Known for movies
Planet of the Apes (1968)
as Writer
Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
as Writer
Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)
as Writer
Seven Days in May (1964)
as Writer
Short Info
| Died | June 28, 1975, Rochester, New York, United States |
| Spouse | Carol Serling |
| Mark | Always wore a suit and tie when presenting his shows |
| Fact | He was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6840 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on October 6, 1988. |
Rod Serling was an American screenwriter, television producer, and narrator known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science-fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone.
Born in Syracuse, New York, on December 25, 1924, Serling was the second of two sons born to Samuel Lawrence Serling and Mary Elizabeth (née Wade) Serling. His father was Jewish and his mother was Catholic. Serling’s father had fought in World War I and suffered shell shock, which left him with a temper that his son would later describe as “explosive”.
Serling’s early education was in the New York public school system. When he was 16, he enrolled at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he studied English literature. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1943 and served in the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 11th Airborne Division during World War II. He saw combat in the Philippines and Japan and was awarded a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal.
After the war, Serling returned to Antioch College and graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then enrolled in Syracuse University’s Master of Fine Arts program in dramatic writing.
Serling’s first television script was for an episode of the TV series Kraft Television Theatre in 1950. He went on to write for a number of live TV dramas in the 1950s, including Playhouse 90 and Studio One. In 1955, he wrote the screenplay for the film Patterns, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
In 1959, Serling created The Twilight Zone, a TV series that would become one of the most popular and influential shows in television history. The Twilight Zone ran for five seasons on CBS and featured stories that were often morality tales with a twist ending.
After The Twilight Zone ended its run, Serling wrote and produced several made-for-TV movies and continued to write for television. He won Emmy Awards for his work on The Twilight Zone and for an episode of the TV series Night Gallery.
Serling died of a heart attack on June 28, 1975, at the age of 50.
During his career, Serling won six Emmy Awards and was nominated for three Academy Awards. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential writers in television history.
General Info
| Full Name | Rod Serling |
| Died | June 28, 1975, Rochester, New York, United States |
| Height | 1.63 m |
| Profession | Screenwriter, Television producer, Film producer, Playwright, Actor, Narrator |
| Education | Antioch College, Binghamton High School |
| Nationality | American |
Family
| Spouse | Carol Serling |
| Children | Jodi Serling, Anne Serling |
| Parents | Esther Cooper Serling, Samuel Lawrence Serling |
| Siblings | Robert J. Serling |
Accomplishments
| Awards | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, Peabody Award, Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Primetime Emmy Award for Best Original Teleplay Writing, Laurel Award for TV Writing Achievement, Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Children's Script, Primetime Emm... |
| Nominations | Edgar Award for Best Television Episode Teleplay, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written Drama, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing In A Children/Youth/Family Special, Writers Guild of America Award for Best TV Anthology, Any Length, Primetime Emmy Award for Best Writing Of A Single ... |
| Movies | Twilight Zone: The Movie, Planet of the Apes, Requiem for a Heavyweight, Seven Days in May, A Storm in Summer, It's a Good Life, A Carol for Another Christmas, Encounter with the Unknown, Assault on a Queen, Patterns, In the Presence of Mine Enemies, Night Gallery, The Salamander, The Outer Space Co... |
| TV Shows | Liar's Club, Night Gallery, The Sixth Sense, The Loner, The Twilight Zone |
Social profile links
Marks
| # | Marks / Signs |
|---|---|
| 1 | Often seen holding a cigarette |
| 2 | Short stature |
| 3 | His stories often show a dark side of humanity ruled by paranoia, hatred and ignorance |
| 4 | His stories often reflect his liberal political views |
| 5 | His stories often reflect his staunch views against racism and war |
| 6 | Distinctive clipped manner of speaking |
| 7 | Frequent and effective use of twist endings |
| 8 | Brief summaries of stories at the start and a conclusion of the moral at the end |
| 9 | Science-fiction/fantasy storylines |
