Rod Serling.
by alexanderdavies-99382 | created - 10 Feb 2021 | updated - 28 May 2022 | PublicHighlighting the career of an original writer and dramatist. Best known for "The Twilight Zone" and "Night Gallery," Rod Serling was also highly profilic as a writer of television when it was recorded live. His biggest contribution to film, is his story treatment of "Planet of the Apes."
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1. Playhouse 90 (1956–1961)
90 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Of the many anthology series, this is considered the most ambitious with outstanding talent in front of the camera. Attracting top ranked directors and scripts, it was often filmed live including the entire first season.
Stars: Richard Joy, Paul Lambert, Helen Kleeb, Charles Bickford
Votes: 419
2. Kraft Theatre (1947–1958)
60 min | Drama
A well-received anthology series presenting live television dramas.
Stars: Ed Herlihy, Vaughn Taylor, Valerie Cossart, Dan Morgan
Votes: 222
3. Lux Video Theatre (1950–1959)
30 min | Comedy, Drama
Live dramatic shows featuring Hollywood stars, adaptations of motion pictures, and a host accompanying. The host would introduce each act, and would conduct an interview with the stars at the end of the play.
Stars: Ken Carpenter, Jay Jackson, Otto Kruger, Gordon MacRae
Votes: 154
4. Campbell Summer Soundstage (1952–1954)
30 min | Drama
A Friday night series lasting 2 seasons, of 30 minute playlets, interrupted by cute ads on the value of eating canned soup.
Stars: Georgann Johnson, Parker Fennelly, James Dean, Don Hanmer
Votes: 40
5. The Ford Television Theatre (1952–1957)
30 min | Drama
This show started in New York City, with Broadway actors and actresses. It then moved to Hollywood, California, where Hollywood actors and actresses headed the cast.
Stars: Philip Carey, Laraine Day, Willis Bouchey, Thomas Mitchell
Votes: 276
6. General Electric Theater (1953–1962)
TV-G | 30 min | Drama
An American anthology series, with a new episode and different actors and actresses each week. Hosted by Ronald Reagan, the series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.
Stars: Ronald Reagan, Don Herbert, Nancy Reagan, Lee Marvin
Votes: 432
7. Medallion Theatre (1953–1954)
30 min | Drama
Stars: Jackie Cooper, Claude Rains, Eddie Albert, Richard Kiley
Votes: 36
8. The Kaiser Aluminum Hour (1956–1957)
60 min | Drama
Live dramas that were broadcast every other week. The show had covered both light and serious drama and featured both well-known and not so well-known actors and actresses.
Stars: William Shatner, Alexander Scourby, Clint Young, Paul Newman
Votes: 63
9. Armstrong Circle Theatre (1950–1963)
60 min | Drama
Documentary dramas, plays that were based on true stories, were the forte of Armstrong Circle Theater. Many movie actors and actresses got their start here.
Stars: Douglas Edwards, Sandy Becker, Bob Sherry, John Cameron Swayze
Votes: 123
10. Armchair Theatre (1956–1974)
60 min | Drama
This show was a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and from mid-1968 by Thames Television.
Stars: Harry H. Corbett, Paul Whitsun-Jones, Billie Whitelaw, Neil McCallum
Votes: 246
11. BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950–1959)
Drama
Series of television plays performed live.
Stars: Richard Caldicot, George Woodbridge, Robert Brown, Michael Brennan
Votes: 179
12. BBC Sunday-Night Play (1960–1963)
60 min | Drama
BBC Sunday-Night Play is the anthology drama series which replaced Sunday Night Theatre in 1960.
Stars: Brian Rix, Joby Blanshard, Cyril Luckham, John Bennett
Votes: 131
13. Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958–1960)
60 min | Drama
An anthology series hosted by Betty Furness in the first season, and Desi Arnaz in the second. Stories came from several genres, often based on fact. A two part episode was spun off as the popular show The Untouchables (1959).
