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American television dramatist, noted for his artistic successes in the 1950s and for his commercial success as creator of "The Twilight Zone" (1959-1964), a weekly TV series of science fiction tales. He began his career in show business in 1946 writing radio scripts then switched to writing for TV in the early 1950s. He wrote for several anthologies (programs that broadcast one self-contained story each week), including "Kraft Television Theatre" (1947-1958), "Studio One" (1948-1958), "The U.S. Steel Hour" (1953-1963), and "Playhouse 90" (1956-1960). With the broadcast of his made-for-television play "Patterns" in 1955, Serling earned recognition as one of TV's finest dramatists. The show drew such critical acclaim that it was restaged live with the same cast for an encore performance a month after its broadcast. The production of Serling's "Requiem for a Heavyweight" in 1956 also drew praise. Both TV plays won Emmy Awards and were later made into motion pictures (Patterns, 1956; Requiem for a Heavyweight, 1962). In 1959 Serling shifted to writing, producing, and hosting "The Twilight Zone," which established him as a TV personality.

His earnest delivery was so distinctive and effective that he was asked to do commercials and narrate documentaries. He planned to host a comedy-variety series, "Keep On Truckin'," in 1975 but died after open-heart surgery before the series began. Serling won six Emmy Awards for his accomplishments (1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1964). He also won a George Foster Peabody Award in 1957 for broadcast excellence, and in 1985 he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.