History Trivia / TheTwilightZone

* TheWikiRule: [[https://twilightzone.fandom.com/wiki/A_Fifth_Dimension:The_Twilight_Zone_Wiki The Twilight Zone Wiki]].

* CompletelyDifferentTitle: In France.
** ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'' became ''La Quatrième Dimension'' ("The Fourth Dimension").
** ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'' became ''La Cinquième Dimension'' ("The Fifth Dimension").
** ''Series/TheTwilightZone2002'' became ''La Treizième Dimension'' ("The Thirteenth Dimension").

!!''Pinball/TheTwilightZone'' {{Pinball}} provide examples of:
* DummiedOut: There was originally supposed to be three magnets for the spiral feature, but it was cut down to two for cost reasons. Manually installing the third magnent and opto will work in some revisions of the game.
* NamesTheSame: Powerball is also the name of a massive jackpot lottery played in the United States.[[note]]Given that ''TZ'' was released in 1993 and Powerball lottery was launched in 1992, and both ''TZ''[='=]s Powerball Mania mode and said lottery involve winning hundreds of millions of something, the name could be a deliberate ShoutOut.[[/note]]
* ReferencedBy:
** The robots from this game reappear as aliens invading Seattle in ''Pinball/RedAndTedsRoadShow''.
** One of the ticker messages in ''Pinball/{{Monopoly}}'' reads "Become Lost in a Zone - Play Pinball," a reference to the "Lost in the Zone" WizardMode.
* TheOtherDarrin: Tim Kitzrow, who voiced Creator/RodSerling in the game. Justified in that Serling had died twenty years prior.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ''Twilight Zone'' was supposed to use Williams/Midway's DCS Sound System, but because it was still in development, it used the Yamaha [=YM2151=]-based sound board instead. In 2015, composer Chris Granner released the original DCS soundtrack for ''Twilight Zone''; here's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2Z3IFq0Ds what it would have sounded like]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ''Twilight Zone'' was supposed to use Williams/Midway's DCS Sound System, but because it was still in development, it used the Yamaha [=YM2151=]-based sound board instead. In 2015, composer Chris Granner released the original DCS soundtrack for ''Twilight Zone''; here's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2Z3IFq0Ds what it would have sounded like.]]

* CompletelyDifferentTitle : In France.

* ReferencedBy: The robots from this game reappear as aliens invading Seattle in ''Pinball/RedAndTedsRoadShow''.

* NamesTheSame: Powerball is also the name of a massive jackpot lottery played in the United States.[[note]]Given that ''TZ'' was released in 1993 and Powerball lottery was launched in 1992, and both things involve very large numbers, the name could be a deliberate ShoutOut.[[/note]]

** ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'' became ''La Quatrième Dimension'' ("The Fourth Dimension")
** ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'' became ''La Cinquième Dimension'' ("The Fifth Dimension")
** ''Series/TheTwilightZone2002'' became ''La Treizième Dimension'' ("The Thirteenth Dimension")

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ''Twilight Zone'' was supposed to use Williams/Midway's DCS Sound System, but because it was still in development, it used the Yamaha [=YM2151=]-based sound board instead.

* TheOtherDarrin: Tim Kitzrow, who voiced Rod Serling in the game. Justified in that Serling had died twenty years prior.

