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CBS To Reboot 'The Twilight Zone' (hollywoodreporter.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the blast-from-the-past dept.

phalse phace writes: During CBS's Thursday evenings conference call for their 3rd quarter earnings, CEO Leslie Moonves revealed that CBS was planning to reboot the classic fantasy science-fiction television series "The Twilight Zone." According to the Hollywood Reporter, "the show hails from Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw banner, with Marco Ramirez set to pen the script and serve as showrunner." This wouldn't be the first time CBS has brought the show back. "The network revived the series in the 1980s that ran for three seasons and again in 2002 for a season on UPN with host Forest Whitaker. The franchise has also been licensed to a new stage play set to premiere in December at the Almeida Theatre in London and run through January. The original series won three Emmys during its 156-episode run and explored topics including humanity's hopes, despairs, prides and prejudices."

22 of 125 comments (clear)

  1. Storylines by _Sharp'r_ · · Score: 4, Funny

    In the first episode, an outspoken Billionaire reality TV star wins the Presidency against the bitter wife of a former President who believes it's her turn next...

    --
    The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.
    1. Re:Storylines by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Funny

      So it is a prequel to the episode where the guy lost his glasses.

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      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:Storylines by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      I don't know. I think that plot would seem to far out there. But yet is some how seems familiar.....

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      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
  2. Cool... by RyanFenton · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The hard part is the philosophy. Acting/special effects/costumes/lighting/etc. are certainly important - but the key to it actually being a good Twilight Zone is that it's exploring a twist in philosophy.

    It's not supposed to be horror, grimdark, author-insert, perspective writing, or anything like that - it's a show about exploring philosophy and implications You can certainly use tropes from other genres to get TO your philosophy, but if you're not exploring and really playing with the concepts, you're not really doing a proper twilight zone.

    Jordan Peele is actually farily appropriate in my odd mind - he's got a nice twist to his comedy that might work well. Perhaps not just like Rod Serling or anything - but worth exploring. The Orville ended up being a good exploration of Star Trek concepts, also from a comedy director - so I'll give this a chance!

    Ryan Fenton

    1. Re:Cool... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It's a bit deeper than that, and it's the reason why the subsequent versions were ultimately forgotten.
      "The Twilight Zone" was a _Writer's_ Show. Of the 156 episodes, 92 were written or rewritten by Serling, he Executive Produced, and he hosted. He had a roster of really good Writers, including Matheson, and every show was self-contained; every Cast different, no goddam Story Arcs.
      That is what an Anthology Show was back then. There were variations; Hitchcock Produced, but didn't write, or except for one occasion, Direct.
      The only element constant each week was Serling himself, who already had a reputation as a Writer. Also, there were no pestilent "Show Runners", a publicity term coined by "Variety"; the "People Magazine" of the Entertainment World.

      Neither Peele nor Ramirez have shown any aptitude for Anthology; for the Short Story. Ramirez in particular is into that Story Arc nonsense. So a lot depends on who Hosts. If they just hire a recognizable face, it may last a Season. But in all likelihood there will be a Weekly Cast, perhaps a Paranormal investigator and his perky Daughter, and it will turn into an "X-Files" clone, hosted by some dude who just shows up five minutes a week to recite a couple of opening lines, and a snarky/reflective/philosophical line at the end.
      Also, and this is very important, whoever Hosts must Smoke. Serling was constantly seen with a cigarette clutched between his knuckles. If not a cigarette, perhaps a cigar. It doesn't have to be lit; many hosts back then, like Bob Wilkins, just used it as a prop.
      And it doesn't have to be tobacco. Some concessions can be made to the modern World.

    2. Re:Cool... by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 2

      in all likelihood there will be a Weekly Cast, perhaps a Paranormal investigator and his perky Daughter, and it will turn into an "X-Files" clone, hosted by some dude who just shows up five minutes a week to recite a couple of opening lines, and a snarky/reflective/philosophical line at the end.

      This remark brings me back to that Community episode where Pierce sits in on a focus group for an American remake of a British series, and pretty much singlehandedly ruins the new series with his "insightful" remarks. I hope that isn't what you just did...

      But in all seriousness, that's probably what we'll get. With a generous helping of morality thrown in, I suspect. I loved the old Twilight Zone though... gotta find those DVDs I have lying around somewhere.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    3. Re:Cool... by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

      Why exactly does the host have to smoke?

      For the same reason master criminals have to stroke cats.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    4. Re:Cool... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I am re-watching the series right now.

