The Mike Wallace Interview featuring Rod Serling (1959)
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Public domain interview with Rod Serling, creator of the Twilight Zone. Uploaded because we indie game developers can learn a lot from the parallels with early TV and the censorship and commercialization and the fight against it.
While I have your attention, if you enjoyed the video, check out my game "Immortal Defense" on Steam, those who enjoy the Twilight Zone may enjoy its story: store.steampow...
Picture if you will. An amazing orator. A writer. A creator. Devoid of recognition of his own thematic representation of excellence. Sitting in a chair, answering questions. He takes a journey that will lead him to a thoroughly adequate response to the questions he knows he must answer. Next stop, The Twilight Zone.
Excellent job Jon.!!
Is that you Rod ? : )
Jon Fleck 👏🏻👊🏼👏🏻
Nice!
LOL!
He described his own work as "temporarily adequate". He had no idea how great he really was.
Agreed! In my opinion, the TZ ended up to this day being some of the MOST important television ever produced as well as, certainly in certain episodes, ABSOLUTELY having a social commentary that illustrated the best and worst of the human condition and humanity; some of these episodes taught us more about the human condition than we ever learned in school and In many cases, possibly even from our own parents, etc.
His incredibly high standards are a testament to how great his work really was.
David Shoesmith
David Shoesmith
John Province he knew, but he had to subdue himself among wolves
Even Mike Wallace is like "Damn! I'm in way over my head here interviewing this intellectual giant!"
I love how fluent their speech patterns were in the 50s. The words just flow. No half thoughts. Starts and stops. Ums, ahs. I could listen to Rod's smooth voice all day.
ya, generations since have progressively gotten more verbally stilted. todays kids often, not always but often sound socially retarded. The main culprit is ,most likely just a lack of one on one, or small group dialogue.
Totally agree. This was back when a HS education actually was an education. They wrote and spoke very well. Now - tack on some emojis or a hashtag or two and think that we've "gotten our point across" ......maybe.
They weren't lying as much then as they do today...you tend to flow when you speak unguarded...these are litigious and corrupt times where even the slightest misplaced word can be magnified and spread across the world in an hour...the end of your career or life...
@@mozfonky today's kids? These aren't kids. Kids aren't in charge of the media or interviews or any of that. How the fuck do you even get off making this about "today's kids"?
@@cpnolto but you people supported gutting education to the bare minimum and constantly cutting the budget for education and then blame it on the goddamn students
I love that Rod Serling was clever enough to hide his social commentary behind the guise of a fun and entertaining science fiction show and that he was able to get away with it. Great interview.
His comments at around minute 10 made me laugh - he was very crafty in his use of words.
Roddenberry did the same thing, but if it wasn't for RS, he couldn't have done it.
I am 8
This stood out to me as well. He explicitly states that he is pulling back from social commentary with The Twilight Zone. Ha. It was one of the most politically and socially aware programs of all time.
@@joeski734 yeah the trick with good social commentary is to NOT make it hyper specific. Trying to nail a bullseye, means you'll miss the audience. Why? It's a mix of them not getting it, and them disagreeing.
Kirk and Uhura kissing? first interracial kiss on TV. Would have been terrible if the people writing it had tried to play up the kiss as important. It was important, but because ti was written as ordinary and normal.
Intelligent, articulate, gifted, and creative man. Love his work.
Rod is eloquent, well-mannered, brilliant and concise, as always. Quite the gentleman and not a word wasted. Every single sentence speaks volumes. The man was a pillar of dignity and integrity. He exuded candid honesty and depth. We lost him way too early. Thank goodness he left us with so much to enjoy and to think about.