!!The original ''Twilight Zone'' provides examples of:
* ActorAllusion : Creator/BusterKeaton in "Once Upon a Time".
* BeamMeUpScotty: The popular "Submitted for your approval" occurs in the opening monologue just three times. In contrast "In just a moment" occurs in the opening monologue 25 times, which makes this the most said four-word phrase that doesn't include "Twilight Zone". "In a moment" also occurs quite often.
* CompletelyDifferentTitle: French, La Quatrième Dimension (The Fourth Dimension).
* CreatorBacklash: Creator/RichardMatheson didn't like how some of his episodes turned out (like "Young Man's Fancy" and, surprisingly given how highly regarded it is, "The Invaders"). Rod Serling also admitted that several of the episodes - including some of his own - could have been better ("I guess a third of the shows are pretty damned good. Another third are passable. Another third are dogs").
** Matheson ''did'' prefer the ''Twilight Zone'' adaptation of his short story "Long Distance Call" (titled on the show as "Night Call") over his original story, as he felt the original ending was too flat, and the ending created for the ''Twilight Zone'' episode added more emotion and depth. That said, [[http://twilightzonewor.fr.yuku.com/topic/95/quotNight-Callquot?page=4 many fans]] actually prefer the original story's ending, finding it much creepier, and find the ending to "Night Call" too tacky.
* TheDanza: Burt Mustin as Burt the Bum in "Night of the Meek".
* DescendedCreator: Rod Serling as the Narrator.
* DuelingShows: With ''Series/TheOuterLimits'' during 1963-64, the only season both series were in production. While the original ''Twilight Zone'' did much better than ''Outer Limits'', and is better remembered in popular culture, neither of its revivals lasted as long as the 1990s revival of ''Outer Limits''.
* EditedForSyndication: The ChristmasEpisode "The Night of the Meek" features a holiday greeting from Serling at the end of his wrap up narration that was generally edited out. Also the fourth season hour long episodes were generally ignored until the Creator/SciFiChannel started running the show. Between the sixties and the nighties they were mainly shown only as edited together two-hour "movie" specials.
* HeyItsThatGuy / HeyItsThatVoice: ''Holy crap.''
** Creator/JuneForay played the Talking Tina doll in "Living Doll", essentially reprising the voice she did for the real life Chatty Cathy. She also dubbed over a child actor's voice in "The Bewitchin' Pool" using her [[WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle Rocky]] voice.
** If [[Disney/TheJungleBook Kaa]] wasn't creepy enough, the creepy TV repairman in "What's in the Box" also has [[Disney/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh Winnie's]] voice.
*** On a related, but somewhat more pleasant note, John Fiedler (the voice of Piglet) appears as the mall owner in "Night of the Meek", as well as a subordinate angel in "Cavender is Coming".
** [[Series/HogansHeroes Bob Crane]], at the time an L.A. disc jockey, provided the voice of one on the radio in "Static".
** [[WesternAnimation/SuperFriends Lex Luthor]] was in "Cavender is Coming" and [[WesternAnimation/SuperFriends Sinestro]] was in "People Are Alike All Over" and "Ring-A-Ding Girl".
** J. Pat O'Malley a.k.a: [[Disney/AliceInWonderland Tweedledee and Tweedledum, The Walrus and The Carpenter]], [[Disney/TheJungleBook Colonel Hathi and Buzzie the Vulture]] was in "The Chaser", "The Fugitive", "Mr. Garetty and The Graves" and "The Self Improvement of Salavdore Ross".
** [[Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians Cruella De Vill]] was in "Ring-A-Ding Girl".
** [[WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends Wade The Duck]] was in "I Dream of Genie".
** [[WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget Inspector Gadget]] [[TheOtherDarrin (at least the second guy to do him in the pilot)]] was the title angel in "Cavender is Coming".
** [[Series/{{Bewitched}} Endora]] was in "The Invaders", while Darrin Stephens was in "The Purple Testament" and "A Penny for Your Thoughts" and Samantha Stephens was in "Two" opposite Creator/CharlesBronson. Larry Tate was in "I Sing The Body Electric" and "A World of Difference." Gladys Kravitz was in "Static", "Cavender Is Coming" and "What's In the Box?".
** [[WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers Looten Plunder]] was in "The Old Man in the Cave".
** Quite a few people from ''Series/{{Batman}}'' were in the series prior to the show:
*** The Penguin starred in "Time Enough At Last" as the meek Henry Bemis, "Mr. Dingle the Strong" as the title meek character, "The Obsolete Man" as Romney Wordsworth, a librarian slated for execution for being, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin just read the title,]] and "Printers Devil" as the devil himself, giving him the most starring roles on the show.
*** Alfred was in "Passage of The Lady Anne".
*** Police Chief O'Hara was in "Nick of Time" as a mechanic, "The Grave" and "Ceasar and Me" as a pawnbroker.
*** The Mad Hatter was in "Escape Clause" as the Devil.
*** Catwoman was a very sexy she-devil, in fact being the only female portrayal of the devil in this series in "Of Late I Think of Cliffordville".
*** The Bookworm was in "People Are Alike All Over".
*** The Archer was Santa Claus in "The Night of the Meek".
*** Shame was in "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" and "The Dummy".
*** Dr. Cassandra Spellcraft was in "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine" as an aging film star longing to recapture her glory.
*** Cabala was in "A World of Difference".
*** Aunt Hilda was in "Long Live Walter Jameson".
*** Believe it or not, Adam West himself never appeared on this show, instead opting for its rival ''The Outer Limits''. However, [[WesternAnimation/SuperFriends a different Batman]] was in "The Man in the Bottle" and "Ceasar and Me".
** [[Film/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest Colonel Matterson]] was in "The Four of Us Are Dying" and "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby".
** [[Film/MyBigFatGreekWedding Gus Portokalos]] was in "I Am the Night - Color Me Black".
** [[Videogame/DynastyWarriors Zou Chi]] and [[Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue Prince Olympius]], [[{{Coach}} Christine Armstrong]], [[Series/TheAndyGriffithShow Briscoe Darling]] and [[Series/TheDukesOfHazzard Uncle Jesse]] and [[Film/TheLongestYard Nate Scarboro]] were in "Black Leather Jackets".
** [[Series/LostInSpace Dr. Zachary Smith]] a.k.a. [[WesternAnimation/ABugsLife Manny the Mantis]] was in "Twenty Two" and "The Silence".
