Can ‘Get Out’ Director Get Back ‘The Twilight Zone’ Re-Boot Doubters?

Submitted for your approval. Scratch that. Make that re-submitted for your approval.

For those of you who are like me and love the classic 'The Twilight Zone' series from the 60s you've probably heard by now that there is another re-boot in the making. If you haven't and you're literally just finding out now just hold off on rolling your eyes with skepticism. This one will be directed by Jordan Peele, the man who directed the highly-acclaimed 2017 box office horror hit Get Out.

The news officially went public back in December via CBS All Access. Peele, Simon Kinberg and Marco Ramirez will serve as executive producers and collaborate on the premiere episode which is yet to be announced. This isn't the first time Hollywood has attempted to pull us back into the zone as you may already know. The series has been revived twice before. The first reboot was way back in 1986 on CBS and ran for 110 episodes. The second, featuring Forest Whitaker in Rod Serling’s on-air role, premiered in 2002 on UPN and lasted 43 episodes.

Along with two TV reboots we had the film version too. Most people remember the 1983 feature-film version of 'The Twilight Zone' directed by John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller. That film managed to do fairly well at the box office and still airs from time to time on television.

So here we are with another version of 'The Twilight Zone' on the horizon. What to make of it? I admit it, when I read the headline back in December I immediately jumped to the conclusion that this is a complete waste of time. You can't duplicate the original series that ran from 1959-1964. I mean, c'mon, how can you top the classic William Shatner "man on the wing" episode? A guy fresh out of being institutionalized sees a gremlin-like creature in a furry onesie suit peeling back the wing of an airplane....while it's in the air! Or how about the one where the bookworm Burgess Meredith is finally left all alone in a decimated city with his treasured literary classics only to break his glasses rendering him blind and alone for life?

Sure the episodes are a little cheesy and dated but that's part of the fun. Besides, look past the dated production and what you have are timeless story lines. Serling tapped into the human psyche like no one else could or has been able to ever since.

Having said all that I will keep an open mind knowing that Jordan Peele is behind this latest re-boot. If you haven't seen Get Out you're missing out. This is not your average horror film and Peele is the reason why. It's a brilliant movie which delivered big-time scares while addressing the social issue of racism at the same time. I can just see Serling up in heaven with cigarette in hand, dressed to the nines as always, grinning from ear to ear. Submitted for Rod's approval? Check. Approval granted.

So, yes, after some doubt in the beginning I have now decided to give this latest re-boot of 'The Twilight Zone' a chance. How about you?

You can listen to Eric Senich live on Saturdays from 10am to 3pm on 95.1 FM. You can also listen online by clicking here or by downloading the i95 ROCK Mobile App.