Mike Wallace is so condescending in this. Rod takes it in stride, but you can see he's getting a bit impatient. Also, when introducing him, Mike slightly mispronounces his name as 'Ron Serling'. I'm not certain it's intentional, of course, but this is well-known technique to throw a guest off balance in ambush type interviews. Also, the harping on money, ("How much can a guy make?") instead of content and story. He adds, 'You've given up writing anything important for television...for the foreseeable future' but is challenged by Serling. Again, Rod doesn't let him get away with the negative spin he's putting on his new show 'The Twilight Zone'. Mike is clearly honing his craft for his well known talent of ambushing his interviewees that he would later perfect on '60 Minutes'. Wallace became a dignified and elder statesman of TV journalism, but early in his career, as in this series, he's more akin to conducting a tabloid style expose.
Two men, both very good at what they do. A creator and a critic-an optimist and a cynic. Nowadays, I wish we had more of one and less of the other.
Robbie R. Esq.,Correct. I rewind to hear Ron 2X. Rod just brought on his brilliance and held his own. Ros is a legend to me. I write, and when I see TZ, I see he wrote it, and get my butt kicked again. I'm learning.
Yes!
He died way, way, way too young, only 50, & the culprit, as usual, was the 3-4 packs of cigarettes he smoked daily.
All extremely well said. I enjoyed reading this.
Robbie R. Esq. agreed-well said.
He didn't realize, or didn't want to admit it, but he was on the verge of one of the most honest and critical TV shows ever produced.
88 dislikes? Who the hell could ever dislike this? Idiots who do not realize pure genius, pure visionary!!
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"I've never written beneath myself, I've never written anything that I didn't want my name attached to. I've probed deeper in some scripts and I've been more successful in some than others. But all of them, that have been on, I'll take my lick, they're mine, and that's the way I wanted them."
That's the most healthy way of looking at things for those who create art, any art. Wonderfully put.
I totally agree. Did you know that before the quantum (Mandela) effect his name was Rod Sterling. The T is now gone.
That is the responsible way to run your life.
I think that should apply to any job, not just art. It might just be things rolling off an assembly line, but one should feel proud if he's not half-assing the job.
that's integrity. he did it in art, in his whole life.
Quantum Effect Residue thats funny that’s what I’ve been saying all my life.
What a sharp mind he had. Why can't more people in the U.S entertainment biz today speak as frankly and honestly as he did? Upsetting.
So true!
+dhog41 It is getting better - because of cable - Vince Gilligan and Noah Hawley aren't concerned about nutcase southern letter-writers.
Sean Young does. It's a difficult thing, because there's a fine line between standing up and standing out. Rod was wise for finding a way around it, while Sean Young bites the hand that feeds. It takes a toll on you and it's a constant fight. If you're lucky you get some success, but at the same time it gets to being the thing that sinks you.
Because the entertainment business is simply more competitive now with video and digital and the Internet than it was then and television was still a relatively new thing and in its golden age. But don't forget, even then, Serling had some real uphill battles with CBS over The Twilight Zone. It often struggled in the viewership ratings and was nearly cancelled several times during its original network broadcast run. It's only because it managed to air enough episodes and thus attain rerun syndication that it still manages to endure to this day.
dhog41 💯 %
Serling would have been a good James Bond just by playing himself.
Or the best ever Bond villain
@@steevrawjers I would see him as a grey villain. Not necessarily a mustache twirler, but a tragic villain.
@@em23 yes
Rod Serling...a real man.
@Viking Paratrooper not a Ranger
It's funny this was five years ago but I really wish everyone was as pist. To have that discipline and morals is kinda a curse but he feels love and that makes life worthy. If you criticized humanity then they think you are a sociopath when in reality you are just disappointed. We have so much potential but it's wasted.
Lucas Skywalker not many left by design.
THANK YOU!!
Your not kidding,World War 2 paratrooper.
He was so articulate.
They dont make em like that anymore
And he talks good too
But stupid enough to chain smoke and kill himself
@@3John-Bishop , the power of peer pressure on adults.
@@senatorjosephmccarthy2720 lighten up, you wanna smoke, smoke!
I like how Rod Serling convey his communication skills, comprehensible and with substance , with a clear message that the listeners will understand it right a way .
any interview with rod serling is pure gold.
