Is the Twilight Zone tv show scary?

[James_Younger_Gang]

I am considering buying this show soon as a blind buy. I enjoy horror and sci fi anthologies. I enjoy a lot of clasdic stuff so I am not expecting this to be the texas chainsaw massacre or anything but is it at least spooky? I ask because I recently watched tales from the dark side, and while it had decent scary episodes, most of them were corny and cheesy as hell.Is the twilight zone better?

[SleeperAgent]

Twilight Zone has very few episodes I would call "scary", they are more mind-benders, or classic build up and twist. It is one of the best shows of all time though, hands down.

[James_Younger_Gang]

Originally Posted by SleeperAgent

Twilight Zone has very few episodes I would call "scary", they are more mind-benders, or classic build up and twist. It is one of the best shows of all time though, hands down.

Is it better than tales from the dark side?

[ElectricPeterTork]

Originally Posted by James_Younger_Gang

Is it better than tales from the dark side?

Is a steak better than potted meat?

[MifuneFan]

Twilight Zone isn't scary at all. There's some dark themes, but there's a lot more sci-fi, and tales of morality/social commentary than anyrhing else. It's one of th best shows ever, but I'd still suggest you check out some vids on YouTube before committing to a purchase. Eps are also streaming on Netflix and Amazon

[L.J.]

Scary its not but has some great writing in it. Has a lot of thought provoking stories. To me its much better than all the other shows like it. You shouldn't be disappointed.

[oddbox83]

Originally Posted by James_Younger_Gang

I am considering buying this show soon as a blind buy. I enjoy horror and sci fi anthologies. I enjoy a lot of clasdic stuff so I am not expecting this to be the texas chainsaw massacre or anything but is it at least spooky? I ask because I recently watched tales from the dark side, and while it had decent scary episodes, most of them were corny and cheesy as hell.Is the twilight zone better?

Tales From the Darkside is Twilight Zone on the cheap.

Seriously, TZ has higher production values but is still very much the product of it's time so is much more polite. It has some humorous episode but doesn't go full on black comedy like Tales From the Darkside often does. The stories however, still stand up. You don't get many outright scary episodes, but TZ covers pretty much the breadth of sci-fi, fantasy and horror of it's era. It's the ideas that are often the scariest thing. TZ stories always have a thoughtful logic to them whereas Tales From the Darkside would often ditch logic as it's ethos was literally a "dark side" where things didn't necessarily have to make sense.

I love both shows but TZ is definitely the better made. You might also want to check out the underrated Night Gallery, which goes much further towards the horror and freakish than Twilight Zone did.

[James_Younger_Gang]

Yes, I found the night gallery seasons at walmart for a great price. I know it is a follow up to twilight zone, it's one of the reasons I am interested in twilight zone.

[ElectricPeterTork]

Originally Posted by James_Younger_Gang

Yes, I found the night gallery seasons at walmart for a great price. I know it is a follow up to twilight zone, it's one of the reasons I am interested in twilight zone.

Night Gallery is Twilight Zone if the network insists on horror instead of Sci-Fi.

There were still some good Serling stories in there. However, by that point, Serling was older and tired, and eventually left the producing to others who weren't him, and the later episodes suffered a bit for it.

[oddbox83]

Yeah, I read he wasn't totally happy with his level of control (or lack thereof) over Night Gallery but it barely shows on screen, maybe just in that last series.

[kemcha]

Twilight Zone is NOT scary. It's more suspense and usually about sci-fi elements. There is no horror in the original series.

[oddbox83]

There's definitely horror there, certainly the classic sort but nothing like modern horror. Depends what you call horror. Twlight Zone has many creepy and unsettling episodes, it's not all sci-fi. Even some of the sci-fi ones have horror elements.

[Show spoiler]Being locked up in a zoo on Mars is a pretty horrific situation for one.

[kemcha]

The one episode I remember fondly is the one with Burgess Meredith, after the world has been destroyed. It truly is a classic, post apocalyptic episode.

[dadaluholla]

I always thought "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" was one of the creepier episodes. Well, up until the end reveal.

[ElectricPeterTork]

Originally Posted by dadaluholla

I always thought "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" was one of the creepier episodes. Well, up until the end reveal.

They remade it on the 2002 version of TZ. Maybe that version would have a better ending for you.

[Al_The_Strange]

imo, "The Howling Man" episode is as scary as it gets. I remember it had quite the atmosphere. Even then, it didn't really scare me outright, it was just creepy. Like all other great episodes, it was quite the mind-bender too.

[zorbonaut]

The show is "scary" good.

Hands down one of the top 5 shows of all time and there are some scary elements to the show but it is not horror.

[drb999]

As a kid the scariest episode for me was the one with the Talking Tina doll that starred Telly Savalas as an evil step father. Also the ventriloquist dummy episode is pretty scary Not so much now as an adult but as a 10 year old kid it was pretty scary.

[El_Fez]

Wait - there are people out there who haven't seen Twilight Zone?

[HGN2001]

One of the "unsettling" scariest, "Mirror Image"