"Submitted for your consideration...." I'd like to see an homage to Rod Serling...in the rec room of the starship Enterprise...crew sit around and watch reruns of "the twilight zone".
@@sharonpolikoff7282I kind of think that the reason for him having a cigarette in his hand was only done in episodes where a cigarette company happened to be a sponsor. I don’t know how accurate I am with the statement I just made but there’s just no way I can doubt it.
He wrote about life and its truth's, truth's will always stand the test of time. Left too soon Rod but in the words of Maxwell Smart, you would probably say, "And Loving it" about those damn cigarettes,
Met Rod Serling when I was working security at the Atlanta Airport, Serling had almost forgotten his brief case and a friend of mine said don't worry it is just a bad dream which caused Serling to laugh out loud!
Met his daughter in Palm Springs in 2021. She was lovely and absolutely adored her father. She made Rod seem more of a person than just an entertainment icon. Her book “As I knew him:My Dad Rod Serling” is a great read for any Rod Serling/Twilight Zone fans.
I am 60 years old, and I remember watching Night Gallery with my papa. Always gave me the shivers, but oh so good. RIP Mr. Serling, and thank you for your service, and your many years of entertaining us ❤
Crazy he was so young. What a loss. Plus, he looked so much older t me than 50, but I think that comes down to the styles of the time. Smoking three packs a day couldn't have helped his skin either.
One of the most influential persons during the Golden Age of Television. The anthology shows of the time showcased some of the best writing and acting ever presented on television. Thank you Mr. Serling. I still watch Twilight Zone every night.
In 1960, I saw an anthology show on TV. In this episode, it is 1910, and a guy is going to marry the love of his life, but she becomes ill and dies. Fifty years later, the guy is sitting on a park bench and a bus pulls up, and a girl gets off the bus. She looks exactly like the man's dead girlfriend. I cannot help but dream of what Mr. Serling would have done with this premise!
"A Stop at Willoughby" really hits home for me. Didn't see the significance when I was younger, but now at 60, I can relate. Another one with a similar plot is "Walking Distance." You just don't know how good life was as a youngster.
We all dreamed of a place that was in our minds as kids and as adults, I guess we still do, like that line in that episode which said " a man can slow down to a walk and live his life full measure ".
For me, Rod Serling will always be remembered for "The Twilight Zone." He was an exceptionally gifted host, even his voice sound enhanced the show! "Night Gallery," was good, but no show can compete with "The Twilight Zone," and come out on top.
Thanks for this. I was born in 1950 so I remember the TZ well - still one of my favorite TV shows. After high school, I went to Antioch College and met Rod Serling very briefly in the student cafeteria (my friend said, "you look just like Rod Serling", and he replied, "that's because I am Rod Serling!). My favorite was "All The Time I Want" with Burgess Meredith and "The Changing of the Guard" (employs Antioch artifact), but there were so many great ones. Even today, it's as though I was back in 6th grade saying, "did you see the one where...".
I just started watching some Twilight Zone re runs just recently ...not only do they hold up extremely well for an over 60 year old show.. but they reflect a lot of the current issues we see now. Gotta say Rod was in my opinion a genius.
Yeah, that was a great episode; I think it was "Time Enough At Last". Burgess Meredith had a few other great episodes like "The Obsolete Man" When Burgess Meredith was in it you knew it was going to be a good episode. Cheers
Guy was a total visionary who not only entertained us but predicted many future events. His stories of Irony, fate and the supernatural will live on forever through endless generations to come.
That Billy Mummy Twilight Zone episode scares me to this day. Another favorite is the next stop is Willoughby episode. I did not realize Serling died so young. I Also did not know his background. But three packs a day will do it to you, I guess...Excellent episode, Steve!
“Willoughby” is my favorite followed by “the bewitching pool” and “nothing in the dark.” I love the twilight zone and these particular episodes gave hope.
@@lexhawkins7442I quit smoking years ago. I’m very glad I did but I have fond memories of drinking beers with friends and smoking cigarettes. But man, they are horrible for you.
Theirs was a different medium, but movie critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert agreed that the chief difference between a good movie and a bad movie is not the acting, not the directing, not the special effects--it's the writing. And this explains the greatness of "The Twilight Zone" as well. Serling's writing made you think even as it entertained you. I honestly doubt anything will ever reach the same height again.
The show is regarded as the best TV show of the 20th century. He sold it to CBS for $600K never Considering the re-run money. And of course having no idea that one day there would be home video, DVD'S and blue ray...etc 3 packs a day. Can you imagine? OMG! A brilliant, brilliant man who left his family and the world to soon.
Such a brilliant mind and definetly gone too soon. Just about every episode of his shows were favorites. The dollhouse, Creature Outside The Plane, Gambling machine addict and others. I grew up around smokers, never smoked myself. But three packs a day. Guess he was always busy creating he needed something. Brilliant mind. Good video and thank you.
Hard to imagine Rod Serling as the class clown. I always enjoyed the Twilight Zone but have more vivid memories of watching Night Gallery late nights in the 70’s. Thanks for your content Steve!
Twilight Zone had a big impact on me. I love the one episode where there’s all these characters trapped and at the end the realize they’re all in a toy bin.
