10 Best Time Travel Episodes of 'The Twilight Zone,' Ranked (original) (raw)

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Published Apr 24, 2025, 7:06 PM EDT

Andrea M. Ciriaco is a long-time script reader and former entertainment editor who specializes in classic movies and Hollywood history. She was a student film critic at Kent State University for three years and worked at Warner Bros Studio in Burbank and The Safran Company for several years. Based on her vast taste and range of knowledge, many consider Andrea to be a walking IMDb who knows dozens of underrated movies and is a vital assesst to any trivia night. While movies are her expertise, Andrea is also a diehard fan of iconic shows including The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, Will & Grace and South Park. Some of her favorite filmmakers are Walt Disney,John Huston, Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, Mel Brooks, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Howard Hawks.

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Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone was an innovation for television and is recognized today as one of the greatest series of all time. The classic anthology series featured episodes in various genres ranging from fantasy to psychological thriller, but it's mainly rooted in the science-fiction genre. The Twilight Zone introduced audiences to a revolutionary world of boundless imagination and supernatural possibilities, notably the concept of time travel.

Time travel is, without a doubt, one of the most popular concepts in the iconic series and is the focus of some of the show's all-time best episodes, including season 4, episode 10, "No Time Like the Past," and season 2, episode 23, "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim." From season 2, episode 20, "Static" to season 1, episode 5, "Walking Distance," these are the ten best time traveling episodes of The Twilight Zone, ranked!

10 "Static"

Season 2, Episode 20

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Season 2, episode 20, '"Static" is a sentimental episode about second chances and is set in a boarding house where a bitter elderly man, Ed Lindsay (Dean Jagger), lives with several other senior residents. When Ed finds an old radio in the basement, he discovers that it plays older broadcasts from the 1930s and 1940s, but as he summons the others to come listen, all they can hear is static.

Some might think the Fifth Dimension only dabbles in the dark and mysterious, but "Static" is one episode that has an endearing ending, which serves as a reminder to live life to the fullest before it's too late. Compared to other time-traveling episodes, the uniqueness of "Static" is the fact that there was no machine or advanced technology involved, just the power of memory and a hopeful heart longing for the past.

9 "Of Late I Think of Cliffordville"

Season 4, Episode 14

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Albert Salmi stars as a cruel business tycoon, William Feathersmith, who, after decades of successfully earning millions of dollars at the expense of others, wishes he could go back to the simple days of his life when living in his hometown of Cliffordville, Indiana. After striking a deal with a suspicious two-horned woman, Miss Devlin (Julie Newmar), William agrees to forfeit all his earnings in exchange for going back to the year 1910, unaware of the tricky loopholes that come with making a deal with the Devil.

Season 4, episode 14, "Of Late I think of Cliffordville" is a satisfying time travel episode with a fitting twist of irony that makes it one of the series' best. The episode goes beyond the traditional concept of time traveling, focusing on the minor details that give the episode a consistent level of unpredictability and an element of surprise, essentially setting it apart from other similar stories in the Fifth Dimension.

8 "Execution"

Season 1, Episode 26

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In 1800, an outlaw, Joe Caswell (Albert Salmi), is about to be hanged for murder when he suddenly vanishes before his punishment is complete. When the outlaw wakes up, he discovers that he's traveled forward in time and is in the lab of Professor Manion (Russell Johnson), who has been testing his latest invention of a time machine. As Joe finds himself in an unknown world of bright lights and busy city streets, he realizes his saving grace from death is nothing but a short layover in limbo.

Season 1, episode 26, "Execution" is an intriguing time-travel episode that demonstrates how, while violent criminals and insidious offenders exist throughout time, justice has a funny way of greeting them one way or another. The episode also tinkers with the traditional premise of bringing someone from the past to the present day, exploring the unfortunate outcomes that happen when the wrong person is picked out, making it a clever and one of the show's best time travel episodes.

7 "No Time Like the Past"

Season 4, Episode 10

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One of the best stars of classic film noir, Dana Andrews, stars in season 4, episode 10, "No Time Like the Past" as Paul Driscoll, a man who is fed up with the problems of the modern world and decides to travel back to the past in an effort to change historical events to ensure a better future. Unfortunately, all of his efforts fail and as he tries to simply live in the past, he soon realizes that the only way he can change the modern world is by trying to create a better future.

"No Time Like the Past" is another time travel episode that focuses on a familiar premise of someone trying to change the past to alter the present. Unlike other similar stories, the episode goes the extra mile of not only showing how changing the past is near to impossible, but also, living in the past with modern-day knowledge is also just as detrimental. While Andrews' character is unsuccessful with his efforts to change the past, his revelation of the impact he can have on future generations is the most insightful aspect of this classic time travel episode.

6 "Once Upon a Time"

Season 3, Episode 13

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Season 3, episode 13, "Once Upon a Time" stars silent film star and comedy icon, Buster Keaton, as an elderly man, Woodrow Mulligan, who lives in the quiet town of Harmony, New York in 1890. When Woodrow's employer and local professor invents a time-traveling helmet, Woodrow, who is unhappy with the current state of his world, decides to try it on and soon finds himself in the year 1961.

