Although many TV shows have tried to imitateThe Twilight Zone, none have been able to replicate its uniqueness and success, but many succeeded as companion shows, and some are as good as it. Created by Rod Serling,The Twilight Zoneaired on CBS from 1959 to 1964 for five seasons, and it became one ofthe best TV shows of all time.
The Twilight Zonestood out for its blend of sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and drama, with each episode telling a different story. Many ofthe bestTwilight Zoneepisodeshave now become part of pop culture, and as such, they have been endlessly parodied and referenced in movies, TV shows, and more. Unsurprisingly,The Twilight Zoneis also one of the most influential TV shows ever.
Because of that, many TV shows have taken the anthology format and tried to copy whatThe Twilight Zonedid, but none have come close to its success and legacy. However, there are some TV shows that gave their own spin to the format and genre, succeeding on their own and being an excellent watch after revisitingThe Twilight Zone.
10Night Gallery
Night Galleryis an anthology series created and hosted by Rod Serling. LikeThe Twilight Zone, each episode ofNight Galleryis a standalone story, but unlike the former, the latter is full-on horror and leaves sci-fi aside.Night Galleryran for three seasons.
Night Galleryis the most fitting companion toThe Twilight Zonethanks to its format and Serling’s involvement, though it must be noted that he didn’t have the same creative control he had onThe Twilight Zone. Still,Night Galleryis worth watching for its blend of horror, supernatural elements, and suspense, and for its influence on other horror TV shows.
9Amazing Stories
Created by Steven Spielberg,Amazing Storiesis an anthology TV series that aired on NBC from 1985 to 1987 for two seasons.Amazing Storiesmixes sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and drama, but its biggest draw is all the directors who collaborated on at least one episode, as well as the actors who starred in them.
Amazing Storieswas revived in 2020 on Apple TV+.
Some of the directors involved inAmazing Storiesare Martin Scorsese, Burt Reynolds, Clint Eastwood, Irvin Kershner, Robert Zemeckis, Joe Dante, and (of course) Spielberg. As for its diverse cast,Amazing Storiescounted on the talents of Patrick Swayze, Kevin Costner, Kiefer Sutherland, Harvey Keitel, and many more.
8The Outer Limits
The Outer Limitsis an anthology TV series created by Leslie Stevens and often compared toThe Twilight Zone. Like Serling’s show, the stories presented inThe Outer Limitsare sci-fi oriented, but they leave horror and fantasy aside. The episodes ofThe Outer Limitsoften have a plot twist and a moral at the end, which has added to the comparisons toThe Twilight Zone.
However,The Outer Limitsis more direct, action-driven, and intense, and uses futuristic settings, monsters, advanced technology, and more sci-fi elements, through which it builds an unsettling atmosphere.The Outer Limitsis for those who are into sci-fi, whileThe Twilight Zoneis more for horror fans and those looking for drama and suspense.
7Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presentsis an anthology series created and hosted by the famous filmmaker.Alfred Hitchcock Presentsaired from 1955 to 1965 for 10 seasons, and its stories featured a bit of everything, such as suspense, drama, and thrillers. From 1962 and until the show’s end, it was renamedThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
Alfred Hitchcock Presentsis less horror-oriented thanThe Twilight Zoneand doesn’t go into sci-fi territory at all. Instead, the show, true to its title filmmaker’s style, focuses more on thrillers and drama.Alfred Hitchcock Presentswas revived in 1985, but it was canceled after one season.
6Channel Zero
Channel Zerois a horror anthology TV series created by Nick Antosca.Channel Zeroaired on Syfy from 2016 to 2018, and it was canceled after four seasons. Unlike the rest of the entries on this list,Channel Zerohas standalone seasons rather than episodes, and the stories are based on popular creepypastas, such as “Candle Cove.”
Channel Zerois full-on horror, and it was praised for its tone, unsettling stories and atmosphere, and for appealing to common fears, mostly childhood ones.Channel Zeroleans more towards psychological and surreal horror, and its stories are more of the slow-burn type, which helps build suspense and tension, making them quite creepy.
5Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet Of Curiosities
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiositiesis an anthology horror miniseries created by the title filmmaker.Cabinet of Curiositiespremiered on Netflix in 2022 and consists of eight episodes. Each episode ofCabinet of Curiositieshas a different director, and they are both original stories and adaptations.
Guillermo del Toro has citedNight Galleryas one of the inspirations behindCabinet Of Curiosities.
Thanks to that,Cabinet of Curiositiesoffers different types of horror, but all episodes have a Gothic style. Despite being a critical success,Cabinet of Curiositieswas only meant to last one season, but on the brighter side, this makes it easier to watch.
4Are You Afraid Of The Dark?
Are You Afraid Of The Dark?is aimed at a young audience, but that doesn’t make it less creepy. Created by D. J. MacHale and Ned Kandel,Are You Afraid Of The Dark?aired on Nickelodeon from 1992 to 1996, and it was revived in 1999 and 2019.Are You Afraid Of The Dark?follows a group of teenagers that call themselves “The Midnight Society.”
The group meets at a secret location in the woods at night, with one of them telling a scary story to the rest. Horror is the core ofAre You Afraid Of The Dark?, but it also mixes sci-fi, fantasy, drama, and sometimes some bits of comedy.
Despite its young target audience,Are You Afraid Of The Dark?has some scary episodesthat will appeal and disturb adult viewers, too, and its themes and nostalgia factor will also appeal to mature audiences.
3Creepshow
Creepshowis a horror anthology series developed by Greg Nicotero and a continuation of Stephen King and George A. Romero’s 1982 movie of the same name.Creepshowwas released on Shudder in 2019, and it ended in 2023 after four seasons. In each episode, the Creep shows the audience a story from theCreepshowcomic book, and these are all 100% horror-oriented.
However,Creepshowalso has a healthy dose of dark humor, pretty much like the movie. One of the biggest draws ofCreepshowis its practical effects, as well as how it perfectly captured the essence and style of the movie, which is now a horror classic.
2Tales From The Crypt
Tales From The Cryptis an anthology horror series created by William Gaines and Steven Dodd and based on the comic book series of the same name by Gaines and Al Feldstein.Tales From The Cryptaired on HBO from 1989 to 1996 for seven seasons, and it stood out for its unique host: the Cryptkeeper.
Tales From The Cryptbrought together horror and dark humor, but it also included social commentary and moral lessons. In a way, it’s lighter than most of the shows on the list, but its charm is in the Cryptkeeper, the show’s sense of humor, its writing, and the way it approaches horror.
1Black Mirror
One of the most successful and popular anthology series in recent years isBlack Mirror. The British anthology series was created by Charlie Brooker and premiered on Channel 4 in 2011 before moving to Netflix in 2016.Black Mirrorreleased its seventh season in 2025, and it doesn’t show signs of stopping soon.
Black Mirror’s main focus is sci-fi, exploring different futuristic scenarios where technology has taken a major role in almost everything. Thanks to this,Black Mirrorcomments on contemporary social issues and fires shots at technology, society, the media, and a lot more.Black Mirroris scary thanks to these looks into a perhaps near future, with its type of horror being more psychological.
