Created by Rod Serling, he saw the science fiction and supernatural setting of his show as the perfect way to tell controversial stories and touch on hot topics under the veil of fiction… and so without the interference of networks and sponsors.
The show was notable for featuring many established stars of the day, like Buster Keaton and Burgess Meredith, as well as up and coming actors whose names you might recognize — William Shatner, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper and Robert Redford, to name but a few.
In addition, the show would go on to influence and inspire television and movie makers for years to come. Shows like The Outer Limits and The X-Files owe much to Serling’s early spin on the speculative and the supernatural. – AJW
You’re traveling through another dimension…
Twilight Zone Season 4/5 opening credits/intro & theme video
The Twilight Zone opening narratives
Season 1 (main)
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 the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.
Season 1 (alternate)
You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone!
Season 2 (episodes 1, 2 & 3)
You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone!
Season 2 (main)
You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead — your next stop, the Twilight Zone!
Season 3
You are traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. Your next stop, the Twilight Zone!
Seasons 4 & 5
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.