In a day and age when binge watching the most intense serials has become common-place, it might be easy to think that the anthology show has died a death, but instead it has thrived and adapted to an age of cable television and streaming services where restrictions don’t apply and the biggest names can join a show for a season or episode at least.
Anthology shows have become an art in themselves, telling beautifully crafted fables about humanity through many genres. With Lore about to hit Amazon, Set the Tape looks at five shows that represent anthology television at its absolute best.
The Twilight Zone
The godfather of television anthology shows, Rod Serling’s series can lay claim to being one of the most famous television shows of all time. From its theme music and Serling’s on-camera introductions, to the stories such as Nightmare at 20,000 Feet and Time Enough at Last, the series is not only one of the most famous, but also the most influential. Not only did it pave the way for a wealth of great genre television, but it also opened the doors for thought-provoking and intelligently scripted television where genre could be used to tell stories that were actually about more than just the monsters or the narrative it was about.
Two revivals followed in 1985 and then again in 2002, not to mention a film adaptation in 1983, but it’s the original that still stands the test of time.
The Outer Limits
Commissioned by ABC when trying to find their own equivalent of The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits could be seen as a case of cashing in on Serling’s creation, but actually has a lot going for it beyond being a television network trying to ape another’s success. With more emphasis on science fiction and action, and less fable-like than Serling’s show, the series has become incredibly influential in its own right, with its own famous opening narration and graphics. Writers who contributed to the series included Psycho‘s Joseph Stefano, Chinatown‘s Robert Towne and famed science-fiction author Harlan Ellison, whose episode ‘Solider’ Ellision claimed was copied by James Cameron for The Terminator.
A revival followed in 1995, produced by Showtime which upped the sex and nudity considerably, whilst a movie version become stuck in development hell.
American Horror Story
The current monster hit of modern-day anthology shows, Ryan Murphy and Brad Fulchuck’s series took the anthology format and found a way to make it flourish in a day and age when serials such as Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead are grabbing viewers attentions. Instead of a different story each week, American Horror Story tells a different story lasting the course of a season. From Murder House, to Asylum to Freak Show, the series, which airs on FX in the US, is one that pushes the boundaries of content to the extreme; and whilst some seasons are better than others, it is the key anthology show of the moment in modern day television.
American Crime Story
Ryan Murphy again, but this time moving away from horror into the realm of crime. So far there has only been one season of American Crime Story, but a second is on the way, with a third already in active (if troubled) development. Being a Murphy show, certain cast members from Horror Story crossed over (Sarah Paulson), but American Crime Story is a different beast altogether. With its first season centred around the OJ Simpson trial, what could have been sensationalist, tabloid television, instead became one of the best things produced last year. With a story every bit as relevant today and with some superb scripting from Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the first season became compulsive and superbly crafted television.
A second season was initially set to centre around Hurricane Katrina, but that has been delayed to season three, with the second set to be based on the murder of Gianni Versace, whilst a fourth will concern itself with the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Black Mirror
Along with American Horror Story, Black Mirror is probably the big name when it comes to current television anthologies, but unlike Murphy and Falchuck’s series, Charlie Brooker’s wickedly dark and funny satirical genre show is closest in narrative style to Serling. Originally debuting on UK television on Channel 4, the series then made the move to Netflix where it saw an increase in international interest, not to mention having directors such as Dan Tractenberg and Joe Wright attached to episodes.
The series has the unique ability to be both funny, incredibly upsetting and scarier than hell. It can go from something as desperately sad as ‘The Entire History of You‘ to the absolute joy that is ‘San Junipero’. A fourth season is on the way. Long may it continue.
Do you have a favourite anthology series? Talk to us in the comments section below.