“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 summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area we call … The Twilight Zone.”

There is no better title sequence than this one from  The Twilight Zone, a CBS television show created by Syracuse native Rod Serling. This mysterious, spooky anthology series was a pop culture hit that aired from 1959 to 1964, and no other show since its cancellation has replicated the genre to a similar effect.

Here’s why The Twilight Zone deserves to be your next Netflix binge.

Simple stories

When new shows premiere their first seasons today, especially on network TV, they have to prove their worth immediately or risk the quick ax.  The Twilight Zone premiered in 1959, a time when the biggest challenge was instead to simply get on one of the three networks producing shows.

Once Sterling convinced CBS to produce a pilot, he had little risk of losing the show.  Because of this trust, Sterling and his writers were able to tell the stories they wanted to without having to pander to certain niche audiences. It’s not something we see enough today, but when the creatives are given complete control, a show can reach its full story potential.

Simple Cinematography

Thanks to the period of production, The Twilight Zone was shot in 1.33:1 aspect ratio on black and white film.  Very few cuts were made from the long-lasting shots, as was the norm of the time.  These factors make the show a natural fit for mysteries, and the clear age of the show only helps add to that creepiness today.  Just look at how scary and uncomfortable a simple shot is with these conditions.

Unknown Actors

Every episode of The Twilight Zone anthology casts different actors who were unknown to the audience at the time of air and certainly unidentifiable to us today, with a select few exceptions. That seldom happens today, especially on network shows. Most shows get made because of the stars in them (see: Shades of Blue) as opposed to the show deserving production itself. No executive today would have the confidence that a cast of unknowns could draw a halfway decent audience.

CBS trusted Serling, already a veteran TV writer by the age of 35, to write and run the show with unrecognizable actors.  This allowed the characters to connect with the audience without being distracted by the presence of a star, and proved to be an essential part of creating the unique mysterious experience of each episode.

A True Auteur in Rod Serling

Today’s show runners get a lot of the credit when a show succeeds.  Shonda Rhimes, Ryan Murphy, Lena Dunham and plenty of others create shows that exhibit their unique styles, and their names are famous as a result.

However, the differences between their shows and The Twilight Zone make the work of Rod Serling seem unreal.  The original series of The Twilight Zone lasted from 1959 to 1964.  The five seasons consisted of 156 episodes, each 25 minutes long.  Serling wrote nearly two thirds of the episodes. That level of prolific and beloved writing will never be replicated outside of The Twilight Zone.

Kyle Stevens is a sophomore advertising major. You can email him at ksteve03@syr.edu or reach him on Twitter at @kstevs_.

Published on February 7, 2016 at 9:26 pm