** Creator/BurtReynolds was in "The Bard".
** Creator/DonRickles a.k.a. [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Mr. Potato Head]] was in "Mr. Dingle the Strong".
** [[TheAdventuresOfMarkTwain Mark Twain,]] [[Literature/PeytonPlace Elliot Carlson]] and [[{{Brenner}} Officer Ernie Brenner]] were in "On Thursday We Leave for Home".
** [[Film/{{Gremlins}} Roland Corben]] was in "Third From the Sun" and "You Drive".
** [[Film/ForbiddenPlanet Altaira Moribus]] was in "The After Hours" and "Jesse-Belle", while Robby The Robot was in "One for the Angels" as a tin toy, "The Brain Center at Whipple's" and "Uncle Simon".
** [[TheLifeOfRiley Chester A. Riley]] was in the pilot "The Time Element".
** [[Series/NightMan Frank Dominus]] was in "Where Is Everybody?".
** [[Series/BarneyMiller Inspector Frank Luger]] was in "Where Is Everybody?" and "The Passersby".
** [[Disney/AliceInWonderland The Mad Hatter]] was in "One For the Angels" and "Ninety Years Without Slumbering".
** [[Film/{{Jaws}} Mayor Vaughn]] was in "One for the Angels" as [[TheGrimReaper Mr. Death himself.]]
** [[Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies Milburn Drysdale]] was in "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" and "No Time Like the Past".
** [[Series/{{Seinfeld}} Sid Fields]] was in "Mr. Denton on Doomsday", "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?", "Walking Distance" and "Mute".
** [[Film/{{Psycho}} Detective Milton]] was in "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine" and "The New Exhibit".
** [[Film/ProblemChild Big Ben Healy]] was in "The Lonely" and "The Mighty Casey".
** [[Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow Ted Baxter]] a.k.a. [[Series/TooCloseForComfort Henry Rush]] a.k.a. [[{{Caddyshack}} Judge Elihu Smails]] was in "The Lonely".
** [[Film/{{Psycho}} George Lowery]] was in "Time Enough At Last", "Still Valley", "I Sing the Body Electric", "The Incredible World of Horace Ford" and "The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross".
** [[Film/TheGodfather Barzini]] was in "Perchance to Dream".
** [[Film/TheAmityvilleHorror1979 Father Nuncio]] was in "Perchance to Dream" as Dr. Elliot Rathman, "Dust" as the sheriff, and most notably "It's a Good Life" as Anthony's Father.
** [[AnAmericanTail Papa Mousekewitz]] and [[Series/TheAvengers John Steed]] [[Film/TheHowling (or Dr. George Waggner)]] were in "Judgement Night".
** [[Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians Roger Radcliffe]] a.k.a. [[Disney/TheLittleMermaid Grimsby]] was in "Judgement Night", "Deaths Head Revisted" and "Dead Man's Shoes".
** [[Disney/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians Pongo]] and [[Series/ElleryQueen Ellery Queen]] were in "And When the Sky Was Opened".
** [[Series/LeaveItToBeaver Miss Alice Anders]] was in "And When the Sky Was Opened" and "From Agnes - With Love".
** [[Film/HisGirlFriday Roy B. Bensinger]] was in "What You Need" and "Kick the Can".
** Creator/WilliamShatner a.k.a. [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Captain James Tiberius Kirk]] and Series/TJHooker was in "Nick of Time" and more notably "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet".
** [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries T'Pring]] was in "What You Need" and "Twenty Two".
** [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries T'Pau]] was in "Queen of the Nile".[[note]]She is sometimes credited as Grandma in "Long Distance Call", but that was Lili Darvas, a Hungarian actress with a similar artistic background.[[/note]]
** [[Film/{{Creepshow}} Dexter Stanley]] was in "Third from the Sun" and "The Obsolete Man" as an EvilChancellor.
** [[Literature/PeytonPlace Fred Russell]] was in "Third from the Sun" and "The Little People".
** [[Series/GeneralHospital Dr. Lesley Webber]] was in "Third from the Sun".
** [[Film/TwelveAngryMen Juror #6]] was in "I Shot an Arrow into the Air" and "The Long Morrow".
** [[Film/HangEmHigh Rachel Warren]] was in "The Hitch-Hiker" and "The Lateness of the Hour".
** [[Film/NorthByNorthwest Valerian]] was in "The Hitch-Hiker" and "A Most Unusual Camera".
** [[Series/GetSmart The Claw]] was the title character in "The Hitch-Hiker".
** [[Disney/SleepingBeauty Malefecent]] can be heard briefly in "The Hitch-Hiker".
** [[WesternAnimation/TheDickTracyShow Dick Tracy]] [[Film/CitizenKane (better known as Bernstein]]) was in "The Fever".
** [[Film/TheBeastFromTwentyThousandFathoms Prof. Thurgood Elson]] was in "Elegy" and "Passage on the Lady Anne".
** [[Film/TheCreatureWalksAmongUs Dr. William Barton]] was in "Elegy".
** [[Series/LittleHouseOnThePrarie Dr. Hiram Baker]] was in "Elegy" and "You Drive".
** [[Film/{{Psycho}} Lila Crane,]] [[Series/TheSwissFamilyRobinson Karl Robinson,]] and [[Series/{{Vegas}} Sgt. Bella Archer]] were in "Mirror Image".
** [[Film/PlanetOfTheApes Aldo,]] [[Film/DirtyDancing Max Kellerman]] and [[Series/{{Mash}} the only producer to stay with M*A*S*H throughout its entire run]] were in "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street".
** [[Series/GeneralHospital George Durnley (1982)]] was in "People Are Alike All Over", "They Odyssey of light 33" and "The Parallel".
** [[Film/{{Creepshow}} Nathan Grantham]] was in "Execution", "Dust", " The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank" and "Jess-Belle".
** [[Series/GilligansIsland Professor Roy Hinkley]] was in "Execution and "Back There".
** [[InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers Dr. Miles J. Bennell]] was in "Long Live Walter Jameson".
** Sebastian Cabot a.k.a. [[Disney/TheSwordInTheStone Sir Ector,]] [[Disney/TheJungleBook Bagheera]] and [[Disney/TheManyAdventuresOfWinnieThePooh The Narrator]] was in "A Nice Place to Visit".
** [[Series/WhatsMyLine Larry Blyden]] was in "A Nice Place To Visit" and "Showdown with Rance McGrew".
** [[Series/{{Dallas}} Katherine Wentworth]] was in "Nightmare as A Child", "Valley of the Shadow" and "Ceasar and Me".
** [[Film/PlanetOfTheApes Honorious]] and [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack the voice of Boba Fett]] were in "A Stop At Willoughby".
** [[Film/BachelorParty Ed Thompson]] was in "The Chaser" and "In His Image".
** [[Disney/TheRescuers Rufus]] [[Film/{{Psycho}} (or if you prefer, Sheriff Al Chambers)]] was in "The Chaser".
** Jack Klugman a.k.a. [[Series/{{Quincy}} Dr. R. Quincy M.E.,]] [[Series/TheOddCouple Oscar Madison,]] and [[Film/TwelveAngryMen Juror #5]] starred in "A Passage for Trumpet" "A Game of Pool", "Death Ship" and "In Praise of Pip" giving him the most starring roles in the series tying only with Burgess Meredith.