Wonderful to watch a real MAN.
I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Serling in 1972 at Texas A&M. I was on the committee that invited him to speak. After the program he sat with us, chain smoking cigarettes and talking about his days as a paratrooper.
It's so cool that you were able to meet him! I would have loved that opportunity.
I also saw him in 1972! It was at a restaurant in West Springfield, Ma. His presence sure caused a stir!
im 17, its 2020, and rod serling will always be the love of my life lol
His thoughts on censorship, and how he worked around it, are very relevant today.
♥️ thus immortal, alive, present.
I dont blame ya. Hes awesome. Ive been sick my whole life and when i was a baby and couldnt sleep my dad would try to get me back to sleep and watch the twilight zone at the same time.
A righteous choice! He was sure wrong about one thing: He didn’t think after winning 3 Emmies his new show, The Twilight Zone, would help his career very much. It’s literally 60 years later, and I re-watch all the classic episodes on the SyFy channel, still marveling at what a legacy he was able to leave us
He watches you when you sleep, then turns, takes a puff of his cigarette and speaks into a camera lense about your longing...
"Submitted for your consideration, a young lady in the beginning of her journey down the pathway of life. Enveloped in the distant timeline of a romance left unrequited, with a man no longer living, or at least, so she thinks...until having a chance encounter in...The Twilight Zone."
I've always found Mr. Serling an attractive figure. I started watching The Twilight Zone when I was a little boy. I never graduated high school and was always ridiculed for my poor grammar. He absolutely inspired me to improve my diction and the command of the English language. When I speak with people they always ask me which university or college did I go to. I laugh inside and tell them I never completed high school. The expression on there face is priceless.
Yea me too ya see Mr Serling gave me the confidence to be strong ya' see
I was born and raised down in Alabama
On a farm way back up in the woods
I was so ragged that folks used to call me Patches
Papa used to tease me about it
'Cause deep down inside he was hurt
'Cause he'd done all he could
My papa was a great old man
I can see him with a shovel in his hands, see
Education he never had
He did wonders when the times got bad
The little money from the crops he raised
Barely paid the bills we made
For, life had kick him down to the ground
When he tried to get up
Life would kick him back down
One day Papa called me to his dyin' bed
Put his hands on my shoulders
And in his tears he said
He said, Patches
I'm dependin' on you, son
To pull the family through
My son, it's all left up to you
Two days later Papa passed away, and
I became a man that day
So I told Mama I was gonna quit school, but
She said that was Daddy's strictest rule
So every mornin' 'fore I went to school
I fed the chickens and I chopped wood too
Sometimes I felt that I couldn't go on
I wanted to leave, just run away from home
But I would remember what my daddy said
With tears in his eyes on his dyin' bed
He said, Patches
I'm dependin' on you, son
I tried to do my best
It's up to you to do the rest
Then one day a strong rain came
And washed all the crops away
And at the age of 13 I thought
I was carryin' the weight of the
Whole world on my shoulders
And you know, Mama knew
What I was goin' through, 'cause
Every day I had to work the fields
'Cause that's the only way we got our meals
You see, I was the oldest of the family
And everybody else depended on me
Every night I heard my Mama pray
Lord, give him the strength to make another day
So years have passed and all the kids are grown
The angels took Mama to a brand new home
Lord knows, people, I shedded tears
But my daddy's voice kept me through the years
Sing,
Patches, I'm dependin' on you, son
To pull the family through
My son, it's all left up to you
Oh, I can still hear Papa's voice sayin'
Patches, I'm dependin' on you, son
I've tried to do my best
It's up to you to do the rest
I can still hear Papa, what he said
Patches, I'm dependin' on you, son
To pull the family through
My son, it's all left up to you
Good for you
@Thomas Jones Thank you for sharing. Great storytelling & message of perserverance, dedication & love of both you & papa. Well done!
