#3: Tales of Tomorrow (1951-1953)
Launching on August 3, 1951, and starring Lon Chaney, Jr., and Thomas Mitchell, Tales of Tomorrow set the stage for an anthology series, inspiring successors like The Twilight Zone. With two seasons and a $40,000 per episode budget, it showcased a realm of fantastical tales in black and white, bringing stories and characters to life in an era predating modern horror anthologies.
Tales of Tomorrow delivered bite-sized, 25-minute stories across 85 episodes, featuring classics like Frankenstein and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Broadcast live on ABC, it featured guest stars like Boris Karloff and Leslie Nielson. Despite its brief two-season run, it left an indelible mark on sci-fi and horror television, pioneering the genre well before The Twilight Zone.