Reading different accounts of Rod's time as a paratrooper during WWII, it's easy to figure out that like so many men who served, Mr. Serling suffered from what we now call PTSD. Writing all those great stories, you can tell it was a form of therapy for Rod. A way to cope with the traumas of begin surrounded by death. With all that being said, THE PURPLE TESTAMENT always comes across as a visual form of survivor's guilt. I like to think Rod imagined himself as the lead character, a man in the armed services with the power to fortell death. Agonizing over the fact that it's a power that hurts more than it helps.❤
Stirling Silliphant, Reginald Rose and Rod Serling-three giants from the golden age of incisive and probing television writing. The likes of which we will probably never see again. Serling’s “They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar” is an indelible teleplay that I’ll never forget my initial viewing of.
As a friend of the Serling family I saw the title of this video and was a bit put out. My father met Rod Serling in 1943 in a boxing ring during paratrooper training, fought the enemy alongside him during combat in the South Pacific, and remained close friends until Rod's passing. I answered the telephone that June day in 1975 when Rod called my father to say goodbye before his heart surgery... he knew he wasn't going to survive. But after watching your video I can say this is a fitting tribute to the man and his life, even if I don't like the title (I do understand it's the name of your channel). Spot in in your assumption that Rod's writing was highly influenced by his war experiences.
Some of my teachers in school believed I would not amount to anything because they all said that I was such a procrastinator. I looked him right in the eye and said oh yeah you just wait and see.
Rod spent a lot of time as a young man in Binghamton, NY, near where I live. A few of his episodes were filmed here as well. I wish I had known him, his storytelling was wonderful.
Ever since I was a kid my favorite episode has been “The Howling Man”. Such a simple concept but so well executed (as were so many episodes). When the devil is released from his cell as a man and progressively transforms into his classical form each time he passes behind a column… Even as a kid it made me think about so much more than just the main plot; it started me questioning what’s really behind a person’s motives when they’re telling you, “Believe what I’m telling you - not everyone else!”
Everything Rod Serling did professionally was quality TV programming and done in good taste. What sticks out in my mind was the 1961 episode of _The Shelter._ It gives me the creeps to this day!
I really admire Rod Serling. His shows had messages in them, way ahead of it's time. What you need, Obsolete man, Judgement night, the masks, were among my Favorites.
Decorated World War 2 hero! First volunteer pilot. To help develop the ejector seat. For fighter aircraft. He saved countless lives; involving, military fighter pilots. With his contributions to the fighter aurcraft ejector seat. Genius writer. A true hero and Renaissance man!
Another example of a very talented and productive person dying at a (relatively) young age because of smoking. It really is mind bogging to me how people could assume it was not harmful to your health and so widely accepted in society. I hope someday, smoking is completely eradicated. I know that is naive, but I still hope.
Doctors were encouraged to smoke while at medical school, especially a pipe as that added a air of intelligence to their appearance ,so patients would listen to their counsel . Also as nicotine is a stimulant and appetite suppressant , smoking was encouraged with the soldiers and on the homefront . Remember food was rationed. The soldiers were issued cigarettes in their meal packets. Everyone smoked almost as part of the war effort, it was one of the few pleasures you could have. Little wonder movies from the 1940's - late 1970's had smoking everywhere by every actor. Right up to COLOMBO , with his constant cigar ... Rod Serling , was a combat experienced paratrooper , smoking would have been the most normal thing in his world ... Serling also volunteered for experimental parachute testing as a way to earn extra money to keep writing ...
I absolutely disagree with your statement that smoking should be eradicated. I guess prohibition didn't teach you anything. It's not the government's business to tell people what to do. Ever here what the government did in New York to people who ignored prohibition...they poisoned the alchohol and murdered 10,000 people and got away with it.
Military handed out cigarettes during WW2 and many got hooked. Stress does that. Getting SHOT at does that, and seeing civilians even if you don't see action can mess you up.
@sdcoinshooter I’m with you on smoking being eradicated some day. But not through governments prohibiting it. Australia leads the way in forcing smokers to quit by high tax on tobacco products. A pack of 20 cigarettes averages at A$55 (US$36), luxury brands up to $60 or more. Australia is the most expensive country in the world in which to smoke. (New Zealand isn’t far behind.) It’s working too. Hardly anyone smokes in Australia, and those that do must be spending so much on ciggies that they’re missing out on other things.
I had a surgery professor who told us in a lecture that "you cannot escape the results of chronic tobacco use over a multi-year period." It causes loss of circulation in many internal structures and organs. As well as chronic vasoconstriction. He told us we will see this among all patients who use tobacco over a multi-year period. It is inescapable. Sanjosemike (no longer in CA) Retired surgeon
An all time legend, I’ve watched twilight zone my whole life and never get tired of it. And I literally can’t choose a favorite episode. Rod Serling was a genius. Rest in peace
Nice one! I've been a fan since it was first aired and hardly a day goes by without me watching a few episodes! My favourites are "Third From the Sun", "The Passersby", "Long Live Walter Jameson", "The Grave" and "Mr Garrity and the Graves", just to mention a few. There are just so many great ones! 😎
Great job. Excellent video. He was a genius & left us way too soon. The Twilight Zone was one of my favorite shows & will go on forever. How bout ' The Man in the Bottle " or Probe 7. Over & Out". There's just so many great ones. RIP Rod. You were one of the best.
