Difference between revisions of "The Twilight Zone"

Latest revision as of 11:50, May 28, 2026

This article or section is incomplete. Please fill in the missing information on the article, or discuss the issue on the talk page.

The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series that was created by Rod Serling. The original series aired from 1959 to 1964. A film adaptation appeared in 1983, consisting of remakes of three of the original series episodes and one new story. A revival TV series aired for three television seasons, from 1985 to 1989. Later, a second revival series was made, but was not as successful and lasted only one season (2002-2003).

The Twilight Zone has been referenced many times on The Simpsons.

References to The Twilight Zone in The Simpsons[edit]

Episodes[edit]

Picture Season Episode number Episode name Reference 2 016 "Treehouse of Horror" When Lisa snoops on the Rigellians' ship, she finds a cookbook whose title is eventually revealed to be How to Cook for Forty Humans, but first appears to be How to Cook Humans. The book is a reference to the Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man" where aliens greet people with a book titled To Serve Man, as revealed when it's translated. The curious people accept the aliens' invitations to see their homeworld, and they travel with the aliens on their spaceships. One woman accepts such an invitation, but is stopped by her brother, who has properly translated the book and is shouting "It's a cookbook! It's a cookbook!". 3 042 "Treehouse of Horror II" The voice-over introduction to Bart's nightmare is based on Rod Serling making the introduction to the Twilight Zone episodes. The plot of the episode is based on The Twilight Zone (1959) episode 73, "It's a Good Life." Also, Bart's nightmare is largely based on the "It's a Good Life" segment of The Twlight Zone Movie, which is a remake of the episode. 4 064 "Treehouse of Horror III" The first segment, "Clown Without Pity", is an overall spoof of the Twilight Zone episode "Living Doll", though it also has elements of the TV special Trilogy of Terror and the Child's Play film franchise. 5 086 "Treehouse of Horror IV" The "Terror at 5 1/2 Feet" segment is a parody of the Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", set on a bus rather than an airplane. 087 "Marge on the Lam" Lionel Hutz's line, "This isn't the YMCA", appears to be a reference to the The Twilight Zone episode "Person or Persons Unknown", in which the protagonist snidely remarks at one point, "What? This isn't the YMCA?". 6 117 "Bart's Comet" The scene where an angry mob wants access to Flanders' shelter references The Twilight Zone episode "The Shelter". 118 "Homie the Clown" Krusty has a facelift and wants to see himself in a mirror, only to be shocked at the procedure and how it turned out. This is a nod to The Twilight Zone episode "The Eye of the Beholder", where a woman's face is also botched beyond repair, only to reveal that she actually looks normal, but this takes place in another universe where ugly faces are the norm and a beautiful face is seen as hideous. 7 134 "Treehouse of Horror VI" The portal is similar to The Twilight Zone episode "Little Girl Lost". Even Homer says: "It's like something from that Twilighty show about that Zone". 8 154 "Treehouse of Horror VII" "The Genesis Tub" is inspired by the 1962 Twilight Zone episode called "The Little People", where astronauts stumble upon a tiny civilization on an asteroid. 162 "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer" E.A.R.L. being a robot rather than a human being is a reference to The Twilight Zone episode "The Old Man in the Cave". 10 207 "Treehouse of Horror IX" The plot of The Terror of the Tiny Toon references Twilight Zone: The Movie, where a real-life person also ends up in an animated cartoon and get killed. Incidentally that person in Twilight Zone: the Movie was performed by Nancy Cartwright. 214 "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken" The last scene with the elderly playing in the street is a reference to the Twilight Zone episode Kick the Can. 12 262 "New Kids on the Blecch" When Homer announces that he's going to run in the Springfield Marathon, Marge chides him: "Oh, please. You get exhausted watching The Twilight Zone marathon!" 14 300 "The Strong Arms of the Ma" When Marge runs over the mailman and tells him that it will take a while for help to arrive, he says it's no problem as he's got plenty to read and picks up a Twilight Zone magazine. Then, to his horror, he discovers that his glasses are broken, referencing the 1959 episode "Time Enough at Last". The music from the show plays after this. 17 360 "Treehouse of Horror XVI" The segment "I've Grown a Costume on Your Face" references Twilight Zone episode "The Masks", in which four greedy heirs are told to wear hideous masks by their rich, dying relative, which turn them into monsters. 23 503 "Them, Robot" The robot who saves Homer's life by pushing him out of the path of an oncoming truck (and being himself hit as a result) is like the self-sacrificing robot in The Twilight Zone episode, "I Sing the Body Electric". 25 532 "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" In the opening sequence, Rod Serling, creator and host of the original TV series, is seen smoking a cigarette.

Comics[edit]

Picture Comic issue Story name Reference Simpsons Comics Simpsons Comics #177 Through a Mug Darkly When Homer finds out that Barney is the mayor, he asks "is this The Twilight Zone?" The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #3 The Immigration of the Body Snatchers Dr. Marvin Monroe unmasks himself as an invading three-eyed Venusian who is ready to take on the Pod People who are also invading, although a group of Martians are in turn prepared to deal with the Venusians. This is a reference to the Twilight Zone episode "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" In the same scene an ape screams "To Serve Man - it's a cookbook!", referencing the "To Serve Man" episode.

Video games[edit]

Picture Game Reference The Simpsons: Tapped Out Kang is seen reading a book titled How to Cook Humans. The book is a reference to the Twilight Zone television episode "To Serve Man", as detailed in the entry above for the "Treehouse of Horror" television episode.

Books[edit]

Picture Book Reference Bartman: The Hero's Handbook The background of Grodd Serling is a reference to The Twilight Zone, which Rod Serling presented.

Twitter[edit]

Cast and crew[edit]

Picture Name Role in The Twilight Zone Role on The Simpsons Ike Barinholtz Played Mike in the 2019 TV series episode "Not All Men". Voiced Wayne the Grip in the season 36 episode "Homer and Her Sisters" and the season 37 episode "Treehouse of Horror XXXVI". Victor Garber Played Dr. Kevin Carlson in "A Day in Beaumont". Voiced Michael in "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire". Pat O'Brien Voiced Mr. Motivation in the episode of the same name. Voiced himself in "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder". George Takei Played Arthur Takamori in "The Encounter". Voiced Akira Kurosawa in the season 2 episode "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish", a waiter in the season 13 episode "A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love", Wink in the season 10 episode "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo", a sushi chef in the season 24 episode "What Animated Women Want", and himself in the season 27 episode "The Burns Cage". Dennis Weaver Played Adam Grant in "Shadow Play". Voiced Buck McCoy in the season 13 episode "The Lastest Gun in the West".

External links[edit]

• The Twilight Zone at Wikipedia