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Although 2016 is the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, CBS has given a nod to another classic sci-fi TV series with the DVD release of The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series.
This box set contains all 156 episodes of the black-and-white anthology series. Unlike the impressive, if flawed, Star Trek 50th Anniversary TV and Movie Collection that CBS put out recently, however, The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series is not aimed at dedicated fans. Instead, this episodes-only collection is for anyone with a casual interest in science fiction that doesn't stretch to wanting special features.
While there is no bonus material with this release, the inside cover does show a list of every episode in the set and how they are divided among the 25 DVDs. In addition, the many famous actors that appeared in The Twilight Zone are named on the back cover. Some are also highlighted with the title of the episode they appeared in on the inside cover pages.
Aside from those little nuggets of information, the packaging is a disappointment. Everything is in one large plastic case with the discs arranged inside on a series of plastic holders. Each of these holders has two overlapping discs on each face. This arrangement is compact but the holders aren't connected to the main case and they are joined together by small plastic clips on one side that work like hinges to allow you to flip through the collection. Unfortunately, these clips tend to come disconnected from each other easily and accordingly several disc holders became detached as soon as I opened the box. Moreover, it was a fiddly process to reconnect them.
There is nothing special about the presentation of the series on screen, either. The video and sound quality are generally very good but this is no Special Edition. Rather, it's basically a bare-bones compilation of previous releases. Furthermore, each disc's menu consists of a static list of the episodes on the disc preceded by a short introduction that includes images from the series and its theme music.
The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series is worth considering if you are a fan of sci-fi and want to experience one of the greatest TV series in the history of the genre without learning anything about its background. Avid collectors and fans might be better to save their money, though, and hope that something more comprehensive comes along in the future.