** [[Film/{{Psycho}} California Charlie]] was in "A Passage for Trumpet", "The Odyssey of Flight 33", "Of Late I think of Cliffordville" and "The Old Man and the Cave".
** [[Series/TheOnedinLine Sarah Onedin]] was in "A Passage for Trumpet" and "Death Ship".
** [[Film/KingKong1933 Second Mate Briggs]] was in "A Passage for Trumpet" and "Once Upon a Time".
** [[WesternAnimation/TheHobbit Bilbo Baggins]] ([[WesternAnimation/TheReturnofTheKing Later Frodo Baggins]]), [[Film/{{Arachnophobia}} Dr. Sam Metcalf,]] [[WesternAnimation/GreenLanternFirstFlight Appa Ali Apsa,]] and [[Series/MrEd Winnie Kirkwood]] were in "Mr. Bevis".
** [[Film/TheGodfather Nazorine]] was in "Mr. Bevis" and "The Gift".
** [[WesternAnimation/SantaClausIsCominToTown The Winter Warlock]] and [[Film/HouseOfWax Sue Allen]] were in "A World of His Own".
** [[Film/ByeByeBirdie Doris McAfee]] was in "A World of His Own" and "Living Doll".
** [[Film/DialMForMurder Mark Halliday,]] and [[{{Spartacus}} Gannicus]] were in "King Nine Will Not Return".
** [[Disney/AliceInWonderland The Hookah Smoking Caterpillar,]] and [[Film/{{Airplane}} Mrs. Kramer,]] were in "A Thing About Machines".
** Barney Phillips, a.k.a: Shazzan! was in "The Purple Testimate", "A Thing About Machines", "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" and "Miniature".
** Creator/JohnCarradine a.k.a [[WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNIMH The Great Owl]] among many others, [[Series/DaysOfOurLives Orby Jenson (from 1982-1984)]] and [[Film/DialMForMurder Police Seargent O'Brien]] were in "The Howling Man".
** [[Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies Elly May Clampett]] was in "Eye of the Beholder" and "Cavender is Coming".
** Creator/WilliamShatner a.k.a. [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Captain James Tiberius Kirk]] and Series/TJHooker was in "Nick of Time" and more notably "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet".
** [[Literature/PeytonPlace Laura Brooks]] was in "Nick of Time" and "No Time Like the Past".
** [[Film/TheHauntedPalace Gideon Leach]] and [[Series/DaysOfOurLives Adele Winston Hamilton (from 1975-1976)]] were in "Nick of Time".
** [[Series/GimmeABreak Grandpa Stanley Kanisky]] was in "The Lateness of the Hour" and "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?".
** [[Series/DennisTheMenace Mrs. Luck Elkins]] was in "Walking Distance" and "The Lateness of the Hour".
** [[Film/SylviaScarlet Michael Fane,]] [[Film/AuntieMame Pegeen Ryan,]] and [[Film/{{Tootsie}} The Director of Tootsie]] were in "The Trouble with Templeton".
** [[Film/AuntieMame Dwight Babcock]] and [[Film/FunWithDickAndJane Paula (who incidentally played a character named Paula here)]] were in "A Most Unusual Camera".
** [[Film/TheParallaxView Senator Gillingham,]] [[Film/TheMagnificentSeven Henry]] and [[Film/TheLastStarfighter Granny Gordon]] were in "The Night of the Meek".
** [[Film/RoadToMorocco Hyder Khan]] was in "Dust", "The Mirror" and "The Gift".
** [[Series/DarkShadows Dr. Peter Guthrie]] was in "Back There".
** [[Film/AStarIsBorn Matt Libby,]] [[Series/{{Lassie}} Uncle Petrie Martin]] and [[WesternAnimation/ThePinkPanther Misterjaw]] were in "The Whole Truth".
** [[Series/TheYoungAndTheRestless Mavis Macdonald]] was in "Twenty-Two".
** [[Series/PerryMason Lt. Anderson]] was in "Twenty-Two" and "The Fugitive".
** [[Series/GeneralHospital Al]] and [[Series/DaysOfOurLives Dr. Tony Romano]] were in "Twenty-Two".
** [[Film/TrueGrit Judge Parker]] and [[Film/TheThingFromAnotherWorld Scotty]] were in "Mr. Dingle the Strong".
** [[Film/TheGameOfDeath Dr. Land]] and [[Series/{{Bewitched}} Gladys Kravitz]] were in "Static".
** [[LeaveItToBeaver Gilbert Bates]] was in "Static" and "The Fugitive".
** [[Film/DestinationTokyo Tin Can]] and [[Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies Jed Clampett]] a.k.a [[Series/BarnabyJones]] were in "The Prime Mover".
** [[Series/DaysOfOurLives Dr. Lubick]] was in "The Prime Mover" and "The Midnight Sun".
** Bill Mumy a.k.a. [[Series/LostInSpace Will Robinson]] and [[Series/BabylonFive Lennier]] was in "Long Distance Call", "In Praise of Pip", and most famously "It's a Good Life" as GooGooGodlike Anthony Freemont whom he later reprised in the 2003 series as an adult.
** [[WesternAnimation/IronMan Nick Fury]] was in "Long Distance Call" and "The Parallel".
** [[Series/DaysOfOurLives Alma Clovis]] was in "Long Distance Call".
** [[Series/TheAddamsFamily Gomez Addams]] and [[Series/GetSmart The Chief]] were in "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim".
** [[Film/SpiderManTrilogy Uncle Ben]] was in "A Hundred Yards over the Rim" and "The Dummy"
** [[Film/{{Psycho}} Dr. Fred Richman]] was in "The Rip Van Winkle Caper" and "The Thirty-Fathom Grave".
** [[Film/DirtyHarry Di Giorgio]] was in "The Rip Van Winkle Caper" and "Mr. Garrity and the Graves".
** [[Literature/MutinyOnTheBounty Byam]] was in "The Silence".
** [[Series/GeneralHospital Dr. Wallace]] was in "The Silence" and "The. Changing of the Guard".
** [[Series/{{Gunsmoke}} Deputy Chester Goode]] and [[Series/StarskyAndHutch Captain Harold Dobey]] were in "Shadow Play".
** [[Film/YouDontMessWithTheZohan Zohan's Father]] and [[Series/KolchakTheNightStalker Ron Updyke]] were in "The Mind and the Matter".
** [[InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers Nurse Sally Withers]] and [[Film/TheCannonBallRun Dr. Nikolas Van Helsing]] were in "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?".
** [[Film/{{Spartacus}} David]] was in "The Arrival".
** [[Series/{{Bonanza}} Clem Foster]] was in "The Arrival" and "Ring-A-Ding Girl".
** [[Series/DaysOfOurLives Wayne Charles (1969) a.k.a Ray Stone (1979)]] was in "The Arrival" and "The Trade-Ins".
** [[WesternAnimation/GarfieldSpecials Jon Arbuckle,]] [[InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers Dr. Dan Kaufmann]] and [[Film/ThatsMyBoy Grandma Delores]] were in "The Shelter".
** [[Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory Grandpa Joe]] a.k.a. [[Disney/TheFoxAndTheHound Amos Slade]] was in "The Shelter" and "I Dream of Genie".
** [[Franchise/TheSmurfs Grandpa Smurf]] [[Film/TheSmurfs (Later Papa Smurf)]] was in "A Game of Pool".
** Series/{{Columbo}}, [[Film/PoliceAcademy Mr. Kirkland]] and [[Series/GeneralHospital Hernandez (1976)]] were in "The Mirror".
** Creator/LeeMarvin, [[Film/TrueGrit Col. G. Stonehill,]] and [[Film/EscapeFromNewYork Hauk]] were in "The Grave".
** [[Series/TheDukesOfHazzard Roscoe P. Coltraine]] was in "The Grave", "The Last Rights of Jeff Myrtlebank" and "Jesse-Belle".
