How CBS All Access Landed Jordan Peele for Its 'Twilight Zone' Reboot

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CBS All Access has been building up its slate of original programming, planning to launch 10 new shows next year. And arguably the buzziest one of them all is the Jordan Peele-led reboot of the classic science fiction series “The Twilight Zone.”

So how did CBS All Access, a small but growing player in the high-stakes streaming wars, land the Oscar-winning writer and director of “Get Out”? “We actually had heard that Jordan was such a fan of the original series that he credits it to some extent with his interest in becoming an artist,” Julie McNamara, executive VP, original content, CBS All Access, told TheWrap. “Having heard that, we pursued a conversation with him to see if that’s something he would be interested in.”

It won’t be the first, or even second time the series has been rebooted. There have been two prior revivals of the classic series. The first aired for 110 episodes on CBS in 1985, and a second version, with Forest Whitaker in Rod Serling’s famous role, ran for 43 episodes on UPN in the early 2000s.

Also Read: Adam Scott Joins Jordan Peele's 'Twilight Zone' in Reinvention of Classic Episode

“I personally have heard probably 10 different pitches on rebooting ‘Twilight Zone’ over the years,” continues McNamara, adding that none of them “hit the mark” as a reason to bring the show back. That is, until Peele walked through that door.

“It happens to coincide with a moment in the culture that feels specifically ripe for this show to come back,” she said, likening “Get Out” to a two-hour episode that would feel right at home in Serling’s original version. “It feels like right now Jordan’s point of view on the world is very welcome through the use of this franchise.”

Peele echoed that thought when the project was announced last year: “Too many times this year it’s felt we were living in a twilight zone, and I can’t think of a better moment to reintroduce it to modern audiences.”

Peele will not only executive produce the series, he’ll host and narrate it as well. Principal photography began on Oct. 1 and McNamara said they’re about to start production on the third episode. Sanaa Lathan and Adam Scott have been announced as the show’s first two cast members, each starring in separate installments.

Also Read: Sanaa Lathan Boards Jordan Peele's 'Twilight Zone' for CBS All Access

The title for Scott’s episode — “Nightmare at 30,000 Feet” — appears to be a reimagining of one of the most popular episodes of the original series’ run. That episode, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” starred William Shatner as Bob Wilson, the only passenger on an airline flight to notice a hideous creature lurking outside the plane. Richard Donner (“Superman,” 1978) was the episode’s director, which was based on a short story of the same name by “I Am Legend” author Richard Matheson. It aired on Oct. 11, 1963.

Lathan’s episode, meanwhile, is titled “Rewind.”

Serling created the original series, which ran for 80 episodes from 1959 to 1964, and used socially conscious storytelling to explore the human condition and culture of the times. The new series, which will debut sometime next year, is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions and Simon Kinberg’s Genre Films. Peele and Kinberg serve as executive producers along with Win Rosenfeld, Audrey Chon, Carol Serling, Rick Berg and Greg Yaitanes.

“In a really healthy way, it both scares him and exhilarates him to be taking this on,” said McNamara. “He really reveres it.”

21 TV Reboots That Should Have Been Booted, From 'The Twilight Zone' to 'Charmed' (Photos)

From "The Twilight Zone" to "Charmed," TheWrap is taking a look at reboots of classic TV shows that should've gotten the boot from the start.
"The Twilight Zone"

No reboot of this classic sci-fi series has ever managed to live up to Rod Serling's groundbreaking original series, which ran from 1959 to 1964. The first revival, which debuted in 1984, fell flat of its expectations -- something it has in common with Jordan Peele's 2019 reboot. Though Peele is credited as a creator and serves serves as the host, he did not write or direct any episodes, which critics complained were too on-the-nose, melodramatic, and, well, a lot meaner things than that.
"Charmed"

Despite the name, this CW reboot was cursed from the start. Side-stepping the original witches -- Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs, and later Rose McGowan -- in favor of newer, younger ones didn't sit well with fans, or with the original ladies themselves. Milano told US Weekly she felt the reboot was "disrespectful" for not including her and her fellow OG cast members. And though it was touted as a "feminist" reboot, Combs tweeted, "I will never understand what is fierce, funny, or feminist in creating a show that basically says the original actresses are too old to do a job they did 12 years ago."
"Magnum P.I."

