Ten classic episodes of The Twilight Zone will be broadcast in the UK for the first time — but, much like the show’s trademark, there’s a twist. The episodes will be reinvented as radio plays taken from Rod Serling’s original TV scripts, thanks to BBC Radio 4 Extra.
According to the Independent, veteran actor Stacy Keach will step in to perform the late Serling’s iconic monologues; other cast members throughout the series will include Jane Seymour, Jim Caviezel, Michael York, Malcolm McDowell and Don Johnson. Producer Carl Amari has owned the rights since 2002, which he obtained in part by promising to do the episodes justice in terms of production values and casting.
Each episode will run 40 minutes; the series kicks off in March with Ambrose Bierce adaptation “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”. Though it first screened as part of The Twilight Zone in 1964, the “episode” was actually a 1962 Academy Award-winning short film before being repurposed (with added Serling segments) for broadcast. It’s set on a particularly memorable day in the life of a Southern prisoner during the American Civil War — with, of course, a hell of a twist ending.