Wow. That photo from Requiem for a Heavyweight is the first time I ever saw Ed Wynn together with his son Keenan Wynn on film. Really loved Ed Wynn, great actor. Thanks
My grandad died in the same year also after a by-pass operation. This operation was still very much in its experimental stage and only done on patients who had nothing to lose.
Thanks so much for this years ago for New Years a station had a Twight Zone marathon I stayed home watched them all in peace and quiet by myself best New Years Eve ever !
The Twilight Zone has to be one of the best early scifi shows ever. The imagination and creativity that was poured into it was fascinating and gave rise to many other scifi talent in the later years, I mean even as an 80's kid myself I was hooked on it. In recent years, Netflix came up with Black Mirror and that in itself is quite similar to Twilight Zone. RIP Rod your voice and stories will live on as long as the human race runs this little marble.
I only got to know "The Twilight Zone" through re-runs, but remember watching "Night Gallery" on live TV when I was a little kid. It aired on a school night and it was a big deal that my mom let me watch it. To this day, I am haunted by the episode where a man begs to be put in a beautiful, serene painting and unbeknownst to him, they switched the paintings and he was forever cast into a hellish torture painting. Thanks for the great bio.
Along with Star Trek the 2 best shows of the 60’s…. my favorite twilight zone episode is “what’s in the box” with William Demarest going crazy watching an evil television screen. The fight he has with Joan Blondell was epic. The TV repairm himself is a famous character actor.
Watched one of my fav's just last night. Anne Francis(Honey West) plays a woman who comes to a Department Store to buy her Mother a gold thimble. She soon discovers she's a mannequin that was on a 1 month furlough and forgot about what she truly was. It is chilling to see mannequin's come alive to bring her back into the fold. Maybe, if you haven't already done it, you can do an episode about her..... Beautiful AND talented. 😀😀😀😀
Rod was brilliant, I believe he stands in the Pantheon of the greatest writers and producers. He won the Bronze Star, holy crap! That is not an easy medal to be awarded and now I understand some of his episodes better. My personal favorite episode is "The Howling Man"; I've watched it no less than 50 times. I was once a three pack a day smoker, it's tough habit to give up.
Never knew anything about his life or serving in the war. Very creative. Love all his stories that he thought of. Passed away to young. At least, the world enjoys his works and stories. TY
I had no idea that Rod Serling attended Antioch college in Yellow Springs, which is less than an hour from where I grew up in Dayton, Ohio. And you are right; the Twilight Zone was way ahead of its time and remains one of my favorite programs. I love your videos. I just subscribed.
Thank you for the video, Mister Sterling was a genius he sould.never been forgotten! I like them all but the one where the business man takes the train and gets off at Willoughby, stayed with me. He travelled through time, simple but so effective! All the episodes make me daydream. Now I cannot wait for Christmas to watch them all again!!
Great video! TWILIGHT ZONE & NIGHT GALLERY are two of my all-time favorite series. It’s a shame he died so young & couldn’t contribute his talents for many more years.
Rod Serling was a genius…plain and simple. Love the Twilight Zone and Night Gallery, he also wrote the original screen play of Planet of the Apes and many more amazing stories.
I remember hearing on the car radio when I was 7 that Rod Serling died at the age of 50. I only knew him at that time as host of Night Gallery and didn’t learn about The Twilight Zone until I was 12. I agree that The Twilight Zone has a timeless quality about it, and I own the DVD box sets of the original series and the 1985-1989 series as well. My favorite Twilight Zone episode is the one that started it all, Where Is Everybody? It is very much in the mind of imagination, but has a very, very strong element of truth about it.
I remember watching these episodes with my family ... having to turn the lights on when there was a commercial properly assisted with one of my siblings .. then turn ing the lights off when it was time to get back to the show!! Great the stories were in black and white because there were messages to be told in those episodes ... spoke of how we are as human beings!!
Thank you for a very nice review. I was a Twilight Zone fan as a kid and saw almost every episode as it was released on TV. I recognize every one of the clips you posted. Some of the episodes frightened me so badly that I was terrified to go to sleep. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet was one such episode.
truly a shame how it ended for him. the creativity void left by his passing can never be replaced. Serling was one of a kind and raised the level of TV entertainment at a time when westerns ruled the networks. Rod's ideas and writings are timeless.
Escape Clause, A Game of Pool, The Whole Truth, Deaths-Head Revisited, Printer's Devil, The Masks, to name but a few. The Twilight Zone never gets old.
Just saw the gremlin episode with Shatner. I completely roared with laughter over the insanity of it. The amazing thing is how each episode told a concise story in a 20-30 minute framework. Compare it to the droning drivel on TV today. Yes Rod was genius.
Three packs a day was excessive even by 1960s standards. Vices ruin lives, whether it's smoking, drinking, drugs. Very few people have enriched the world with such great talent as Rod Serling. it is very sad that he shortened his own life with reckless disregard for his health. RIP
I had the opportunity to work with two individuals who were acquainted with Mr. Serling. One had been a neighbor who remembered him a man of small stature who was quite and polite. The other individual's father had been a roommate of Rod's in college. He described him as someone who could see aspects of the things of life most of us never see. Favorite episodes: Last Night of a Jockey, The After-hours. Elegy, Time Enough at Last, A Hundred Yards Over the Rim. Hitchhiker, Judgment Night, Terror at 33,000 Feet, Third From the Sun, To Serve Man, Stop at Willoughby, The Meek and so, so many more.
