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The Twilight Zone

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 10.

  • Is it any good?

    5.0
  • Common Sense says

    Classic morality tales still make you think.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 10 and Up

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Though the tales in this anthology series are all different, many focus on mean, selfish, or generally despicable people getting their comeuppance.

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Most episodes are very eerie, and some are scary, but there's very little actual violence. The occasional fistfights and shoot-outs that do happen are all tame by today's standards. Violence really isn't the point here; creepiness is.
  • Sex:

    Some characters have relationships, but all are very chaste.
  • Language:

    Not an issue.
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some characters smoke and drink, but rarely to excess.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of The Twilight Zone was written by Will Wade

Parents need to know that it might be hard to get kids to sit through episodes of this classic TV show. The complex, thoughtful scripts require viewers to pay attention, the pacing is much slower than just about anything on the air today (even some adults who enjoyed the show when it originally aired say that it sometimes seems sluggish by current standards), and there are rarely any big action sequences. To top it off, the show was shot in black and white. But if you can convince your kids to follow an entire episode (and you usually have to watch the whole thing to really get the point), they should find themselves pleasantly surprised by how much they enjoyed it. Bottom line? It's a classic for a reason.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about ... just about anything. This series is famous for its unexpected twists, which are ready-made for discussions about who saw it coming, who was completely surprised, and how the story made viewers see things from a totally different perspective. The episodes are all different, but many center on common themes, such as selfish people finally getting what they deserve, or the unexpected rewards of doing the right thing. Did the characters merit their punishments? Why or why not? What might you have done in a similar situation? What point is the show trying to make?
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More on The Twilight Zone

What’s the Story?

Anything can happen in THE TWILIGHT ZONE: People may actually be aliens, and the characters you thought were aliens may turn out to be human; beautiful people turn out to be ugly; and the characters you're sure are crazy turn out to be the only ones who actually know what's going on. The creation of legendary writer Rod Serling, who also introduced every episode, The Twilight Zone was designed to tweak viewers' notions of reality and present issues from a new, and usually unexpected, perspective. Because each episode was entirely self-contained, these 30-minute morality plays covered an amazing amount of ground. Some were set in the past, some in the future, some in space, some in the then-contemporary era of the late 1950s and early 1960s, but all of them ended with a surprising twist that always managed to shed some light on the human condition. An added bonus are the guest appearances by many young actors who later became major stars, including Robert Redford, William Shatner, and Martin Landau.

Is It Any Good?

Despite passing the five-decade mark, these stories have aged surprisingly well. That said, today's kids may be put off by the show's black-and-white images, outdated clothes, and rather straitlaced moral conventions. And anyone used to the fast-paced editing of modern action shows or music videos may find The Twilight Zone's pacing overly slow. But don't mistake any of these quibbles for flaws; this show is a true classic, and it deserves to be appreciated by each new generation of viewers. Once your kids watch a few episodes (it should only take a few), they'll be hooked.

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 4.0

    Perfect for tweens.

    I watched the Twilight Zone when I was three. I would not recommend, though, the show for a three year old because of some scary images. There is not anything wrong with this show at all.

  2. I rate this title on for age 11 and give it 3.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages
    • Good role models

    This is all time classic for kids

    This is all time classic for kids

  3. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    Perfect for all ages!

    I have ALWAYS loved the Twilight Zone!

  4. Parent Reviewer
    Lives in Illinois
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0

    My kids love to watch this show, because they know that I watched it as a kid.

  5. I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    Scary, but cool!

    I love this show. I've been watching it since I was 6. A few months ago, I watched one called "Night Call." It was good, but then it got scary. I hid in my sleeping bag, biting my nails. That's the thing about "Twilight Zone." It's scary, but you're always peeking around the thing you're hiding behind, because you want to know what happens next.

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