Biography
Who is Rod Serling?
Rodman Edward Serling
December 25, 1924—June 28, 1975
An American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his surreal anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone. He won six Emmy awards, for for dramas and two for Twilight Zone—more than any other writer. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen, and helped form television industry standards. He was known as the “angry young man” of Hollywood, clashing with television executives and sponsors over a wide range of issues including censorship, racism, and war. More at Wikipedia.
11th Airborne in WW II
Watch a 53-minute video about Rod Serling's World War II service as a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne
Bob Crane Interviews Rod Serling
The Bob Crane Show: interview with Rod Serling as aired on KNX-CBS Radio on December 11, 1961. Yes, that Bob Crane. Subject: "The Shelter."
Keeper of the Chair
Rod Serling’s First Twilight Zone Episode? A significant anniversary in Rod Serling history: On July 10, 1951, Rod Serling's "The Keeper of the Chair" aired on WKRC's THE [...]
Rod Serling Said This
“Every writer is a frustrated actor who recites his lines in the hidden auditorium of his skull.” This collection of quotes is FAR [...]
Carol Serling 1929-2020
Carol Serling, widow of Rod Serling, faithful defender and steward of his work, passed away on January 9, 2020, at age 90. Many years ago, Carol [...]
Can a TV Writer Keep His Integrity?
TV Guide circa 1965: Rod Serling and Reginald Rose debate censorship of their work, beginning in person and continuing by mail, refereed by Edith Efron.
Writing for Television Discussions
Ithaca College, NY, circa 1972: Rod Serling and a half dozen of his Ithaca College writing students made a Q&A video. It's now viral on the internet, after [...]
Video Tour of Serling Sites in Binghamton, NY
Rod Serling's home town video-logged by a local.
Rod Serling: Submitted for Your Approval
This PBS American Masters episode uses clips from Rod Serling's own filmed screenplays to illustrate his life.
Rod Serling’s Complete Filmography
213 TV scripts, 6 Emmy Awards, 13 movie scripts. All productions listed here occured during Rod Serling's lifetime, except the final entry, The Time Travellers. Television 1. The [...]
Rod Serling and the Conscience of a Generation
by Marek Breiger in Jewish Currents: He employed the new technology of television to transmit ancient truths, and part of his truth emerged from a very powerful, non-religious identification [...]
Twilight Zone Writer Challenged Prejudice
Rod Serling, a Unitarian, confronted prejudice with innovative television scripts. He circumvented censors because they didn't understand what he was doing.
A Passionate Investor in Television
Screenwriter Rod Serling Changed The Small Screen With His Dedication To Big Issues… Rod Serling saw the powerful potential of television. But it seemed to him that TV [...]
Congress remains in the Twilight Zone
"You listen to what is said in Congress and wonder how some of those men got there. Well, obviously, they got there by dropping out of high school." [...]
Life With Rod: A Conversation With Carol Serling
"He used to say that the ultimate obsenity is not caring, not doing something about what you feel." Interview by Bob Rosenbaum (April 1987)
Rod Serling’s Final Interview
March 4, 1975: Not knowing that he has less than four months to live, Rod weighs in eerily on awards, prejudice, censorship, compulsion, immortality, (not) planning ahead ...and [...]
Rod Serling’s Binghamton Obituary
"When I think of true genius and Binghamton, New York, there are two people who come to mind. One of them ... is Rod Serling." —Mike Doll, Binghamton [...]
Rod Serling’s Commencement Speech at Ithaca College, 1972
Rod Serling warns of overxposure to perpetual office-seekers, the posturing push-button products of politics built out of plastic and cigar smoke.
Rod Serling Teaches Writing, Vol. 2
Dave Pitt asks a writing question, and Rod responds Rod never allowed fame to warp him... Here is writing advice that he gave to someone he had never [...]
Rod Serling calls himself “a reasonably valuable antique”
It's 1970, after Twilight Zone and The Loner but before Night Gallery and A Storm in Summer, and Rod Serling feels that television has sidelined him. This [...]
Rod Serling Rips Loyalty Oaths, the Vietnam War, and Social Inequity
"If you want to prove that God is not dead... first prove that man is alive." —Rod Serling, urging his audience to be intent on changing the world. [...]
Rod Serling’s 1968 Commencement Address at BHS
Rod Serling's Speech to Binghamton Central High School Graduates Sunday, January 28, 1968 Graduates, ladies and gentlemen, faculty, friends and old acquaintances, unless you've reached my age and [...]
Rod Serling: Don’t Ignore Evil
Serling consigns white backlash "...to its proper place, and that would have to be in a city dump some place outside of Pomona."
Rod Serling Rips TV Censorship
May 1, 1964: Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin There has been progress made in the quality of television programming, but some of the industry’s worst problems—like censorship by advertisers—remains, [...]
Why is TV the Whipping Boy?
Other mass media have the same faults but escape criticism By Rod Serling This article, tenth in TV Guide's "Television As I See It" series, appeared June 18, [...]
