TVSquad

There have already been so many Twilight Zone sets released already that even hardcore fans might be wondering if they should spend the money on yet another set. Is it really presented in a different way, packaged differently, and have enough extras to buy it?

The answer is a definite yes. This is one of the best TV DVD sets I've ever seen, and an absolute must for diehard fans of Rod Serling's classic show.

The set is called The Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection. You can buy each season separately, but why would you want to? This 28 DVD set will cost you between $225-$299 (I got it at Amazon the first day for $209 - ha!). It includes all five seasons of the show, and each episode looks beautiful, with easy to read menus and nice navigation and title animation for the menus. But what sets this set apart from most TV on DVD sets are the extras. My God, they're so much stuff here that I don't know where to begin (it's really rare to find a set where every single episode has an extra attached to it!).

Commentaries: You'll hear commentary from people behind the scenes (writers, producers, network execs) and people who starred in the episodes (everyone from Earl Holliman and Don Rickles to Leonard Nimoy, Billy Mumy, and Jonathan Winters). This isn't just a commentary thrown on to show that the set is complete. These are really intriguing commentaries, as much the history of TV as a celebrity's reminisence.

Features: They'll blow you away. I was afraid that this set might leave out some of the features of earlier sets, but that PBS American Masters episode "Submitted For Your Approval" is here in full. But even beyond that, you get photos, original scripts (in PDF form, with Serling's own notes!), old commercials for beer and cigarettes, the original promos at the end of each episode for next week's episode, Serling's original video pitch to the network for the show, the 1959 interview Serling did with Mike Wallace, home movies from writer George Clayton Johnson, soundtrack-only tracks for many episodes, episodes from later incarnations of the show, episodes of the radio show (with stars like Jason Alexander and Adam West), an episode of The Liar's Club game show Serling hosted, and - get this - audio and video of Serling's college lectures from the mid 70s! He was a teacher just before he died (in 1975 at age 50), and it's fascinating to hear him answering student's questions about an episode while the episode is playing. It's the closest we'll get to a Serling DVD commentary, and it's incredible.

Downsides: Hmmm...I really can't think of any in a set this complete. Even the packaging (the sets open like a book instead of those cumbersome accordian packages) is nice. I guess some of the repetition of the original billboards ("The Twlight Zone was brought to you by...") are a little disappointing, but again, they did it to get everything on here. There's one extra called "Conversations with Rod Serling," and it's one of his college lectures from the 70s, only this time it's video of Rod sitting around a study with 5 or 6 students, talking about writing. It's labeled "Part 2," but I can't find Part 1 anywhere on the set. Maybe I haven't come across it yet, or it's something that you'd have to get some place else (another set or maybe from rodserling.com). But those are minor quibbles, and not really quibbles at all.

Overall Score: A+. If you're a fan of this show, order it now as an early Christmas present to yourself, or at the very least drop strong hints to your family.

(Side note: You know what really stands out in this set? Cigarettes! Cigarettes, cigarettes, cigarettes everywhere! Serling has one in his hand all the time, Mike Wallace is smoking one during the interview, there are cigarette ads, and even the 20 year old students talking to Serling at the college are all smoking. Heh, a different time indeed.)