Here’s an arc that I think would be awesome to tackle (especially since I’m trying to achieve watching every episode ever made); the original Rod Serling Twilight Zone. I have always been a fan of the show since I first saw it when I was 9 or so and as I have re-watched these episodes as I got older, the more they stuck in my mind as social commentary, both timely and timeless.
I love how Mr. Serling walks along with us into each story not so much as a host, but as a tourist guide pointing out that we’re about to see something amazing. I love how the writing of most of the episodes are incredible and yet simple, playing upon theatricality and yet earnestness. I think that’s what sets this apart from the knock-offs.
Submitted for your approval, I would nominate these six episodes, most are well-known, a couple are simply my personal favorites; Nightmare at 12,000 Feet (with Captain Kirk of all people), The Masks, Eye of the Beholder, To Serve Man, Third from the Sun, and He’s Alive! You could even replace one with The After Hours if you wish.
The Twilight Zone is a landmark in Science Fiction and the prime example of social consciousness on television. While the show had plenty of twists and surprises and would spawn the works of Shyamalan and his ilk, I think Serling’s work is special in the fact that there’s more being told in his stories than just spectacle.