The Twilight Zone

Undoubtedly one of the great fantasy classics, The Twilight Zone has acted as inspiration for many of the shows on this list. A mix of horror, fantasy, suspense, and thriller, each episode offers a unique moral perspective and quite often, a twist.Aside from the great Rod Serling, the series features writing from renowned authors; Ray Bradbury, Charles Beaumont, and Richard Matheson to name a few. The huge collaboration of the period's best writers results in a show that is not just expertly crafted, but one that shares common themes. Like the works of the authors, Twilight Zone brings to attention the themes of time. Nuclear war, mass hysteria, McCarthyism and war feature, poignant in the 1950s and still thought-provoking today.The crowning concept for the series, however, is the existence and integration of different dimensions. It lets the show jump from humor to tragedy, and between reality and fantasy. It's an act of experimentation (leading to a few duds here and there, at times) but ultimately an experience that's wholly unique.