| 10 | Always wore a suit and tie when presenting his shows |
| 11 | Distinctive dramatic voice |
Quotes
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fame is short-lived. One year after this show [The Twilight Zone (1959)] goes off the air, they'll never remember who I am. And I don't care a bit. Anonymity is fine with me. My place is as a writer. |
| 2 | I've had my moments of depression but I guess you'd say I'm a pretty contented guy. |
| 3 | [to an interviewer during the third season of The Twilight Zone (1959)] I'm tired of it, as most people are when they do a series for three years. I was tired after the fourth show. It's been a good series. It's not been consistently good, but I don't know any one series that is consistently good when you shoot each episode in three days. We've been trying gradually to get away from the necessity of a gimmick, but the show has the stamp of the gimmick and it's hooked for now. It's tough to come up with them week after week. |
| 4 | [on the near cancellation of The Twilight Zone (1959) during the latter half of the show's third season] Anybody would rather quit than get the boot. On the other hand, I am grateful. We had some great moments of vast excitement and, on occasion, achieved some real status. But now it's time to move on. |
| 5 | [on The Twilight Zone (1959)] Each story is complete in itself. This anthology series is not an assembly line operation. Each show is a carefully conceived and wrought piece of drama, cast with competent people, directed by creative, quality-conscious guys and shot with an eye toward mood and reality. |
| 6 | [on The Twilight Zone (1959)] We want to prove that television, even in its half-hour form, can be both commercial and worthwhile. We want to tell stories that are different. At the same time, perhaps only as a side effect, a point can be made that the fresh and the untried can carry more infinite appeal than a palpable imitation of the already proved. |
| 7 | [on hosting The Twilight Zone (1959)] There I am. Five feet five of solid gristle. I really don't like to do hosting. I do it by default. I have to. If I had my druthers, I wouldn't do it. I just tense up terribly before going before the cameras. It's an ordeal. If I had to go on "live," of course, I'd never do it. It's like boxing. I'm the only fighter in history who had to be carried both into and out of the ring. |
| 8 | [on The Twilight Zone (1959)] It's not a monster rally or a spook show. There will be nothing formula'd in it, nothing telegraphed, nothing so nostalgically familiar than an audience can join the actors in duets. The Twilight Zone (1959) is what it implies: that shadowy are of the almost-but-not-quite; the unbelievable told in terms that can be believed. |
| 9 | [on The Twilight Zone (1959)] I guess a third of the shows have been pretty damn good. Another third would have been passable. Another third are dogs -- which I think is a little better batting average than the average show. But to be honest, it's not as good as we thought or expected it to be. |
| 10 | [on expanding The Twilight Zone (1959) to an hour long format] In the half-hour form we depended heavily on the old O. Henry twist. So the only question is: Can we retain The Twilight Zone (1959) flavor in an hour? We may have to come up with something totally different. |
| 11 | Writing is a demanding profession and a selfish one. And because it is selfish and demanding, because it is compulsive and exacting, I didn't embrace it. I succumbed to it. |
| 12 | In my writing, I work with a secretary and a recorder. I dictate everything. It's a freewheeling thing. I act out all the parts. I do three or four drafts but by the time I get through with the second, things are pretty well set. |
| 13 | Being like everybody is the same as being nobody. |
| 14 | If you want to prove that God is not dead first prove that man is alive. |
| 15 | If you need drugs to be a good writer, you're not a good writer. |
| 16 | (on being born on Christmas Day, 1924) I was a Christmas present that was delivered unwrapped. |
| 17 | Hollywood's a great place to live... if you're a grapefruit. |
Facts
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | A copy writer from Syracuse, New York, Rod Serling toiled for years as an unproduced screenwriter. Then in 1956, his 72nd screenplay, the intense corporate drama "Patterns," was broadcast live (as most TV was back then) on NBC's B&W "Kraft Television Theatre." It won Serling an EMMY. He won a second statuette the following year, 1957, for "Requiem for a Heavyweight," which starred Jack Palance as a washed-up prizefighter. Newly minted as the most celebrated writer in a hot new medium, Serling moved his family to California where the TV industry was exploding. Once in Los Angeles, he quickly grew frustrated by how much sway corporate sponsors had over his content. So Serling hatched a plan: Since science fiction seemed to fly past network censors, he'd create an anthology series in that genre, using it to smuggle through some big ideas about politics, racism and the human condition. Everything about "The Twilight Zone" - from its unsettling Marius Constant score to its Joe Messerli-designed logo to Serling himself as the guide into the unknown - is now immutably iconic. The show-series ran on CBS from 1959 to 1964, picking up two EMMYS in 1960 and 1961 for Serling's writing. A lifelong smoker, he died June 28, 1975, of a heart attack during open-heart surgery. He was 50. |
