| Rod Serling | |
 Rod Serling hosting The Twilight Zone
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| Born | December 25, 1924 Syracuse, New York |
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| Died | June 28, 1975 (aged 50) Rochester, New York |
| Occupation | Screenwriter |
| Spouse | Carol Serling (1948-1975) (his death) |
Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Syracuse (locally ˈsɛrəkjuːs sometimes ˈsɪrəkjuːs or /ˈsɪərəkjuːs/ by non-natives is a city in Central New York, USA. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Screenwriters or scenarists are Scriptwriters who write the Screenplays from which Films and Television programs are made Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Screenwriters or scenarists are Scriptwriters who write the Screenplays from which Films and Television programs are made Science fiction first appeared on Television during the Golden age of science fiction, first in Britain (UK and then in the United States An anthology series is a radio or television series that has a different story and a different set of characters in every episode The Twilight Zone is an American Television series created by Rod Serling.
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Biography
The second of two sons (his brother Robert J. Serling later became a novelist), Rod was born in Syracuse, New York to Samuel and Esther Serling, but was raised in Binghamton, New York, where he later graduated from Binghamton Central High School. Syracuse (locally ˈsɛrəkjuːs sometimes ˈsɪrəkjuːs or /ˈsɪərəkjuːs/ by non-natives is a city in Central New York, USA. Binghamton, known as The Parlor City is a City located in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. Binghamton High School, previously known as Binghamton Central High School, is a large public High school located in the center of Binghamton, New He earned his B. A. in 1950 from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Antioch College was a private independent Liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States, and was the founder and flagship Yellow Springs is a village in Greene County, Ohio, United States, and is the home of Antioch College. Though brought up in a Jewish family, Serling became a Unitarian Universalist. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Unitarian Universalism ( UUism) is a theologically liberal Religion characterized by its support for a "free and responsible search for truth Serling's family had a summer home on Cayuga Lake, in New York's Finger Lakes region, and inspired the name "Cayuga Productions" for his Twilight Zone production company. The Finger Lakes are a chain of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York that are a popular tourist destination
Military service
Rod Serling served as a U.S. Army paratrooper and demolition specialist with the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific Theater in World War II from January 1943 to January 1945. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Paratroopers are Soldiers trained in Parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. Demolition is the opposite of Construction: the tearing-down of Buildings and other Structures It contrasts with deconstruction The Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO was the World War II military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it a geographic scope World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including He was seriously wounded in the wrist and knee during combat and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration which may be awarded for bravery acts of merit or meritorious service
Serling's military service deeply affected the rest of his life and informed much of his writing. Due to his wartime experiences, Serling suffered from nightmares and flashbacks. A nightmare is a Dream which causes a strong unpleasant emotional response from the sleeper typically fear or horror being in situations of extreme danger or the sensations In history film television and other media a flashback (also called analepsis) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current During his service in World War II, he watched as his best friend was crushed to death by a heavy supply crate dropped by parachute onto the field. Serling was rather short (5'4") and slight. He was a noted boxer during his military days. [1]
Early writing career
Biographers note that throughout his career, Serling was inspired by legendary radio and television playwright Norman Corwin. Norman Lewis Corwin (born May 3, 1910) is an American writer Screenwriter, producer essayist and teacher of journalism and writing Both men would trace their careers through the WLW broadcasting franchise to eventually find homes at CBS, and both would be honored for weaving pivotal social themes into their scripts. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network.
In 1951, Serling started to break into television by writing scripts for The Doctor, Fireside Theater, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Lux Video Theater, Kraft Television Theatre, Suspense and Studio One. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The Doctor was a half-hour medical Anthology series that aired Sunday evenings on the NBC television network from 1952-1953 This program should not be confused with The Firesign Theatre. Hallmark Hall of Fame is a long-running irregularly scheduled anthology program on American Television. Lux Video Theatre is a weekly Television Anthology series, produced from 1950 until 1959 Kraft Television Theatre is an American drama / anthology television series that began May 7, 1947 on NBC, airing at Suspense is the Feeling of uncertainty and Anxiety about the outcome of certain actions most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work Studio One is a long-running American dramatic radio - television Anthology series, created in 1947 by the 26-year-old Canadian He also worked for local Cincinnati TV station WKRC (Channel 12), where he wrote a series of live TV shows titled The Storm. The program was a precursor to The Twilight Zone, as was one of the scripts: Requiem for a Heavyweight.
