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

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:

Wed. Nov. 18	8:00 AM	SYFY	Four O'Clock	#3.29
Wed. Nov. 18	8:30 AM	SYFY	Cavender Is Coming	#3.36

Cast

Rod Serling

...

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

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:

A comic book version of this series, "hosted" by the artistic image of Rod Serling, ran until 1982 - long after the real Serling had died.

Quotes:

[Opening narration - season 4 & 5]
Narrator: You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension - a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Virus (1999)

Soundtrack:

Twilight Zone Theme

Stop At Wiloughby!!

This episode begins in the foyer of Mr Williams' personal and professional fatigue...This dilemma transcends the cumbersome nuisance of an encroaching mid-life crisis..It is far more fatal!!..Mr Williams is cannonaded by being under constant scrutiny at his high profile job, and this undue stress takes a toll on his physical health as well as his mental resolve...Pressure from all sides has made Williams acutely aware of his actual breaking point...This Twilight Zone episode brilliantly depicts how a man who has sophisticated Connecticut suburbia by the throat can be the well deserved recipient of self deprecating pity!!

As Williams is returning home from work one evening, he falls asleep and has a dream about a town called Wiloughby...In this dream the train stops at a town named Wiloughby, which is a quaint little town in the late 1800's...Wiloughby "Where a man can live his life full measure".. Wiloughby is a simplistic and serene utopia.. Small town America in the late 1800's?.. No flu shots, no air conditioning, no television, abhorrent racial intolerance and non-refrigerated food!!..yet for Williams, Wiloughby represents an innocence and happiness that is right out of a Currier and Ives painting!!

When Mr Williams arrives home, he tells his wife about his dream!!! Let's first meet the wife...She is a preoccupied virago who is consumed by material accoutrement as a way of flaunting accomplishment and success...Her brow beaten husband's accomplishment and success!! It is Chateaubriand every Friday at the Country Club and clothes from Peck and Peck just to brandish a badge of prestige, her avaricious nature is solely for the purpose of nurturing the shallow virtue of vanity!!

As the husband explores the conundrum of climbing the corporate ladder, the wife merely purports her husband's social isolation and emotional neglect and relegates it to indignant and precocious whining...She perceives the town he manufactured in a dream called Wiloughby, as an escapist panacea which serves as a subterfuge for averting the reality of executive level competition!!

Returning home once again, Mr Williams has a dream about Wiloughby and now he is determined to get off the train and visit Wiloughby should he have this dream ever again!!...Increased pressure from his job and a total lack of empathy from everyone around him intensify his desire to change his life!!...He gives his wife one final plea to support his mixed feelings about everything...This completely backfires and she makes it perfectly clear as she previously stated, that she wants no part of a man "who's big dream in life is to be Huckleberry Finn"...It is important to note that William's wife is not impervious to what he is saying, she understands fully of what he is saying and resolutely resists it!!

Now being pressured from all sides to the point whereby a head vice seems like a Tonka Toy...Mr Williams once again falls asleep on the train and decides to get off at Wiloughby (The manufactured town in his persistent dreams)...To Williams, he has now entered the citadel of respite and solace...To the real world Mr Williams has committed suicide...For now, Mr Williams is in the world he wants to be!!

This Twilight Zone episode illustrates how being raptured up in white collar slavery can often times lead to being trounced by recrimination!! As a result, it is easy to lose sight of what is truly important to you!! Now all of a sudden, the joy of heartfelt laughter, and human compassion seem like old relics!!...A mandated life of affluence can be the insidious assassin to happiness, as well as a ruthless vitiation to a tolerable perseverance!!

The Twilight Zone episode "Stop at Wiloughby" is loosely based on Rod Serling's life in terms of the pressure he faced while doing Twilight Zone!! It is very ironic that this episode premiered on CBS the day I was born!!...Rod Serling's articulation of the social climbing America is done up to perfection in this episode!! Carrying across an idea that is prolific and socially astute in nature is difficult enough on it's own right, but when you are continually interrupted every twelve minutes by commercials about bleach detergent, chocolates that taste homemade, and Mercury Convertibles, it is seemingly far more difficult or next to impossible...Rod Serling somehow finds a way to convey his message and flawlessly...This is my second favorite Twilight Zone Episode of all time...I love it, but then again I love a lot of them!!