Stars: Desi Arnaz, Betty Furness, Bruce Gordon, Keenan Wynn
Votes: 143
14. Matinee Theatre (1955–1958)
60 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A daily anthology show, featuring original material, as well as adaptations of literary classics.
Stars: John Conte, Peter Hansen, Sarah Churchill, Johnny Crawford
Votes: 133
15. The Catholic Hour (1953– )
60 min | Drama, Family
Stars: Frederick Rolf, Martin Sheen, Eugene Roche, Carolyn Coates
Votes: 21
16. Studio One (1948–1958)
60 min | Drama
A pinnacle of the Golden Age of Television, "Studio One" presented a wide range of memorable dramas and received eighteen Emmy nominations and five wins during its prestigious nine-year run on CBS.
Stars: Betty Furness, Paul Branson, Charlton Heston, Mary Sinclair
Votes: 329
17. Climax! (1954–1958)
Unrated | 60 min | Drama
This was an anthology series that presented a different story and different set of characters on each episode. It ran from 1954 to 1958 and featured Casino Royale of James Bond fame, which led to two theatrical movies of the same name.
Stars: William Lundigan, Art Gilmore, Mary Costa, Michael Rennie
Votes: 260
18. The Philip Morris Playhouse (1953–1954)
30 min | Drama
Stars: Everett Sloane, John Beal, Donald Cook, Kent Smith
Votes: 33
19. Ponds Theater (1953– )
60 min | Drama
Stars: Valerie Cossart, Harry Townes, Mildred Dunnock, Carmen Mathews
Votes: 52
20. Suspense (1949–1954)
25 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Live plays featuring people who were in dangerous and threatening situations.
Stars: Rex Marshall, Robert Emhardt, Robert H. Harris, John Baragrey
Votes: 358
21. Shadow of the Cloak (1951–1952)
30 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
Peter House was an agent for International Security Intelligence in this live spy series.
Stars: Helmut Dantine, Boris Aplon, Joe Silver, Judson Pratt
22. The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)
TV-PG | 50 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Ordinary people find themselves in extraordinarily astounding situations, which they each try to solve in a remarkable manner.
Stars: Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts, James Turley
Votes: 93,252
23. Night Gallery (1969–1973)
TV-PG | 50 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Rod Serling presents tales of horror illustrated in various paintings.
Stars: Rod Serling, Larry Watson, Joanna Pettet, Matt Pelto
Votes: 6,187
Not as good as it should have been.
24. The Loner (1965–1966)
30 min | Western
A wandering ex-soldier encounters various problems wherever he visits in his travels.
Stars: Lloyd Bridges, James Whitmore, Ed Peck, Jim Drum
Votes: 169
25. The Sixth Sense (1972)
60 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Dr. Michael Rhodes is a college professor with an interest in the paranormal. He and his assistant Nancy spend much of their time researching mysteries.
Stars: Gary Collins, Rod Serling, Catherine Ferrar, Percy Rodrigues
Votes: 572
26. Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963–1967)
60 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Legendary entertainer Bob Hope hosted, and occasionally starred in, one of the last major anthology series on network television, featuring many of Hollywood's top names, including quite a few who didn't do much television otherwise
Stars: Bob Hope, Jack Weston, Jack Kelly, John Francis
Votes: 239
27. The Motorola Television Hour (1953–1954)
60 min | Drama
Motorola Hour was one of many anthology series in the 1950's. It aired every other week on ABC, featuring top ranked talent in original scripts and well known stories.
Stars: Cedric Hardwicke, Jane Wyatt, Patricia Smith, Jack Palance
Votes: 41
28. Playbill (1953–1959)
30 min | Drama
Stars: Barry Morse, Joseph Fürst, Katharine Blake, Frank Peddie
29. Appointment with Adventure (1955–1956)
30 min | Adventure, Drama
Filmed live each week, this program gave viewers a glimpse of drama and adventure from around the world and from the distant and not-so-distant past. Subjects of the weekly plays included ... See full summary »
Stars: Luis Van Rooten, Lin McCarthy, Joe Maross, Geraldine Brooks
Votes: 43
30. Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre (1955–1958)
30 min | Drama
An anthology series hosted by Jane Wyman.