Serling was a fantastic writer. He understood the shortcomings of man. He understood that history repeats itself and did what he could to prevent terrible mistakes from happening again. He was an empathetic soul. A genuinely good man. He was addicted to nicotine. If he had lived....he would have no doubt wrote about his battle with that drug.
Thank you so much for this video. It was really well done and I learned a lot about Mr. Serling. I have many fond memories watching those old Twilight Zone episodes with my dad.
One thing that should be pointed out is not everyone had TV’s back when these shows came out. I grew up in the 80’s and my grandparents didn’t have a TV until 1983. TV’s were a luxury we just couldn’t afford. 3 things I remember my grandparents saving for was that TV, a microwave, and a vacuum cleaner. They were household celebrations when these purchase goals were finally met. Ahhh good times❤️
I just watched tonight "A World of His Own," in which Serling disappears at the end. A funny classic. And of course there's Willoughby Stop, All the Time in the World, etc.
Watching the reruns, I see many stars in when they were just starting their careers. I remember Night Gallery. But, Twight Zone was my favorite. Never knew what to expect.
It’s a tradition in my household to watch the New Year’s eve marathon while I cook a special meal. My three kids who are now adults take part in this tradition, even though they don’t live at home anymore.
His intro monologues were like poetry. They don’t make ’em like that anymore. RIP Rod
"Submitted for your consideration...."
I'd like to see an homage to Rod Serling...in the rec room of the starship Enterprise...crew sit around and watch reruns of "the twilight zone".
His unfortunate fondness for smoking did add a classy touch to those monologues. Impossible to think of him without that cigarette in his hand...
@@sharonpolikoff7282I kind of think that the reason for him having a cigarette in his hand was only done in episodes where a cigarette company happened to be a sponsor. I don’t know how accurate I am with the statement I just made but there’s just no way I can doubt it.
Patrick you are so right!
Twilight Zone content is still relevant today, even though it's old school. The writing is amazing, it never gets old.
Ironic, because most of television today is irrelevant!
He wrote about life and its truth's, truth's will always stand the test of time.
Left too soon Rod but in the words of Maxwell Smart, you would probably say,
"And Loving it" about those damn cigarettes,
He started off this genre and set the bar very high. The man was a genius.
A GENIUS!
A genius wouldn't smoke three packs a day.
Met Rod Serling when I was working security at the Atlanta Airport, Serling had almost forgotten his brief case and a friend of mine said don't worry it is just a bad dream which caused Serling to laugh out loud!
That's a GREAT story. Thanks!
I am a Twilight Zone fanatic! Every New Year's Eve, the marathon is on TV. Rod was way before his time. RIP
Do u have a favorite episode that sticks out?
.. I have 1, of many, " The After Hours".
@@wsc1955 That was good...creeeeepy !
I finally bought the "Complete Definitive Collection of The Twilight Zone." Now I have every episode that was ever made, at my fingertips!
It's on every weeknight on MeTV
Rod Serling and Vincent Price were two of the most eerie voices during my childhood. Twilight Zone and Night Gallery were unforgettable classics.
Met his daughter in Palm Springs in 2021. She was lovely and absolutely adored her father. She made Rod seem more of a person than just an entertainment icon. Her book “As I knew him:My Dad Rod Serling” is a great read for any Rod Serling/Twilight Zone fans.
i was actually disappointed with that book because she wrote it in present tense which made it too distracting to read
I am 60 years old, and I remember watching Night Gallery with my papa. Always gave me the shivers, but oh so good. RIP Mr. Serling, and thank you for your service, and your many years of entertaining us ❤
I just watched the first episode of NG on me-TV this morning (The Ripper), and now I remember why it was just so good 😸❤
The Night Gallery is the best horror show on tv.
They gave all of us 60 somethings the Willies!
Night gallery scared me when I was a boy, then later I watched it and laughed that I was afraid of it.
Only 50??? Cripes o mighty! I can watch old episodes again and again they never get old. Plus you can see so many stars before we knew them.
This coming Christmas will mark the centennial of his birth.
Try smoking 50 cigarettes every day for a 50 years
Tons of stars got their start on TZ!
Crazy he was so young. What a loss. Plus, he looked so much older t me than 50, but I think that comes down to the styles of the time. Smoking three packs a day couldn't have helped his skin either.
@@joefox9765he didnt started smoking at 0-1 years old.
One of the most influential persons during the Golden Age of Television. The anthology shows of the time showcased some of the best writing and acting ever presented on television. Thank you Mr. Serling. I still watch Twilight Zone every night.
In 1960, I saw an anthology show on TV. In this episode, it is 1910, and a guy is going to marry the love of his life, but she becomes ill and dies. Fifty years later, the guy is sitting on a park bench and a bus pulls up, and a girl gets off the bus. She looks exactly like the man's dead girlfriend. I cannot help but dream of what Mr. Serling would have done with this premise!
He was a creative genius. He and I lived on opposite sides of the same lake. Thanks Steve.
