THE TWILIGHT ZONE
THE TWILIGHT ZONE (COMIC)
NIGHT GALLERY, THE ZERO HOUR


ROD SERLING

From Wikepedia: Rodman Edward Serling (25 December 1924 - 28 June 1975), commonly known as Rod Serling, was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator known for his live television dramas of the 1950's, his anthology television series - "The Twilight Zone" and "Night Gallery"; and radio anthology series - "The Zero Hour". 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. THE TWILIGHT ZONE (1959-1964) "The Twilight Zone" (marketed as Twilight Zone for its final two seasons) was an anthology television series created and hosted by Rod Serling. The show ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. Each episode presents a stand-alone story in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described as entering "The Twilight Zone", often with a surprise ending and a moral. The Twilight Zone (1959-1964) opening credits from The Professor on Vimeo. Although predominantly science-fiction, the show's paranormal and Kafkaesque events leaned the show towards fantasy and horror. In 1994, "Twilight Zone: Rod Sterling's Lost Classics" aired hosted by James Earl Jones. For more information on "Twilight Zone: Rod Sterling's Lost Classics" use the below link: Also in 1994, a theme park ride - "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" opened. For more information on the ride and movie short use the below link: The first revival series of the show was in 1985. For more information on the 1985-1989 "The Twilight Zone" use the below link: THE TWILIGHT ZONE (COMIC) (1962-1979) (1982) In 1962, "The Twilight Zone" with Rod Serling as host, was published as a comic. The first two issues were published under the Dell logo as issues 207 (July 1962) and 210 (October 1962). The Gold Key version of "The Twilight Zone" was started in November, 1962. Although it was a continuation of the previous Dell title, the numbering did not continue and so the issue was listed as "No. 1" in the indicia—although the Dell-style numbering system was still used on the cover. Under Gold Key Comics, the series was printed for 91 issues with the last in 1979. The Twilight Zone - Comics from The Professor on Vimeo. In 1982, "The Twilight Zone" comic moved to the Whitman imprint of Western Publishing Only one issue was produced, consisting of stories previously printed in "The Twilight Zone" #1 (Gold Key). The issue, #92, was published in May 1982. NIGHT GALLERY (1969-1973) "Night Gallery" was an anthology television series that aired on NBC from 16 December 1970 to 27 May 1973, hosted by Rod Serling. The show featured stories of horror and the macabre. Each episode would start with Serling in an art gallery. He would feature a different painting to introduce each story. Night Gallery - The Paintings from The Professor on Vimeo. Serling was a major contributor of scripts, although he did not have the same control of content and tone that he had on The Twilight Zone. Night Gallery - Rod Serling (clips) from The Professor on Vimeo. Serling viewed Night Gallery as a logical extension of The Twilight Zone but while both series shared an interest in thought-provoking dark fantasy more of Zone's offerings were science fiction while Night Gallery focused on horrors of the supernatural. THE ZERO HOUR (1973-1974) The Zero Hour (aka Hollywood Radio Theater) was a radio drama anthology series hosted by Rod Serling. With tales of mystery, adventure and suspense, the program was broadcast for two seasons. Some of the scripts were written by Serling. The series ran from 3 September 1973 until 26 July 1974. The original format featured five-part dramas broadcast Monday through Friday with the story coming to a conclusion on Friday. Including commercials, each part was approximately 30 minutes long. In 1974, still airing five days a week, the program changed to a full story in a single 30-minute installment with the same actor starring throughout the week in all five programs. That format was employed from late April 1974 to the end of the series in July 1974. Counting each five-part show as five episodes, there were a total of 130 episodes. The Zero Hour - Rod Serling (sample episode) from The Professor on Vimeo. TWILIGHT ZONE THE MOVIE (1983) In 1983, "Twilight Zone The Movie" was released, without a host. The movie is broken into five stories: Twilight Zone The Movie (clips) from The Professor on Vimeo. Prologue: a driver has a big surprise with his passenger Segment 1 "Time Out" Segment 2 "Kick the Can" Segment 3 "It's a Good Life" Segment 4 "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" The Twilight Zone (PC Game) "The Twilight Zone" is a 1988 PC game that is a text adventure with illustrations that plays like an episode of Rod Serling's classic television series on which it is based. The players are sucked into a video game and must find a way out to save both themselves and the world. The Twilight Zone - PC Game from The Professor on Vimeo. The Twilight Zone 60th: Remembering Rod Serling In 2019, a documentary was released celebrating 60 years of the television series, the documentary takes viewers on a journey into the imagination and the life of creator Rod Serling. The chronicle provides a closer look at the life experiences that inspired Serling's unique blend of thought provoking and visionary storytelling from his experiences as a paratrooper in World War 2, to his early writing days in live television, and ultimately the creation of the classic "The Twilight Zone". Friends, collaborators, and members of the Serling family share details on the man whose imagination provided the foundation for this groundbreaking and influential storytelling phenomenon that has inspired audiences across the globe. The second revival series of the show was in 2002. For more information on the second revival series of "The Twilight Zone" 2002-2003 hosted by Forest Whitaker use the below link: ALF as ROD SERLING In 1988, season 1, episode 11 (The Three Little Pigs) of "Alf Tales" Alf plays homage to Rod Serling, by presenting this story like Rod Serling's Twilight Zone, and welcoming the viewers to "The Alf Tales Zone". Below is a clip from "Alf Tales" (Rod Serling homage) "Alf Tales Zone" - Rod Serling homage from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo. For more information on "Alf Tales": In 2015, an episode of "The Middle" plays homage to Rod Serling. For more information on this episode use the below link: The Twilight Zone 60th: Remembering Rod Serling In 2019, a documentary was released celebrating 60 years of the television series, the documentary takes viewers on a journey into the imagination and the life of creator Rod Serling. The chronicle provides a closer look at the life experiences that inspired Serling's unique blend of thought provoking and visionary storytelling from his experiences as a paratrooper in World War 2, to his early writing days in live television, and ultimately the creation of the classic "The Twilight Zone". Friends, collaborators, and members of the Serling family share details on the man whose imagination provided the foundation for this groundbreaking and influential storytelling phenomenon that has inspired audiences across the globe. The third revival series of the show was in 2019. For more information on the 2019-2020 "The Twilight Zone" use the below link:

Portrait of "Rod Serling" by Bradley Beard.
"Rod Serling" - biography (taken from Bradley Beard's Facebook page)"

On October 2, 1959, the original Twilight Zone TV series premiered on CBS. Today I present Rod Serling, host of the Twilight Zone and the Night Gallery TV series. Serling began his career writing scripts for radio programs. After numerous rejections, Serling began rewriting his scripts for television and they began to sell. When Serling created the Twilight Zone, he firmly maintained control of the series and brought in talented writers such as Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont to assist him. The show ran for 5 years with 156 episodes, 92 of which were written by Serling. In 1969, Serling created and hosted the Night Gallery. He played an art museum curator who introduced gothic tales of macabre horror based upon paintings in the museum. He relinquished creative control to Jack Laird and eventually the show was cancelled in 1973. Serling returned to radio at the end of his career to host tales of mystery and suspense on The Zero Hour.

In 2023, Rod Serling was a nominee in the "The Official Horror Host Hall of Fame".

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