Let’s face it, The Twilight Zone is a legend. Rod Serling’s classic show, running from 1959 to 1964, still tops lists of the greatest TV shows ever made. Serling gave us 156 episodes, writing an incredible 92 himself! But when you tune in today, you often see the same famous ones again and again – think broken glasses in “Time Enough at Last” or the pig-faced doctors in “Eye of the Beholder.”
Believe it or not, many amazing episodes are almost unknown, except to die-hard fans. Some were pulled from reruns, others faced controversy, and some just got lost over the years. These episodes deserve another look. Ready to explore the lesser-known side of the Zone? Here are ten fantastic Twilight Zone episodes you might have never seen.
10 The Encounter: Hidden Away for 52 Years
Before he was Sulu on Star Trek, George Takei starred in maybe the most controversial episode ever. “The Encounter” aired once on May 1, 1964, and then vanished from TV until SyFy showed it in a marathon on January 3, 2016 – 52 years later! It was always on DVD sets, but its TV absence speaks volumes.
Takei plays Arthur, a young Japanese-American man having a drink with WWII vet Fenton (Neville Brand). Fenton shows Arthur a samurai sword he took from a soldier he killed. Things get awkward fast with racist talk and Fenton’s PTSD being treated oddly. The sword magically pushes Arthur to violence, and he ends up fulfilling a terrible stereotype by jumping out a window.
Even back then, viewers found it offensive. CBS pulled it from reruns and syndication. Looking back, the episode likely aimed to show the horrors of war and racism but relied too heavily on stereotypes. Still, watching a long-lost episode of such an iconic show is pretty fascinating.
9 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge: Cannes and Oscar Winner
Like “The Encounter,” this episode, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” aired late in the final season. Many fans agree the show was losing steam by then. Making over 30 episodes a season is tough! Serling was writer, producer, showrunner, and narrator. So, it’s no shock he looked for outside help sometimes.
He found it by buying the rights to a 1961 French short film based on Ambrose Bierce’s famous story. Set during the Civil War, it follows the final, dreamlike moments of a man about to be hanged. The film is mostly silent, except for birds and military commands. It won Best Short Subject at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival and an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in 1963.
While a typical episode cost $65,000, they got this film for $20,000, plus $5,000 to add Serling’s narration. It was a smart move financially. But the rights likely didn’t cover endless reruns, so it was left out of syndication. Now you can find it on box sets and sometimes in marathons, but it remains a rarely seen piece of Twilight Zone history.
8 The Time Element: The Pilot Before the Pilot
Rod Serling became famous in 1955 with his TV play Patterns. It was a huge hit. Networks wanted him to create his own show. Serling imagined an anthology series tackling big issues through science fiction, hoping to avoid censorship problems.
CBS bought his first script, “The Time Element,” but then sat on it. They didn’t see the potential. Luckily, Desi Arnaz wanted something special for his show, the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. He discovered the unused Serling script and produced it. “The Time Element” aired on November 24, 1958.
People loved it! This positive reaction convinced CBS to greenlight Serling’s idea, and The Twilight Zone debuted in 1959. “The Time Element,” with its sci-fi theme, narration, and twist ending, is basically the show’s unofficial pilot. It wasn’t seen for years until TV Land aired it in 1996. It finally appeared on the Season 1 Blu-ray in 2010.
7 Miniature: Robert Duvall’s Early Gem
When talking about long-lost episodes, Season 4 always comes up. This season was an experiment. Despite good reviews and loyal fans, CBS wasn’t happy with ratings and paused the show after Season 3. When TV resumed in fall 1962, The Twilight Zone was gone. Serling suggested making hour-long episodes to boost interest. The new format premiered mid-season on January 3, 1963.
Sadly, the hour-long shows didn’t improve ratings much. Season 4 was deemed a failure, and Season 5 went back to 30 minutes. Because the 18 episodes of Season 4 were twice as long, they weren’t included in syndication packages. It took DVD releases for them to become widely available. Even today, many streaming services don’t include Season 4.
While almost all of Season 4 qualifies as rare, “Miniature” is a standout. Acting legend Robert Duvall stars as a man who sees a doll come alive in a museum dollhouse. He falls in love, and his family thinks he’s crazy, leading to commitment. Of course, this being The Twilight Zone, there’s a twist ending involving true love.
Duvall’s quiet performance reminds you of his role as Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird. He creates great empathy, making “Miniature” a highlight of the often-overlooked hour-long season.
