12 Rare ‘Twilight Zone’ Behind-the-Scenes Photos You Have to See to Believe
Candid set moments with creator Rod Serling and guest stars like Carol Burnett and William Shatner
There’s something irresistible about seeing serious people having fun—especially when those people are building one of the most legendary, thought-provoking shows in TV history. The Twilight Zone may be remembered for its chilling twist endings and moral gravitas, but off-camera, things were often far more relaxed and filled with jokes, smirks and the occasional robot costume. What we don’t always associate with the Fifth Dimension is laughter, warmth or Carol Burnett cracking up on the floor with series creator and head writer Rod Serling (later to script Planet of the Apes). And yet, that too was part of The Twilight Zone’s legacy, as you’re about to see.
In contrast to those episodes we’ve been watching for all these years, these behind-the-scenes glimpses tell a different story where the stars aren’t haunted or horrified, but sharing scripts, jokes and a genuine sense of creative excitement. Serling might have been the public face of mind-blowing dread, but he was also a deeply collaborative and surprisingly light-hearted presence on set.
Part of what made The Twilight Zone so enduring was the sheer range of talent it attracted both in front of the camera and behind it. Established names, up-and-comers and future icons all passed through its black-and-white corridors. But whether it was Burgess Meredith (who would eventually play the Penguin in the Adam West Batman series and Mickey in the Rocky films) stranded in a post-apocalyptic library or Dick York (soon to become Darrin Stephens on Bewitched) confronting fate on a battlefield, the show offered something rare: smart genre storytelling anchored by strong performances and big ideas.
1. William Shatner’s first trip into the ‘Zone’
2. Rod Serling meets Robby the Robot
Creator and host Rod Serling poses with Robby the Robot, the beloved sci-fi icon originally introduced in the 1956 sci-fi film Forbidden Planet. Robby made a memorable guest appearance in The Twilight Zone episode “Uncle Simon” (1963), adding a dash of retro-futurism to Serling’s eerie anthology. Incidentally, Robby also makes an appearance in the episode “The Brain Center at Whipple’s” (1964).
3. Laughter in the fifth dimension
Ed Wynn (center), a beloved vaudevillian and film actor, shares a lighthearted moment on set with Murray Hamilton (who would famously go on to play Mayor Larry Vaughn in Jaws) and Rod Serling. This candid photo was taken during production of the poignant Season 1 episode “One for the Angels” (1959), in which Wynn plays a kindly sidewalk salesman bargaining with Death.
4. Rod Serling’s cabinet of curiosities
Surrounded by strange props, otherworldly statues and a pair of unsettling androids, Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling sits confidently amidst the chaos, ray gun in hand and apparently not taking crap from anyone!
5. A Star in the making meets a master of the macabre
Long before The Sting or All the President’s Men, a young Robert Redford (left) made a haunting impression in The Twilight Zone episode “Nothing in the Dark” (1962), playing a soft-spoken version of Death. Here, he’s seen sharing a moment with writer George Clayton Johnson (right), who penned several standout episodes, including “Kick the Can” and “A Game of Pool.” The meeting of future Hollywood royalty and a visionary sci-fi writer is the kind of moment that The Twilight Zone seemed to conjure effortlessly.
6. Guest star under wraps
Rod Serling checks in with actress Maxine Stuart—hidden beneath layers of bandages in her role as the disfigured patient Janet Tyler—in the unforgettable Twilight Zone episode “Eye of the Beholder.” Directed with shadowy precision by Douglas Heyes, the 1960 installment explores a world where conformity dictates beauty. The eventual reveal (with Stuart having provided the voice and initial bandaged performance and The Beverly Hillbillies‘ Donna Douglas portraying the unmasked version of Janet) remains one of the most iconic moments in anthology TV history.
7. A look inside ‘The Twilight Zone’
Rod Serling is literally in “the zone” as he stands at the center of the action in this remarkable behind-the-scenes photo, likely capturing the filming of one of his trademark on-camera introductions. Shot on a set cluttered with atmospheric props, this image reminds us just how handcrafted The Twilight Zone really was.
8. Before ‘Bewitched,’ Dick York was part of ‘The Twilight Zone’
Prior to becoming forever linked with the role of Darrin Stephens on Bewitched, Dick York appeared in the Season 3 episode of The Twilight Zone titled “The Purple Testament” (1960). In it, he played Lieutenant Fitzgerald, a World War II officer cursed with the ability to foresee which of his men will die next. This behind-the-scenes photo captures York in uniform, flashing an easy smile on a set filled with somber themes. Serling’s war stories often drew on his own combat experience, and York’s performance helped make this one of the show’s most haunting morality plays.
9. She’s so glad they had that time together
Comedy legend Carol Burnett shares a hearty laugh with Rod Serling in this rare candid from the Twilight Zone episode “Cavender Is Coming” (1962). One of the few outright comedic entries in the series, the episode starred Burnett as a struggling woman whose life is turned upside down by a bumbling guardian angel. While the show is best remembered for its eerie tension and moral parables, moments like this remind us that Serling’s world could also make room for levity—and that even in The Twilight Zone, laughter had a place.
10. Time enough to laugh
Burgess Meredith and director John Brahm share a lighthearted moment amidst the ruins of a bombed-out world on the set of The Twilight Zone classic “Time Enough at Last” (1959). In one of the series’ most enduring and tragic stories, Meredith plays bookish bank clerk Henry Bemis, who survives a nuclear apocalypse only to meet a cruel twist of fate. Brahm directed a total of 12 episodes, while Meredith appeared in four.
11. Writer collaboration
Playwright Reginald Rose (left) and Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling (right) share ideas during production of “The Incredible World of Horace Ford,” which aired as part of Season 4 in 1963. Known for his acclaimed teleplay Twelve Angry Men, Rose brought a theatrical depth to his storytelling that aligned perfectly with Serling’s own sensibilities. The episode explored the dangers of nostalgia and the illusion of childhood perfection—timeless themes in both men’s work. The script was adapted from one Rose had written in 1955 for the anthology series Studio One.
12. The face and voice of ‘The Twilight Zone’
Beneath the studio lights and against a field of stars, Rod Serling delivers one of his signature openings—calm, measured, and unsettlingly precise. His presence framed each episode of The Twilight Zone, not just as host but as moral guide, inviting viewers to step out of the ordinary and confront the extraordinary.
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