      You have it fairly well nailed on what the original show was. It was a fairly low budget show. If you watch them there is near to 0 special effects. Most of it is set pieces on existing sets or driving out to the desert. Someone needs to disappear? Pan away have actor react. Sometimes they would stop the camera then resume it for the pop removal. If they could not pull the effect off on set they did not do it.

      What most people miss is how cheaply made the shows were. They had to focus pretty much 100% on the story. Which is what makes all shows and movies good. Focus on the story.

      I am also watching the original dragnet series. That too was mostly set pieces but with a better budget. It is a good exploration of similar issues we fight today. Those issues never went away.

    5. Re:Cool... by mikael · · Score: 2

      There was always that twist. " A small talent for war" where the UN on Earth is advised that they must change their ways or face annihilation by aliens. But it was that Earth had to become more warlike rather than peaceful. Other times, all they needed to do is add one new device like a live-saving cocoon suit that would prevent a person from dying - the catch was that it didn't guarantee good health afterwards. Or the classic episode where someone is given a button to press with no explanation for what it does.

      There was a style of lighting and set design in that time where everything seemed to be filmed at sunset and consisted of marbled floors, walls and geometric shapes.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
    6. Re:Cool... by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 2

      Because Serling smoked? No. If we can make concessions to the modern world, one of them can be not smoking.

      Maybe he could have a nice bowl of quinoa while committing micro-aggressions against the audience by wearing dreadlocks or displaying a native American symbol on his shirt. O The Horror!

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    7. Re:Cool... by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Informative

      You're not tweiebly familiar with the original Teimighty Zone or Rod Serling, I see. Or the original Star Trek for that matter. Both Serling and Roddenberry were intensely interested in "social justice" and used science fiction or fantasy tropes as a means to explore social issues.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  3. The next old series by thadtheman · · Score: 2

    that modern media is going to screw up.

  4. The CBS Family by tonique · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Remember, kids, that The Twilight Zone is part of the CBS Family, which sounds a little like the Manson Family. As reported a few days ago, CBS sues man for copyright over screenshots of 59-year-old TV show:

    A CBS spokesperson wouldn't identify the exact nature of Tannen's alleged infringement. The company offered only this statement via e-mail: "Matt, Doc, Chester and Miss Kitty are part of the CBS family. Anybody who tries to do them dirt will end up on boot hill."

  5. They've been beaten to it by SyFy by 0ryn · · Score: 2

    I think that the SyFy channel have got there first with Dimension 404 which seems very Outer limits / Twilight Zone.
    That said, if the show made it over here on Netflix I'd watch it

  6. But we already got a Twilight Zone reboot... by AC-x · · Score: 2

    But we already got a Twilight Zone reboot...

  7. Already is one. by jddj · · Score: 2

    It's called "Black Mirror". CBS will have a very hard time indeed outdoing it.

  8. Addams Family by darthsilun · · Score: 2

    What would it take to get ABC to reboot that. But it needs to be done well.

  9. In Soviet Russia by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

    In Soviet Russia, horizontal and vertical control YOU!

    Rats' cocks, that's other one isn't it?

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  10. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  11. Please stop.... by jwhyche · · Score: 3

    For the love of god please go find some original ideals.

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    I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
  12. One problem is, by fredrated · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Twilight Zone was a thinking person's show, and it seems people don't want to do that anymore.

  13. CBS "family" values monopoly, not community by jbn-o · · Score: 2

    They're also the "family" that brought you the Star Trek fan film restrictions. How did these restrictions come about? For decades these restrictions did not exist and yet Star Trek made lots of money; fans made and distributed derivative works of Star Trek and all of this co-existed with the Star Trek shows and movies. Fans even collected money and donations used for making more fan fiction for all to see and share. But when Prelude to Axanar came along and piqued CBS/Paramount's interest, and CBS/Paramount sued Axanar's production claiming copyright infringement (including some remarkable overreach on what fell under copyright power). The fan film restrictions came out of this.

    Now the restrictions exist and CBS/Paramount has made it clear they see anything other than their own Star Trek stuff as competition and not community-building. Is an organization you want to help fund knowing you're helping to fund an organization that treats their fans this way? Adding misleading labelling to adversarial treatment: CBS wants you to pay them to subscribe to their newly-launched Internet streaming service which, among other things, is advertised as "commercial-free" but will still contain "promotional interruptions" ("certain on-demand shows will include "promotional interruptions," CBS said").

    What relationship does Fox have with Star Wars fans? I certainly wouldn't recommend Star Wars fan fiction now that Disney owns so much of that (an ever growing part of everything to do with Star Wars) since Disney is even more harmful helping fund a copyright term extension. If Fox treats their fans better, perhaps it's time to consider making The Orville fan fiction instead.

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    Digital Citizen