The Twilight Zonehas some of the most influential episodes of all time, and one of its saddest ones was made in another anthology horror series five years earlier. The list ofthe best TV shows of all timehas a bit of everything, and when it comes to sci-fi and horror, one of the best and most influential TV shows isThe Twilight Zone. Created by Rod Serling,The Twilight Zonepremiered on CBS in 1959, and its success led to it running for five seasons, ending in 1964 – however, it was revived in 1985, 2002, and 2019.
The Twilight Zonewas an anthology TV series that mixed sci-fi and horror in most of its episodes, though some leaned more towards comedy and others went for a heavier dramatic and emotional charge. AlthoughThe Twilight Zonewasn’t the first show of its kind, its quality, scary episodes, twist endings, and other details made it stand out. However,The Twilight Zoneshares the story of one episode with another anthology horror TV series, though the latter adapted it five years beforeThe Twilight Zonedid.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Adapted “An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge” 5 Years Before The Twilight Zone Did
“An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge” Was Written By Ambrose Bierce
Spoilers for the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and its adaptations.
The 22nd episode ofThe Twilight Zone’s fifth season is “An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge”, and if it sounds familiar, it’s because it’s not an original story nor one exclusive to Serling’s show. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is a short story written by author and American Civil War veteran Ambrose Bierce, published in 1890 inThe San Francisco Examinerand later collected in Bierce’sTales of Soldiers and Civilians. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is the story of Peyton Farquhar, a civilian, planter, and slave owner.
Farquhar is being prepared for execution by hanging, and he considers jumping off the bridge and swimming to safety if he can free his hands.
In a flashback, it’s revealed that Farquhar was tricked into interfering with the Owl Creek railroad bridge, as any civilian who does so will be hanged. Back in the present, Farquhar is being prepared for execution by hanging, and he considers jumping off the bridge and swimming to safety if he can free his hands. Unfortunately, before he can act on it, the soldiers in charge of his execution drop him, butwhen Farquhar falls into the creek, the rope around his neck breaks. Farquhar is then able to free his hands, rise to the surface, and escape.
After a long journey, in which he begins to hallucinate, he finally makes it home, but as he rushes to embrace his wife, Farquhar feels a heavy blow on the back of his neck, hears a loud noise, and sees a flash of white. As it turns out, the rope never broke, so Farquhar never escaped, andhis journey was what he imagined in the seconds between his fall and the noose breaking his neck. This story is a special case inThe Twilight Zone’s history (more on that later), but it was adapted earlier inAlfred Hitchcock Presents.
Between 1962 and 1965,Alfred Hitchcock Presentswas renamedThe Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
Alfred Hitchcock Presentswas an anthology series created and hosted by the legendary filmmaker, which aired between 1955 and 1965 for 10 seasons. In its fifth season, the show adapted “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, though with a couple of changes, such as Farquhar being a widower, deciding to blow up the bridge rather than being lured to it, and having the help of a slave to get back home. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” was well received by critics and general audiences, and five years later,The Twilight Zoneused it in its final season.
The Twilight Zone’s “An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge” Was An Oscar-Winning Short Film
The Twilight Zone Made Some Adjustments To The Short Film
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” stands out inThe Twilight Zonenot just because it’s an adaptation of a short story, but because the episode itself isn’t aTwilight Zoneproduction. Serling himself explains in his opening narration that “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is a film shot in France by other artists, and thatthe short won at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival (and it also won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in 1963).
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” was adapted and directed by Robert Enrico, and it was easy to adapt it to TV as it has very little dialogue. The reason whyThe Twilight Zoneadapted “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” rather than making an original story was that the show was struggling by the time its fifth season was in production.
The quality of the stories was in decline, andthe show was facing budget issues, so it was easier to bring Enrico’s short film to TV. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” became one ofthe best episodes ofThe Twilight Zoneseason 5, as well as one of the show’s saddest ones, and its quality is superior to many episodes of that specific season.
The Twilight Zone
Cast
The Twilight Zone is an anthology series that debuted in 1959, featuring a collection of standalone episodes encompassing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and horror. Known for its macabre or unexpected twists, each story is distinct, exploring various speculative themes and human experiences.
