CBS All Access releases The Twilight Zone first episode to stream for free on YouTube. Based on Rod Serling's original anthology series, the modern reboot is co-produced by Us director Jordan Peele, who also serves as the host. The first episode, “The Comedian," stars Kumail Nanjiani and Tracy Morgan.
The Twilight Zone aired for five seasons from 1959 to 1964. The science fiction series entertained audiences with mind-bending narratives and clever twists, while the iconic theme was composed by Bernard Herrmann, who bookended his feature film career with Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. In American pop culture, The Twilight Zone is synonymous with high concept television. Way back in 2012, Bryan Singer was developing The Twilight Zone for CBS, and Peele was officially announced as a producer in November 2017. One month later, the reboot was officially greenlit by CBS. On April 1, the series will be available on CBS All Access.
Related: What to Expect From The Twilight Zone Reboot
In the early hours of April 1, CBS All Access unveiled The Twilight Zone’s first episode. Last week, the series debut was teased with an official Twilight Zone trailer, in which Nanjiani’s comedian character struggles with his personal life, and receives advice from Morgan’s character who states, “you WILL get laughs.” Nanjiani’s character then appears entirely confused and asks, “What did you do to me?” The clip ends with Peele appearing on camera and delivering the franchise’s iconic line “The next stop: The Twilight Zone.”
Click Here to watch The Twilight Zone's first episode
As of April 1, The Twilight Zone will be available exclusively through CBS All Access. Those interested will need to pay $5.99 per month (there's a commercial-free option for $9.99), or they can use the seven-day free trial to see if Peele's reboot is worth the investment. Two episodes will air on April 1, and the series will resume on April 11, with one episode airing every Thursday.
The Twilight Zone’s series premiere comes just over a week after Peele released his second feature film, Us. Given the film’s critical acclaim and polarizing reactions from viewers, the pop culture momentum will likely transfer over to his CBS reboot. The first episode, “The Comedian,” was written by Alex Rubens, who previously collaborated with Peele as a writer on the series Key and Peele. Previously, Rubens wrote for the NBC sitcom Community. The Twilight Zone’s second episode, “Nightmare at 30,000 Feet,” is a modern re-telling of the classic 1963 episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” starring William Shatner.
Based on our official review of The Twilight Zone’s first two episodes, it appears that Peele and company are off to a rocky start. But just as Us has inspired wildly different reactions from viewers, perhaps the CBS All Access reboot will have the same effect. For now, potential subscribers can get a free taste of what’s to come.
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Source: CBS All Access