In 1955, Kraft Television Theatre presented another of Serling's scripts, the seventy-second to reach the air. To the Serlings, it was just another script, and they missed the first live airing. The name of the show was Patterns and it changed Rod Serling's life. Patterns dramatized the power struggle among a corporate boss, an old hand running out of ideas and energy, and a bright young executive being groomed to take the older man's place. Patterns is an acclaimed live television drama with a Rod Serling Teleplay, his first major breakthrough It was a huge hit, and was re-aired the following week, which was nearly unprecedented at the time. The script established Serling as a rarity: a television playwright.
More acclaimed teleplays followed, including The Rack, about a Korean War veteran and the effects of torture, the legendary Requiem for a Heavyweight (from CBS's Playhouse 90 series), and several others, some of which were adapted to the big screen. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the A veteran (from Latin vetus, meaning "old" is a person who has or is working in the armed forces Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental is intentionally Requiem for a Heavyweight was originally a teleplay written by Rod Serling and produced for the Live television show Playhouse 90 Playhouse 90, a 90-minute dramatic television anthology series was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1961 for a total of 133 episodes Requiem, like Patterns, was honored as a milestone in television drama. The installment's producer, Martin Manulis, noted in a PBS biography of Serling that after the live broadcast, CBS chairman William S. Paley called the control room to tell the crew that the show had advanced TV by 10 years. Martin Manulis ( May 30, 1915 &ndash September 28, 2007) was an American film, television and Theater producer The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the William Samuel Paley ( September 28, 1901 &ndash October 26, 1990) was the chief executive who built Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS The show's director, Ralph Nelson, wrote and directed a television drama four years later for the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse about writing Requiem for a Heavyweight called The Man in the Funny Suit, in which Serling appeared as himself. Ralph Nelson ( August 12 1916 &ndash December 21 1987) was an American movie and television director producer writer and actor The Man in the Funny Suit (1960 is a television drama detailing the agony endured by actor Keenan Wynn while helping his father legendary comedian Ed Wynn
Tired of seeing his scripts butchered (removing any political statements, ethnic identities, even the Chrysler Building being removed from a script sponsored by Ford), Serling decided the only recourse for avoiding such artistic interference was to create his own show. The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco Skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan at the intersection of 42nd
The Twilight Zone
In 1959, CBS aired the first episode of a groundbreaking series, The Twilight Zone. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. The Twilight Zone is an American Television series created by Rod Serling. Serling fought hard for creative control, hiring writers he respected (such as Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont) and launched himself into weekly television. Richard Matheson (born February 20, 1926) is an American Author and Screenwriter, typically of fantasy, horror Charles Beaumont ( January 2, 1929 – February 21, 1967) was a prolific U He stated in an interview that "the science fiction format would not be controversial and would escape censorship unlike the earlier Playhouse 90. [2] In reality the show gave him the opportunity to communicate social messages in a more veiled context.
Serling drew on his own experiences for many episodes, with frequent stories about boxing, military life and aircraft pilots, which integrated Serling's firsthand knowledge. The series also incorporated Serling's progressive social views on racial relations and the like, which were somewhat veiled by the sci-fi/fantasy elements of the shows. Occasionally, however, Serling could be quite blunt, as in the episode I Am The Night — Color Me Black, where America's racism and hatred causes a dark cloud to form in the South before eventually spreading elsewhere. Serling was also progressive on matters of gender, with many stories featuring quick-thinking, resilient women, although he also wrote stories featuring shrewish, nagging wives.
The show lasted five seasons (four using a half-hour format, with one half-season using an hour-long format), winning awards and critical acclaim for Serling and his staff. While having a loyal fan base, the program never had huge ratings and was twice canceled, only to be revived. After five years and 156 episodes, 92 of them written by Serling himself, Serling wearied of the show. TemplateInfobox TTW season one through TemplateInfobox TTW season five to match -->This is a list of In 1964, he decided to let the third cancellation be final.
