Talk:Rod Serling

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Radio Portal
This article is supported by the Radio WikiProject.

This project provides a central approach to Radio-related subjects on Wikipedia.
Please participate by editing the article attached to this page and help us assess and improve articles to good and 1.0 standards. Visit the wikiproject page for more details.
??? This article has not yet received a rating on the Project's quality scale. Please rate the article and then leave a short summary here to explain the ratings and/or to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the article.
TV
Television Portal
This article is part of WikiProject Television, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to television programs and related subjects on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion.
??? This article has not yet received a rating on the quality scale.
Assessment comments
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Biography. For more information, visit the project page.
Biography Portal
B This article has been rated as B-Class on the project's quality scale. [FAQ]
This article is supported by the Arts and Entertainment work group.
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Science Fiction, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to articles on science fiction on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article. Feel free to add your name to the participants list and/or contribute to the discussion.
Start This article has been rated as start-Class on the quality scale.
??? This article has not yet been assigned a rating on the importance scale.
TV This article is part of WikiProject The Twilight Zone, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to The Twilight Zone on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can edit the article attached to this page, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion.
MILHIST This article is within the scope of the Military history WikiProject. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the project and see lists of open tasks and regional and topical task forces. To use this banner, please see the full instructions.
Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the quality scale.

[edit] Biography assessment rating comment

WikiProject Biography Assessment

It's a shaky B, but it's a B.

As of this date, the article meets the technical criteria for a B, but it needs tightening and revision to improve further. More inline citations, better organization of his filmography and accomplishments, and if possible, a better main picture.

The article may be improved by following the WikiProject Biography 11 easy steps to producing at least a B article. -- Yamara 03:24, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Hey RMS

Hey RMS, your edits, for the most part here, are nonWiki.

  • you don't repeat links in the article
  • why do you have to add the age at death? We can do the math.

Beanbatch 08:56, 8 September 2005 (UTC)

It is strange to die so young. However let us remember he was, unfortunately, a smoker :-( 89.224.147.179 (talk) 07:52, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Full Name

Is there a definitive source to Rod's full name? Some sites such as Encyclopedia Brittanica have it listed as "Edwin Rodman Serling" (where Rodman is his middle name). Most common have it listed as here but there seems to be considerable confusion about the odering and whether it is "Edward" or "Edwin". --Claygate 14:08, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

You're right. Much confusion. Many different versions. From Edwin Rodman to Rodman Edwin & Edward.... . Perhaps we can at least start here: His gravestone reads 'Rodman E. Serling'. Most of the other sources list him as 'Rodman Edward Serling'. Sound good to me. Check it out: Rod Serling's Gravestone Michael David 15:11, 4 February 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for the reference - that's a pretty good confirmation source that we at least have the first name and middle initial correct. --Claygate 23:04, 5 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Marriage ended at his death

The date of his marriage is stated as "(1948-)". I am adding "1975" and "(his death)", assuming I am doing it properly. If not, please correct. Mal7798 (talk) 00:43, 14 March 2008 (UTC)


[edit] Bias?

This WIKI entry does provide information on Serling. However, it also contains obsessive anti-smoking propaganda and an obsessive 'he would regret such and such' tone. Do we need this in a WIKI article? oldcitycat 00:18, 3 July 2006 (UTC)

There is one instance of the smoking mentioned, but it was well known that he was a heavy smoker. Perhaps that part could be made more neutral. --Claygate 17:26, 3 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Rod Serling

A film not mentioned in the article on Rod Serling was made around 1966. It was titled "The Doomsday Flight" and starred Edmund O'Brian as a hijacker who plants a bomb aboard a plane. Van Johnson played the pilot. I read somewhere a long time ago that Serling regretted the film, (which I believe he also wrote} because of subsequent airline hijackings.JKMHeim 04:09, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

The Rod Serling Page Is Missing Rod Serling's Radio Show "Zero Hour" It Started 1973-09-03 And Was At least 130 Episodes.

[edit] lawsuits for plagiarism

"A possible motive for Serling relinquishing the rights for a quick profit could be tied to incessant entanglement in lawsuits for plagiarism regarding his story ideas for episodes."

  • I'm not necessarily debating the accuracy of this statement, but anyone know the source of this statement? --Bjcampbell 08:17, 4 March 2007 (UTC)
I think it is worth challenging, especially the "incessant" part. I've read that he may have had a few lawsuits, but probably not "incessant". I'll tag it as needing a reference. There are some mentions of this in blogs, e.g. [1], but also refuting these claims, e.g. [2], so it's difficult to establish the actual fact. Perhaps someone can check in one of his biographies? --Claygate 14:14, 4 March 2007 (UTC)
  • I think "incessant" is too strong as well. The somewhat unflattering biography by Joel Engel (forget the title) mentions maybe two or three lawsuits (and, honestly, iirc, at least two of them concerned stories Serling wrote for "The Night Gallery," not TZ), and quotes a letter from Charles Beaumont castigating Serling for one of his TZ stories which he (Beaumont) felt was ripped off from him. Serling immediately wrote a letter of apology to Beaumont and the matter was settled as far as both were concerned. Sir Rhosis 21:18, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cayuga ancestry

I can't find a valid source to prove this, but I added it anyway, the reason being that he named his studio Cayuga Productions. --199.111.245.58 16:41, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

It's most likely named after Cayuga Lake, which is located near Ithaca, where he went to school, and also not far from where he grew up. 74.225.125.240 09:53, 14 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Where is "Zero Hour"?

