From Jordan Peele and Simon Kinberg, the modern re-imagining of The Twilight Zone (available to stream at CBS All Access, where you can also watch every episode of the original series) has Peele serving as host and narrator, in the role previously held by Rod Serling, as the anthology series explores different genres and tones in its socially conscious storytelling. Throughout its 10-episode season, it will explore the human condition in ways that are terrifying, horrific, funny and always entertaining, while it leaves you with plenty to think about.

During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, Monkeypaw Productions President Win Rosenfeld, who’s an executive producer on the series, talked about how this The Twilight Zone evolved, what everyone involved was most nervous about, when they knew they were on the right track, how Jordan Peele approached bringing his own personality to the role of the host, why this new version has profanity, assembling an incredible cast, and whether there could be more episodes. He also talked about why he’s excited about their upcoming HBO TV series Lovecraft Country, and why he hopes their version of Candyman will leave an indelible mark on audiences, the way that the original did on them.

Collider:  I’ve been excited about the return of The Twilight Zone since it was announced, but I had no idea just how mind-blowingly amazing it was going to be. As far as I’m concerned, it’s absolute perfection, from the storytelling, to the cast, to Jordan Peele’s spot-on delivery as the host.

WIN ROSENFELD:  Thank you!

How did this originally come about? Who had the initial idea to do this?

ROSENFELD:  We were actually initially encouraged by Simon Kinberg and Genre Films. This has been a much beloved property for them, as well. Early on in the process, partly inspired by Jordan’s very public love of Rod Serling and the original series, and Get Out, we had the great fortune of them picking up the phone and giving us a call, and saying, “Hey, do you think there’s something to do here?” And so, that’s how it started.

When it came to doing this show, what was everyone most nervous about?

ROSENFELD:  Oh, my god, all of it. It’s so scary, when you have something that you love and respect, as much as we love and respect the original The Twilight Zone, and our chief goal was to do right by Rod Serling and the legacy of the show. Jordan said, “The Twilight Zone ain’t broken.” Our approach to re-imagining was really about trying to unpack and figure out why it worked so well, and what made those stories and episodes so incredibly timeless and durable today. The biggest danger, always is getting in your own way, and we wanted to make sure that we weren’t doing that.

At any point, along the way, did you have a moment where you were like, “Okay, we’ve got this. We’re onto something with what we’re doing,” or does that moment not come? Are you just always nervous about how it will be received?

ROSENFELD:  There were big epiphany moments, along the way. There were a couple of key words and phrases that we landed on, that became guiding principles for us. One of them was this idea of mischief, and that when we’re at our best, we’re being a little mischievous. We were able to look at episodes and say, “No, that isn’t mischievous enough,” which meant not dour, and clever but not condescending, and just enough of a wink, at the right place. We want people to have a good time.

What Jordan Peele has done as the host is so perfect, with the slightest twitch of an eyebrow or the hint of a smirk while he’s talking. Did you guys have any conversations about how he would find that perfect balance between channeling Rod Serling while also bringing his own personality to the role?

ROSENFELD:  Yes, we definitely did talk about that. From the beginning, Jordan was like “The one thing that I’m not gonna do is a Rod Serling impression.” And I was like, “Of course not.” We certainly never wanted to be in the position that it felt like we were doing parody. Jordan was particularly sensitive to that because his face is really associated with comedy. If anybody’s seen Key and Peele, it associates him with outlandish wigs and on the body of a Chihuahua, and all of these strange scenarios. On the other hand, the Rod Serling narrator is a combination of this omniscient gatekeeper to this other dimension, and a presence that firms and cements the surreality of the show and the fact that he’s in the shot, narrating the shot. At the same time, he also brings a certain avuncular ease and comfort. He knows something that you don’t know. When executed correctly, that can be both unsettling and comforting, at the same time. That’s what Jordan is, and that’s who he is.

The Twilight Zone has always been a show for all ages, and that the entire family watches together, but this version uses some profanity that we haven’t heard on the show before. Was that something that was talked about? Is it used because we just live in a different world now?

ROSENFELD:  We were not so much saying that we need to use profanity. Much in the way that the original The Twilight Zone was a reflection of its time, we wanted to make sure that our The Twilight Zone is a reflection of our time. People, in real life, do curse, so if it was organic to the character and the situation, we didn’t want to censor ourselves, just for the sake of censoring ourselves. I’d also add, have you heard the potty mouths on ten-year-olds these days? It’s unbelievable.

You also have Lovecraft Country in production this year for HBO. What are you most excited about with that project?

ROSENFELD:  That project is amazing. That’s going to be written and run by Misha Green, who is still in the process of writing and rewriting the season. I think it is absolutely unlike anything anyone has ever seen on television before. It’s really scary and funny and totally weird and big. I’m very, very excited for people to see it because it’s truly something special.

And it sounds like you have another really awesome cast, too, like with the incredible actors you got for The Twilight Zone.

ROSENFELD:  With The Twilight Zone, in particular, there are so many people out there who grew up with the original. There are a lot of actors that it inspired. Adam Scott said that it’s the kind of show that made him want to be an actor. Part of the opportunity that The Twilight Zone gives an actor, that other shows don’t, is that you really get to come in and make a short film. You get to come in and explore an entire story arc, with highs and lows, and you get to play these flawed, real people. At the same time, you’re also in something that’s very far from the conventional drama construct. So, as long as the scripts were good, we were very confident that we would get the people we wanted to cast, and we were very fortunate that we did.

I’m also really excited about Candyman. I love that story and character so much, and you’re credited as writing that script with Jordan Peele. What is it that excites you about that project ? Are you going back to Clive Barker’s original work and taking any qualities from that story?

ROSENFELD:  Absolutely! I’ve spoken to Clive, a couple of times, and there is not a sweeter person on the planet. I admire him so much, as does Jordan. The original short story is amazing, and the original movie is one of those things that’s left an indelible mark on Jordan and myself and I think people are going to hopefully respond to that movie, in the same way that we did, with the original. The tone that Clive managed to make – an urban monster, ghost film, romance – and really pushed the boundaries of commercial filmmaking and high art, was no easy task. So, again, we find ourselves confronted with a very high bar.

Are you hoping to do more episodes of The Twilight Zone?

ROSENFELD: Absolutely! We certainly are. We’ve already got enough ideas for probably more than just the immediate future.

The Twilight Zone is available to stream at CBS All Access.