Why was Twilight Zone 2022 Cancelled?

UPDATE 2/25: Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw and Simon Kinberg’s Genre Films have issued a statement about the end of The Twilight Zone series.

We greatly enjoyed our time working on The Twilight Zone — particularly when the real world around us often felt more and more like another dimension. We cherished the opportunity to collaborate with so many talented writers, actors and crewmembers. After 20 unique episodes, we have told the stories that we wanted to tell, and CBS All Access was gracious in their understanding of our decision. It was an honor and a privilege to bring audiences a modern re-imagining of Rod Serling’s iconic creation.

PREVIOUS 2/24: The second season of the reboot of The Twilight Zone was submitted for your approval, to borrow the famous phrase of original sci-fi creator Rod Serling. Apparently, there wasn’t enough approval, as the CBS All Access show won’t continue on Paramount+ for a third season.

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The series’ end was revealed on Wednesday when The Twilight Zone was not listed among the CBS All Access series set to continue on the service as it transforms into Paramount+.

Julie McNamara, executive VP and head of programming for Paramount+, praised the series as the network bids farewell. “Jordan Peele, Simon Kinberg and the entire production team truly reimagined The Twilight Zone for the modern age. They upheld the classic series’ legacy of socially conscious storytelling and pushed today’s viewers to explore all new dimensions of thought-provoking and topical themes that we hope will resonate with audiences for years to come.”

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The 10-episode second season of the anthology series, reimagined by Jordan Peele and Simon Kinberg, gad such stars as Kylie Bunbury, Sky Ferreira, Topher Grace, David Krumholtz, Thomas Lennon, Natalie Martinez, Gretchen Mol, Paula Newsome, Jurnee Smollett, and Damon Wayans Jr. on board. Apparently, it wasn’t enough.

The season two cast and episode titles, in no particular order, included:

Episode: “8”
Starring (previously announced) Joel McHale (Community, Stargirl) and Brandon Jay McLaren (UnREAL, Graceland)
Written by Glen Morgan
Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead

Episode: “A Small Town”
Starring Damon Wayans Jr. (Happy Endings, Let’s Be Cops), David Krumholtz (The Deuce, Evel), Natalie Martinez (Reminiscence, The I-Land), and Paula Newsome (Barry, Chicago Med)
Written by Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due
Directed by Alonso Alvarez-Barreda

Episode: “Try, Try”
Starring Topher Grace (Blackkklansman, Black Mirror) and Kylie Bunbury (When They See Us, Pitch)
Written by Alex Rubens
Directed by Jen McGowan

Episode: “You Might Also Like”
Starring Gretchen Mol (Boardwalk Empire, Manchester by the Sea) and Greta Lee (Russian Doll, High Maintenance)
Written and Directed by Osgood Perkins

Episode: “Ovation”
Starring Jurnee Smollett (Birds of Prey, Lovecraft Country”), Tawny Newsome (Space Force, Lower Decks), Sky Ferreira (Baby Driver, Twin Peaks), Paul F. Tompkins (BoJack Horseman, Comedy Bang! Bang!), and Thomas Lennon (Reno 911! Night at the Museum” franchise)
Written by Emily C. Chang and Sara Amini
Directed by Ana Lily Amirpour

 Episode: “Downtime”

Starring Morena Baccarin (Deadpool franchise, Homeland), Colman Domingo (If Beale Street Could Talk, Fear the Walking Dead) and Tony Hale (Veep, Toy Story 4)
Written by Jordan Peele
Directed by JD Dillard

Episode: “The Who of You”
Starring Ethan Embry (Grace and Frankie, Blindspotting), Daniel Sunjata (Graceland, Rescue Me), and Billy Porter (Pose, Like a Boss)
Written by Win Rosenfeld
Directed by Peter Atencio

Episode: “A Human Face”
Starring Jenna Elfman (Fear the Walking Dead, Dharma & Greg), Chris Meloni (The Handmaid’s Tale, 42), and Tavi Gevinson (Person to Person, Enough Said)
Written by Alex Rubens
Directed by Christina Choe

Episode: “Among The Untrodden”
Introducing Abbie Hern and Sophia Macy
Written by Heather Anne Campbell
Directed by Tayarisha Poe

Episode: “Meet in the Middle”
Starring Jimmi Simpson (Westworld, Black Mirror: USS Callister) and Gillian Jacobs (Community, Love)
Written by Emily C. Chang and Sara Amini
Directed by Mathias Herndl

Dominic Patten and Dino Ramos contributed to this report

The one thing that's always consistent on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day is Syfy's The Twilight Zone marathon. It kicked off this year on December 31 at 6 a.m., and fans of the show are able to watch every episode from the series well into the new year. But while tuning in, many folks are wondering why a cult classic show like the Twilight Zone would go off the air after only five seasons.

Before we get into the real reason why the show ended, it's important to note that the original Twilight Zone anthology had 156 episodes. It aired once a week from September to June during 1959-1964, and was nominated for numerous awards. Creator and host Rod Serling won three Emmy's and a Golden Globe during that time. Because of the niche nature of the show, its run of five seasons was an incredible feat.

Why was The Twilight Zone canceled?

Believe it or not, the Twilight Zone was canceled more than once — well, sort of. Before the fourth season was set to air in 1962, the show was unable to find a sponsor, according to the book A Critical History of Television's The Twilight Zone. While Serling and other producers were scrambling to get one, the Twilight Zone was abruptly taken off CBS's fall lineup by executive James T. Aubrey, who, apparently, wasn't a fan of the sci-fi show. The Twilight Zone was then replaced by a comedy series called Fair Exchange. However, in January 1963, Serling was invited back to his original timeslot as Fair Exchange never became popular, and the network needed a show to fill its place.

During this time, Serling, who wrote 92 episodes for the entire series, was experiencing severe burnout. "I've never felt quite so drained of ideas as I do at this moment ... I've written so much, I'm woozy," Serling said towards the end of season 2, according to A Critical History of Television's The Twilight Zone.

Rod Serling working at his Westport, Connecticut home.

What didn't help is that the show's format went from a half-hour long to an hour when it was renewed for its fourth season, only exacerbating Serling's exhaustion. "I was writing so much, I felt I had begun to lose my perspective on what was good and what was bad," Serling reportedly said.

Although the half-hour format returned in the fifth season, it was met with moderate ratings, according to SyFy. This, along with Serling spending less and less time on the show's artistic direction, made Aubrey ultimately decide to cancel the series for good. Many blogs and stories note that Serling was too frustrated and tired to fight for a renewal. "You argue, you fight, you try to protect what has been written, but you're battling networks, advertising agencies, sponsors and pressure groups. I've been forced to make concessions in every television play I've written," Serling said in 1961, according to the book In the Zone: The Twilight World of Rod Serling.

Following the end of the Twilight Zone, Serling sold his rights to CBS, but continued to create and produce other shows and movies. While his experience with the show may have had its ups and downs, his dimension of imagination became legendary.

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Did Twilight Zone get Cancelled?

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