** Creator/ClorisLeachman a.k.a. [[Series/RaisingHope Maw Maw,]] [[Film/SixteenCandles Grandpa Fred]] and [[Series/TheYoungAndTheRestless Edith Mills]] were in "It's A Good Life".
** [[Series/GeneralHospital Virginia Benson]] was in "The Midnight Sun".
** [[Series/TheYoungAndTheRestless Earl Bankroft]] was in "Still Valley".
** Creator/BusterKeaton Starred in "Once Upon A Time". [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Rod Serling wrote the episode especially for him.]]
** [[Film/BreakfastAtTiffanys Rusty Trawler]] was in "Once Upon A Time" and "Mr. Garrity and the Graves".
** [[WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehog Uncle Chuck]] a.k.a. [[Series/MurderSheWrote Dr. Seth Hazlitt]] and [[{{Gunsmoke}} Percy Crump]] were in "Five Characters in Search of an Exit".
** [[WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers Duke Nukem]] [[Videogame/DukeNukem (no not that one),]] [[WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow George Liquor (American!)]] and [[Series/StarTrek Spock]] were in "A Quality of Mercy".
** [[Theatre/MyFairLady Mrs. Higgins]] was in "Nothing in the Dark", "Passage of the Lady Anne" and "Night Call".
** Creator/RobertRedford a.k.a. [[Film/ButchCassidyAndTheSundanceKid the Sundance Kid]] was in "Nothing in the Dark".
** [[Film/ChildrenOfTheCorn1984 Diehl]] was in "Nothing in the Dark".
** [[Film/DrNo Dr. No]] was in "One More Pallbearer".
** [[Film/ForbiddenPlanet Lt. 'Doc' Ostrow]] was in "Dead Man's Shoes".
** [[Series/GreenAcres Fred Ziffel]] a.k.a. [[Series/{{Gunsmoke}} Hank Miller]] was in "Kick the Can" "Ring-A-Ding Girl" and "Come Wander with Me".
** [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries Mayor Hamilton Hill]] and [[Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe Jaws]] were in "To Serve Man".
** [[Film/HouseOnHauntedHill1959 Lance Schroeder]] was in "Person or Persons Unknown" and "Number 12 Looks Just Like You".
** [[Series/{{Dynasty}} Hilda Gunnerson]] was in "Person or Persons Unknown".
** [[Disney/RobinHood Friar Tuck]] was in "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby".
** [[Series/GeneralHospital Pop Snyder]] was in "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby" and "The Masks".
** [[Series/TheAndyGriffithShow Floyd Lawson]] was in "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby" and "The Bard".
** [[LittleHouseOnThePrairie Reverend Robert Alden]] was in "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby" and "Valley of the Shadow".
** [[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones The second voice of Fred Flintstone (formerly just his singing voice)]] was in "The Gift".
** [[Series/GomerPyleUSMC Sgt. Vince Carter,]] [[Film/OrangeCounty Bob Beugler]] and [[Series/GeneralHospital Mike Costello (1963)]] were in "The Dummy".
** [[Film/{{Superman}} Ma Kent]] was in "Young Man's Fancy".
** [[Film/NorthByNorthwest Mrs. Townsend,]] [[Series/{{Bewitched}} Larry Tate]] and [[Film/{{Alien}} Lambert]] were in "I Sing the Body Electric".
** Creator/CarolBurnett was in "Cavender is Coming" as the inept Guardian Angels charge.
** [[{{Film/Halloween1978}} Sam Loomis]] was in "The Changing of the Guard".
** [[Series/GeneralHospital Judge Lowell]] was in "In His Image".
** [[Film/AtWarWithTheArmy Sgt. McVey]] was in "The. Thirty Fathom. Grave".
** [[Series/TheIncredibleHulk David Banner]] was in "The Thirty-Fathom Grave". His father was in "Kick The Can" and "The Old Man in the Cave".
** [[Literature/PeytonPlace Michael Rossi]] and [[Series/StarTrek Scotty]] were in "Valley of the Shadow".
** [[Film/{{Speed}} Howard Payne]] and [[PeytonPlace Judge Irwin A. Jessup]] were in "He's Alive" as a struggling new generation Nazi leader and UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler respectively.
** [[WesternAnimation/{{Sealab2020}} Dr. Paul Williams]] was in "Death Ship".
** [[Film/{{Psycho}} the voice of Norma Bates]] and [[Series/TheWaltons Mamie Baldwin]] were in "Jess-Belle".
** [[Film/TheGodfather Tom Hagen,]] [[Film/TheMusicMan Mrs. Paroo,]] [[Disney/{{Hercules}} Alcmene]] and [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo Scrappy Doo]] were in "Miniature".
** [[Series/PleaseDontEatTheDaisies Joan Nash]] and [[Series/{{Bonanza}} Sheriff Roy Coffee]] were in "Printer's Devil".
* MarathonRunning: A long-standing tradition on the Creator/SciFiChannel (now Syfy) is to air three-day-long ''Twilight Zone'' marathons over holidays like New Year's and the Fourth of July.
* RealitySubtext: In "The Encounter", where a racist UsefulNotes/WorldWarII veteran and a young Japanese man (played by Creator/GeorgeTakei) are trapped in an attic: Takei spent three years of his childhood in U.S. Japanese-American relocation centers, during the war. His impassioned performance is definitely informed by that experience.
* RecycledScript: Kept to a minimum for an anthology show. When it does happen, you'll frequently find that the moral of the story is a FamilyUnfriendlyAesop version of the previous episode's moral.
** [[Creator/RichardMatheson "Steel"]] was adapted into a feature film. Though it's somewhat subverted, as ''Film/RealSteel'', despite being based on the same story as "Steel," bears almost no resemblance to the story (outside of robot boxers). Additionally, the film is decisively more optimistic than the original story's dystopian setting.
* TheOtherMarty: A tragic example in "The Mighty Casey" - Paul Douglas was originally cast as manager Mouth [=McGarry=], but in the rushes he looked like he was drunk. It turned out he looked like he was dying... because he was (he passed away from heart disease after shooting was completed). His scenes in the episode were reshot, with Jack Warden playing [=McGarry=], at Serling's expense.
* {{Trope Namer}}:
** ToServeMan
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** In the original script for "A Game Of Pool," [[spoiler: Jesse Cardiff ''loses'' to Fats Brown, but he doesn't die and he immediately begins practicing for a rematch]]
** Creator/OrsonWelles was originally planned to be the narrator but was too expensive.
** According to the book ''The Twilight Zone Companion'', the writer of the episode "A Nice Place to Visit" wanted Serling to play the main character, a petty criminal who dies and [[spoiler: goes to what he thinks in Heaven]]. Serling laughed off the idea and the part went to Larry Blyden instead.
* WriteWhatYouKnow: Many episodes took place in Upstate New York, where Rod Serling was from. Similarly, Serling was a vet of WWII (as were many of the other writers), which led to many a episode.

