Even in the age of streaming and YouTube, it’s always wise to have the classics on hand. Since there’s no denying The Twilight Zone is an undisputed champ, fans should have some Rod Serling on their shelf if they know what’s good for them. For those who don’t want to shill out a hundred or so for the complete series box set, Image Entertainment has released two different “fan favorite” collections and two “treasures” collections, covering a total of 45 episodes. Now they’re condensing the condensed with this slim and affordable set: The Twilight Zone Essential Episodes (55th Anniversary Collection).

This new set includes 17 episodes, two less than The Twilight Zone: Fan Favorites set that was released by Image in 2010. That set contained the exact same episodes as Image’s “40th Anniversary Gift Set.” They also released “More Fan Favorites” in 2012, which featured 20 episodes, and Treasures of The Twilight Zone in 1999, which contained three episodes typically excluded from show’s syndication run. This was followed up by More Treasures of the Twilight Zone in 2001. Clearly Image Entertainment is sweet on Serling.

Episodes featured on this new set are:

• “Walking Distance”
• “Time Enough at Last”
• “The Hitch-Hiker”
• “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street”
• “A Stop at Willoughby”
• “The After Hours”
• “The Howling Man”
• “The Eye of the Beholder”
• “Nick of Time”
• “The Invaders”
• “The Obsolete Man”
• “It’s a Good Life”
• “The Midnight Sun”
• “To Serve Man”
• “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”
• “Living Doll”
• “The Masks”

There are no special features in the “Essential Episode” collection, which kinda sucks, just the episodes spread across two discs. The A/V is standard DVD quality. It’s certainly worth buying, however, if you’re looking to have an affordable set of what many consider to be core episodes. If you’re interested, the set drops on July 1.

Of these 17 episodes, there are five that have never been included on one of Image’s collections. It seems bonkers that there’s so many different Twilight Zone sets out there (aside from the complete series box set), but when you think about the show and the resonating impact it made, it’s really not so crazy.

The series’ initial run from 1959-64 contained 156 episodes and drew in an average weekly audience close to 18 million people. Since then it’s been consistently in syndication, developing millions of more fans. And each one of those cultured individuals has their own favorite episodes. Putting together a set of “fan favorites” and “essentials” seems almost arbitrary. It’s like trying to pick the best “Seinfeld” episodes without going by Emmy wins.

For the sake of conversation, I’ll throw my favorite Twilight Zone episodes out there. I enjoy a mixed bag of the series’ social commentary and straight up horror.

• “It’s a Good Life”: based on Jerome Bixby’s 1953 short story of the same name, this episode’s suffocating with suspense as it presents one of the series’ greatest monsters, little Anthony. Stay on his good side and don’t sing if you don’t want to be set out into the cornfield.

• “The Incredible World of Horace Ford”: this one’s about a toy designer who longs for the happiness and carefree times of childhood. When he’s given the opportunity to revisit them, he finds the good ol’ days were filled with rejection, beatings, and ridicule. A powerful and well-acted piece on the trappings of nostalgia.

• “Night Call”: a horrifying episode penned by the late great Richard Matheson. What remains unseen here is always more terrifying than what’s on screen. Matheson’s original story (“Long Distance Call”) contains a much more gruesome ending, but the episode’s build up is deftly executed.

• “The Dummy”: I’m biased here because I have a fascination with ventriloquism and creepy ass dummies.

• “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up:” this is a fun one filled with humor and style. A light commentary on Communist witch hunts, but with a silly, classic ending.

Man, I could go on about Talking Tina in “Living Doll,” who to this day scares the shit out of my father. Or about “The Invaders,” which made me terrified to go in my attic.

Those are some of my favorites, how about you?