The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series)

The Twilight Zone
Genre
Created by Rod Serling
Presented by Forest Whitaker
Composer Mark Snow
Country of origin
  • United States
  • Canada
Original language English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 43
Production
Executive producers
Production locations Vancouver, British Columbia
Running time 22 minutes
Production companies
  • Spirit Dance Entertainment
  • Trilogy Entertainment Group
  • Joshmax Productions Services
  • New Line Television
Original release
Network UPN
Release September 18, 2002 –
May 21, 2003
Related

The Twilight Zone is a science fiction horror anthology television series, presented by Forest Whitaker. It is the second of three revivals of Rod Serling's original 1959–64 television series. It aired for one season on the UPN network, with actor Forest Whitaker assuming Serling's role as narrator and on-screen host. It was a co-production between Spirit Dance Entertainment, Trilogy Entertainment Group, Joshmax Productions Services, and New Line Television. It premiered on September 18, 2002, and aired its final episode on May 21, 2003.

Series history

Broadcast in an hour format with two half-hour stories, it was canceled after one season. Reruns continue to air in syndication and have aired on MyNetworkTV since summer 2008 and stream on Tubi as of fall 2023.

The series tended to address contemporary issues head-on; e.g. terrorism, racism, gender roles, sexuality, and stalking. Noteworthy episodes featured Jason Alexander as Death wanting to retire from harvesting souls, Lou Diamond Phillips as a swimming pool cleaner being shot repeatedly in his dreams, Susanna Thompson as a woman whose stated wish results in an "upgrading" of her family, Usher as a police officer being bothered by telephone calls from beyond the grave, Brian Austin Green as a businessman who encounters items from his past that somehow reappear, Jeffrey Combs as a hypochondriac whose diseases become reality, and Katherine Heigl playing a woman who went back in time on a suicide mission to kill the infant Adolf Hitler.

The series also includes remakes and updates of stories presented in the original Twilight Zone television series, including the famous "Eye of the Beholder" starring Molly Sims. One of the updates, "The Monsters Are on Maple Street", is a modernized version of the classic episode "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street". The original show was about the paranoia surrounding a neighborhood-wide blackout. In the course of the episode, somebody suggests an alien invasion being the cause of the blackouts, and that one of the neighbors may be an alien. The anti-alien hysteria is an allegory for the anti-communist paranoia of the time, and the 2003 remake, starring Andrew McCarthy and Titus Welliver, replaces aliens with terrorists.

The show also contains "It's Still a Good Life", a sequel to the events of "It's a Good Life", an episode of the original series produced 41 years earlier. Bill Mumy returned to play the adult version of Anthony, the demonic child he had played in the original story, with Mumy's daughter, Liliana, appearing as Anthony's daughter, a more benevolent but even more powerful child. Cloris Leachman also returned as Anthony's mother. Mumy went on to serve as a screenwriter for other episodes in the revival.

Other guest stars include: Penn Badgley, Scott Bairstow, Jason Bateman, Gil Bellows, Elizabeth Berkley, Xander Berkeley, Olivia d'Abo, Linda Cardellini, Keith Hamilton Cobb, Rory Culkin, Reed Diamond, Shannon Elizabeth, Ethan Embry, Sean Patrick Flanery, Lukas Haas, Wood Harris, Hill Harper, Jonathan Jackson, Moira Kelly, Erik King, Wayne Knight, Wallace Langham, Method Man, Samantha Mathis, Christopher McDonald, Tangi Miller, Pat O'Brien, Adrian Pasdar, Emily Perkins, Jeremy Piven, Jaime Pressly, James Remar, Portia de Rossi, Eriq La Salle, Michael Shanks, Jeremy Sisto, Jessica Simpson, Ione Skye, Amber Tamblyn, Christopher Titus, Robin Tunney, Vincent Ventresca, Dylan Walsh, Don S. Davis, Frank Whaley, Alicia Witt, Stephen E. Miller, and Gordon Michael Woolvett. McDonald, Langham, Xander Berkeley, and Haas had all previously guest starred in the 1980s revival.

Theme Song

An original opening was used for the first half of the season which included images of Rod Serling and a creepier musical arrangement. For unknown reasons, this was changed to the more iconic opening with a rock-theme score provided by Jonathan Davis (singer of the band Korn). This version of the opening has the Serling images removed and would be the main one used in all episodes in future reruns and on the DVD boxset release.

