H&I’s ‘The Twilight Zone’ Marathon: 6 Classic Episodes to Watch

Watch out for the fade-out! Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling’s sci-fi and horror stories are undisputed classics, and those brilliantly conceived “Gotcha!” endings from the 1959-64 series take much of the credit.

For this great annual marathon — which kicks off in primetime New Year’s Eve on Heroes & Icons and runs 34 hours — get ready for creepy last-second chills, especially in these six episodes (listed in air order). Warning: Lots of spoilers ahead!

“To Serve Man” (Sunday, 9/8c)

The alien Kanamits (all played by Richard Kiel, aka James Bond villain Jaws) arrive on Earth with the most helpful intentions, even bearing an indecipherable book titled To Serve Man. But as humans are transported to the Kanamit planet, the tome is finally translated: It’s a cookbook!

“Time Enough at Last” (Sunday, 10/9c)

In arguably the series’ best half-hour, the terribly farsighted Henry Bemis (a brilliant Burgess Meredith, above) is the lone survivor of a nuclear apocalypse. Now he’s free to do the thing he loves: read. But wait — his thick glasses are slipping off his nose!

Everett Collection

“The After Hours” (Monday, 5:30am/4:30c)

“Marsha!” “Marsha!” Poor Marsha White (Anne Francis, above). Everywhere she goes on the empty ninth floor of the department store, mannequins appear to be calling her name. And no wonder: Marsha is a mannequin, and she’s overstayed her time allowed among humans.

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“The Silence” (Monday, 6:30am/5:30c)

Older men’s club member Archie Taylor (Franchot Tone) bets young chatterbox Jamie Tennyson (Liam Sullivan) $500,000 he can’t shut up for a year. During filming, Tone scratched half his face in a fall; he was shot in profile by necessity—but it also added creepiness to the way Taylor taunts Tennyson to get him to give up. The episode’s shocking denouement will leave you speechless!

“The Hitch-Hiker” (Monday, 9am/8c)

While driving cross-country, Nan Adams (Inger Stevens) encounters the same ominous hitchhiker wherever she goes! Turns out Nan had actually died during her journey…and the camerawork showing her view of the deathly title character (Leonard Strong) in her backseat (“I believe you’re going my way?” he says) made this the series’ scariest ending ever.

“Twenty Two” (Monday, 10:30/9:30c)

This being shot on primitive-looking videotape- brings an eerily stark quality to the tale of Liz Powell (Barbara Nichols). Hospitalized with nervous exhaustion, she keeps seeing a ghostly nurse invite her into the morgue with the words “Room for one more, honey!”—a line she later hears in the outside world. That can’t be good!

The Twilight Zone, Sunday, December 31, 8/7c, H&I