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George Wendt was a truly loved actor best known in the world as the “Cheers” standard. Wendt died tragically on May 20, 2025, but he left behind immense work. Not only does he have a huge 269 episodes of “cheers” (and a memorable camée on “The Simpsons”), but the man had more than 170 actor credits in his name extending over almost five decades. Meanwhile, Wendt had the opportunity to put his little stamp on another classic television series.
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The show in question is none other than “the twilight zone”. Created by Rod Serling, the science fiction anthology series, which was originally broadcast in the 1960s on CBS, is still widely considered today as one of the best programs in television history. This is why CBS has relaunched it several times over the years, including the restart of “Twilight Zone” of the most recent short duration of the horror master Jordan Peele. One of the less discussed eras for the show occurred in the 1980s when CBS relaunched the series for a new generation. It was at this time that Wendt appeared in an often forgotten episode.
As part of the fourth episode of the second season of renewal, Wendt appeared in a segment entitled “The World Next Door”. He was twinned with two other segments, “The After Hours” and “Lost and Found”. We would be forgiven not to remember this episode, but for those who are curious, the synopsis of the episode (via TV tropes) reads as follows:
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Barney Schlessinger (George Wendt) is a part -time inventor whose gadgets, often very improper, are reprimanded by his wife Katy (Bernadette Birkett). Barney also had frequent dreams where he lives a second life in an alternative world stuck at the beginning of the 20th century, where he is a renowned business magnate and the speech of his city. When he is able to enter this world via a strange door in his subsoil, Barney learns that his counterpart has identical dreams in motivation to his, wanting to escape in a world where he is released from the external signs of glory, while the usual barney seeks to win this fame.
The world next door was not part of an episode of the well -considered twilight zone
It looks very much like a classic premise that suits the show. He has a large science fiction component. He has this classic lesson “Be careful what you want” in his center. It is easy to see why it was done. That said, while the revival of the 80s “Twilight Zone” had its moments, like some segments of Wes Craven, it is not as much appreciated as the original series. In addition, the episode in which Wendt appeared is not exactly considered a classic. As such, it is very likely that even the hardcore fans of the series have not seen it.
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To make things even more complicated, even those who were curious to check it now would find it difficult to do it. The 1985 era of the series is not currently streaming on Paramount + alongside the original series. It’s a bit difficult to follow according to modern television standards. In addition, these episodes have never been so heavy on the cable, which means that it is much less likely that viewers would have tripped on it.
It’s a bit of a shame, retrospectively. George Wendt made a television legend thanks to “Cheers”. Without a doubt, more people would probably like to consult his episode of “The Twilight Zone” once they discover it, there are even, even if it is out of pure curiosity. It is nothing but interesting to consider that Wendt made his mark on this franchise, even if it was relatively small.
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You can enter “The Twilight Zone: The Complete of the 80s” on Amazon DVD.