@@jackiemichaels1162 🙈 that was a song from the 60s originally performed by Clarence Carter. The commenter was being sarcastic , it was funny.
Rod was next level. His stories still intrigue me to this day. I was a child in the early 80's when I discovered The Twilight Zone when I would stay home sick with my grandmother. I started faking sick just so I could watch the show at 12pm during the week from school. My parents started to catch on when they took me to the Doctor and asked what was going on. I confessed I was addicted to the show.
Pete Rice: LOL
I can remember seeing them when they first aired.
I had no idea this guy struggled with and had such eloquent thoughts about censorship... I always just thought of him as the quirky twilight zone host guy. Huge newfound respect! My new hero
Oddly , its censorship that inspired The Twilight Zone .... it being fantastic in nature was an end round the corporate censorship .
@@georgeelmerdenbrough6906 "Watch Requiem for a Heavyweight", pre Twilight Zone
Everyone knows him from his writing and the Twilight Zone. He enlisted during WW2 and fought in Manila and the Philippines as a paratrooper. Japan was losing, it was bloody and vicious, he was injured.
@@cstlbrvo5615 amazing. how do u know this stuff. from a biography? documentary? i need to learn more about his life. twilight zone is still one of the greatest shows ever.
@@gotocustudiofilmsthecheapb3802 During a parachute drop-resupply of his unit in the Phillipines at the time of the battle of Manila he was there when his friend was crush to death by cargo that was meant to help them. IJN + IJA were doing fanatical suicide attacks. Battle of Manila is comparable to Stalingrad in that it was house to house. Japanese soldiers knew no one was going to save them. They attacked the civilians. Threw babies in the air and caught them on bayonets. Some info is at Wikipedia. There's a pic of him on the internet after he got his jump wings with his Father. I found a lot of this info by crawling around on my hands and knees in dimly lit used bookstores.
Rod would spin in his grave if he watched an hour of TV in the present day.
Any episodes relate to 2020? I sure feel like I am in the Twilight Zone.
I don't know. I think he would be impressed by X- Files, Breaking Bad, Handmaids Tale, Succession, etc.
There is quite a lot of solid television if you know where to look.
@@kevinrockford9826 yes, "the monsters are due on maple street"
Not at all. I think he'd largely be unimpressed, but not surprised. But, on the other, I think he'd be amazed with the ideas and impressions we can get away with on television now.
Rod Serling died from Coronavirus according to CNN and MSNBC!!!
Good God this man was a genius and he was brilliant. I admire him so much
I still remember being scared shitless as a little kid watching his great show. What a genius! It's inspiring to see what a strong , brave man can do.
some of it also turns you into the bahavioral issues... wether male or female
What a fine, intelligent, principled man Serling was. Love how he handled this interview.
I remember from this biography wasn't particularly principled in his private life
@@withgoddess8029 We all fall short one way or another at various times.
Serling is truly a mesmerizing figure when being interviewed. He is so intelligent with his answers, tragic to lose him at so young an age, his early 50's I believe.
50
It's amazing that he manages to speak as he narrates.
Notice how rarely Serling stutters or uses fillers like "um" or "uh," two of the most overused fragments in public speaking. Ok, this isn't technically public. It's a taped interview, but you get a sense of Serling's mastery of language, something that his several television shows prove beyond any doubt.
He did use uh here and there.
the dude wrote 12-14 hours a day for years. better be well-spoken ha.
Nick A. Rose People of that generation spoke much more eloquently and grammatically correct than people today do. I wish people today would care more.
Although he is a sharp guy, he says “uh” 4 times on the first question alone, in the same sentence.
You are correct. Serling was what used to be called "well-spoken." The term is seldom used today, probably because there is little occasion to use it.
Great interview. We lost rod way too soon.
In fact, The Twilight Zone did some very heavy hitting, emotionally and morally. It is interesting that in essentially every season there was always an episode involving the Evil One. There was humor, but also a moral dimension about good and evil.