Stars: Jane Wyman, Paul Bryar, Tim Graham, Simon Scott
Votes: 69
31. Pursuit (1958–1959)
60 min | Drama
A short-lived anthology series, with a running theme. Each episode focused on a person or group that was being pursued. Charles Russell and Eva Wolas shared the role of the producer, while ... See full summary »
Stars: Joan Bennett, Dennis Hopper, Rip Torn, John Cassavetes
Votes: 50
32. Carol for Another Christmas (1964 TV Movie)
84 min | Drama, Fantasy
Daniel Grudge, a wealthy industrialist and fierce isolationist long embittered by the loss of his son in World War II, is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who lead him to reconsider his attitude toward his fellow man.
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Stars: Percy Rodrigues, Sterling Hayden, Ben Gazzara, Barbara Ann Teer
Votes: 1,456
33. Insight (I) (1960–1984)
30 min | Drama
This American Roman Catholic religious-themed anthology sheds light on the contemporary search for meaning, freedom, and love.
Stars: Ellwood Kieser, Pat McGeehan, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Brian Keith
Votes: 285
34. The New People (1969–1970)
45 min | Drama
A group of young people crash-land on a deserted island that was a never-used atomic bomb test site. With the world thinking that they were all killed, they set out to form a civilization.
Stars: Tiffany Bolling, Zooey Hall, David Moses, Peter Ratray
Votes: 113
35. A Storm in Summer (1970 TV Movie)
90 min | Drama
An emotionally powerful story written by Rod Serling, about a hostile elderly Jewish man (Peter Ustinov), as the proprietor of an upstate New York delicatessen, who becomes the reluctant ... See full summary »
Director: Buzz Kulik | Stars: Peter Ustinov, N'Gai Dixon, Peter Bonerz, Anne Collings
Votes: 56
36. Certain Honorable Men (1968 TV Movie)
100 min | Drama
The protégé of a powerful congressman discovers his boss's corruption.
Director: Alex Segal | Stars: Van Heflin, Peter Fonda, Hiram Sherman, Alexandra Isles
Votes: 31
37. Time Travelers (1976 TV Movie)
78 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
During an outbreak of a contagious disease in 1976, two scientists are sent back in time to 1871, when a Chicago doctor apparently had the cure for it.
Director: Alexander Singer | Stars: Sam Groom, Tom Hallick, Francine York, Booth Colman
Votes: 530
38. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1968 TV Movie)
Unrated | 120 min | Sci-Fi, Horror, Drama
Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.
Director: Charles Jarrott | Stars: Jack Palance, Denholm Elliott, Tessie O'Shea, Torin Thatcher
Votes: 744
39. The Doomsday Flight (1966 TV Movie)
Approved | 93 min | Crime, Thriller
A bomb on board an airliner has an altitude-sensitive trigger. Unless a ransom is paid, it will explode when the plane descends to land.
Director: William A. Graham | Stars: Jack Lord, Edmond O'Brien, Katherine Crawford, John Saxon
Votes: 397
40. Television Playwright (1958–1959)
Drama
Stars: Brian Peck, Peter Copley, Jack Allen, Helen Shingler
Votes: 14
41. Teledrama (1955– )
Drama
Stars: Percival Ferreira, Cacilda Lanuza, Waldir Guedes, Eloísa Mafalda
42. Star Tonight (1955–1956)
30 min | Drama
Stars: Dennis Patrick, Doreen Lang, Nancy Coleman, Kathleen Comegys
Votes: 34
43. The Telltale Clue (1954– )
Approved | 30 min | Crime, Drama
Stars: Anthony Ross, Chuck Webster, Nathaniel Frey, Myrtle Ferguson
44. Planet of the Apes (1968)
G | 112 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
An astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved.
