I don’t know how many of you know about the Twilight Zone. It is where nothing is as it seems and things that should not make sense seem to do so. A surreal state of ambiguity, semi-darkness or half-light, where the bizarre and unexpected takes form and lives. Sending chills up and down your spine…

It is also an iconic 1960’s TV show, which my parents shouldn’t have let me watch while my milk teeth were still out. However, they did, and now I want to make sure everyone else gets their share of the twilight experience (muahaha), especially as I just found out – it’s the unofficial holiday of Twilight Zone Day.

Taa-na-na-na taa-na-na-na… You know what I’m talking about:

You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead – your next stop, the Twilight Zone!

The show, hosted and narrated by writer Rod Serling, is a collection of unrelated stories, blending elements of sci-fi, drama, horror, fantasy and psychological thrillers into tales from the…

…fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge…

To say these stories are thrilling is an understatement. They have got nothing to do with the fall-in-love-with-a-teenage-vampire-kind-of-twilights. Some of them have permanently lodged in my brain, and have most probably dislodged my mind somewhat. Starting early helps.

Personally, honorable mentions must include episode 43 Nick of Time with the following opening lines:

The hand belongs to Mr. Don S. Carter, male member of a honeymoon team on route across the Ohio countryside to New York City. In one moment, they will be subjected to a gift most humans never receive in a lifetime. For one penny, they will be able to look into the future. The time is now, the place is a little diner in Ridgeview, Ohio, and what this young couple doesn’t realize is that this town happens to lie on the outskirts of the Twilight Zone.

And a real freaky one, It’s a Good Life:

Tonight’s story on The Twilight Zone is somewhat unique and calls for a different kind of introduction. This, as you may recognize, is a map of the United States, and there’s a little town there called Peaksville. On a given morning not too long ago, the rest of the world disappeared and Peaksville was left all alone. Its inhabitants were never sure whether the world was destroyed and only Peaksville left untouched or whether the village had somehow been taken away. They were, on the other hand, sure of one thing: the cause. A monster had arrived in the village. Just by using his mind, he took away the automobiles, the electricity, the machines—because they displeased him—and he moved an entire community back into the dark ages—just by using his mind. Now I’d like to introduce you to some of the people in Peaksville, Ohio. This is Mr. Fremont. It’s in his farmhouse that the monster resides. This is Mrs. Fremont. And this is Aunt Amy, who probably had more control over the monster in the beginning than almost anyone. But one day she forgot. She began to sing aloud. Now, the monster doesn’t like singing, so his mind snapped at her, turned her into the smiling, vacant thing you’re looking at now. She sings no more. And you’ll note that the people in Peaksville, Ohio, have to smile. They have to think happy thoughts and say happy things because once displeased, the monster can wish them into a cornfield or change them into a grotesque, walking horror. This particular monster can read minds, you see. He knows every thought, he can feel every emotion. Oh yes, I did forget something, didn’t I? I forgot to introduce you to the monster. This is the monster. His name is Anthony Fremont. He’s six years old, with a cute little-boy face and blue, guileless eyes. But when those eyes look at you, you’d better start thinking happy thoughts, because the mind behind them is absolutely in charge. This is the Twilight Zone.

And the conclusion?

No comment here, no comment at all. We only wanted to introduce you to one of our very special citizens, little Anthony Fremont, age 6, who lives in a village called Peaksville in a place that used to be Ohio. And if by some strange chance you should run across him, you had best think only good thoughts. Anything less than that is handled at your own risk, because if you do meet Anthony, you can be sure of one thing: you have entered The Twilight Zone.

I could also mention, or better said, cannot ever forget the Nightmare at 20,000 Feet or The After Hours… But you know what? Choose your own favorite derangers from the Twilight Zone. Treat yourself – and don’t leave your nearest and dearest out – to a true chills-dom movie night, spiced with black and white footage, retro delight, uneasy dreams perhaps. But whatever you do, promise me one thing for today… Stay clear of Anthony.