Serling sold his rights to the series to CBS. His wife later claimed that he did this partly because he believed the studio would never recoup the cost of the show, which frequently went over budget. In hindsight, this move proved to be a costly mistake.
Night Gallery
In 1969, NBC aired a Serling-penned pilot for a new series, Night Gallery. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Night Gallery is Rod Serling 's follow-up series to The Twilight Zone that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973 Set in a dimly lit museum, the pilot film featured Serling (as on-camera host) introducing three tales of the macabre, unveiling canvases that would appear in the subsequent story segments.
The series, which premiered in December 1970 (its brief first season rotated as one spoke of a four-series programming wheel titled Four in One), focused more on gothic horror and the occult than did The Twilight Zone. Gothic fiction (sometimes referred to as Gothic horror) is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Serling, no longer wanting the burden of an executive position, sidestepped an offer to retain creative control of content — a decision he would come to regret. Although discontented with some of producer Jack Laird's script and creative choices, Serling maintained a stream of creative submissions and ultimately wrote over a third of the series' scripts.
By season three however, Serling began to see many of his script contributions rejected. With his complaints ignored, the disgruntled host dismissed the show as "Mannix in a cemetery. Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. " Night Gallery lasted until 1973.
While the series has its own cult following, it is not as successful as The Twilight Zone and is generally regarded as a pale shadow of Serling's previous series.
Fiction
Serling wrote a number of short stories in the science fiction and horror genres, which were collected into three volumes of Twilight Zone stories (1960, 1961, 1962), two of Night Gallery stories (1971, 1972) and a collection of three novellas, The Season to be Wary (1968). The short story is a literary genre of Fictional Prose Narrative that tends to be more concise and to the point than longer works of fiction such Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience A novella is a written, Fictional Prose Narrative longer than a Novelette but shorter than a Novel. Serling also released a collection of teleplays, Patterns, in 1957. The collection included the teleplays for "Patterns," "The Rack," "Old MacDonald Had a Curve," and "Requiem For a Heavyweight".
A critical essay on Serling's fiction can be found in S. T. Joshi's book The Evolution of the Weird Tale (2004). Sunand Tryambak Joshi (b 22 June 1958 in Pune, India) is an Indian American Literary Critic, and a leading Joshi emphasises Serling's moralism and the streak of misanthropy imbuing his work, and argues that, far from being merely rewritten scripts, many of Serling's stories can stand as genuinely original and meritorious works of prose fiction. Moralism is the firm belief that humans are instilled with morals which govern themselves and by following these morals humans can achieve a more meaningful life than they would if Misanthropy is a general dislike distrust or hatred of the Human species or a disposition to dislike and/or distrust other people
Later years
Subsequent to The Twilight Zone, Serling moved onto cinema screens and continued to write for television. In 1964, he scripted Carol for Another Christmas, a television adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Carol for Another Christmas, scripted by Rod Serling as a modernization of Charles Dickens ' A Christmas Carol and a plea for A Christmas Carol in Prose Being a Ghost Story of Christmas (commonly known as A Christmas Carol) is a Novella by Charles Dickens It was telecast only once, December 28, 1964, on ABC. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. [3]
Serling wrote a number of screenplays with a political focus, including Seven Days in May (1964) about an attempted military coup against the President of the United States; Planet of the Apes (1968); and The Man (1972) about the first African American President. Seven Days in May is a political thriller Novel written by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W Planet of the Apes is a 1968 Science fiction / thriller film directed by Franklin J The Man is a 1972 political drama directed by Joseph Sargent and starring James Earl Jones. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa
Serling had taped introductions for a limited-run summer comedy series on ABC, Keep on Truckin', which was scheduled to begin its run several weeks after his death; these introductions were subsequently edited out of the broadcast episodes. He also wrote the pilot episode for a short-lived Aaron Spelling series called The New People in 1969. The New People was a short-lived 1969 American television series on ABC that focused on a group of young college students who were returning from a trip
Serling returned to radio in 1974 as the host of a new mystery/adventure series called The Zero Hour. [4] The show aired for two years and Serling wrote several of the scripts. It failed to find a large audience due to its radio serial format and lack of promotion. [5]