!!''TheTwilightZone'' Movie, '80s revival, and 2003 revival provide examples of:
* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Creator/BruceWillis stars in "Shatterday" (from the 1980's revival).
** On the writing side, Creator/HarlanEllison and Creator/JMichaelStraczynski contributed to the 80's revival.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: ''Twilight Zone'' was supposed to use Williams/Midway's DCS Sound System, but because it was still in development, it used the Yamaha [=YM2151=]-based sound board instead.

** [[Film/TheAmityvilleHorror Father Nuncio]] was in "Perchance to Dream" as Dr. Elliot Rathman, "Dust" as the sheriff, and most notably "It's a Good Life" as Anthony's Father.

* HeyItsThatGuy / HeyItsThatVoice:

** [[Series/{{Bewitched}} Endora]] was in "The Invaders", while Darrin Stephens was in "The Purple Testament" and "A Penny for Your Thoughts" and Samantha Stephens was in "Two" opposite Creator/CharlesBronson. Larry Tate was in "I Sing The Body Electric" and "A World of Difference." Gladys Kravitz was in "Static."

** Quite a few people from ''{{Series/Batman}}'' were in the series prior to the show:

*** Police Cheif O'Hara was in "Nick of Time" as a mechanic, "The Grave" and "Ceasar and Me" as a pawnbroker.

** [[WesternAnimation/SuperFriends Batman]] was in "The Man in the Bottle" and "Ceasar and Me"

** [[Film/DestinationTokyo Tin Can]] and [[Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies Jed Clampent]] a.k.a [[Series/BaranbyJones Barnaby Jones]] were in "The Prime Mover".

** Creator/CharlesBronson and [[Series/{{Bewitched}} Samantha]] were in "Two".

** [[Series/{{Bewitched}} Gladys Kravitz]] was in "Cavender is Coming" and "What's in the Box?".

** [[Film/PlanetOfTheApes Honorious]] and [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack the voice of Bobba Fett]] were in "A Stop At Willoughby".

** [[{{Psycho}} California Charlie]] was in "A Passage for Trumpet", "The Odyssey of Flight 33", "Of Late I think of Cliffordville" and "The Old Man and the Cave".

