The Greatest Sci Fi/Fantasy TV Shows: Considering the case for the sci fi and fantasy television shows that should be counted among the greatest of all time.
What Is It?
Hosted by series creator Rod Serling, this classic anthology offered stories with sci fi, fantasy, and horror elements that often acted as cautionary tales commenting on the foibles of human nature. All of this is introduced by the infamous opening lines from the show:
There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.
Aired: 1959-64, CBS, 5 Seasons Totaling 156 Episodes
Notable Guest Stars: William Shatner, Burt Reynolds, Jack Klugman, Leonard Nimoy, Bill Mumy, Bill Bixby, Carol Burnett
Created By: Rod Serling
Argument to Count It as One of the Greatest Sci Fi TV Shows:
The debut of The Twilight Zone represented an important turning point for sci fi TV. While the genre had previously been considered mostly for kids as represented by space operas like Captain Video and His Video Rangers, Space Patrol, and Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, The Twilight Zone started to attract an older audience. Previous anthologies like Lights Out, Science Fiction Theatre, and Tales of Tomorrow set the stage, but none of those developed the reputation and legacy of TZ. The show did still appeal to younger viewers, but it introduced adult themes and some pretty hard-hitting drama at times helping expand its audience and solidify its place as an important genre entry.
The Twilight Zone also helped set the bar for sci fi TV shows that followed while also redefining what a genre entry could accomplish. It was not simply throw-away entertainment designed to take up thirty minutes on the schedule. Rod Serling and the other writers used the fantastic elements expected from this type of show to disguise the social commentaries and morality plays that many of the episodes delivered. So the series worked on multiple levels and engaged the viewer while also interjecting elements of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. It was prestige television of its own making that flew under the radar of network censors, and the best episodes of the show still have an impact when viewed by modern audiences. (You can read more about the show at this link.)
Argument Against:
While The Twilight Zone did present a more grown-up sci fi/fantasy entry, some will argue that it has not aged well. The production values very much reflect the time when it was made and it looks far too cheesy to modern audiences. The acting is also stilted with stiff direction, often looking like a stage play produced on television. The episodes also often lack sophistication, making the message they deliver rather blunt and heavy-handed. It does count as an important stepping stone for sci fi TV, but later, more accomplished anthologies like Tales from the Darkside, Black Mirror, and even the recent Twilight Zone reboot deliver a better overall viewing experience.
Johnny Jay’s Take:
Sure, the original Twilight Zone is cheesy. Sure, it looks like a stage play brought to life on television. But that’s because it arrived right at the end of the era of live TV and that’s what many productions were at that time. And all of that adds to its charm. The sparseness of its episodes actually works in the show’s favor as that helps keep the focus on the story, and at times it also lends to the show’s creepiness. This was a time when television lacked the budget and technology to create lavish productions, so it had to rely on the writers and actors to make up the slack. And when you consider the quality of talent found on TZ, both in front of and behind the camera, it is no surprise that the show has lived on as one of television’s greatest. For me, it is a toss-up between this and the original Star Trek (more on that one at this link) as to which counts as the greatest sci fi TV show of all time. I have a personal soft spot for Trek, but I am just as willing to give the nod to Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone.
Where Can You Watch It?
The entire series has been released on DVD and Blu-ray. All five seasons of the original series are available for streaming on Paramount+ and you can watch it for free (with ads) on FreeVee and PlutoTV.
Do you consider The Twilight Zone one of the greatest sci fi TV shows of all time, or is it overrated and a product of its era? Chime in with your thoughts below.
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One of the greatest due to its intelligence
“Sci-fi” is short for “science fiction” which Star Trek was but The Twiilight Zone definitely was not. TZ had a handful of outer space themed episodes but it was Earth bound 99% of the time. It was a dramatic series that touched on topics from a man not going to Hell because his dog won’t let him to a man wanting to be Santa Claus forever. TZ was more about the “Human Experience” of life and longing and the “What If?” question it posed every week: Kirk chasing after alien females or blowing things up when he’s not chasing after alien females was Star Trek. (Spoiler alert: Bill Shatner was in two TZ episodes, the one more remembered being the thing on the wing of an airplane trying to make the plane that he is in crash episode.) I love TZ but it ain’t Sci-Fi…
On this site, I use sci fi as all inclusive for sci fi and fantasy, and I also specify that in the post. The Twilight Zone may not be strictly science fiction, but it counts in the expanded definition of the genre I use.