The Twilight Zone S1

One of most iconic series ever, even a few notes of The Twilight Zone’s theme music are enough to cause a chill down the spine. Now, it’s back, ready for 2019 in a new iteration that doesn’t hold back on the creepiness.

“I feel like The Twilight Zone is the greatest show of all time because it explored a character’s tragic flaws with unexplained paranormal influences,” explains narrator, director and executive producer Jordan Peele. The 40-year-old Oscar nominee wasn’t born by the time the original series was cancelled, as it aired between 1959 and 1964, but he, like most of us, probably remembers the reboots in the 80s and early 2000s.

It was the brainchild of original narrator Rod Serling, who was behind the first two failed revivals too. While Jordan jumped at the opportunity to direct and executive produce the 2019 reboot, he was a bit more sceptical about taking Rod’s seat as narrator, adding that “there were a million ways that I could botch this”.

Everyone’s heard the phrase “it’s like I’ve got lost in the twilight zone” when something strange and unexplained has happened. It’s used so often it’s practically a cliché, which is why the reboot made sense, explains Jordan’s executive producing partner Simon Kinberg. “We are living in a twilight zone. Nothing makes sense. Divisions are getting wider. It’s time for a show that can be entertaining but also provide moral and social parables. Jordan is uniquely well-suited to telling stories in that genre space and explore social justice issues.”

A feature of the 2019 reboot is that it tackles social problems currently plaguing the modern world. These include bullying, racial prejudice, depression and other issues that the audience may have experienced in their own lives. So it’s supernatural, sure, but also completely down to Earth.