The Twilight Zone 1985 Revival Hired George R.R. Martin as Writer The Twilight Zone returned to television in 1985 with a new cast and crew, including a young George R.R. Martin, who wrote five episodes and became a story editor. The Twilight Zone returned to television in 1985, more than 20 years after the original series ended, with a new group of actors, directors and writers. Among them was science-fiction author George R.R. Martin, who was already known to genre readers but had little television recognition at the time. The revival was produced by CBS, which aimed to recreate the formula of Rod Serling's celebrated original show. Twilight Zone Revival Recruited George R.R. MartinThe original Twilight Zone ran from 1959 to 1964 under creator and host Rod Serling. Critics praised it as innovative and intelligent, although it was not an instant ratings success. By its later seasons, the show faced declining ratings, rising costs and the usual problems of producing an ambitious network series. It ended after five seasons.Reruns kept the show alive and its reputation grew after it left the air. Its stories found new viewers and its influence spread throughout science fiction and fantasy. That legacy was the winning formula CBS tried to bring back in 1985.Before the revival, Martin had sold poorly. The disappointing result stalled his momentum as a novelist. When CBS was assembling 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 to offer him a six-week deal as a staff writer.That deal eventually led to Martin becoming a story editor on the series. He wrote five episodes across its first two seasons. Unfortunately, none of his scripts made it into the revival's first season.Martin Learned Television Craft on the SeriesMartin later credited The Twilight Zone with teaching him how television actually worked. He learned about casting, table reads, filming and post-production. That experience led to more television work and eventually put him on the path toward his later career.The writer would eventually become famous for creating one of the biggest fantasy worlds of the modern era, known for Westeros, dragons and political intrigue. None of that was guaranteed in 1985. At the time, Martin was simply another science-fiction writer working on a revived television series that had a lot to live up to.The revival ultimately ran for two seasons and produced a substantial collection of new stories. It was not able to duplicate the cultural impact of Serling's original series, but that was not necessarily the point. It gave The Twilight Zone another life and introduced its concept to viewers who had not been around for the original run.Looking back at that revival now, Martin's name is inevitably associated with his later fantasy work. Yet in 1985 he was learning the fundamentals of television writing, and his time on The Twilight Zone helped shape the career that followed.