The Twilight Zone, a dramatic series that mixed stories of strange happenings with spooky undertones and supernatural characters as it lived on the airwaves for six seasons, will be returning to the screen. Originally hosted by creator, writer, and director Rod Serling, the newest version of the show will be from the mind of a new host and narrator, Jordan Peele.
The Twilight Zone gripped viewers who would watch each episode of the program on the edge of their seats, wondering if the characters who represented them, the “regular” folk, would it make it out alive from the ghoulish situations in which they often found themselves. Ghosts were not as obvious as one may have previously thought before tuning into the program, but instead would find out that no person that simply looks like them could be labeled as “human” without proper investigation.
Peele’s success throughout the past year is both undeniable and awe-inducing, having created the massively popular movie Get Out in 2017, for which he garnered even more recognition than he already had and added an Oscar win to his name. The film is one of an unprecedented nature, having combined elements of drama and comedy with those of the traditional horror genre. To say the movie was a success would be understatement, as word of mouth alone could have likely reached nearly every American shortly after the movie’s release, due to its extreme popularity. However, it’s immediate success caught fire and spread rapidly online, letting everyone know that the film was far worth the watch. In addition to its Academy Award winning nature, it also brought in over 200 million dollars in the box office and maintains a rating of 99% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
The story of Get Out’s success is one that should likely come as very comforting to fans of the original Twilight Zone, as Peele has proven himself to be both the creator of great art, and a master of dealing with the beautiful and the scary. The show, however, will differ from its original in other ways, including the newest version’s availability that will be restricted to only users of CBS All Access. This streaming service does include many of CBS’s regularly-televised programs, but also does contain some original programming, which Peele’s project will be as well. This service does require an additional monthly fee, as merely having a cable connection with CBS will not allow someone to make a free account.
Programs like Peele’s may even make the service far more popular, with fans growing willing to pay the extra cash in order to see the old show brought to life. This, in return, could lead to the addition of other popular programs on the platform, and would therefore further serve as a worthwhile monthly-purchase for many.
Watch the teaser trailer for the newest The Twilight Zone below: