Rodman E. ‘Rod’ Serling was an American scriptwriter, television producer, radio host and narrator. He was most popularly known for his television programs, especially for his science fiction anthology TV series, ‘Twilight Zone’, which was also produced by him so that he could control the creative quality of the series. Other famous writings by Serling are, ‘Requiem for a Heavyweight’, ‘Patterns’, ‘Night Gallery’, etc. He was awarded with many prestigious awards for his writings, like, Emmy, Golden Globe, Writers Guild of America Award, etc. Serling was always the flamboyant one in his family, with tales and stories to tell and his talent only developed as he grew up and once he achieved his military aspirations, he got into freelance writing for the radio and television. He was recognized for the first time, after he moved to New York, when ‘Patterns’ was aired. Serling was a man of principles, whose writing was purposeful and projected his ideas on anti-war activism and racial equality. He was the kind of artist who could not stand creative dissection of his work due to corporate policies, which is why he produced a show of his own and also a reason why he turned from radio to television as a medium of communication.
Eric Chiel has vivid memories of his weekly ritual to watch the sci-fi anthology series "The Twilight Zone." He would sneak into the basement, move the only moveable chair so close to the roughly 17-inch television that it was touching the TV set, climb over the arms of the chair and sit cross legged to have the most "immersive experience" in the dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.
The development and execution of The Twilight Zone and its prestigious place in television history is a story of an obsessive need for acceptance on many levels. Exhibit A: Rod Serling, Zone’s creator, executive producer, central writing force, and charismatic host. The show’s popularity preyed upon his endless reservoir of ideas, originally inspired by his obsession with the past and his preoccupation with aging, mixed in with a measure of courage and faith, and the survival techniques he learned in the army.
Kino Lorber has persuaded Universal to allow a Blu-ray upgrade of Night Gallery, also known as Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, the supernatural anthology series that functioned as an early 1970s follow-up to Serling’s The Twilight Zone (1959-64). Night Gallery has often been seen by critics, and Serling himself, as something of a red-headed stepchild to the earlier series. Serling chafed over having no control over Night Gallery, whose producers often rejected or rewrote his scripts.
The development and execution of The Twilight Zone and its induction into the annals of TV history is a story of an obsessive need for acceptance on many levels. Exhibit A: Rod Serling, Zone’s creator, executive producer, central writing force, and charismatic host. The show’s popularity preyed upon his endless reservoir of ideas, originally inspired by his obsession with the past and his preoccupation with aging, mixed in with a measure of courage and faith, and the survival techniques he learned in the army.
One of Binghamton's most important contributions to the creative arts will be honored this weekend. Serling Fest will run both Saturday and Sunday and organizers are trying to gather funds to raise a statue in Rod Serling's likeness. At the corner of Seminary and Laurel at Rec Park is where...
We hear from Larry Kassan, who will be giving a talk sponsored by the Broome County Historical Society, A Pioneering Mind of Television; The Life and Times of Rod Serling on Wednesday, October 20 on Zoom and streamed on Facebook. Photo credit: Lawrence Kassan.
Fans of Rod Serling and his classic television program, The Twilight Zone, can learn more about his life and career Wednesday, Oct. 20, in a presentation sponsored by the Broome County Historical Society. Lawrence “Larry” Kassan, coordinator of special events and theatre for the Binghamton City School District, has researched...
Two Cazenovia College faculty members presenting talks for the 2021-2022 season of the “Great Minds/Great Ideas Faculty Library Lecture Series” will look at two intriguing and diverse historical figures. The subjects of their talks are Raphael Lemkin, the creator of the concept of “genocide” during World War II and Central...
Two Cazenovia College faculty members who are presenting talks for the 2021-2022 season of the “Great Minds/Great Ideas Faculty Library Lecture Series” will look at two intriguing and diverse historical figures. The subjects of their talks are Raphael Lemkin, a Polish attorney of Jewish descent who lived from 1900 -...
You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop: The Twilight Zone. Imagine, if you will, a famous television writer coming to Akron. He stands 5-foot-4, sports bushy eyebrows, favors long sideburns, smokes...