The Twilight Zone is Now Free to Stream on CBS

In the realm of science fiction, Star Wars and Star Trek are generally considered to be the two biggest and most important franchises of all time. Profitability-wise, those two have dominated TV and film for decades. However, when factoring in influence and impact, another sci-fi property ranks right up there with the big two. Pretty much all sci-fi roads lead to, or derive from, The Twilight Zone. This landmark show is currently free to stream.

Viewers can currently watch The Twilight Zone for free with ads on Pluto TV, Fandango, and The Roku Channel.

You have entered… The Twilight Zone

Debuting in 1959, The Twilight Zone ran for five seasons on CBS, totaling 156 episodes. It was created by Rod Serling, a television pioneer who sought to expand what had been seen on television throughout the 1950s, much of which was taped plays and multi-camera sitcoms like I Love Lucy. To achieve this, he created a single-camera anthology series where each episode operated like a short film. For most of its run, the show aired in a half-hour format, though season 4 experimented with hour-long episodes before returning to half-hours for season 5.

While every episode of The Twilight Zone features its own characters and premise, the series regularly explores science fiction subjects like time travel and aliens, alongside horror staples like ghosts and possessed dolls. Beneath the surface, the deeper messages tackle themes such as prejudice, loneliness, morality, and regret.

The show drew inspiration from early science fiction authors including H.G. Wells and Mary Shelley. Prominent sci-fi writers of the 1950s also penned episodes, such as Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson. Serling himself deserves the most credit, as he hosted every episode and wrote nearly 100 of them.

Despite drawing from early genre works, The Twilight Zone proved vastly more influential to future generations. Obvious spiritual successors include anthology series like Black Mirror and The Outer Limits. Shows like The X-Files, Fringe, Lost, Futurama, and many others were also informed by Serling’s creation. That influence extends to film, as Jordan Peele stated that his 2019 movie Us was directly inspired by the season 1 episode “Mirror Image.” Similarly, Chucky creator Don Mancini pointed to the season 5 episode “Living Doll” as an inspiration for his killer Good Guy doll.

Those installments remain excellent alongside the series’ other famous entries. Bradbury’s “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” is a well-known and frequently parodied story about a gremlin on the wing of a plane, starring a young William Shatner. “Dummy,” which centers on a living ventriloquist dummy, is another classic. “To Serve Man” remains a beloved alien invasion story, particularly remembered for its twist ending.

Not everything about The Twilight Zone holds up

Because the show premiered over 60 years ago, certain aspects look dated, particularly the special effects. However, the universal themes explored in the subtext keep many episodes surprisingly relevant and poignant. As an anthology series, viewers can freely jump around to sample guaranteed classics before exploring the full catalog. It is an easy show to revisit intermittently, unlike modern serialized series that require strict attention to continuity.

Anyone interested in modern science fiction and horror will find plenty to enjoy, as a large portion of those contemporary genres originates directly from The Twilight Zone.

The Twilight Zone is free to watch with ads on Pluto TV, Fandango, and The Roku Channel.

Source: Polygon