10 classic Twilight Zone episodes to watch before CBS All-Access launch

Rod Serling on The Twilight Zone – Image by CBS

The Twilight Zone is making its return to television. Here’s a guide to some of the classics you should watch in anticipation of a new trip to the fifth dimension.

So we’re just under a month out from the return of The Twilight Zone (thanks to Jordan Peele and CBS All Access) and you’re wondering what you should do to prepare. Maybe you’ve seen an episode or two of The Twilight Zone in the past. Or maybe you’re just now getting into it because we all know how brilliant the mind of Jordan Peele is.

Either way, let this be your guide to some essential episodes to watch in anticipation of the return of the classic series.

Some of these are highly regarded as top Twilight Zone episodes, others are personal favorites, and still others are taken from clues dropped in the first trailer released by CBS All Access.

All of these episodes are currently available to watch on Netflix. I haven’t included any season 4 episodes since Netflix hasn’t either. After all, season 4 seems to be the ugly stepchild of the Twilight Zone family that no one talks about. It’s not a bad season, it’s just a different format—hour-long episodes instead of the usual half hour.

We’re only going with old school originals from 1959-1964 when Rod Serling was at his peak. (Nope, not touching any of the previous attempts at remakes.)

Here are 10 episodes (plus some bonus hits) that you can and should watch before the new series drops on April 1. (I’m leaving out Serling’s classic twists unless the twist has so permeated pop culture that you’re bound to have heard of it before. After all, the series is 60 years old and one of the most heralded and referenced science fiction series of all time.)