Nobody speaks honestly like this any more. There are no longer real interviews within the entrainment business. It's all Entertainment Tonight.
I speak honestly. Been banned and deleted several times because of it.
@@jdgustofwinddance.7748 That happened to me yesterday on a YT channel whose creator continually claims to be a voice for facts and truth.
@@cstlbrvo5615 ah. Well, My profile was nuked and I had to create this as the backup. Lost all my playlists and etc. starting back up from scratch and memory.
All trash, except PBS and "60 minutes"
@@j.j.2678 PBS: "Womens genital mutilation in Africa" ..WTF? 60 Minutes: slanted, biased, feminist, male-bashing BS etc....
Rod Serling is a legend, visionary, way ahead of his time, and that voice! I grew up watching The Twilight Zone, so many of his episodes inspired me, helped shape my critical thinking in my formative years. He challenged me to see what is and what is not there in plain view. He helped me to believe and understand that there are things which we may never understand or explain, whether that be within ourselves, our humanity, in our universe, on our planet, and within our own lives. i wish he were still with us.
How relevant this is today just blows me away! Rod was and is a classy dude.
Rod has the best voice. Talks like he's introducing an episode, I love it.
Andy Belt submitted for your approval Are these the ramblings of a madman or a visionary ? tonight on the Twilight zone du du danna du du danna 🎶📺 you can just hear the theme playing great to hear him speak always loved the TZ series stay tuned and be safe Cheers mate!
@@pvtrichter88 Definitely Visionary :) And amazing human being. He and his work was a gift to the world. And we're all the better for it.
A maverick and genius literally decades ahead of his time. His modesty and sincerity are both unmistakable. Fascinating interview, many thanks.
Rod was one of the biggest men of the entertainment industry! despite the fact he was not very tall, he worked his way through a degree, was a disabled war veteran, and even tested parachutes and ejection seats for the military !
Rod fought in WWII and was a paratrooper.
I shut down NORAD March 24, 1967 from the bridge of the craft that returns OCT73, de-cloaking 500 miles across over Canada and USA border, the only UFO SIGHTING in the history of the world to make our Military arm nukes on B-52's, and I am on duty @ GRIFFISS AFB ROME NEW YORK inches from those armed nukes before becoming the only USAF transported unconscious to a secured facility inside Wright Patterson AFB Dayton Ohio directly following the UFO EVENT causing the movie INDEPENDENCE DAY. I was a 20 year old 92250 PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SPECIALIST INSTRUCTOR with 2 stripes with Generals sitting in my PE Briefings.
from 11:55 What an amazing clarity of mind!!! His was probably one of the sharpest minds in media! 13:09 Mike can't keep up with Rod's intellect and razor sharp thinking!
Had no idea Serling was such a thoughtful and charismatic person. Totally real and completely humble.
Rod Serling was a true 20th century prophet that still deserves a hearing, especially now.
Find me a 35 year old Man with this amount of clarity, intellect and sanity in 2020.
I bet he was a rarity in 1959 too. It's who we choose to elevate and admire, that makes the difference.
ryan ford: George Will, Pat Buchanan Ariana Huffington and many many others!
Donald Trump jr is the first that comes to mind.
@@maestrovso 😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You need to get out more . Or get off of your soap box .
Thank you for posting this video. It shows that there was a time when people had integrity in the entertainment industry. God bless Rod Serling and his idealistic values.
Interestingly, it also shows how people without integrity and intelligence became the preferred leaders in the entertainment industry when he explains the Lassie story, and the impact an organised group of people had on that show by comparing Lassie having puppies to porn.
Rod Serling was was a true genius and very articulate speaker.
The episode of the Twilight z. Where Burgess Meredith is the last person finds a library and then breaks his glasses. Is awesome.
one of many
To me they are all awesome
That’s one of my favorite episodes! The Martian in the neighborhood is very prophetic for today! Do you recall that episode, George?