Late in his life, Serling taught at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York where he resided for many years, and did voiceovers for various projects. Ithaca College is a private institution of higher education located on the South Hill of Ithaca New York. The City of Ithaca (named for the Greek island of Ithaca) sits on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, in Central New York He narrated documentaries featuring French undersea explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau and (uncredited) performed the narration for the beginning of the Brian De Palma film Phantom of the Paradise. Jacques-Yves Cousteau ( 11 June 1910 – 25 June 1997) was a French naval officer explorer, Ecologist, Brian De Palma (born Brian Russell DePalma on September 11 1940 in Newark New Jersey) is an American Film director. Phantom of the Paradise (also known as The Phantom of the Filmore) is a 1974 horror - thriller Musical film
In 1975, Serling had two severe heart attacks before entering Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for heart bypass surgery. Strong Memorial Hospital is a 750-bed medical facility located at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester New York. Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure He had a third heart attack during the operation and died the following day, at the age of 50. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply He is interred at the cemetery in Interlaken, New York, an area of upstate New York featured prominently in some Twilight Zone episodes. Burial, also called interment and inhumation, is the act of placing a person or object into the ground Interlaken is a Village in Seneca County, New York, United States.
After his death, several Serling scripts were produced. In 1988, J. Michael Straczynski scripted Serling's outline "Our Selena Is Dying" for the 1980s revival of The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling's Lost Classics (1994) was a TV movie based on a Serling script and an outline for another story (the latter was expanded and scripted by Richard Matheson), In the Presence of Mine Enemies (1997) was set in the Warsaw Ghetto, a science-fiction remake of A Town Has Turned to Dust (1998), and A Storm in Summer (2000) followed. Joseph Michael Straczynski (born July 17, 1954) known professionally as J The New Twilight Zone is the popular nickname for the 1985 revival of Rod Serling 's acclaimed 1950/60s Television series, The Twilight Zone Twilight Zone Rod Serling's Lost Classics was a 1994 telefilm consisting of two Rod Serling stories Richard Matheson (born February 20, 1926) is an American Author and Screenwriter, typically of fantasy, horror The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of the Jewish Ghettos located in the territory of General Government during World War II, established by
Awards and honors
During his lifetime, Rod Serling received six Emmys, and his biggest successes in writing include:
- Patterns (1955)
- Requiem for a Heavyweight (1956)
- The Comedian (1957)
- A Town Has Turned to Dust (1958)
- The Velvet Alley (1958)
- The Twilight Zone (1959 - 1964 television series)
- Night Gallery (1970 - 1973 television series)
- Planet of the Apes (1968 co-written with Michael Wilson)
Legacy in television
When casting for the role of the shady Mr. Morden for the television series Babylon 5, creator J. Michael Straczynski chose Ed Wasser - who had played a bit part in the series' two-hour pilot TV movie - for the role because of his slick looks, charm, and vocal mannerisms reminiscent of a young Rod Serling. Patterns is an acclaimed live television drama with a Rod Serling Teleplay, his first major breakthrough Requiem for a Heavyweight was originally a teleplay written by Rod Serling and produced for the Live television show Playhouse 90 The Twilight Zone is an American Television series created by Rod Serling. Night Gallery is Rod Serling 's follow-up series to The Twilight Zone that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973 Planet of the Apes is a 1968 Science fiction / thriller film directed by Franklin J Morden is a fictional character in the universe of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Ed Wasser. Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created produced and largely written by J Joseph Michael Straczynski (born July 17, 1954) known professionally as J Ed Wasser (born March 26, 1964 in Roslyn Heights New York) is an American Actor, best known for his portrayal of the mysterious
Serling was ranked #1 in TV Guide's list of the "25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends" (in the 1 August 2004 issue). TV Guide is the name of a North American weekly magazine about television programming Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
More than 30 years after his death, Serling was digitally resurrected for an episode of the TV series Medium that aired on November 21, 2005. Medium is an American Dramatic Television series which premiered on NBC on January 3, 2005. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The episode, which was partially filmed in 3-D, opened with Serling introducing the episode and instructing viewers as to when to put on their 3-D glasses. See also [[stereoscopy]] In film the term 3-D (or 3D) is used to describe any visual presentation system that attempts to maintain or recreate moving images This was accomplished by using footage from The Twilight Zone episode "The Midnight Sun" and digitally manipulating Serling's mouth to match new dialogue spoken by impersonator Mark Silverman. "The Midnight Sun" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. The plot of the episode involved paintings coming to life, a nod to both The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery.
