The Most Iconic Sci-Fi Show of All-Time Returned 41 Years Ago, With Help From George R. R. Martin

It had already been more than 20 years by the time this legendary science-fiction series returned to television. That might have been enough time for most shows to become a footnote, but this one was different. Its name had stuck around from the original run, and there were plenty of stories that were still remembered. The series had also left an influence that could be found throughout science fiction and fantasy. Bringing it back wasn’t exactly an easy assignment, especially when the original had become one of television’s most celebrated genre shows.

The revival arrived in 1985 with a new group of actors, directors, and writers ready to see if the formula could work again. Among them was a science-fiction author who was already well known to genre readers. But television audiences had little reason to know his name yet. This writer would eventually become famous for creating one of the biggest fantasy worlds of the modern era. At the time, though, George R. R. Martin was writing stories for this show instead. It was an interesting point in his career, considering just how much bigger his name would become later on.

The Twilight Zone Returned in 1985 With George R. R. Martin

That series was The Twilight Zone, which originally ran from 1959 to 1964 under creator and host Rod Serling. When it first aired, critics gave high marks for being innovative and intelligent—although it wasn’t an instant hit with audiences. There were niche fans since the show had modest ratings at best. By its later seasons, the series was dealing with declining ratings and the usual problems that come with producing an ambitious television show on a network schedule. Costs were also becoming an issue, and the series eventually came to an end after five seasons.

That could have spelled disaster for the show. But the series stuck around through reruns like an infestation—of the not so bad kind. It then became one of those shows that seemed to grow in reputation after it disappeared from the air. Its stories continued to find new viewers as its influence spread. That was the winning formula CBS was trying to bring back in 1985. The Twilight Zone already had a reputation, and the revival had to meet those expectations.

In fact, The Twilight Zone was one of Martin’s earliest television credits. He would spend years working in television before becoming best known for A Song of Ice and Fire and the world of Westeros. None of that was guaranteed in 1985, though. At the time, Martin was simply another science-fiction writer working on a revived television series that had a lot to live up to. Even today, it is easy to argue for a reboot of this sci-fi show.

George R. R. Martin Was Part of The Twilight Zone’s Revival

Martin’s career was in a pinch after his 1983 novel The Armageddon Rag had sold poorly. The disappointing result stalled his momentum as a novelist. When CBS was putting together the new version of The Twilight Zone in 1985, producer Phil DeGuere asked Martin to write a freelance episode. Martin took the assignment and the producers liked his script enough that they offered him a six-week deal as a staff writer. That eventually led to Martin becoming a story editor on the series and writing five episodes across its first two seasons. Unfortunately, none of his scripts made it into this top 5 rewatchable episodes of The Twilight Zone list.

The revival ultimately ran for two seasons and produced a substantial collection of new stories. It wasn’t able to duplicate the cultural impact of Serling’s original series, but that wasn’t necessarily the point. It gave The Twilight Zoneanother life and introduced its concept to viewers who hadn’t been around for the original run. And there’s something particularly interesting about looking back at that revival now. Martin’s name is eventually going to become associated with Westeros, dragons, political intrigue, and Game of Thrones. None of that had happened yet. His television career was only beginning.

What makes the story even stranger is that Martin later credited The Twilight Zone with teaching him how television actually worked. He wasn’t just learning how to write scripts; anymore. Martin learned about casting and table reads to filming, as well as post-production. That experience would lead to more television work, eventually putting him on the path toward Beauty and the Beast. And who knows? Maybe Martin really did fall through a strange dimensional rift from The Twilight Zone into Westeros. If so, he certainly found a world where winter was coming.