The essence of irony. TZ was heavily laden with irony.
I like the one where earth is burning up but ... Spoiler...
The sun died of energy.
Rod was able to use his creation of science fiction and fantasy in the Twilight Zone "to make social commentary" w/o interference from w/o. a Genius move at a time of censorship! I truly believe that he didn't care about the money but more about the way humans are and as said on netflix he was able to add "social commentary" thank you for posting this interview. As far as I'm concerned Rod belongs to those great thinkers such as Socrates.
Wow! I just fell in love with this guy! This interview is a real treasure. The timing is perfect - just before The Twilight Zone came out. Rod Serling was eloquent, and seemed so touchingly authentic and intelligent. We also get an interesting glimpse at the state of television at the time.
Everything Rod Serling related should be preserved and cherished. There's a Serling biographical special called " Submitted for your Approval" that has been yanked off of YT, and I miss it.
@10:27 the irony is of course that Serling was able to inject TONS of meaning and explore numerous metaphysical subjects in these half hour entertainment shows.
Mad Love Rod Serling. You helped to open my consciousness as a kid to subjects most are to afraid to contemplate.
Amazing how Sterling was so gracious to Paddy Chayefsky, who also died young. Chayefsky wrote and won Academy Awards for _Marty, Hospital,_ and, _Network._
Rod Serling was way ahead of his time.
He had amazing insight & and made his own choices & followed his dream.
What a sad day it was when I learned he passed. 😔
I still remember staying up almst all night watching a marathon of his series The Twilight Zone.
RIP You will never be forgotten & a few of your episodes reflect what's happening in our world today.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
This is a great look into the mind of a pioneer of television writing. I had no idea Rod was such champion of free thinking and a dedicated father and husband. Great interview.
Love this guy! A master, an innovator, with rare honesty and the recognition of genius- - humility.
Mr. Sterling created in one half- hour an amazing, thoughtful and often penetrating, disturbing experience no one has been able to match.
It is called genius.
This was a very smart man... thanks you for sharing this
I grew up watching the Night Gallery in Chicago in the early '70's , this man was a genius!
Two fascinating men participating in a fascinating interview! Admired them both for their life's work.
Just out of this world to listen to these two guys speak off the cuff , right before the Twilight Zone, super cool!
His conversational voice sounds exactly like his intros to Twilight Zone. I thought his manner of speaking during the intro was for dramatic effect.
What a class act, Wallace and Serling. Straight to the point, engaging, informative and mostly, at least for me, entertaining. I take my leave inspired. Serling's commitment to his work, family and racial/social injustices is top notch. To hear him speak for the first time in something other than the Twilight intro, I was shocked. I've never met anyone who's thoughts translated to speech so eloquently clear, brutal and brash. Truly a writer's writer who followed, and lived, the dream.
I've watched this interview dozens of times over the years and it never gets old. Truly timeless.
Do not sell short his remarkable gifts as a narrator and on screen host. He still resonates in his crisp, direct, unadorned approach and persona even sixty years later. If there was or is a Hall of fame for television narration, he would be inducted unanimously. Also, for all his comments about less than stellar movie scripts, he wrote two of the best films of the 1960's; seven Days In May and Planet Of The Apes.
Rod Serling brought America into a new zone of understanding, delving into the human dimension, touching me, at least, deeply and everlasting. How many times I have relayed to friend or stranger, an episode from the Twilight Zone, as deserving to be seen. This man's genius will live on and on, touching more lives tomorrow than today, such is the brilliance of this man.
Did you notice how nervous Rod looks at the start of the interview? It's like he was afraid of being singled out like that.
He created art, he created a parallel universe, he fought censorship, and he was a creative genius who spoke with genuine language toward his craft. He died far too soon but what he did in his life created a legacy for all creative people to revel in and appreciate. Thank you Rod Serling, your narrative and genius mind are never forgotten.
