The original Twilight Zone only aired for five seasons (from 1969 to 1964) but it became a cultural phenomenon. Long before television shows being adapted into films became a regular occurrence, The Twilight Zone was brought to the big screen in 1983. That wasn’t it for the anthology series though. The program was rebooted in 1985 and then once again in 2003.
Now, the show has been brought back to life in the newest reboot, a new CBS All Access version of The Twilight Zone.
Developed by the Oscar-winning horror auteur Jordan Peele (who also serves as the narrator), Simon Kinberg and Marco Ramirez, the show follows the program’s same basic format. The first two episodes, for instance, feature standalone stories centered on individuals who find themselves in strange situations. However, these episodes are longer most of the previous Twilight Zone episodes (most of the original show’s episodes clocked in around 30 minutes each but one of the latter seasons featured hour-long installments).
The newest adaptation’s potential is undeniable but the program’s first two episodes (which were posted on CBS All Access this week) show that the program could use some serious refinement.
The series premiere, entitled The Comedian, stumbles out of the gate. Kumail Nanjiani, the Silicon Valley actor who co-wrote The Big Sick, stars as a struggling comedian trying to stand out in a competitive comedy club. When he meets a famed comedian (Tracy Morgan), he’s offered a potential shot at superstardom. That fame, however, comes with a cost.
This set-up could be fodder for a strong episode but the script by Alex Rubens does little with it. In fact, the episode feels like a laborious undertaking. Clocking in at nearly an hour, the thin plot repeatedly hits the same points over and over again. From a lackluster 2nd amendment joke that fails to elicit laughter in the first few moments (but gets repeated over and over again) to the ever-expanding list of targets that the comedian goes after, the program struggles to offer anything new to the concept. The old adage “Be careful what you wish for” is on display here but the show never makes the idea its own.
The second episode will likely be more familiar to Twilight Zone fans. Entitled Nightmare at 30,000 Feet, the episode features an airplane passenger (Adam Scott) growing more and more paranoid about the flight he’s on. In this situation, the passenger starts listening to a podcast about his doomed flight and attempts to change history by preventing the future calamity from ever occurring.
There’s a lot more to like about this episode, which was inspired by the season five episode of the original series entitled Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. The new episode takes the concept and changes it enough to establish its own identity. It pales in comparison to the classic episode, which featured William Shatner in the leading role, but it’s entertaining regardless.
This second episode, which is much tighter and more concise then the episode that preceded it, shows what this program might have in store.
Upcoming episodes of the series will feature guest stars like Jacob Tremblay, Greg Kinnear and Seth Rogen so one hopes that the program will build from where it is now. Right now, this reboot is undeniably uneven and the episodes stumble on for longer than necessary (the 30-minute format would really work better) but the show has potential to become something much better in the future.
The Twilight Zone is available on CBS All Access.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member