Tales of Tomorrow

Starring: Lon Chaney, Jr., Thomas Mitchell
First Aired: August 3, 1951
Number of Seasons: 2
Estimated Production Cost: $40,000* per episode with inflation

Despite the fact that American Horror Story has re-established the anthology genre in recent years, series like Twilight Zone were the original advocates of the genre several years ago. Tales of Tomorrow, which starred Lon Chaney, Jr., and Thomas Mitchell in a variety of roles, served as a major inspiration for the aforementioned series. When compared to Netflix’s American Horror Story, Tales of Tomorrow’s episodes were significantly shorter, lasting only twenty-five minutes per episode. There were a total of eighty-five episodes in the series. Stories such as Frankenstein and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea were just a few of the classics that were reimagined and preserved in the visually arresting black and white television series.

Tales Of Tomorrow

Shotgun Slade

Starring: Scott Brady
First Aired: October 24, 1959
Number of Seasons: 2
Estimated Production Cost: $52,000* per episode with inflation

It was the 1950s, and Western television series and movies were enormously popular, to the point where people had grown tired of them by the time the decade came to a conclusion. Shotgun Slade was a hit because viewers wanted something new from the traditional formula, which is why it was so successful. This genre-blending Western mystery (which you can still rent on Amazon) included cameo appearances from some of the biggest names in the industry at the time, including Jeanne Cooper, Walter Coy, Frank Ferguson, Ernie Kovacs, Brett King, Brad Johnson, and many other notable actors. One of the many innovations of this event was the use of a modern jazz score, which was in stark contrast to the Western music that was normally presented.

Shotgun Slade