... and no, I don't speak of vampires.  Well, at least not any that sparkle in the sun.

Today is the 50th anniversary of the first episode of the Twilight Zone.  Not often does a TV series come along that can truly be considered classic.  But if the Twilight Zone does not define classic television, I don't know what does.  These stories are timeless.  Here I am, born decades after the show ended, and I still count it as one of my favorite series ever.  Whenever I'm cycling around the channels looking for something to watch, this is one of the few shows I'll stop on, no matter the episode.  That should be anybody's definition of a great show.

Rod Serling was able to create stories that are still resonate in American culture today, even when people aren't aware of it.  From Simpsons parodies to Disney World rides to the iconic theme music - I can't believe no one in the country over the age of 10 has never heard of anything Twilight Zone related.

And not all of the episodes are merely scary or even creepy.  Many are simply heartfelt tales that make you think a little more about your surroundings or whatever else we may overlook in our everyday lives.  "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" is a glimpse of human paranoia via suburbanites that are suddenly cut off from the world.  "Kick the Can" (also remade in the 80's movie) makes the point that you should make the most of your whole life.  And of course, "Time Enough at Last" teaches us to be careful what we wish for - and also to keep an extra pair of glasses nearby in case of global thermonuclear war.

Sure, some of the settings and special effects are dated, but that's of so little importance with both the stories and talent at hand.  The people involved with the Twilight Zone is a veritable Who's Who of people remotely involved in Hollywood or science fiction in general.  Jack Klugman, Burgess Meredith, Telly Savalas, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Robert Duvall, Robert Redford, Mickey Rooney, Buster Keaton, and on an on.  And though Serling wrote most of the episodes, some other writers included the likes of Richard Matheson and Ray Bradbury.  Hell, even some of the music was written by Jerry Goldsmith, of Star Trek: TNG theme fame.

Now, you can wait for (God help us) the "Syfy" Channel to air their marathons on the 4th of July or New Year's Day, but luckily episodes are also available for free viewing at the CBS website.  I've already watched a few of them - and whether you're a fan or TZ noob, you should check it out.  There are many worse ways to spend half an hour.