Why was classic anthology series The Twilight Zone cancelled? The show was the brainchild of Rod Serling, a war veteran who wanted to use the series as a framework to explore political and social issues. The Twilight Zone became famous for its allegorical sci-fi and horror tales penned by the likes of Richard Matheson and Serling himself, which often ended on ironic twists. The series ran for five seasons in total and has since become a landmark genre show. Its reputation only grew in the years after it ended, leading to several revivals.
The first was Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1983, an anthology featuring segments from directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Miller. The series was then brought back a couple of years later, which featured directors like Wes Craven and actors such as Helen Mirren and Bruce Willis; the show would run for three seasons. Following a 1994 TV movie dubbed The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics - which filmed a couple of previously unused tales from the show's creator - UPN brought it back once again with 2002's The Twilight Zone. Despite Forest Whitaker loaning some gravitas as host and narrator its generally considered the weakest iteration and was canned after one season.
The most recent take on The Twilight Zone is hosted and produced by Jordan Peele. While it features an impressive range of actors and filmmakers, the overall reception has been mixed. While its specials effects and presentation may have aged, one thing subsequent revivals have proven is that it's very hard to beat the original series. It was a groundbreaking show that featured several classic episodes like "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet," "To Serve Man" or "Time Enough at Last." The Twilight Zone's impact on popular culture can't be underestimated and can be seen on everything from The Simpsons to Black Mirror, so why did end back in 1964?
Rod Serling's interest in social issues and frustration in dealing with TV executives and advertisers saw him labeled the "angry young man" of Hollywood. The Twilight Zone's creator retained tight creative control of the series, to the point that he wrote about two-thirds of its 150 or so episodes. Throughout the show's run, this led had constant clashes with executives and then CBS president James T. Aubrey over tacking certain topics and budget overruns, and the series was cancelled twice before being quickly revived by the network.
When CBS pulled the plug on The Twilight Zone following its fifth season, Rod Serling was too drained from the heavy workload and creative battles to argue. ABC was interested in taking the series under the new title Witches, Warlocks And Werewolves, which - as the title suggests - would have put more focus on the horror elements. Serling wasn't interested, however, and in the years that followed he worked on the screenplay for the original Planet Of The Apes before creating another classic anthology in the form of Night Gallery.