Rod Serling !!!.....My God !!!.....What A Mind !!!......Such A Towering Intellect !!!.....It is Hard to Believe that Television Once Had Writers This BRILLIANT !!!!!.......
A one of a kind (Humble) individual.
It's hard to find people of this mindset in today's generation..
So true
+Too Soon Junior Oh, they do. The problem is that they only end up producing popular television. More often they'll write books, or make independent films that get ignored by the majority of "popcorn movie" viewers.
Check out AARON SORKIN.
I bet he meets your standards.
you've been looking in the wrong places
boomer moment
You get the idea Mr. Serling would have been successful at any vocation he chose. A beautiful mind.
Eisenhower was president at the end of the 1950s. Serling was 18 episodes into a 26 episode series during the first year of the Twilight Zone. I was 5 years old. Rod Serling may not have realized how significant his TV series was to children. Except for a couple of movies, I don't recall having been so deeply affected by any type of story telling so much. Thank you, Mr. Serling! You shaped the course of my life.
God damn, I love this man!
Talk about his play, Requiem for a Heavyweight, which is just brilliant. But these are two heavyweights in their respective fields, before the whole world knew it. Serling was an absolute brilliant and eloquent writer...and speaker. He speaks here just as he did on the intros of his miraculous show, TTZ. I always thought it was an affect. What a pleasure to hear two relaxed and brilliant men doing what they did best...communicating...each in his own unique way. This interview should be required viewing at every J School in America. Be yourself, be honest and forthcoming. If you have the talent and drive, you'll make it!
Excellent interview of a brilliant man Thank You Rod Serling and thank you Mike Wallace for letting him speak.
Truly the Wisdom of Ages. This man may have been restricted by himself and the current times, but he knocked it out of the park.
While I may not know the man, I can both see the self-doubt, the intelligence, and creative forward thinking he shows in this interview. And all the effort he shows here is awesome, and to THIS day, the Twilight Zone is still one of the most influential pieces of media to ever show up on the TV screen.
The man epitomizes Genius
"The sponsor knows his product but he doesn't know mine. So when it comes to commercials I leave that up to him. But when it comes to content, he leaves that up to me."
This is why Twilight Zone was so successful. Rod knew when, and to whom, he should delegate responsibility. Likewise, he stood his ground where his expertise lay.
Rod Serling has produced, written or presented some of the most amazing and intelligent television ever made.
Rod Serling...One of a kind...One of the best episodes I saw: The Long Morrow with Robert Lansing and Mariette Hartley.
“Because this is my medium, and I understand it.”
Its also interesting to note that the struggles between creative freedom against self censorship and manufactured outrage hasnt changed in over 50 years. No doubt Sterling wouldve loved to write for HBO and its artistic freedom free from the muddying interests of sponsors.
fludblud true dat man he is a well talented man if only he's still alive.
fludblud Deeply relevant.
Have you heard of The Mandela Effect? Rod "Sterling" is now Rod "Serling".
It may be that we were miss pronouncing it, but I always called him Rod Sterling too.
@@gotohellaaron Actually it was Rod Stirling.
This man was amazing at his craft. Thanks for posting.
A great intelligent man who left us too soon. RIP Rod.
I watched all of it, Max
I'm watching this for the second time, I couldn't believe some of the things rod had to say about censorship
These kinds of interviews could NEVER happen today...sadly. Wonderful interview!
I wonder how disgusted Serling would be with todays TV. The censorship on social issues is very minimal today, but the quality of TV has gone downhill
No it hasn't. We're living in the golden era of TV. Shows like the Wire, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, etc. are at least on par with any TV programing in history, and I'd argue much better.
