Regarded as one of TV science fiction's best shows, The Twilight Zone was an anthology series, with each episode featuring a separate story. The stories were fantasy or science fiction based, usual with an unexpected twist at the end.
Creator Rod Serling had made a name for himself as a TV script writer, but had become upset at interference in his scripts from higher powers. He therefore decided to create a show where he would have creative control, and the The Twilight Zone was the result. The use of a science fiction medium allowed him to avoid censorship and to insert social messages which otherwise may not have been allowed.
While most of the episodes were written by Serling, The Twilight Zone also featured stories either written by or based on stories from well-known science fiction authors such as Ray Bradbury and Damon Knight. The numerous guest stars included Charles Bronson, Carol Burnett, Robert Duvall, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds, and William Shatner.