Why Rod Serling hates being the narrator of The Twilight Zone

Every episode of the 1959 speculative anthology series “The Twilight Zone” was a surprise It was introduced by series creator and head writer Rod Serling. Throughout the first season of the show, Serling only provided voice-over narration, but starting in the second season, he appeared on screen as well, always wearing a nice suit and often smoking a cigarette.

As it turns out, Serling never wanted to be the narrator of “The Twilight Zone.” As mentioned previously /filmOrson Welles was to be hired to provide narration for the show. Welles, of course, had a prolific career in radio in the 1930s, about a decade before he moved into films, so his sonorous, resonant voice was well rehearsed. CBS wanted Welles not only because of his fame, but because his presence would invite comparisons to the hit 1955 CBS anthology series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” This show featured on-screen introductions from Hitchcock himself, so it made sense for another cinematic legend to introduce The Twilight Zone (even if Welles had nothing to do with the production of The Twilight Zone).

Of course, in order to hire Welles, CBS would have had to pay the director a good salary, and, well, they couldn’t afford that. CBS then switched to a new narrator, the eponymous actor Westbrook Van Voorhiswho actually narrated the opening segments of the original “Twilight Zone” pilot “Where’s Everyone?” Van Voorhis was known at the time for narrating newsreels and documentaries, so his voice was comforting to viewers.

However, the producers of “The Twilight Zone” felt that Van Voorhis seemed too ostentatious. With production running out of time, Serling was forced to step in at the last minute. CBS thought this was a good thing, as they would not have to negotiate any new contracts.

Serling hated that. He confirmed this in a 1963 interview with the Sacramento Bee, It was easily copied by MeTV.

One of Serling’s main problems on screen is simple vanity; He hated the way he looked. He was very aware of his physique and height. Nor did his wife do much to calm his nerves. Serling said:

“My wife says I come on TV looking like a constipated boxer. (…) That’s because there’s nothing in front of me on camera that can compare to me. But here I am, five feet five inches of hard cartilage. I don’t really like doing hosting, I have to do this virtually.

Incidentally, Serling competed as a flyweight boxer in the 1940s when he was training to become a paratrooper. He was even known for his “berserk” style of fighting. It seems that he looked at his body like a boxer’s body… and did not feel safe from what he saw. He was also uncomfortable with acting. He preferred to write and produce, hoping to hand over acting duties to a rotating roster of well-known faces. Serling admitted that going in front of the cameras caused him a nervous attack. He continued his combat metaphors, saying:

“I was very nervous before I got in front of the cameras. (…) If I had to continue live, of course, I would never do it. It’s like boxing, I’m the only fighter in history who had to.” It is carried in and out of the ring.”

Serling also admitted in the same interview that fame was fleeting. He had a successful run with “The Twilight Zone,” but there was every reason to believe he would be forgotten the following year. Which was fine with him; He liked the anonymity. Serling, who passed away in 1975, could not have predicted the lasting impact his show would have on the culture as a whole, or how well it would be remembered.

“The Twilight Zone” has been revived in 1985, 2002 and 2019And it is re-watched to this day.