6 The Bewitchin’ Pool: A Strange Farewell
Speaking of To Kill a Mockingbird, Mary Badham (Scout Finch) appeared in the very last episode of The Twilight Zone, “The Bewitchin’ Pool.” Here, she plays Sport; her brother is Jeb (Scout’s brother was Jem). It seems likely writer Earl Hamner Jr. (who later created The Waltons) was referencing the book, though the tone is much different.
Hamner was inspired by rising divorce rates. Sport and Jeb’s parents are fighting constantly. The kids escape to their swimming pool, where they find a secret portal to the home of a kind woman named Aunt T.
The episode seems to suggest kids should run away if their parents fight too much. It’s an unsettling vibe and a strange note for the series to end on. Like other Season 5 episodes, “The Bewitchin’ Pool” is often seen as proof the show was fading. It’s one of the final season episodes you rarely see in reruns.
5 Sounds and Silences: Silenced by Litigation?
Here’s another oddity from Season 5. “Sounds and Silences” is about Roswell G. Flemington, a man obsessed with loud noise. When his wife leaves him, he starts hearing everything incredibly loudly, then nothing at all. It’s a strange episode without a clear moral, but it shows Serling was still trying new things.
This episode gained notoriety because of a lawsuit. A writer had submitted a similar script called “The Sound of Silence” in 1961, which was rejected. When “Sounds and Silences” aired in 1964, the writer sued for plagiarism. Because the lawsuit was active when the syndication package was sold, this episode vanished for decades. It’s available now but still doesn’t air often on TV.
4 Night Call: Bumped by Tragedy
November 22, 1963, was a dark day in American history – the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. TV programming stopped for days as the nation mourned and events unfolded. The Twilight Zone was supposed to air “Night Call” that evening, but it was understandably pulled.
“Night Call” finally aired on February 7, 1964. The story involves an elderly woman receiving creepy anonymous phone calls, later traced to a ghost calling from a cemetery. Airing this anywhere near the Kennedy assassination would have been deeply inappropriate. Since then, “Night Call” hasn’t been extremely rare, but it does seem to show up less often than episodes from the first three seasons.
3 Come Wander With Me: Music Rights or Just Bad?
Returning to the strange final days of the show, we find “Come Wander With Me.” This Season 5 episode was the last one filmed, though “The Bewitchin’ Pool” aired last due to delays. It’s about Floyd, a folk singer similar to Bob Dylan, who visits a small town and writes a new song. The song mysteriously mirrors the plot and foreshadows his doom.
The title song, “Come Wander With Me,” was written for the episode and later used in films. Did music rights issues cause this episode to rarely air since 1964? Maybe. While it wasn’t officially pulled from syndication, you just don’t see it much. Alternatively, it has a reputation for not being very good. Marc Scott Zicree’s definitive book, The Twilight Zone Companion, called it “virtually incoherent.” That’s harsh criticism from the ultimate fan guide.
2 A Short Drink From a Certain Fountain: Lost in Legal Limbo
“A Short Drink From a Certain Fountain” aired on December 13, 1963, and then effectively disappeared. Along with “The Encounter,” “Miniature,” and “Sounds and Silences,” it was one of the four “lost episodes” officially kept out of circulation until the full series DVD release. The reason is thought to be another plagiarism claim, but details of any lawsuit are murky.
Despite its troubled history, it’s a decent episode. An older man married to a much younger woman feels pressured to keep up. His scientist brother develops a youth serum for him. As you’d guess in The Twilight Zone, getting what you wish for comes with a signature ironic twist.
1 Black Leather Jackets: Didn’t Age Gracefully?
Airing in early 1964, “Black Leather Jackets” features aliens invading Earth disguised as cool bikers. Calling themselves Fred, Steve, and Scott, they move into a suburban neighborhood to observe humans.
The youngest alien, Scott, falls for the girl next door, Ellen. When he reveals his true nature, she thinks he’s crazy, and her dad wants him committed. Scott tries to prevent war by telling his leaders that humans are generally peaceful.
While the show usually handled metaphors well, this one feels a bit heavy-handed. It tackles the generation gap by making the aliens handsome rebels in leather. Like the emerging 60s counterculture they symbolize, the young aliens preach peace and love.
“Black Leather Jackets” was never officially lost, but it’s rarely broadcast. Perhaps the fear of bikers it plays on feels dated now, unlike many timeless episodes. Whatever the reason for its obscurity, it remains a fun, charming episode that’s worth finding.
The Twilight Zone gave us countless classics, but these lesser-known entries offer fascinating stories and a deeper look into the show’s history. They faced controversies, legal troubles, or simply didn’t fit the syndication mold, but they still hold that unique spark that made the series great.
Have you seen any of these rare episodes? Which unknown Twilight Zone story is your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