Cancellation

The series did not enjoy the same level of critical or ratings success as the original series or the 1980s revival, and only lasted one season.

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date Prod.
code
1 "Evergreen" Allan Kroeker Jill Blotevogel September 18, 2002 106
A rebellious teenage girl (Amber Tamblyn) and her exasperated family move to a gated community with a stringent emphasis on conforming to certain norms and a unique way of dealing with troubled youths.
2 "One Night at Mercy" Peter O'Fallon Christopher Mack September 18, 2002 103
An up-and-coming medical doctor (Tyler Christopher) suffering from severe headaches encounters a suicidal patient (Jason Alexander) claiming to be Death looking to take a break from his life's work.
3 "Shades of Guilt" Perry Lang Ira Steven Behr September 25, 2002 107
A Caucasian man (Vincent Ventresca) finds himself being mistaken for an African-American man after refusing to save a college professor (Hill Harper) from being attacked and killed by skinheads.
4 "Dream Lover" Peter O'Fallon Frederick Rappaport September 25, 2002 105
A graphic novelist (Adrian Pasdar) suffering from a severe case of writer's block struggles to determine what is illusion and what is reality after bringing his ideal woman (Shannon Elizabeth) to life.
5 "Cradle of Darkness" Jean de Segonzac Kamran Pasha October 2, 2002 104
A woman (Katherine Heigl) goes back in time to 1889 Austria in a desperate attempt to rewrite history by assassinating Adolf Hitler in his infancy and preventing World War II from ever taking place.
6 "Night Route" Jean de Segonzac Jill Blotevogel October 2, 2002 102
An English professor (Ione Skye) juggles preparing for her wedding and convincing her friends and family she is being followed by a mysterious bus that started haunting her after she and her dog narrowly avoided being hit by a car.
7 "Time Lapse" John T. Kretchmer James Crocker October 9, 2002 109
An orderly (Ethan Embry) suffering from blackouts discovers his condition is the result of a police officer using his body to prevent an assassination attempt on the President of the United States and the First Daughter.
8 "Dead Man's Eyes" Jerry Levine Frederick Rappaport October 9, 2002 108
An emotionally distraught widow (Portia di Rossi) obsessed with bringing her dead husband's murderer to justice discovers she can see his life and the events surrounding his death through his eyeglasses.
9 "The Pool Guy" Paul Shapiro Hans Beimler October 16, 2002 111
A pool cleaner (Lou Diamond Phillips) working for a wealthy couple starts suffering from recurring nightmares involving a man (Mackenzie Gray) who approaches him, tells him to wake up, and guns him down.
10 "Azoth the Avenger Is a Friend of Mine" Brad Turner Brent V. Friedman October 16, 2002 112
A boy (Rory Culkin) beset by abuse from the neighborhood bullies and his alcoholic father learns a valuable life lesson about vengeance and courage after willing his favorite barbarian superhero (Patrick Warburton) to life.
11 "The Lineman" Jonathan Frakes Pen Densham October 23, 2002 101
A lineman (Jeremy Piven) gradually discovers everything comes with a price after being struck by lightning, gaining the ability to hear other people's thoughts, and using his newfound powers for personal and financial gain.
12 "Harsh Mistress" Brad Turner Bradley Thompson & David Weddle October 30, 2002 110
A talentless wannabe rock musician (Lukas Haas) gains talent, wealth, and international stardom at a surprising price tag after purchasing a classic guitar with dark powers and an equally dark past.
13 "Upgrade" Joe Chappelle Robert Hewitt Wolfe October 30, 2002 113
A housewife (Susanna Thompson) juggles moving into a new house with her dysfunctional family, fantasizing about the life she wants to live, and preventing her seemingly idyllic fantasies from becoming reality.
14 "To Protect and Serve" Joe Chappelle Kamran Pasha November 6, 2002 115
An idealistic young police officer (Usher) dedicates himself to doing whatever it takes to protect a prostitute and family friend (Samantha Becker) from the vindictive ghost of the pimp (Dion Johnstone) he was forced to shoot and kill in the line of duty.
15 "Chosen" Winrich Kolbe Ira Steven Behr November 6, 2002 114
A destitute man (Jake Busey) sets out to unearth what he believes to be a conspiracy after the arrival of two persistent evangelists (Andrew Moxham and Kim Hawthorne) coincides with several disappearances and a potential nuclear Armageddon.