** [[Film/KingKong Second Mate Briggs]] was in "A Passage for Trumpet" and "Once Upon a Time".

** [[Series/{{Bewitched}} Endora]] was in "The Invaders", while Darrin Stephens was in "The Purple Testament" and "A Penny for Your Thoughts" and Samantha Stephens was in "Two" opposite Creator/CharlesBronson.

** [[{{Creepshow}} Dexter Stanley]] was in "Third from the Sun" and "The Obsolete Man" as an EvilChancellor.

** [[{{Creepshow}} Nathan Grantham]] was in "Execution", "Dust", " The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank" and "Jess-Belle".

** [[Series/LostInSpace Dr. Zachary Smith]] a.k.a. [[ABugsLife Manny the Mantis]] was in "Twenty Two" and "The Silence".

** According to the book ''The Twilight Zone Companian'', the writer of the episode "A Nice Place to Visit" wanted Serling to play the main character, a petty criminal who dies and [[spoiler: goes to what he thinks in Heaven]]. Serling laughed off the idea and the part went to Larry Blyden instead.

** Matheson ''did'' prefer the ''Twilight Zone'' adaptation of his short story "Long Distance Call" (titled on the show as ''Night Call'') over his original story, as he felt the original ending was too flat, and the ending created for the ''Twilight Zone'' episode added more emotion and depth. That said, [[http://twilightzonewor.fr.yuku.com/topic/95/quotNight-Callquot?page=4 many fans]] actually prefer the original story's ending, finding it much creepier, and find the ending to ''Night Call'' too tacky.

** [[HogansHeroes Bob Crane]], at the time an L.A. disc jockey, provided the voice of one on the radio in "Static".

** [[WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget Inspector Gadget]] [[TheOtherDarrin (at least the second guy to do him in the pilot)]] was The titular angel in "Cavender is Coming".
** [[Series/{{Bewitched}} Endora]] was in "The Invaders".
*** Speaking of Bewitched, [[Series/{{Bewitched}} Darrin Stephens]] was in "The Purple Testament" and "A Penny for Your Thoughts".

** Quite a few people from {{Series/Batman}} were in the series prior to the show:
*** The Penguin starred in "Time Enough At Last" as the meek Henry Bemis, "Mr. Dingle the Strong" as the titular meek character, "The Obsolete Man" as Romney Wordsworth, a librarian slated for execution for being well [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin just read the title]] and "Printers Devil" as the devil himself, giving him the most starring roles on the show.

** [[Film/OneFlewOverTheCuckoosNest Colonel Matterson]] was in "The Four of Us Are Dying" and Hocus-Pocus and Frisby".

** [[Series/LostInSpace Dr. Zachary Smith]] a.k.a. [[{{ABugsLife}} Manny the Mantis]] was in "Twenty Two" and "The Silence".
** Creator/BurtReynolds a.k.a. [[{{AllDogsGoToHeaven}} Charlie B. Barkin]] was in "The Bard".
** Creator/DonRickles a.k.a. [[WesternAnimation/{{ToyStory}} Mr. Potato Head]] was in "Mr. Dingle the Strong".
** [[{{TheAdventuresOfMarkTwain}} Mark Twain,]] [[Literature/PeytonPlace Elliot Carlson]] and [[{{Brenner}} Officer Ernie Brenner]] were in "On Thursday We Leave for Home".

** [[Film/{{Forbidden Planet}} Altaira Moribus]] was in "The After Hours" and "Jesse-Belle".
*** Speaking of Forbidden Planet, Robby The Robot was in "One for the Angels" as a tin toy, "The Brain Center at Whipple's" and "Uncle Simon".
** [[{{TheLifeOfRiley}} Chester A. Riley]] was in the pilot "The Time Element".

** [[{{AnAmericanTail}} Papa Mousekewitz]] and [[Series/TheAvengers John Steed]] [[Film/TheHowling (or Dr. George Waggner)]] were in "Judgement Night".

** [[{{TwelveAngryMen}} Juror #6]] was in "I Shot an Arrow into the Air" and "The Long Morrow".

** [[Series/GetSmart The Claw]] was the titular Hitch-Hiker in "The Hitch-Hiker".

** [[WesternAnimation/TheDickTracyShow Dick Tracy]] [[{{CitizenKane}} (Better known as Bernstein]]) was in "The Fever".

** [[Film/TheCreatureWalksAmongUs Dr. William Barton]] was in "Elegy".
** [[{{LittleHouseOnThePrarie}} Dr. Hiram Baker]] was in "Elegy" and "You Drive"
** [[Film/{{Psycho}} Lila Crane,]] [[Series/{{TheSwissFamilyRobinson}} Karl Robinson]] and [[Series/{{Vegas}} Sgt. Bella Archer]] were in "Mirror Image".
** [[{{PlanetOfTheApes}} Aldo,]] [[Film/DirtyDancing Max Kellerman]] and [[{{Mash}} the only producer to stay with M*A*S*H throughout it's entire run]] were in "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street".

** [[{{Dallas}} Katherine Wentworth]] was in "Nightmare as A Child", "Valley of the Shadow" and "Ceasar and Me".
** [[{{PlanetOfTheApes}} Honorious]] and [[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack the voice of Bobba Fett]] were in "A Stop At Willoughby".

** Jack Klugman a.k.a. [[Series/{{Quincy}} Dr. R. Quincy M.E.,]] [[Series/TheOddCouple Oscar Madison,]] and [[{{TwelveAngryMen}} Juror #5]] starred in "A Passage for Trumpet" "A Game of Pool", "Death Ship" and "In Praise of Pip" giving him the most starring roles in the series tying only with Burgess Meredith.

