Yes, the Twilight Zone is back and it’s good

“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 New Yorker wasn’t born by the time the original series was cancelled, having aired between 1959 and 1964. But now he’s running the show with the third reboot of The Twilight Zone.

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. Serling pushed the envelope to make allegorical points about hot-button issues. He’d tackled racism, McCarthyism (making accusations of treason without evidence), conformity, free speech and more. I’m a comedian”.

The Twilight Zone will appeal to old and new

Jordan and his team have made sure that this revival is for audiences young and old, those who’re aware of The Twilight Zone and those who’re newbies. As long as you’re okay with mysteries, unexplained phenomena and things that go bump in the night, you’ll enjoy it.

“I love the stories that essentially take someone’s tragic flaw and exploit it. You set up a character and you show their tailor-made worst nightmare. That resonates with the audience.”

“I love human beings as the monster, as the horror,” explains Jordan. “I love the stories that essentially take someone’s tragic flaw and exploit it. You set up a character and you show their tailor-made worst nightmare. That resonates with the audience.”

The 10-episode first season excited Jordan (obviously), but also the prospect of a second season that he already has plans for. “It felt like, if Serling were here, he’d have a lot to say and a lot of new episodes he couldn’t have written back in his time would be perfect for this world that we’re in.”