I'm not up for the task of writing the addition, but this is a good source for zero hour information: http://members.aol.com/radiodrama/zerohour.html In spite of the "members.aol" URL, the author of this page cites a number of sources.

I have the Old Time Radio (OTR) series on tape with episodes dated November 01, 1973 through July 26, 1974. The stories were a hit, but because each story aired in 5 daily installments of about 30 minutes each, if you missed a day - you missed a chunk of the story. In late April 1974, the format changed to a full story in a single 30 minute installment.

1973 Nov 15 Promo Show
1973 Dec 17,18,19,20,21 Wife of the Red Haired Man
1973 Dec 24,25,26,27,28 Desperate Witness
1973 Dec 31, 1974 Jan 01,02,03,04 If Two of Them Are Dead
1974 Jan 07,08,09,10,11 Fourth of Forever
1974 Jan 14,15,16,17,18 But I Wouldn't Want to Die There
1974 Jan 28,29,30,31, Feb 01 Heir Hunters
1974 Feb 04,05,06,07,08 A Die in the Country
1974 Feb 11,12,13,14,15 Someone's Death
1974 Feb 18,19,20,21,22 Face of the Foe
1974 Feb 25,26,27,28, Mar 01 Blessing Way
1974 Mar 04,05,06,07,08 Princess Stakes Murder Case
1974 Mar 11,12,13,14,15 Queen in Danger
1974 Apr 29 Bye-Bye Narco
1974 Apr 30 Terror in the Night
1974 May 01 Scream of the Hawk
1974 May 02 The Extortionist
1974 May 03 Price of Admission
1974 May 06 A Shortage of Story
1974 May 07 Escape to Nowhere
1974 May 08 Fair's Fair, You Know
1974 May 09 The Housecall
1974 May 13 An Arm's Length
1974 May 15 The Reward
1974 May 16 Villainous Verdict
1974 May 17 The Stranger
1974 May 20 White Flame Burning Bright
1974 May 21 Mind of the Beholder
1974 May 22 Driving Aunt Sally Insane
1974 May 23 There is a Man in 211
1974 May 24 Death is a Perfect Cure
1974 May 27 Dr. Rivington Presumably
1974 May 28 Wanted: A Willing Companion
1974 May 29 Pigs Could Put You in the Pen
1974 May 30 Sky Lab Are You There?
1974 May 31 A Favor You Can't Refuse
1974 Jun 03 Death at Half a Length
1974 Jun 04 Floating Down the River
1974 Jun 05 Once a Thief
1974 Jun 06 Murder Shrieks Out
1974 Jun 07 Rehabilitation of Citizen Fimple
1974 Jun 10 Bonnie and Clyde are Alive and Well
1974 Jun 11 Sisters of Satan
1974 Jun 12 Mannequin
1974 Jun 13 Double Date to Destiny
1974 Jun 14 Clay Pigeons
1974 Jun 17 ast is Always Present
1974 Jun 18 Woman in Black
1974 Jun 19 Come Light My Fire
1974 Jun 20 Riders Wanted: Share Expenses
1974 Jun 21 Death on Canvas
1974 Jun 24 House That Clement Built
1974 Jun 25 Joint Account
1974 Jun 26 Tiger Cages
1974 Jun 27 Violence Takes a Curtain Call
1974 Jun 28 Children Are Dying
1974 Jul 01 Bend Spindle and Mutilate
1974 Jul 02 Murder is a Work of Art
1974 Jul 03 Edwards Tug and Salvage
1974 Jul 04 Larceny on the Lake
1974 Jul 05 On the Lam
1974 Jul 08 Corpse Takes a Sleigh Ride
1974 Jul 09 Marionettes
1974 Jul 10 Ghost of Black Plague
1974 Jul 11 Trunkful of Trouble
1974 Jul 12 The Grand Prize
1974 Jul 15 Welcome Home Denny Shackleford
1974 Jul 16 Death of a Genius
1974 Jul 17 Remember Me
1974 Jul 18 Lost in Time
1974 Jul 19 Once Upon a Truck
1974 Jul 22 Corpse Takes a Stand
1974 Jul 23 Carnival of Menace
1974 Jul 24 Chicago John & The Glitter People
1974 Jul 25 Smoke Screen
1974 Jul 26 The Holdout

Thanks, I'll add a reference, but the individual episodes should not go in the main article. Perhaps in a page about Zero Hour, though. --Claygate 16:50, 20 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Coffin nails

Any information about a relationship between cigarettes and his heart problem?Lestrade 20:52, 15 November 2007 (UTC)Lestrade

Perhaps out of deference to Serling and his life work it was decided not to restate the obvious and to use his biography as yet another antismoking sounding board. And if this were done with Serling's biography it would be unfair to not so edit all biographies of deceased cigarette smokers, and also to leave unedited those whose subject's deaths were obviously not related to this. Should we edit biographies of people whose deaths we now know to have been caused by poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyles, and anything else we learn in the future to be comparable health hazards, and say that "we now know that so-and-so contributed to this person's death"? Using Serling posthumously as a poster child would be disrespectful.

Mal7798 (talk) 00:39, 14 March 2008 (UTC)


Hes a dead jew —Preceding unsigned comment added by 151.202.98.83 (talk) 15:03, 17 February 2008 (UTC)