This CBS reboot fell short of its potential for a few reasons -- one being that Tom Selleck was not involved (nor was his mustache). Though set in picturesque Hawaii, critics were quick to tire of the the new Magnum (Jay Hernandez)'s voiceover, calling the reboot average at best, and lacking in panache.
"Charlie's Angels"

"Charlie's Angels" perfectly captured the goofiness of the '70s, but it felt painfully out of date in 2011. Critics and audiences agreed: It was canceled after three episodes.
"Ironside"

Blair Underwood has done some memorable TV work, starting with his career-making role on "L.A. Law." But his 2013 take on the Raymond Burr crime drama was yanked from NBC's air even faster than you can say "LAX" or "The Event."
"The Bionic Woman"

A 2007 take on the "Six Million Dollar Man" spinoff, this NBC show's original sin was casting "Battlestar Galactica" ass-kicker Katee Sackhoff as the recurring villain rather than the lead.
"Knight Rider"

Like so much '80s television, the original "Knight Rider" is over-celebrated. But NBC's 2008 version lacked even the original's dumb charms — and David Hasselhoff.
"The Returned"

SundanceTV had an international hit on its hands with the French-language moody zombie thriller. An English adaptation was of course inevitable, but Damon Lindelof's A&E remake never quite found its audience, despite gaining the support of critics. Luckily, the original French series is still ongoing.
"Melrose Place"

The classic nighttime soap got a CW makeover in 2009, but the brand wasn't enough to keep an audience interested, especially on a network that was doing rich young people drama better on shows like "Gossip Girl" and even "90210."
"Prime Suspect"

Helen Mirren broke out big time as a rare female detective fighting crime and the sexism of her fellow cops in a hit series first introduced in 1991. But NBC's 2011 version, starring Maria Bello, struggled to find its voice and lasted just 13 episodes.
"Gracepoint"

"Broadchurch" captivated U.K. audiences with its tense murder mystery format, but when the U.S. tried to replicate its magic - with original star David Tennant in tow - it just never quite managed. Needless to say, "Broadchurch" is producing a third season, and "Gracepoint" was canceled after just one.
"Mockingbird Lane"

Bryan Fuller tried to put his stamp on a reboot of "The Munsters," and it's still a bit of a cult classic among his fervent fans, but NBC never ordered the show to series. At least we will always have the pilot, which aired in 2012, which is more than you can say for most pilots that don't get picked up to series.
"The IT Crowd"

This hilarious British series that helped launch Chris O'Dowd's career ran for four seasons. It's American counterpart -- not so much. The across-the-pond adaptation with Joel McHale was ordered to pilot but failed to get picked up at NBC.
"Dragnet"

Jack Webb and Ben Alexander starred in the original 1950's police procedural that became a major hit. Unfortunately, the Ed O'Neill and Ethan Embry reboot in 2003 failed to find similar success. It was cancelled after two seasons.
"Kojak"

Another police procedural bound to be rebooted, Telly Savalas starred as the chrome-domed detective in the 1970's series. Ving Rhames took the reins in 2005, but only made it to nine episodes.
"The Muppets"

ABC's reboot of "The Muppets" was one of the most highly anticipated new shows of the 2015-16 TV season, but the inside look at the adult lives of Kermit and company failed to resonate with fans.
"Heroes Reborn"

Beyond "Chuck" star Zachary Levi, NBC's bland "event series" reboot of 2006's "Heroes" brought nothing new or interesting to the table.
"24: Legacy"

Corey Hawkins starred in this Kiefer Sutherland-less "24" reboot that maintained the show's real-time structure and some of the original show's flaws, but also managed to be cancelled in real time. "24: Legacy" had a big debut following the Super Bowl in 2017 but dropped off sharply afterward and was done after just one season. At the time of the cancellation Fox was still considering continuing the "24" franchise.
Fox
"MacGyver"

Like the hero that shares the show's name, the reboot of "MacGyver," with Lucas Till in the Richard Dean Anderson role, cobbled together a bunch of unusual parts to make yet another procedural that's somehow still kicking, despite constant lampooning from "The Simpsons" and "SNL's" "MacGruber" sketches.
CBS
"The Odd Couple"

Matthew Perry and Thomas Lennon were no Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, or Tony Randall and Jack Klugman for that matter. The reboot lasted three seasons, but the canned, laugh track sitcom felt very old fashioned and led to some miserable ratings. Matthew Perry even tweeted out one month ahead of schedule that the show was cancelled when he saw his face painted over on his stage door.
CBS
"Dynasty"

The CW rebooted the classic '80s primetime soap in 2017, but despite the buzz for Peruvian-born Nathalie Kelley as Cristal, the show drew critical pans and weak ratings -- still scoring a second season thanks to a lucrative Netflix deal.