** [[{{KingKong}} Second Mate Briggs]] was in "A Passage for Trumpet" and "Once Upon a Time".
** [[WesternAnimation/TheHobbit Bilbo Baggins]] ([[WesternAnimation/TheReturnofTheKing Later Frodo Baggins]]), [[Film/{{Arachnophobia}} Dr. Sam Metcalf,]] [[WesternAnimation/GreenLanternFirstFlight Appa Ali Apsa]] and [[Series/MrEd Winnie Kirkwood]] were in "Mr. Bevis".

** [[Film/SylviaScarlet Michael Fane,]] [[Film/AuntieMame Pegeen Ryan,]] and [[{{Tootsie}} The Director of Tootsie]] were in "The Trouble with Templeton".

** [[Film/AStarIsBorn Matt Libby,]] [[{{Lassie}} Uncle Petrie Martin]] and [[WesternAnimation/ThePinkPanther Misterjaw]] were in "The Whole Truth".
** [[TheYoungAndTheRestless Mavis Macdonald (1986)]] was in "Twenty-Two".

** [[Series/GeneralHospital Al (1987)]] and [[Series/DaysOfOurLives Dr. Tony Romano (1968-1969)]] was in "Twenty-Two".

** [[DaysOfOurLives Dr. Lubick (1973-1976)]] was in "The Prime Mover" and "The Midnight Sun".
** Bill Mumy a.k.a. [[Series/LostInSpace Will Robinson]] and [[Series/BabylonFive Lennier]] was in "Long Distance Call", most famously "It's a Good Life" as GooGooGodlike Anthony Freemont whom he later reprised in the 2003 series as an adult and "In Praise of Pip".

** [[DaysOfOurLives Alma Clovis (1985)]] was in "Long Distance Call".
** [[Series/TheAddamsFamily Gomez Addams]] and [[Series/GetSmart The Chief]] were in "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim".

** [[Series/GeneralHospital Dr. Wallace (1988)]] was in "The Silence" and "The. Changing of the Guard".

** [[{{Bonanza}} Clem Foster]] was in "The Arrival" and "Ring-A-Ding Girl".
** [[DaysOfOurLives Wayne Charles (1969) a.k.a Ray Stone (1979)]] was in "The Arrival" and "The Trade-Ins".
** [[WesternAnimation/GarfieldSpecials John Arbuckle,]] [[InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers Dr. Dan Kaufmann]] and [[Film/ThatsMyBoy Grandma Delores]] were in "The Shelter".

** Creator/LeeMarvin, [[Film/TrueGrit Col. G. Stonehill]] and [[Film/EscapeFromNewYork Hauk]], were in "The Grave".

** Creator/ClorisLeachman a.k.a. [[Series/RaisingHope Maw Maw,]] [[Film/SixteenCandles Grandpa Fred]] and [[{{TheYoungAndTheRestless}} Edith Mills (1981)]] were in "It's A Good Life".
** [[Series/GeneralHospital Virginia Benson (1996-1998)]] was in "The Midnight Sun".
** [[TheYoungAndTheRestless Earl Bankroft (1982-1983)]] was in "Still Valley".

** [[Series/GreenAcres Fred Ziffel]] a.k.a. [[Series/{{Gunsmoke}} Hank Miller (1962-1975)]] was in "Kick the Can" "Ring-A-Ding Girl" and "Come Wander with Me".

** [[TheAndyGriffithShow Floyd Lawson (1960-1962, 1964-1967)]] was in "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby" and "The Bard".

** [[NorthByNorthwest Mrs. Townsend,]] [[Series/{{Bewitched}} Larry Tate]] and [[Film/{{Alien}} Lambert]] were in "I Sing the Body Electric".

** [[Series/GeneralHospital Judge Lowell (1978)]] was in "In His Image".

** [[Series/TheIncredibleHulk David Banner]] was in "The Thirty-Fathom Grave".
*** [[Series/TheIncredibleHulk His Father]] was in "Kick The Can" and "The Old Man in the Cave".

** [[Film/{{Speed}} Howard Payne]] and [[{{PeytonPlace}} Judge Irwin A. Jessup]] were in "He's Alive" as a struggling new generation Nazi leader and UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler respectively.

* CreatorBacklash: Richard Matheson didn't like how some of his episodes turned out (like "Young Man's Fancy" and, surprisingly given how highly regarded it is, "The Invaders"). Rod Serling also admitted that several of the episodes - including some of his own - could have been better ("I guess a third of the shows are pretty damned good. Another third are passable. Another third are dogs").

** [[Series/PleaseDontEatTheDaisies Joan Nash]] and [[{{Bonanza}} Sheriff Roy Coffee]] were in "Printer's Devil".

* RealitySubtext: In "The Encounter", where a racist WWII veteran and a young Japanese man (played by Creator/GeorgeTakei) are trapped in an attic: Takei spent three years of his childhood in U.S. Japanese-American relocation centers, during the war. His impassioned performance is definitely informed by that experience.

** [[Film/ChildrenOfTheCorn Diehl]] was in "Nothing in the Dark".

** [[ForbiddenPlanet Lt. 'Doc' Ostrow]] was in "Dead Man's Shoes".
** [[Series/GreenAcres Fred Ziffel]] a.k.a. [[{{Gunsmoke}} Hank Miller (1962-1975)]] was in "Kick the Can" "Ring-A-Ding Girl" and "Come Wander with Me".

** [[Film/{{Speed}} Howard Payne]] and [[{{PeytonPlace}} Judge Irwin A. Jessup]] were in "He's Alive" as a struggling new generation Nazi leader and AdolfHitler respectively.