| 2 | He was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6840 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on October 6, 1988. |
| 3 | Inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2008. |
| 4 | He usually dictated his scripts into a tape recorder and had his secretary type them up. |
| 5 | Was friends with Star Trek (1966) creator Gene Roddenberry, who had the honor of reading the eulogy at Serling's funeral. |
| 6 | He was credited as writer under the pseudonym "John Phillips" on the pilot episode of the television series The New People (1969). While Serling's name remained as the series developer, he was sufficiently annoyed with ABC-TV's editing of the pilot (it was cut from 52 to 45 minutes to fit into a 90 minute time slot along with another series) that he preferred to remove his real name. He possibly got this particular pseudonym from the novelist John Phillips (John Phillips Marquand, Jr.), whose only novel "The Second Happiest Day" was adapted to an episode of the television series Playhouse 90: The Second Happiest Day (1959) in 1959, for which series Serling had himself written a dozen episodes of prior to The Twilight Zone (1959). |
| 7 | Out of the 92 The Twilight Zone (1959) episodes he wrote, his personal favorite was The Twilight Zone: Time Enough at Last (1959). His favorite from an outside writer was The Twilight Zone: The Invaders (1961) by Richard Matheson. |
| 8 | He considered the season four episode "He's Alive" which examines the subject of Fascism, the most important episode of The Twilight Zone (1959) he ever wrote. |
| 9 | Was the first major writer to have disputes with advertisers and executives. |
| 10 | Was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War. |
| 11 | Father of Jodi Serling (born 1950) and Anne Serling (born 1955) with Carol Serling. |
| 12 | His influences included H.G. Wells, Norman Corwin, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allan Poe, Edward R. Murrow and H.P. Lovecraft. |
| 13 | Is considered to be one of the most influential writers in television history and is credited with creating many storytelling methods still used today. |
| 14 | Appears on a 44¢ USA commemorative postage stamp, issued 11 August 2009, in the Early TV Memories issue honoring The Twilight Zone (1959). |
| 15 | In 1975, Serling had two severe heart attacks before entering Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester for heart bypass surgery. He had a third heart attack during the operation and died the following day at age 50. |
| 16 | A news item in TV Guide the week of December 7, 1963 said that Serling would be visiting Hong Kong to film a television pilot called "Jeopardy Run". |
| 17 | Robert Marshall Hosfeldt authored a 1961 MA Thesis at San Jose State College called "Analysis of the techniques and content of characterization in the Academy Award winning plays of Rod Serling." "Academy", in this case, referred to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. |
| 18 | Along with many other famous faces, he was a pie-in-the-face recipient on The Soupy Sales Show (1959). Serling's turn came in 1962. |
| 19 | His schoolteacher Helen Foley encouraged him in his writing and he always believed he owed his success to her. A schoolteacher in Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) was named Helen Foley in her honor. |
| 20 | In 1994, 19 years after his death, he returned to "host" the pre-show area of "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" attraction at the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park in Orlando, Florida. Through clever use of carefully edited vintage The Twilight Zone (1959) footage, new footage processed in black and white and special additional dialogue recorded by a Serling soundalike (reportedly selected personally by Serling's widow, Carol), Serling appears in a Twilight Zone episode based on the ride's storyline and introduces theme park visitors to the attraction. This brief introduction, which is shown on a special vintage television in the attraction's pre-show area, represents the first "new" introduction of The Twilight Zone that he appears in since the series' end in 1964. |
| 21 | Following his sudden death, he was interred at Interlaken Cemetery in Interlaken, New York. |