"A Stop at Willoughby" really hits home for me. Didn't see the significance when I was younger, but now at 60, I can relate. Another one with a similar plot is "Walking Distance." You just don't know how good life was as a youngster.
My life was terrible as a child, which turned out to be good because I don't wish to go back to the old days.
Willoughby Ohio used to do a Last stop Willoughby celebration. A couple of times Rod Serling's daughter attended. I don't think they do it anymore.
Agree
We all dreamed of a place that was in our minds as kids and as adults, I guess we still do, like that line in that episode which said " a man can slow down to a walk and live his life full measure ".
For me, Rod Serling will always be remembered for "The Twilight Zone." He was an exceptionally gifted host, even his voice sound enhanced the show! "Night Gallery," was good, but no show can compete with "The Twilight Zone," and come out on top.
To this day I still watch the reruns of the Twilight Zone
The Zero Hour is good too!
I liked Night Gallery a lot. I was just a kid and loved the scary stuff.
Death’s Head Revisited was a truly well-written and well-acted episode. It is unforgettable.
I can't sit on an airplane without thinking of "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet".
Yes that was quite an episode.
One of Shatners best roles!
The woman on the plane with him was Christine White, a close friend of James Dean.
@@williamlarochelle6833 Christine was on the rifleman and bonanza.
"There's . . . something on the wing! SOME-THING!"
Rod Serling was my mother's great uncle. Thank you for posting about him 🩵
Thanks for this. I was born in 1950 so I remember the TZ well - still one of my favorite TV shows. After high school, I went to Antioch College and met Rod Serling very briefly in the student cafeteria (my friend said, "you look just like Rod Serling", and he replied, "that's because I am Rod Serling!). My favorite was "All The Time I Want" with Burgess Meredith and "The Changing of the Guard" (employs Antioch artifact), but there were so many great ones. Even today, it's as though I was back in 6th grade saying, "did you see the one where...".
I just started watching some Twilight Zone re runs just recently ...not only do they hold up extremely well for an over 60 year old show.. but they reflect a lot of the current issues we see now. Gotta say Rod was in my opinion a genius.
To this day Rod Serling still entertains us.
I liked a lot of episodes but the one with Burgess Meredith playing the man who just wanted to read was a favorite!
Yeah, that was a great episode; I think it was "Time Enough At Last". Burgess Meredith had a few other great episodes like "The Obsolete Man" When Burgess Meredith was in it you knew it was going to be a good episode. Cheers
A cruel twist of fate, this episode. Well done.
Yeah, and breaking his glasses! I remember!
Letting your life go up in smoke is one terrible waste, especially when it is someone so gifted.
Guy was a total visionary who not only entertained us but predicted many future events. His stories of Irony, fate and the supernatural will live on forever through endless generations to come.
That Billy Mummy Twilight Zone episode scares me to this day. Another favorite is the next stop is Willoughby episode. I did not realize Serling died so young. I Also did not know his background. But three packs a day will do it to you, I guess...Excellent episode, Steve!
I am 63, Willoughby episode has stayed with me all theses years since I was a little boy.
“Willoughby” is my favorite followed by “the bewitching pool” and “nothing in the dark.” I love the twilight zone and these particular episodes gave hope.
Okay, but remember, we all know people who smoked 3 packs a day and lived to 75 or 80 too.
@@lexhawkins7442I quit smoking years ago. I’m very glad I did but I have fond memories of drinking beers with friends and smoking cigarettes. But man, they are horrible for you.
Willoughby...I think many of us personally relate to that one.
Theirs was a different medium, but movie critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert agreed that the chief difference between a good movie and a bad movie is not the acting, not the directing, not the special effects--it's the writing. And this explains the greatness of "The Twilight Zone" as well. Serling's writing made you think even as it entertained you. I honestly doubt anything will ever reach the same height again.
The show is regarded as the best TV show of the 20th century.
He sold it to CBS for $600K never Considering the re-run money.
And of course having no idea that one day there would be home video, DVD'S and blue ray...etc
3 packs a day. Can you imagine? OMG!
A brilliant, brilliant man who left his family and the world to soon.
600 grand US in the mid=sixties would buy you ...... !!! Ten million today? 15??
Such a brilliant mind and definetly gone too soon. Just about every episode of his shows were favorites. The dollhouse, Creature Outside The Plane, Gambling machine addict and others. I grew up around smokers, never smoked myself. But three packs a day. Guess he was always busy creating he needed something. Brilliant mind. Good video and thank you.
Great comment! (Not being sarcastic, just truthful)
What episode was the dollhouse? I think I would like that.
The Twilight Zone was a cornerstone of my childhood and helped to shape the way I viewed society and justice. An all time classic.
Very good mini-bio. He was an incredible mind. Watched all of the TZ and Night Gallery episodes and loved the swerves he supplied in them.
Hard to imagine Rod Serling as the class clown. I always enjoyed the Twilight Zone but have more vivid memories of watching Night Gallery late nights in the 70’s. Thanks for your content Steve!
I still enjoy watching the twilight zone episodes even 50 years later, a sad ending for sure. rest in peace
He made the majority of my summer vacations in the late 80’s early 90’s! It was always a ritual to watch TZ and record the marathons on VHS
He helped to create the finest TV series in TV history.❤
Twilight Zone had a big impact on me. I love the one episode where there’s all these characters trapped and at the end the realize they’re all in a toy bin.