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner | Stars: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans
Votes: 193,664 | Gross: $33.40M
45. Patterns (1956)
Approved | 83 min | Drama
When Fred Staples is recruited onto the board of a high-powered New York corporation, he finds his ethics and ambition at odds.
Director: Fielder Cook | Stars: Van Heflin, Everett Sloane, Ed Begley, Beatrice Straight
Votes: 3,548
46. Seven Days in May (1964)
Approved | 118 min | Drama, Thriller
United States military leaders plot to overthrow the President because he supports a nuclear disarmament treaty and they fear a Soviet sneak attack.
Director: John Frankenheimer | Stars: Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March, Ava Gardner
Votes: 17,352 | Gross: $7.96M
47. The Rack (1956)
Passed | 100 min | Drama, War
A decorated Korean War hero inexplicably collaborates with the enemy while interred in a POW camp and is court-martialed.
Director: Arnold Laven | Stars: Paul Newman, Wendell Corey, Walter Pidgeon, Edmond O'Brien
Votes: 1,656
48. Saddle the Wind (1958)
Passed | 84 min | Drama, Western
Former gunslinger Steve Sinclair (Taylor), is now a peaceful rancher, but things go wrong when his wild brother Tony (Cassavetes) arrives with his new gun--and his new fiancée, former saloon girl Joan Blake (London).
Directors: Robert Parrish, John Sturges | Stars: Robert Taylor, Julie London, John Cassavetes, Donald Crisp
Votes: 1,720
49. One-Eyed Jacks (1961)
Not Rated | 141 min | Drama, Western
After robbing a bank in Mexico, Dad Longworth absconds with the loot leaving his partner Rio to be captured by the Rurales. Rio escapes prison but struggles with his conflicting desires to love Dad's stepdaughter Louise and to get revenge.
Director: Marlon Brando | Stars: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Pina Pellicer, Katy Jurado
Votes: 13,288 | Gross: $9.37M
50. Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)
Not Rated | 95 min | Drama, Sport
Knockout performances by Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney and Julie Harris highlight this hard-hitting drama of corruption in the ring. Featuring Muhammad Ali.
Director: Ralph Nelson | Stars: Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney, Julie Harris
Votes: 4,838
51. The Yellow Canary (1963)
93 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Arrogant pop singer Andy (Pat Boone) is about to be divorced by his wife (Barbara Eden), who treats his staff badly. On the same night he starts a job at a theater in Los Angeles, his ... See full summary »
Director: Buzz Kulik | Stars: Pat Boone, Barbara Eden, Steve Forrest, Jack Klugman
Votes: 116
52. Assault on a Queen (1966)
Approved | 106 min | Adventure, Crime, Thriller
A motley crew of treasure hunters plan to rob the cruise-liner RMS Queen Mary, using a recovered WW2 German submarine.
Director: Jack Donohue | Stars: Frank Sinatra, Virna Lisi, Anthony Franciosa, Richard Conte
Votes: 1,239
53. Rod Serling: Writer (1996)
100 min | Documentary
Born December 25, 1924 Died June 28, 1975 Rodman Edward "Rod" Sterling was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator known for his live television dramas of ... See full summary »
Director: Colin Strayer | Star: Rod Serling
Votes: 22
54. American Masters (1985– )
TV-14 | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
Documentary series focusing on great American artists and personalities.
Stars: Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Tony Bennett, Dick Cavett
Votes: 1,173
55. The Twilight Zone 60th: Remembering Rod Serling (2019)
47 min | Documentary
Celebrating 60 years of the landmark television series, this all-new documentary takes viewers on a journey into the fertile imagination and the life of creator Rod Serling. This insightful... See full summary »
Director: Roger Lay Jr. | Stars: Rick Berg, Audrey Chon, Bill D'Elia, Richard Donner
Votes: 32
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