| 22 | Towards the end of his career, he narrated several documentaries about sharks and other underwater life that were shown a great deal, at the time, in schools. |
| 23 | Attended and graduated from Binghamton High School in Binghamton, New York in 1943. |
| 24 | Started writing during World War II while recuperating from his injuries. |
| 25 | He owned a 1968 Glen Pray made replica of the 1937 Cord automobile. During the making of the game show Liar's Club (1969), he would go riding with friend and fellow actor and car enthusiast Tommy Bond, who played Butch in the Little Rascals series from the 1940s. |
| 26 | He wanted Richard Egan to do the narration for The Twilight Zone (1959) because of his rich, deep voice. However, due to strict studio contracts of the time, Egan was unable to. Serling said "It's Richard Egan or no one. It's Richard Egan, or I'll do the thing myself," which is exactly what happened. |
| 27 | On June 28, 1975, he was mowing his lawn, when all of a sudden, he began to experience some chest pains and collapsed. His neighbor found him and called the ambulance. When he arrived in the operating room, the doctors saw that the artery leading to his heart was disintegrating and there was no hope for him. He died later that day in the hospital. |
| 28 | Ranked #1 in TV Guide's list of the "25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends" (August 1, 2004 issue), the only real person on the list. All the others are television series characters. |
| 29 | Brother of writer/novelist Robert J. Serling. |
| 30 | Host of the syndicated radio show "The Zero Hour" (1973-1974). |
| 31 | Served in the United States Army, under the service number 32-738-306, from January 1943 to January 1946. Discharged in the rank of Technician 5th Grade (the equivalent of a Corporal) having served as an Infantry Combat Demolition Specialist and a Paratrooper. |
| 32 | Military decorations from the Second World War include: World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with Arrowhead Device), Good Conduct Medal, Phillippine Liberation Medal (with one bronze service star), Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Honorable Service Lapel Pin. Also retroactively authorized the Bronze Star Medal, based on receipt of the Combat Infantryman Badge during the Second World War. |
| 33 | Was an outspoken supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). |
| 34 | Suffered from combat-related flashbacks and insomnia. |
| 35 | Born into a Reform Jewish family, he later became a Unitarian upon his marriage in 1948. |
| 36 | Was a Communications professor at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. |
| 37 | Moved to Binghamton, New York at an early age, where he spent most of his youth. |
| 38 | Parents are Samuel Lawrence and Esther Serling. |
Pictures
Movies
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| #WTRAPSU: Will the Real Alien Please Stand Up? | 2016 | Short based on an original story by | |
| The Hitch-Hiker | 2015 | TV Series original teleplay | |
| The Twilight Zone | TV Series created by - 44 episodes, 2002 - 2003 written by - 1 episode, 2003 story by - 1 episode, 2003 | ||
| For All Time | 2000 | TV Movie Twilight Zone episode "A Stop at Willoughby" | |
| A Storm in Summer | 2000 | TV Movie 1970 teleplay / written by | |
| A Town Has Turned to Dust | 1998 | TV Movie | |
| In the Presence of Mine Enemies | 1997 | TV Movie | |
| End of the Road | 1997 | Short teleplay | |
| The Enemy Within | 1994 | TV Movie screenplay "Seven Days in May" | |
| Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics | 1994 | TV Movie story / written by | |
| The Twilight Zone | TV Series created by - 65 episodes, 1985 - 1989 based on the story and teleplay by - 2 episodes, 1985 - 1986 story by - 1 episode, 1988 | ||
| Twilight Zone: The Movie | 1983 | television series The Twilight Zone | |
| The Salamander | 1981 | adaptation | |
| The Sad and Lonely Sundays | 1976 | TV Movie | |
| Time Travelers | 1976 | TV Movie story | |
| Rekvijem za teskasa | 1974 | TV Movie | |
| Night Gallery | TV Series 1 episode, 1971 teleplay - 19 episodes, 1970 - 1973 written by - 11 episodes, 1969 - 1972 | ||
| The Man | 1972 | screenplay | |
| Waar is iedereen? | 1970 | TV Short | |
| A Storm in Summer | 1970 | TV Movie written by | |
| The New People | TV Series developer - 17 episodes, 1969 - 1970 written by - 1 episode, 1969 | ||
| Certain Honorable Men | 1968 | TV Movie | |
| Planet of the Apes | 1968 | screenplay | |
| The Doomsday Flight | 1966 | TV Movie | |
| Assault on a Queen | 1966 | screenplay | |
| Insight | 1966 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| The Loner | TV Series created by - 26 episodes, 1965 - 1966 written by - 15 episodes, 1965 - 1966 | ||
| Der neue Mann | 1965 | TV Movie play | |
| Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | TV Series written by - 3 episodes, 1963 - 1965 adaptation - 1 episode, 1964 previous teleplay The Strike - 1 episode, 1964 teleplay - 1 episode, 1963 | ||