Reading different accounts of Rod's time as a paratrooper during WWII, it's easy to figure out that like so many men who served, Mr. Serling suffered from what we now call PTSD.
Writing all those great stories, you can tell it was a form of therapy for Rod. A way to cope with the traumas of begin surrounded by death.
With all that being said, THE PURPLE TESTAMENT always comes across as a visual form of survivor's guilt. I like to think Rod imagined himself as the lead character, a man in the armed services with the power to fortell death. Agonizing over the fact that it's a power that hurts more than it helps.❤
Thank you for submitting this for my approval.
Stirling Silliphant, Reginald Rose and Rod Serling-three giants from the golden age of incisive and probing television writing. The likes of which we will probably never see again. Serling’s “They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar” is an indelible teleplay that I’ll never forget my initial viewing of.
As a friend of the Serling family I saw the title of this video and was a bit put out. My father met Rod Serling in 1943 in a boxing ring during paratrooper training, fought the enemy alongside him during combat in the South Pacific, and remained close friends until Rod's passing. I answered the telephone that June day in 1975 when Rod called my father to say goodbye before his heart surgery... he knew he wasn't going to survive. But after watching your video I can say this is a fitting tribute to the man and his life, even if I don't like the title (I do understand it's the name of your channel). Spot in in your assumption that Rod's writing was highly influenced by his war experiences.
Some of my teachers in school believed I would not amount to anything because they all said that I was such a procrastinator. I looked him right in the eye and said oh yeah you just wait and see.
I was going to reply, but I was busy.
Rod spent a lot of time as a young man in Binghamton, NY, near where I live. A few of his episodes were filmed here as well. I wish I had known him, his storytelling was wonderful.
Ever since I was a kid my favorite episode has been “The Howling Man”. Such a simple concept but so well executed (as were so many episodes). When the devil is released from his cell as a man and progressively transforms into his classical form each time he passes behind a column… Even as a kid it made me think about so much more than just the main plot; it started me questioning what’s really behind a person’s motives when they’re telling you, “Believe what I’m telling you - not everyone else!”
Many stars and future stars had roles in many of his stories. A young fella by the name of Robert Redford comes to mind....
Yes and it was so awesome too!
He played death 💀
Twilight Zone is amazing. This was a nice overview - I’m from Upstate NY myself so pleasantly surprised to see Sterling was a local.
Serling did more with his 50 years than most men would do with five lifetimes.
Exactly sir.
I volunteer with old people (85+).
Trust me, get stuck in early.
Everything Rod Serling did professionally was quality TV programming and done in good taste. What sticks out in my mind was the 1961 episode of _The Shelter._ It gives me the creeps to this day!
I can hear Rod Serling laughing in the background as he says, "Welcome to the Twilight Zone"
I really admire Rod Serling. His shows had messages in them, way ahead of it's time. What you need, Obsolete man, Judgement night, the masks, were among my Favorites.
Decorated World War 2 hero! First volunteer pilot. To help develop the ejector seat. For fighter aircraft. He saved countless lives; involving, military fighter pilots. With his contributions to the fighter aurcraft ejector seat. Genius writer. A true hero and Renaissance man!
Another example of a very talented and productive person dying at a (relatively) young age because of smoking. It really is mind bogging to me how people could assume it was not harmful to your health and so widely accepted in society. I hope someday, smoking is completely eradicated. I know that is naive, but I still hope.
Doctors were encouraged to smoke while at medical school, especially a pipe as that added a air of intelligence to their appearance ,so patients would listen to their counsel . Also as nicotine is a stimulant and appetite suppressant , smoking was encouraged with the soldiers and on the homefront . Remember food was rationed. The soldiers were issued cigarettes in their meal packets.
Everyone smoked almost as part of the war effort, it was one of the few pleasures you could have. Little wonder movies from the 1940's - late 1970's had smoking everywhere by every actor. Right up to COLOMBO , with his constant cigar ...
Rod Serling , was a combat experienced paratrooper , smoking would have been the most normal thing in his world ... Serling also volunteered for experimental parachute testing as a way to earn extra money to keep writing ...
I absolutely disagree with your statement that smoking should be eradicated. I guess prohibition didn't teach you anything. It's not the government's business to tell people what to do.
Ever here what the government did in New York to people who ignored prohibition...they poisoned the alchohol and murdered 10,000 people and got away with it.
Military handed out cigarettes during WW2 and many got hooked. Stress does that. Getting SHOT at does that, and seeing civilians even if you don't see action can mess you up.
@sdcoinshooter I’m with you on smoking being eradicated some day. But not through governments prohibiting it. Australia leads the way in forcing smokers to quit by high tax on tobacco products. A pack of 20 cigarettes averages at A$55 (US$36), luxury brands up to $60 or more. Australia is the most expensive country in the world in which to smoke. (New Zealand isn’t far behind.)
It’s working too. Hardly anyone smokes in Australia, and those that do must be spending so much on ciggies that they’re missing out on other things.
@@MK-ft3qt Absolutely right, although if heavy smoking did Serling in I wish he hadn't.