16 "Sensuous Cindy" John T. Kretchmer James Crocker November 13, 2002 116
A magazine writer (Greg Germann) whose fiancée believes in not having sex until after marriage interacts with a woman (Jaime Pressly) from a virtual-reality simulation who wants him all to herself.
17 "Hunted" Patrick Norris Christopher Mack November 13, 2002 117
Members of an elite special forces team (Scott Bairstow and Marisol Nichols) living in a futuristic utopia that is free of violence and criminal activity set out to track down and execute a vicious creature responsible for the deaths of several civilians.
18 "Mr. Motivation" Deran Sarafian Story by : Steven Aspis
Teleplay by : Brent V. Friedman		 November 20, 2002 118
A toy doll (voiced by Pat O'Brien) with a sinister personality encourages a timid pharmaceutical employee (Wallace Langham) to stand up to his business manager (Christopher McDonald) and take control of his life.
19 "Sanctuary" Patrick Norris James Crocker November 20, 2002 119
A sports agent (Rob Estes) and a real estate agent (Elizabeth Berkley) stranded in a modern version of the Garden of Eden struggle to keep their idyllic world from crumbling when an injured motorcyclist (Nicki Aycox) with a working cell phone arrives.
20 "Future Trade" Bob Balaban Clyde Hayes November 27, 2002 121
A man (Frank Whaley) with a dead-end job at a big-box store and a dysfunctional family learns that leading the privileged life isn't everything he hoped it would be after trading his future for that of a man with a trophy wife (Sofia Milos).
21 "Found and Lost" Vern Gillum Story by : Bill Mumy
Teleplay by : Frederick Rappaport		 November 27, 2002 120
A troubled businessman (Brian Austin Green) receives an opportunity to go back in time, revisit his past, and make another attempt to win the heart of the young woman he once loved (Moira Kelly).
22 "Gabe's Story" Allan Kroeker Dusty Kay December 11, 2002 123
A deliveryman (Christopher Titus) suffering from consistent bad luck sets out to challenge fate after getting into a car accident, hitting his head, and gaining the uncanny ability to see the events surrounding his bad breaks where he sees a mysterious man in a jumpsuit (Kelly Perine).
23 "Last Lap" Brad Turner Rob Hedden December 11, 2002 122
A young man (Greg Serano) takes his terminally ill childhood friend (Clifton Collins, Jr.) to a local racetrack for a final ride in his GT street racer that results in unexpected consequences for both men.
24 "The Path" Jerry Levine James Crocker January 8, 2003 125
A dissatisfied tabloid magazine writer (Linda Cardellini) gradually becomes obsessed with relying on a fortune teller (Method Man) who provides her with uncannily accurate predictions about where her life is headed.
25 "Fair Warning" John T. Kretchmer David Weddle & Bradley Thompson January 8, 2003 124
A flower shop employee (Taryn Manning) finds herself struggling to convince people a troubled pet store employee (Devon Gummersall) suffering from dissociative identity disorder is stalking her.
26 "Another Life" Risa Bramon Garcia Amir Mann & Brent V. Friedman February 5, 2003 126
A celebrated hip-hop artist (Wood Harris) with a privileged life and a loving family experiences confusing visions that plague him to the point where the thin lines separating fantasy from reality start to blur.
27 "Rewind" Kevin Bray James Crocker February 5, 2003 127
A compulsive gambler (Eddie Kaye Thomas) discovers a way to beat the local casino owner (Ben Bass) after being gifted with a tape cassette recorder with the power to go back five minutes in time.
28 "Tagged" James Head Story by : Charles Largent
Teleplay by : Michael Angeli 		February 12, 2003 129
A gang member and street tagger (Todd Williams) becomes consumed by guilt after killing a man caught painting over his mural and seeing the mural transform into a real-life portrait of the crime.
29 "Into the Light" Lou Diamond Phillips Moira Kirland Dekker February 12, 2003 128
A high school English teacher (Samantha Mathis) set on resigning due to lack of interest from her apathetic students, develops the ability to look into a person's face and predict when they are going to die.
30 "It's Still a Good Life" Allan Kroeker Based on characters created by : Jerome Bixby
Teleplay by : Ira Steven Behr		 February 19, 2003 131
In a sequel to It's a Good Life, a single father (Bill Mumy) who terrorized the residents of an Ohio town with amazing mental powers as a child discovers his young daughter (Liliana Mumy) has powers that are stronger than his.