"Once Upon a Time" is a time travel episode that not only stars one of the most influential stars and comedians of cinema but also pays tribute to the silent films in which Keaton is universally famous for, notably the opening and closing scenes. Keaton is known for his physical comedy and elaborate (and sometimes dangerous) stunts and while he isn't letting house frames fall on him in the episode, he does convey his signature style and humor that solidifies "Once Upon a Time" as a memorable time travel episode.

5 "The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms"

Season 5, Episode 10

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On the 88th anniversary of Custer's Last Stand, three National Guard soldiers are participating in a training exercise near the location where the historical battle took place. As they follow their orders, which coincide with the route of Custer and his men, the soldiers are shocked when they discover signs of Native Americans in the area. Unable to ignore the strange phenomenon, the men venture further towards the war cries, unaware that they will soon become a rewritten part of history.

Almost every time travel episode of The Twilight Zone was written by Serling, who, also an avid lover of history, combines his two passions in season 5, episode 10, "The 7th Is Made Up of Phantoms," which stands to be one of the more imaginative time travel episodes in the series. The episode is another that demonstrates the concept of time travel without the use of any device or technology, and, instead, uses the significance of the location and date as somewhat of an explanation which refrains from ruining the episode's central mystery and allure.

4 "The Odyssey of Flight 33"

Season 2, Episode 18

John Anderson, Beverly Brown, Paul Comi, Wayne Heffley, Sandy Kenyon and Harp McGuire all looking out the side of an airplane cockpit in The Twilight Zone.

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Season 2, episode 18, "The Odyssey of Flight 33" takes place on an international commercial plane heading to New York from London when it begins to experience unusual turbulence and changes in the aircraft's ground speed. When the plane settles, the pilots and crew make the starling discovery that they have somehow traveled back in time and are now in the prehistoric age.

"The Odyssey of Flight 33" is a fascinating time-travel episode that focuses on the concept of traveling back in time by breaking through the sound barrier. The episode is a modern retelling of the Flying Dutchman myth written by Serling, who also worked with his brother and aviation writer, Robert J. Serling, to create accurate technical dialogue. Although the episode is rooted in fantasy and science-fiction, the overall concept of "The Odyssey of Flight 33" is still portrayed with a level of authenticity that leaves some audiences a bit uneasy, making it a profoundly curious time-travel episode.

3 "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim"

Season 2, Episode 23

Chris Horn (Cliff Robertson) looks at a sign in 'The Twilight Zone' episode "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim."

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Season 2, episode 23, "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" is one of the best Western Twilight Zone episodes starring Cliff Robertson as the leader of a small wagon train, Chris Horn, whose son becomes dangerously ill and as the group's supplies begin to dwindle, the others want to turn back. Chris tells them to keep moving forward while he goes and searches for water and resources, but after he climbs over a small mountain, he's unfamiliar with his surroundings, unaware that he has somehow traveled to the year 1961.

"A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" is another distinctive time-travel episode with an unexpected final plot twist that can only be found in The Twilight Zone. Like many other episodes from the Fifth Dimension, "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" successfully surpasses the audience's expectations of the traditional premise of a tale of time-travel with the use of minor but effective details. Initially, they seem to feel a bit out of place and random but, in the end, everything fits together to create a captivating time-travel Twilight Zone episode.

2 "Back There"

Season 2, Episode 13

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Season 2, episode 13, "Back There" stars Russell Johnson as a young engineer, Peter Corrigan, who, after a discussion about time travel with members of his social club, leaves for the night and steps outside into the year 1865. Confused by the horse-drawn carriages and gas lamps, Peter tries to find more information about his new surroundings, but when he learns that the day is April 14th, the day of President Abraham Lincoln's assassination, he tries to warn the local authorities before it's too late.

"Back There" is a thrilling time-travel episode that takes the usual plot of someone trying to change the past into uncharted territory. While Johnson's character is unsuccessful at saving the President, his efforts are not in vain, proving that even the smallest gestures can have a monumental impact in the end. Another episode written by Serling, the creator successfully manages to depict the element of surprise, taking a minor but crucial action, and expanding on it to create an ending that completely catches audiences off guard.

1 "Walking Distance"

Season 1, Episode 5

A young Ron Howard stands next to Gig Young crouching down in The Twilight Zone episode Walking Distance.

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Gig Young stars in season 1, episode 5, "Walking Distance," as an advertising executive, Martin Sloan, who, after stopping to have his car serviced at a gas station, notices he's not too far from his hometown. As Martin walks into town, he notices that nothing has changed, but when he learns that ice-cream sodas are only ten cents, he realizes that he has managed to walk back in time to when he was ten years old.

"Walking Distance" ends with one of Serling's best closing narrations and reigns as the best time-travel episode because it resonates with every viewer on a deep, emotional level. There isn't one person who, at one point, didn't dream about going back to the past. Whether it was to do things differently or escape the current chaos of life, the past is forever behind us, but it remains in our memories. As Martin's dad tells him, the only thing someone can do is look forward and, while it's okay to reminisce about simpler times, the future is what truly holds the key to any escape or change we desire.

NEXT: The 10 Best Episodes of 'The Twilight Zone' Written By Rod Serling, Ranked