I had a surgery professor who told us in a lecture that "you cannot escape the results of chronic tobacco use over a multi-year period." It causes loss of circulation in many internal structures and organs. As well as chronic vasoconstriction. He told us we will see this among all patients who use tobacco over a multi-year period. It is inescapable.
Sanjosemike (no longer in CA)
Retired surgeon
Very deadly
whew luckily I only drink copious amts of beer so I'm in the clear right....right.....RIGHT??????
@@edwinthomasr I think the "copious" part might get you.
Does this apply to nicotine delivery devices like vape pens or is it the tobacco and toxins included that cause the damage?
@@mortyrosenstein4211 Nicotine alone is relatively harmless
An all time legend, I’ve watched twilight zone my whole life and never get tired of it. And I literally can’t choose a favorite episode. Rod Serling was a genius. Rest in peace
Nice one! I've been a fan since it was first aired and hardly a day goes by without me watching a few episodes!
My favourites are "Third From the Sun", "The Passersby", "Long Live Walter Jameson", "The Grave" and "Mr Garrity and the Graves", just to mention a few. There are just so many great ones! 😎
Great job. Excellent video. He was a genius & left us way too soon. The Twilight Zone was one of my favorite shows & will go on forever. How bout ' The Man in the Bottle " or Probe 7. Over & Out". There's just so many great ones. RIP Rod. You were one of the best.
Wow. That photo from Requiem for a Heavyweight is the first time I ever saw Ed Wynn together with his son Keenan Wynn on film. Really loved Ed Wynn, great actor. Thanks
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge was a Twilight Zone show that I often think about, so if I had to choose, that would be my favorite episode.
One of my favorites also...
"Two" with Charles Bronson & Elizabeth Montgomery .
My grandad died in the same year also after a by-pass operation. This operation was still very much in its experimental stage and only done on patients who had nothing to lose.
The Twilight Zone has many amazing episodes, but my favourite ones are _"A Nice Place to Visit"_ , and _"The Howling Man"_ . Greetings from Brazil.
Shatner and the wing demon was classic, a fave indeed.
My respect for him rises.
Thanks Steve.
Thanks so much for this years ago for New Years a station had a Twight Zone marathon I stayed home watched them all in peace and quiet by myself best New Years Eve ever !
I've only seen a handful of the original series episodes but "Obsolete Man" really stands out.
Another great show, thank you for sharing this with us!
The Twilight Zone has to be one of the best early scifi shows ever. The imagination and creativity that was poured into it was fascinating and gave rise to many other scifi talent in the later years, I mean even as an 80's kid myself I was hooked on it. In recent years, Netflix came up with Black Mirror and that in itself is quite similar to Twilight Zone. RIP Rod your voice and stories will live on as long as the human race runs this little marble.
While his life was relatively short it impacted many lives. Twilight Zone was one of the best TV shows ever. I am thankful for his life.
Wow I loved The Twilight Zone and still watch the reruns. I never knew he won 6 Emmys.. he surpassed all expectations by a mile !!
I only got to know "The Twilight Zone" through re-runs, but remember watching "Night Gallery" on live TV when I was a little kid. It aired on a school night and it was a big deal that my mom let me watch it. To this day, I am haunted by the episode where a man begs to be put in a beautiful, serene painting and unbeknownst to him, they switched the paintings and he was forever cast into a hellish torture painting. Thanks for the great bio.
Along with Star Trek the 2 best shows of the 60’s…. my favorite twilight zone episode is “what’s in the box” with William Demarest going crazy watching an evil television screen. The fight he has with Joan Blondell was epic. The TV repairm himself is a famous character actor.
Thanks, Ed, for covering Rod Serling. I was saddened when he passed at only 50. So many good shows between Twilight Zone and Night Gallery...❤
Ed?
Watched one of my fav's just last night. Anne Francis(Honey West) plays a woman who comes to a Department Store to buy her Mother a gold thimble. She soon discovers she's a mannequin that was on a 1 month furlough and forgot about what she truly was. It is chilling to see mannequin's come alive to bring her back into the fold. Maybe, if you haven't already done it, you can do an episode about her..... Beautiful AND talented. 😀😀😀😀
Good one!
My 2 favourite episodes were “There was time now” and the unforgettable“ Eye of the beholder” starring a young g Donna Douglas.
Rod was brilliant, I believe he stands in the Pantheon of the greatest writers and producers. He won the Bronze Star, holy crap! That is not an easy medal to be awarded and now I understand some of his episodes better. My personal favorite episode is "The Howling Man"; I've watched it no less than 50 times. I was once a three pack a day smoker, it's tough habit to give up.
Never knew anything about his life or serving in the war. Very creative. Love all his stories that he thought of. Passed away to young. At least, the world enjoys his works and stories. TY
The Hunt stands out as one of my favorite TZ episodes. Still love and watch the original TZ tv show. Take Care. --Mae in L.A.
Is that the one with the old man and his dog? Love that one.
I had no idea that Rod Serling attended Antioch college in Yellow Springs, which is less than an hour from where I grew up in Dayton, Ohio. And you are right; the Twilight Zone was way ahead of its time and remains one of my favorite programs. I love your videos. I just subscribed.
