despite dating back over 6 decades, it still shines as a groundbreaking and distinctly imaginative TV series.
We’ve thankfully gotten to experience a return to this fantastical dimension in a CBA All Access reboot helmed by Get Out director Jordan Peele. Yet, there’s a certain aura about the original that’s tough to replicate, even when it comes to this remake.
Though they’re few and far between, there does exist a handful of shows over the years and decades that contain some overlap – or at least should scratch the itch of Twilight Zone fans.
10 Tales From The Crypt
As fans are aware, The Twilight Zone mainly resides in the realm between horror, sci-fi, suspense and general weirdness. Those who favor the more chilling aspects of the show – ie, something in the vein of “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” will surely appreciate this ghoulish horror show on HBO. During its run in the early 90s, fans were treated to a slew of creative premises rife with creepy plots and things that go bump in the night.
Like The Twilight Zone, each of the 93 episodes is self-contained and offers a creative tale with thrills and unexpected twists.
9 Black Mirror
Shifting gears now to another common trait of The Twilight Zone, Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror stresses psychological elements and sci-fi flair to convey socially relevant messages. Aside from vague cross-referencing, each episode contains a standalone premise and setting.
Brooker even cites direct influence for Serling’s show, as he sought to create an anthology revolving around contemporary and often controversial issues through a fantasy lens. Rather than leaning heavily on the obscure, though, this show centers around a dystopian world eerily similar to ours, where the excesses of technology have produced negative results for humanity.
8 Thriller
Similar to how Rod Serling emphatically kicks off The Twilight Zone with his memorable intros, horror legend Boris Karloff serves as the fitting host for this spooky, suspenseful TV series.
Despite its brief run of only 2 seasons, Thriller was chock-full of atmosphere and nuance during its stint in the early 60s. Initially starting as more of a crime-suspense show in the vein of Hitchcock, the later episodes begin to decorate the scenes with some more darkly-tinged gothic horror. The series even includes acting greats such as William Shatner, Leslie Nielsen, and Mary Tyler Moore, who add to the richness of this unique program.
With elements of mystery, crime, and spooky undertones, Thriller should definitely appeal to Serling fans.
7 Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
This one can be filed under “TV shows for young fans of The Twilight Zone.” Yes – older fans and those who don’t bask in 90s nostalgia may not get as much from this as others on our list. But kids show or not, Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark? proved to be a surprisingly inventive and entertaining romp for many.
It certainly leaned in the direction of horror tropes, with topics ranging from ghosts and demons to aliens and curses. Yet, themes of paranormal phenomena and otherworldly elements are usually used creatively. You’ve got some very bizarre, Twilight Zone-esque premises like an anthropomorphic computer virus and Gilbert Gottfried serving as a DJ for a radio station from the afterlife.
6 Darkroom
If you thought Thriller was obscure, try this little-known anthology from the early ’80s, hosted by James Coburn. The show draws more comparisons to another Serling project known as Night Gallery, but nonetheless offers some twisted concepts and creepy settings in each of its 7 episodes.
Though each episode is self-contained, a central theme exists as a spooky, desolate house, which you’ll be led through in each introduction. The tension rises as you’re brought up to a darkroom in a crawlspace beneath the stairs, at which point the 60-minute episode consisting of 2 or 3 unique tales commences.
5 Amazing Stories
Given the track record of Steven Spielberg, who frankly needs no introduction, it shouldn’t be surprising that a sci-fi series helmed by the iconic director is so entertaining. This show actually exists in 2 forms – the classic from the mid-1980s, and a flashier modern rendition made for Apple TV+, which began early 2020.
The show captivates its viewers with impressive visuals and intriguing storylines. Plots include a downtrodden protagonist gaining a “magnetic” personality after a meteor shower and a mistaken identity with a mummy.
Despite never quite taking off in the ratings, Amazing Stories received a whopping 12 Emmy nominations and won 5. Further demonstrating its theatrical quality – it was even going to be the original home for the ’87 film Batteries Not Included.
4 The Outer Limits
Like our previous entry, this sci-fi anthology comes with an older and a more modern rendition. Yet, while both versions have their fans, diehards will tell you that the classic from the mid-60s is the one to watch. As it happens, The Outer Limits occupies a spot on TV Guide’s “100 Greatest Episodes of All Time” with “The Zanti Misfits,” which features alien criminals housed on earth.
But really, there’s no shortage of imaginative and memorable trips into these eerie sci-fi worlds. Writing credits include renowned science fiction writer Harlan Ellison and Psycho’s screenwriter Joseph Stefano.
Those who appreciate The Twilight Zone’s straight-up sci-fi romps should find much to enjoy here.
3 Alfred Hitchcock Presents
As most fans know, The Twilight Zone isn’t all about the paranormal and mind-bending concepts. The show also holds an appreciation for clever crime capers and nuanced, suspenseful plots. For those that favor this aspect of the show, directing icon Alfred Hitchcock has you covered, with this anthology of crime and mystery.
While you still get bouts of classic Hitchcock thrills, this program – along with the lengthier Alfred Hitchcock Hour – stresses crafty tales of suspense and shocking twists. In fact, the show was named by the Writers Guild of America as one of the “101 Best-Written TV Series.”
2 Night Gallery
It would stand to reason that fans of Serling’s classic anthology would be drawn towards another similar project of his. Being at least marginally younger than its older sibling, Night Gallery allows you to see the majestic, twisted worlds of Serling in glorious color, with scripts still mostly originating from the man himself.
Still, while this show offers similar self-contained journeys into trippiness, it brings with it more of a horror and macabre bent. An example of a standout episode is the pilot, which features a painting that seemingly changes and displays real ghostly happenings. For the most part, this atmospheric romp proudly carries the torch and spirit of The Twilight Zone into the 70s.
1 Electric Dreams
Much like the writer behind The Twilight Zone, science fiction author Philip K. Dick had a knack for painting some twisted, mind-bending scenes – often coaxing his fans to ponder the nature of reality and life itself. In fact, he was the mind behind hits like Minority Report, Total Recall, and Blade Runner.
Yet, he’s also crafted a slew of equally imaginative short stories. Electric Dreams draws upon this rich pool of content for its episodes, and dresses it up with sleek visuals to boot. Concepts range from bubble city dystopias to characters (literally) living dual lives.
Despite its limited run of 10 50-minute episodes, each of the standalone tales presents a rich sci-fi setting and some gripping emotional narratives.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/twilight-zone-similar-shows/
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