The annual Halloween episodes of The Simpsons have regularly featured parodies of classic Twilight Zone episodes. These episodes include "Treehouse of Horror", "Treehouse of Horror II", and "Treehouse of Horror XIV". This article refers to the first Treehouse of Horror episode For an overview of the series of episodes see Treehouse of Horror (series. " Treehouse of Horror II " is the seventh episode of The Simpsons third season, the second ''Simpsons'' Halloween episode, and the " Treehouse of Horror XIV " is the first episode of The Simpsons ' fifteenth season and originally aired on November 2 "Treehouse of Horror IV" borrows the opening from Serling's Night Gallery and includes a segment based on a Twilight Zone episode. " Treehouse of Horror IV " is the fifth episode of The Simpsons ' fifth season, first aired on October 28,
Legacy in other media
Over the years, a number of pop/rock songs have included tributes and references to Rod Serling and/or The Twilight Zone.
- In 1982, Dutch rock band Golden Earring scored a hit with a song titled "Twilight Zone". Golden Earring are a Dutch rock band founded in 1961 in The Hague as the Golden Earrings (the 's' was dropped in 1969
- In 1979, the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer scored a big hit with "The Twilight Zone / The Twilight Tone" a jazz-rock variation of the classic Marius Constant theme from the television series (from their Extensions album; their promotional video clip even had lead singer Alan Paul standing beside a door floating in space, mimicking Rod Serling for the introduction. The Manhattan Transfer is the name of two incarnations of an American vocal group with Tim Hauser being the only link between the two groups
- On "Threatened", a track from his 2001 album Invincible, pop superstar Michael Jackson used samples of Rod Serling narrations from The Twilight Zone as introduction and conclusion to the song, as well as a montage of clips to make Serling rap in the middle section of the tune. Invincible is a Studio album recorded by Michael Jackson released on October 30 2001 Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and
- The Twilight Zone was parodied in an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, in which the episode was themed for. The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy is an award-winning American Animated television series that originally aired on Cartoon Network. It was called "The Billy Zone. " During the show, you can see a cartoon version of Rod Serling, and ends up getting beat up at the end.
In the late 1970's Canadian rock music trio RUSH dedicated the album "Caress Of Steel" to the memory of Rod Serling. Lyricist and drummer Neil Peart and his wife Jackie named their only child, a daughter, Selena.
On April 5, 1993, Midway introduced The Twilight Zone pinball machine which featured a backglass portrait of Serling surrounded by his creations. Midway Games ( (formerly Midway Manufacturing) is an American Video game publisher. Twilight Zone (often abbreviated TZ) is a 1993 widebody Pinball game designed by Pat Lawlor and released by Midway (under the Pinball is a type of coin-operated Arcade game where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more Metal balls on a playfield inside a Glass [6]
In 1994, the Walt Disney World resort opened its premier free fall attraction titled "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" at the Disney-MGM Studios theme park in Orlando, Florida. Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror more commonly known as Tower of Terror is a simulated Freefall Thrill ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios Disney's Hollywood Studios is a Theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group Orlando is a major City in central Florida, USA and is the County seat of Orange County Florida. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The ride places guests into an unaired episode of The Twilight Zone, where they are introduced to the story by Rod Serling. The story is that at the height of the Hollywood golden age, a famous landmark hotel holding a gala event is struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. Passenger elevators carrying 5 guests mysteriously vanish after plummeting 13 stories, and the tower has stood derelict since that fateful night. Guests board "freight elevators" that carry them upwards and then laterally into the free fall shaft, where they visit the "5th Dimension" room which references the opening TV title sequence. (Footage from "It's a Good Life" was combined with voiceover work of impersonator Mark Silverman). "It’s a Good Life" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It is a misconception that Serling's trademark cigarette is absent from his hand due to the family-friendly atmosphere of the ride, as it is actually absent in the original footage as well. [7]
A similar version of the ride appears in California at Disney's California Adventure. The ride differs in aspects of pacing and tone, but nonetheless, Serling is part of the attraction. The Florida and California editions of the ride feature props from various Twilight Zone episodes.