DBCOOPER I'll tell you man things on TV now and days you barely had to think about what you were watching it's just shit going into your eyes and shit only
DjReTaLkNc
TV back then was absolutely terrible and you had few choices of what to watch.
taledarkside Most of those old shows are garbage by todays standards and only remembered for nostalgia purposes. Basically from the Sopranos and on we've seen an amazing string of fantastic shows that rival Hollywood in terms of top quality. Nothing in TV history comes close to shows like the Wire, Six Feet Under, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, etc. Then you've got next tier shows like the Shield, the new Battle Star Galactica, Carnivale, Deadwood, and several others that are also pretty damn good. Just this year we've seen a couple amazing new series in Fargo and True Detective, so the quality is still being pumped out.
Also, lol at Law and Order. Broadcast TV is pretty terrible all around these days, those shows included. The only exception I know of now is Hannibal.
I don't think he would be disgusted. Maybe by the sex, profanity and violence, but not the quality of the writing of shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, The Wire, etc.
Rod Serling and his Twilight zone ushered me into a time of my life strewn with asking unlikely and "off-the-wall" questions. His programs kicked open many unforeseen doors to avenues of inquiry that most thought to be ridiculous or inane. Wish I had seen this interview back then, very glad I saw it now. Very glad I did see his programs. Rod Serling was a muse for me and remains in the top ten of influences in my life.
No disrespect to Mr. Wallace but it's clear he's way out of his league and the questions that he asks are not only silly but demeaning to a man who was quite obviously a genius and far ahead of this time. Even Rod's vocabulary is evidence of a highly educated and brilliant man. Today most people would not listen to him for more than 10 seconds and prefer to listen to Lady Gaga.
I agree, I feel like he is the writer that should get the most respect and honor. Some of the movies that we consider classics stole a little something from the twilight zone. Rod Serling is a legend.
Cinema Cola Honor, not "Honour" and Serling not "Seeking". I am only correcting you out of respect for Rod Serling, please do not take any offense to it.
Pavel Radev Honour is mostly used in Great Britain, but is still a word. In consequence, Respect and Honour
Pavel Radev You can use honour you tit. It's the proper way of saying it in Great Britain and considering the US uses our language (English-it's in the name) then if anything honor is just Americans changing little words to make it feel like it's their own languae.... so honour was how it was spelt before American changed it to honor. *====The more you know!
Will Wheatley Dude mellow out, much of the English language is from Latin if you want to get technical, the British didn't invent the English language. You spell theater, "theatre," so what?
Serling was a visionary, fifty years ahead of his time. He was already trying to adapt social commentary into television in the 50's. Love his work and his contribution to one of my favourite films Planet of the Apes (1968). The iconic ending was his idea.
Man, this is great!!!
I've always loved the Twilight Zone, but knew little about Rod Serling as a person. I never knew he was so principled and erudite. It's obvious who the mental giant was in this exchange. Wallace got an intellectual slap-down and didn't even realize it.
dude.
One of the most interesting man and interview!Wonderful Thank you!so very much.Enjoyed his perspective in the world of Enertainment"Loved!~Jeannine
I've always admired and respected Serling... even moreso now. I still watch TZ, I just understand it better now at 63.
Great man, with a captivating, mesmerizing voice. It's a shame Hollywood isn't forever filled with creative visionaries like him. Instead that creative industry is now filled with the least creative people in the world, fresh out of ideas and can only regurgitate old ideas that have proven successful. It's the motion picture = of a cover band that plays no original songs.
What a genius. Wayyy ahead of his time....timeless in fact.
His views on censorship are more relevant today, then they even were back in 1959. The man is my hero.
Serling was an honest artist who hit hard via fantasy to show how weird society in the USA is. Wallace is in chain smoking ambush mode.
THANK YOU FOR POSTING. Amazing interview.
what an articulate and creative man. I love these early interviews, they somehow seem so honest and straightforward compared to many today.
Serling's intensity reminds me a lot of Don Draper.
Both men tempered by war.
I think the amazing thing about this interview is that it occurred prior to the airing of Twilight Zone. Prescient conversation, as sponsor driven censorship would plague the show eventually.
“Its...it’s a cookbook!!!”
To serve man. Classic.
One of many historic episodes.
One of my favorite episodes !!!