Question: I have to admit that reviving/rebooting The Twilight Zone is a much less egregious “sin” than reviving shows as iconic or classic as Magnum P.I. or Full House since an anthology series is a different thing. But: How fresh is TZ in 2019 when we have Black Mirror? Even movies such as Get Out and Us. I found it rather run of the mill. —Tyrell
Matt Roush: The fact that you reference Get Out and Us, both from Jordan Peele (who’s the face and creative engine of the new Twilight Zone revival), is reason enough to cut the new Zone some slack. I remember reading a comment by Peele that while he’s a fan of Black Mirror, which has often been likened to a “technological Twilight Zone,” the cynicism and darkness of so many of those episodes was why he wanted to delve into the more humanistic world of fantasy established so long ago by Rod Serling. There’s a timelessness to Twilight Zone at its best that argues for a remake in the right hands — although as with any anthology, the new Zone is unquestionably uneven. But having seen four to date, I’m eager to see more. (The episode, “Replay,” with a #BlackLivesMatter context in a story about a magical camcorder, felt like a classically topical Zone allegory to me — and I loved the new twists on the “Nightmare at 30,000 Feet” episode.)
To submit questions to TV Critic Matt Roush, go to: tvinsider.com.
