Must-see TV shows are futuristic classics that shouldn’t be missed. Of course, not every must-see is perfect. That’s why we’ve rated them 1-5 on the patented “crunchy goodness” scale. Must see by James Rocchi.
Twilight Zone
Date: 1959-1964
Vitals: Rod Serling’s anthology series was shoddy, cheap, uneven — and the biggest blast of sci-fi to hit the American mainstream in the history of television to that point. Stories by Ray Bradbury, Ambrose Bierce, Richard Matheson and a host of others (plus a fistful of scripts from producer-host-hack Serling) all wormed their way into our hearts and minds, by way of … The Twilight Zo … Oh, I just can’t.
Famous Names: Rod Serling (Creator/Writer/Host); Stars who spent time in the Zone include Robert Redford, Burgess Meredith, Dennis Hopper, William Shatner and many more.
Crunchy Goodness: 4
Sequels: A 1983 movie, a 1985 TV re-launch that ran for three seasons and a single-season TV run in 2002.
Bang for Your Buck: No, not every episode’s a keeper, and even Serling would admit that. But when Twilight Zone episodes work, they still have big-idea power nearly 50 years later. …
Deadliest Spoiler: It’s a cookbook! He breaks his glasses! She’s not ugly, but everyone else is! The spaceship’s from earth! And many, many more.