Tokyo DisneySea has their own version of the Tower of Terror, however the "backstory" departs from the California and Florida versions, erasing all ties to "The Twilight Zone" including any reference, mention, or appearance of Rod Serling.
Disneyland Paris is scheduled to open their version of the ride in January of 2008 and will feature Serling as well as retain "The Twilight Zone" theme.
The Korean pop group SES recorded a song called "Twilight Zone" in 2001.
In an episode of Family Guy, the neighborhood argues over who stole the Golden Clam trophy in a manner similar to The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street. Family Guy is an animated American television sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane that airs on Fox and regularly on other Rod Serling then comes on screen narrating until Peter accuses him of stealing the trophy. Later, it is revealed that Brian had it the whole time. When Rod begins narrating again, Brian hits him in the back of the head with a shovel.
In an episode of Futurama, The Twilight Zone is parodied and it is called "The Scary Door. Futurama is an Emmy Award -winning animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening, and developed by Groening and " The Twilight Zone episode referenced is Time Enough at Last, Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith's character) is seen in a library. "Time Enough at Last" is an episode of the American Television anthology series The Twilight Zone. Oliver Burgess Meredith ( November 16, 1908 He graduated from Hoosac School in 1926 As he says there is time at last his glasses break. When he says he can read large print his eyes fall out. When he says he can read braille his hands fall off. Then he screams and his tongue falls out and then he becomes decapitated.
Other filmography
- The Loner (TV series)
- Encounter with the Unknown (1975) (narrator)
- Narrated many of The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau specials produced by Alan Landsburg in the 1960s and 1970s. The Loner is an American western series that ran for less than one season on CBS from 1965 to 1966. United States cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century Jacques-Yves Cousteau ( 11 June 1910 – 25 June 1997) was a French naval officer explorer, Ecologist, Alan Landsburg (born May 10, 1933 in New York City New York is an award-winning American television writer, producer, and director
References
- ^ Rod Serling - Man From the Twilight Zone Clifton Unitarian Church; 2000.
- ^ Roasting Rod Serling. Retrieved on 2008-01-01. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC
- ^ Vinciguerra, Thomas. "Marley Is Dead, Killed in a Nuclear War, December 20, 2007. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
- ^ The Zero Hour Radio Log
- ^ History of Mutual Radio's Zero Hour
- ^ Internet Pinball Database - Twilight Zone. Retrieved on 2007-02-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor
- ^ Interview with Mark Silverman. WDWMagic. com (October 2006). October 2006 was a month that began on a Sunday The month was marked by a nuclear test by North Korea that prompted that passing of Resolution 1718 Retrieved on 2006-12-25. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian
External links
- Rod Serling at the Internet Movie Database
- The Rod Serling Museum - Binghamton, New York
- The Rod Serling Memorial Foundation
- Serling entry in Unitarian Universalist Biographical Dictionary
- Rod Serling Archives at Ithaca College The Rod Serling Archives consists of television scripts, movie screenplays, stage play scripts, films, published works by Serling, unproduced scripts, and secondary materials
- Rod Serling Conference at Ithaca College An academic conference focused on studying the creative work of Rod Serling. The next one is scheduled for March 28-29. 2008
- An Interview with Carol Serling: 'Life With Rod'
- Rod Serling Archive at the Wisconsin Historical Society Serling's papers consist of roughly 80,000 documents ranging from scripts to personal correspondence, including a folder of angry letters received by Serling.
- Rod Serling's Gravestone
- Twilight zone and Serling's writings
- "Writing for Television" by Rod Serling
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Serling, Rod |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Serling, Rodman Edward |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Screenwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 25, 1924 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Syracuse, New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 28, 1975 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Rochester, New York |
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