| A Carol for Another Christmas | 1964 | TV Movie | |
| The Twilight Zone | TV Series created by - 156 episodes, 1959 - 1964 written by - 71 episodes, 1959 - 1964 teleplay by - 21 episodes, 1959 - 1964 | ||
| The Movie Maker | 1964 | TV Movie written by | |
| Seven Days in May | 1964 | screenplay | |
| Let Us Continue | 1963 | Documentary short writer | |
| The Yellow Canary | 1963 | writer | |
| Im Schatten des Krieges | 1963 | TV Movie play | |
| Requiem for a Heavyweight | 1962 | teleplay | |
| Incident in an Alley | 1962 | story | |
| Armchair Theatre | 1958-1961 | TV Series writer - 3 episodes | |
| Der entscheidende Augenblick | 1961 | TV Movie | |
| BBC Sunday-Night Play | 1960 | TV Mini-Series 1 episode | |
| Playhouse 90 | TV Series writer - 8 episodes, 1956 - 1960 script - 1 episode, 1958 written by - 1 episode, 1957 adaptation for television - 1 episode, 1956 | ||
| Requiem voor een zwaargewicht | 1959 | TV Movie | |
| BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | TV Series 2 episodes, 1957 - 1959 teleplay - 1 episode, 1957 | ||
| Teledrama | 1959 | TV Series teleplay - 1 episode | |
| Television Playwright | 1959 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Pursuit | 1958 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | 1958 | TV Series written by - 1 episode | |
| Matinee Theatre | 1955-1958 | TV Series writer - 2 episodes | |
| Saddle the Wind | 1958 | screenplay | |
| Blood Money | 1957 | TV Movie | |
| The Rack | 1956 | teleplay | |
| The Kaiser Aluminum Hour | 1956 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| General Electric Theater | 1955-1956 | TV Series writer - 2 episodes | |
| The United States Steel Hour | 1955-1956 | TV Series writer - 3 episodes | |
| The Catholic Hour | 1956 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Studio One in Hollywood | TV Series writer - 4 episodes, 1953 - 1955 written especially for Studio One by - 2 episodes, 1954 - 1956 | ||
| Patterns | 1956 | original story and screen play | |
| Climax! | TV Series writer - 2 episodes, 1955 adaptation - 1 episode, 1955 | ||
| Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre | 1955 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Star Tonight | 1955 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Appointment with Adventure | 1955 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| The Ford Television Theatre | TV Series story and screenplay - 1 episode, 1955 story & teleplay - 1 episode, 1954 | ||
| Kraft Theatre | TV Series writer - 5 episodes, 1953 written by - 2 episodes, 1955 | ||
| Playbill | 1955 | TV Series teleplay - 1 episode | |
| Armstrong Circle Theatre | 1952-1955 | TV Series writer - 2 episodes | |
| The Challenge | 1955 | TV Movie | |
| Danger | TV Series teleplay - 1 episode, 1954 writer - 1 episode, 1954 | ||
| Center Stage | 1954 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| The Motorola Television Hour | 1953-1954 | TV Series writer - 2 episodes | |
| The Philip Morris Playhouse | 1954 | TV Series writer - 1 episode | |
| Medallion Theatre | 1953 | TV Series writer - 3 episodes | |
| Campbell Summer Soundstage | 1953 | TV Series story - 1 episode | |
| Lux Video Theatre | 1952-1953 | TV Series writer - 8 episodes | |
| Ponds Theater | 1953 | TV Series writer | |
| Suspense | 1953 | TV Series written for television by - 1 episode | |
| Man Against Pain | 1953 | TV Movie writer | |
| Horace Mann's Miracle | 1953 | TV Movie writer | |
| The Doctor | 1952 | TV Series writer - 2 episodes | |
| I Lift Up My Lamp | 1952 | TV Movie writer | |
| The Carlson Legend | 1952 | TV Movie writer | |
| Shadow of the Cloak | 1952 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| Stars Over Hollywood | TV Series 1 episode, 1950 writer - 1 episode, 1950 |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Art of Film | 1976 | TV Series | Narrator (voice) |
| The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond | 1975 | TV Movie | Narrator |
| Phantom of the Paradise | 1974 | Introductory Narrator (voice, uncredited) | |
| Encounter with the Unknown | 1973 | Narrator (voice) | |
| Ironside | 1972 | TV Series | Thyros, Witches Shop Keeper |
| Appointment with Destiny | 1971 | TV Series | Narrator |
| The Twilight Zone | 1959-1964 | TV Series | Narrator / Himself - Host |
| Ichabod and Me | 1962 | TV Series | Eugene Hollinfield |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sathya Sai Baba: Man of Miracles | 2006 | Documentary series producer | |
| The Sad and Lonely Sundays | 1976 | TV Movie producer | |
| The Twilight Zone | 1959-1960 | TV Series executive producer - 36 episodes |
Miscellaneous
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Loner | 1965-1966 | TV Series supervising script consultant - 26 episodes |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorillaville | 2014-2017 | TV Series short special thanks - 22 episodes | |