31 "The Monsters Are on Maple Street" Debbie Allen Story by : Rod Serling
Teleplay by : Erin Maher & Kay Reindl		 February 19, 2003 130
In an updated version of an episode from the original series, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, an unexpected power and water failure prompts the residents (Andrew McCarthy, Titus Welliver, Kristi Angus, and Peter Williams) of a quiet suburban neighborhood to grow increasingly suspicious of their new neighbors and accuse them of being sleeper cell terrorists.
32 "Memphis" Eriq La Salle Eriq La Salle February 26, 2003 133
A law clerk (Eriq La Salle) with six months left to live due to an inoperable brain tumor finds himself transported back in time to Memphis, Tennessee on the day of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.
33 "How Much Do You Love Your Kid?" Allison Liddi-Brown Michael Angeli February 26, 2003 132
A woman (Bonnie Somerville) contemplating divorce from her husband (Steve Bacic) finds herself forced to participate in a twisted reality game show hosted by Nick Dark (Wayne Knight) after receiving a telephone call claiming her son has been kidnapped.
34 "The Placebo Effect" Jerry Levine Story by : Rebecca Swanson
Teleplay by : Brent V. Friedman		 April 2, 2003 134
A medical practitioner (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) attempts to dissuade a hypochondriac (Jeffrey Combs) from believing he has contracted a deadly disease found in the pages of a science-fiction novel.
35 "Cold Fusion" Eli Richbourg Ashley Edward Miller & Zack Stentz April 2, 2003 135
A brilliant physicist (Sean Patrick Flanery) becomes involved in a deadly psychological struggle with a scientist (Ian McShane) after being tasked with taking part in the final start-up preparations for an infinite power source.
36 "The Pharaoh's Curse" Bob Balaban Stephen Beck April 23, 2003 139
An up-and-coming illusionist (Shawn Hatosy) insinuates himself into the lives of a reclusive veteran magician (Xander Berkeley) and his young wife (Lindy Booth) in an attempt to unlock the secrets behind a centuries-old illusion.
37 "The Collection" John T. Kretchmer Erin Maher & Kay Reindl April 23, 2003 138
A babysitter (Jessica Simpson) suspects an eerily life-like doll collection belonging to her latest client's charge (Ashley Edner) is connected to the mysterious disappearances of her previous sitters.
38 "Eye of the Beholder" David R. Ellis Rod Serling April 30, 2003 140
In a retelling of an episode from the original series, Eye of the Beholder, a young woman (Molly Sims) living in a futuristic society that has labeled her hideous waits to learn if the 11th and final attempt to surgically make her look like everyone else is successful or not.
39 "Developing" Allison Liddi-Brown Moira Kirland Dekker April 30, 2003 141
A photographer (Robin Tunney) becomes convinced her deceased fiancé is attempting to contact her from beyond the grave after finding him in several photographs that could never have been taken.
40 "The Executions of Grady Finch" John Peter Kousakis Story by : Frederick Rappaport
Teleplay by : Ira Steven Behr and Brent V. Friedman		 May 7, 2003 143
A death row inmate (Jeremy Sisto) sets out to convince his defense attorney (Alicia Witt) that he did not commit the crime he was convicted of as an unknown force starts interfering with his executions.
41 "Homecoming" Risa Bramon Garcia Story by : Bradley Thompson & David Weddle
Teleplay by : Michael Angeli		 May 7, 2003 142
A Delta Force officer (Gil Bellows) recently discharged from combat juggles making amends with his wayward teenage son (Penn Badgley) and preventing him from unearthing a mysterious secret.
42 "Sunrise" Tim Matheson Story by : Katrina Cabrera Ortega
Teleplay by : Frederick Rappaport		 May 21, 2003 137
Five college students (Jonathan Jackson, Sarah Carter, Michael Peña, Lauren Lee Smith, and Tyler Labine) exploring an Aztec site struggle to decide whom they must sacrifice after knocking over a jug filled with blood and enacting a curse that causes the sun to go out.
43 "Burned" John T. Kretchmer Seth Weisburst & Daniel Wolowicz May 21, 2003 136
An agoraphobic real estate mogul (Jason Bateman) finds himself forced to confront the sins of his past when the vindictive ghosts of two young children killed in an arson fire he orchestrated start haunting him.

Home media

The complete series was released on DVD by New Line in a six disc box set on September 7, 2004. The episodes are presented in their production order, not their broadcast order.

See also