Most episodes of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone followed a consistent pattern: a brief opening, an introduction to the story’s world – which felt realistic except for one strange element – a build-up of tension, and a surprising twist at the end. Despite sounding complicated, this format worked remarkably well, making the 25-minute episodes feel fast-paced. However, this structure was consistently used for only four out of the show’s five seasons.
Season 4 stood out because it had 18 episodes, each around 51 minutes long. While the show didn’t completely change its format, these episodes were significantly padded with extra content. This approach didn’t seem to resonate with viewers, as none of the 18 episodes rank among the top 30 most highly rated on IMDb.
Why Did CBS Make This Change, Why Did It Fail, & Did Season 4 Add Anything Important to the Series?
Season 4 of The Twilight Zone is often remembered as a turning point, and unfortunately, it serves as a good example of why it’s best not to change something that’s already working well. However, this season did give us the show’s most famous opening sequence. Before Season 4, the intros were simple with a spinning design. But this is where we got the now-iconic elements: the door with the line about imagination, the window breaking in time with Serling’s voice, the unsettling eye image, and the floating equation for Einstein’s theory of relativity. Most fans likely picture this intro when they think of The Twilight Zone.
Despite a strong third season, The Twilight Zone was cancelled. Several factors contributed to this, including falling viewership, expensive production, and Rod Serling’s exhaustion. These reasons were completely understandable. CBS then filled the time slot with Fair Exchange, the first hour-long sitcom.
After Fair Exchange performed even worse than The Twilight Zone (despite having some followers), it was quickly cancelled, and The Twilight Zone returned. Originally, producers considered bringing back Alfred Hitchcock Presents, which had already been expanded to an hour-long format as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. However, they ultimately decided to continue with Rod Serling’s show. The challenge was that they now needed an hour of content instead of just half an hour. Despite feeling creatively exhausted, Serling agreed to continue the series.
Although Hitchcock eventually extended his show to an hour, Rod Serling preferred the half-hour format for The Twilight Zone. He believed stretching the stories would force them to become overly drawn-out, like soap operas. He worried that viewers wouldn’t even realize they were watching The Twilight Zone and might mistake it for another show, like Desilu Playhouse, within the first fifteen minutes.
Season 4 doesn’t have a single standout episode that really flows well. “On Thursday We Leave for Home” comes the closest, showing a leader of a space colony tricking people into thinking Earth is now a terrible place, especially since a rescue is possible. This episode works because it gives us a good understanding of a man who is desperately holding onto the only power he’s ever known.
Overall, this season lacks truly standout episodes. Many installments are overly dramatic and slow-paced, such as “The Bard,” “The Incredible World of Horace Ford,” “Jess-Belle,” and “Mute.” However, the episode “He’s Alive,” featuring a young Dennis Hopper in a memorable role as a U.S. Nazi leader, is definitely worth watching.
The show experienced a strong revival in its fifth and final season, returning to its original half-hour length. While not flawless, this season featured some truly unforgettable episodes, including “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” the chilling “Living Doll,” “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” “The Masks,” and “The Encounter” – all considered classics. However, after five seasons, it was time to conclude Serling’s remarkable creation. Fortunately, his creative energy continued, and five years later he delivered another impressive series, Night Gallery.
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2026-01-03 17:43