| Back on Earth? | 2013 | Short inspirational thanks | |
| Rabid Love | 2012 | Short thanks | |
| Blüm | 2011 | Short thanks | |
| MyShadow | 2011 | Short special thanks | |
| El embaucador | 2008 | Short special thanks | |
| Cultivision (Collapsing Stars) | 2002 | thanks | |
| Planet of the Apes | 2001 | acknowledgment: 1968 "Planet Of The Apes" theatrical motion picture adapted by |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sathya Sai Baba: Man of Miracles | 2006 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Exiles | 1989 | Documentary | Himself |
| UFOs: It Has Begun | 1979 | Documentary | Presenter and Narrator |
| They Made Movies in Ithaca | 1975 | Documentary | Narrator |
| The Outer Space Connection | 1975 | Documentary | Narrator |
| UFOs: Past, Present, and Future | 1974 | Documentary | Narrator |
| Monsters! Mysteries or Myths? | 1974 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Host |
| The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau | 1968-1974 | TV Series documentary | Narrator |
| Big Mouth | 1974 | Documentary | Narrator |
| Stand Up and Cheer | 1973 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Silent Drum | 1973 | Documentary | Narrator |
| Deadly Fathoms | 1973 | Documentary | Narrator |
| Password All-Stars | 1972-1973 | TV Series | Himself - Celebrity Contestant |
| In Search of Ancient Astronauts | 1973 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator |
| In Search of Ancient Mysteries | 1973 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator |
| Night Gallery | 1969-1973 | TV Series | Himself - Host |
| The Sixth Sense | 1972 | TV Series | Himself - Host / Himself |
| Zenith Presents: A Salute to Television's 25th Anniversary | 1972 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Dick Cavett Show | 1972 | TV Series | Himself / Himself - Writer / Himself - Guest |
| The Pet Set | 1971 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Unexplained | 1970 | TV Movie documentary | Narrator |
| Laugh-In | 1968-1970 | TV Series | Himself |
| Della | 1970 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Andy Williams Show | 1969 | TV Series | Himself |
| Liar's Club | 1969 | TV Series | Himself |
| Silent Treatment | 1968 | Documentary | Himself |
| The Donald O'Connor Show | 1968 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | 1963-1968 | TV Series | Himself - Guest / Himself |
| Personality | 1968 | TV Series | Himself |
| Today | 1967 | TV Series | Himself |
| You Don't Say | 1963-1967 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Match Game | 1963-1966 | TV Series | Himself - Team Captain |
| Hollywood Talent Scouts | 1966 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Linkletter Show | 1965 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Mike Douglas Show | 1965 | TV Series | Himself |
| That Regis Philbin Show | 1965 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Object Is | 1964 | TV Series | Himself - Panelist |
| The Danny Kaye Show | 1964 | TV Series | Himself |
| Fractured Flickers | 1963 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Art Linkletter Show | 1963 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Jack Benny Program | 1963 | TV Series | Himself |
| PM East | 1961 | TV Series | Himself |
| Here's Hollywood | 1961 | TV Series | Himself |
| CBS Fall Preview Special: Seven Wonderful Nights | 1961 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The David Susskind Show | 1960 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Red Skelton Hour | 1960 | TV Series | Himself / Cameo |
| Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | 1960 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Mike Wallace Interview | 1959 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Playhouse 90 | 1958 | TV Series | Himself - Host |
| Look Here | 1958 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
| Social Security in Action | 1958 | TV Series | Himself |
| Night Beat | 1957 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sixties | 2014 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself - Host of The Twilight Zone |
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | 2012 | TV Series documentary | Narrator (end of Segment #4) |
| Not Fade Away | 2012 | Himself in The Twilight Zone (uncredited) | |
| Pioneers of Television | 2011 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
| Medium | 2005 | TV Series | Himself |
| Horror Business | 2005 | Video documentary | Himself |
| E! True Hollywood Story | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Rod Serling: Writer | 1996 | Documentary | Himself |
| American Masters | 1995 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Horrible Horror | 1986 | Video | Himself |
| Twilight Zone: The Movie | 1983 | Narrator (end of Segment #4) (uncredited) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