Thank you for the video, Mister Sterling was a genius he sould.never been forgotten! I like them all but the one where the business man takes the train and gets off at Willoughby, stayed with me. He travelled through time, simple but so effective! All the episodes make me daydream. Now I cannot wait for Christmas to watch them all again!!
Once again to the greatest generation. I’m a baby boomer and I miss them. They taught me a lot. Rod S. I always looked forward for the T. Zone.
A nice place to vist...The obsolete man. The list goes on. The man was way ahead of his time...
Great video! TWILIGHT ZONE & NIGHT GALLERY are two of my all-time favorite series. It’s a shame he died so young & couldn’t contribute his talents for many more years.
Rod Serling was a genius…plain and simple. Love the Twilight Zone and Night Gallery, he also wrote the original screen play of Planet of the Apes and many more amazing stories.
Earl Holloman's role as the Only Man Left On Earth(paraphrasing) was my all time favorite, with Burgess Meredith's roles at a close second.
I remember hearing on the car radio when I was 7 that Rod Serling died at the age of 50. I only knew him at that time as host of Night Gallery and didn’t learn about The Twilight Zone until I was 12. I agree that The Twilight Zone has a timeless quality about it, and I own the DVD box sets of the original series and the 1985-1989 series as well. My favorite Twilight Zone episode is the one that started it all, Where Is Everybody? It is very much in the mind of imagination, but has a very, very strong element of truth about it.
I remember watching these episodes with my family ... having to turn the lights on when there was a commercial properly assisted with one of my siblings .. then turn ing the lights off when it was time to get back to the show!! Great the stories were in black and white because there were messages to be told in those episodes ... spoke of how we are as human beings!!
Thank you for a very nice review. I was a Twilight Zone fan as a kid and saw almost every episode as it was released on TV. I recognize every one of the clips you posted. Some of the episodes frightened me so badly that I was terrified to go to sleep. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet was one such episode.
truly a shame how it ended for him. the creativity void left by his passing can never be replaced. Serling was one of a kind and raised the level of TV entertainment at a time when westerns ruled the networks. Rod's ideas and writings are timeless.
Escape Clause, A Game of Pool, The Whole Truth, Deaths-Head Revisited, Printer's Devil, The Masks, to name but a few. The Twilight Zone never gets old.
I really liked the episode Desth heads revisited especially the ending words by rod serling .
To serve man
Just saw the gremlin episode with Shatner. I completely roared with laughter over the insanity of it. The amazing thing is how each episode told a concise story in a 20-30 minute framework. Compare it to the droning drivel on TV today. Yes Rod was genius.
Three packs a day was excessive even by 1960s standards. Vices ruin lives, whether it's smoking, drinking, drugs. Very few people have enriched the world with such great talent as Rod Serling. it is very sad that he shortened his own life with reckless disregard for his health. RIP
I had the opportunity to work with two individuals who were acquainted with Mr. Serling. One had been a neighbor who remembered him a man of small stature who was quite and polite. The other individual's father had been a roommate of Rod's in college. He described him as someone who could see aspects of the things of life most of us never see.
Favorite episodes: Last Night of a Jockey, The After-hours. Elegy, Time Enough at Last, A Hundred Yards Over the Rim. Hitchhiker, Judgment Night, Terror at 33,000 Feet, Third From the Sun, To Serve Man, Stop at Willoughby, The Meek and so, so many more.
Serling was a fantastic writer.
He understood the shortcomings of man.
He understood that history repeats itself and did what he could to prevent terrible mistakes from happening again.
He was an empathetic soul.
A genuinely good man.
He was addicted to nicotine.
If he had lived....he would have no doubt wrote about his battle with that drug.
Rod Serling was a hunk. Greetings from Evergreen, Montana, USA. ❤❤❤❤❤
Loved The Twilight Zone and Rod :) thank you for so many amazing stories
Thank you so much for this video. It was really well done and I learned a lot about Mr. Serling. I have many fond memories watching those old Twilight Zone episodes with my dad.
Glad you enjoyed it!
THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO. I HAVE ALL THE TZ AND NIGHT GALLERY EPISODES ON DVD. LOVE ALL OF THEM. LOVE YOUR CHANNEL 💓💗💞
Awesome! Thank you!
Your show is top notch. Please no talk of your sad ending!
Such a talented man and TV host Twilight Zone will always be relevant
One thing that should be pointed out is not everyone had TV’s back when these shows came out. I grew up in the 80’s and my grandparents didn’t have a TV until 1983. TV’s were a luxury we just couldn’t afford. 3 things I remember my grandparents saving for was that TV, a microwave, and a vacuum cleaner. They were household celebrations when these purchase goals were finally met. Ahhh good times❤️
Thanks for injecting a little reality into TV 💜
I just watched tonight "A World of His Own," in which Serling disappears at the end. A funny classic. And of course there's Willoughby Stop, All the Time in the World, etc.
Watching the reruns, I see many stars in when they were just starting their careers. I remember Night Gallery. But, Twight Zone was my favorite. Never knew what to expect.
When someone says “ I feel like I’m the twilight zone “, you know just what they mean. It’s part of American language. RIP Rod
It’s a tradition in my household to watch the New Year’s eve marathon while I cook a special meal. My three kids who are now adults take part in this tradition, even though they don’t live at home anymore.