Every episode of the 1959 speculative anthology series The Twilight Zone was introduced by series creator and head writer Rod Serling. During the first season of the series, Serling only provided voice-over narration, but starting with the second season, he also appeared on screen, always dressed in a nice suit and often smoking a cigarette.

Serling, it turns out, never wanted to be the narrator of The Twilight Zone. As previously reported by /FilmOrson Welles was to be hired to provide narration for the series. Welles, of course, had a prolific radio career in the 1930s, about a decade before he joined the movies, so his crisp, sonorous voice was well practiced. CBS wanted Welles not just because of his fame, but because his presence would invite comparisons to the successful 1955 CBS anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. That show featured on-screen introductions by Hitchcock himself, so it only made sense that another movie legend should introduce The Twilight Zone (even if Welles had nothing to do with the production of The Twilight Zone).

Of course, to hire Welles, CBS would have had to shell out a decent salary for the director and, well, they just couldn't afford it. CBS then turned to a new narrator, a name actor Westbrook Van Voorheeswho actually narrated the opening segments for the original Twilight Zone pilot “Where Is Everybody?” Van Voorhees was best known at the time for narrating newsreels and documentaries, so his voice would have been comforting to viewers.

The producers of "The Twilight Zone", however, felt that Van Voorhees sounded too pompous. With production time running out, Serling was forced to step in at the last minute. CBS thought this was fine because they would not have to negotiate new contracts.

Serling hated him. He confirmed as much in a 1963 interview with the Sacramento Bee. manually transcribed by MeTV.

One of Serling's main problems with screen appearances came down to simple vanity; he hated the way he looked. He was acutely aware of his figure and height. His wife also didn't do much to calm his nerves. Serling said:

"My wife says I come on the television screen looking like a prize fighter with constipation. (...) That's because there's nothing with me on camera to compare me to. I really don't like doing the hosting, I have to do it.

By the way, Serling competed as a flyweight boxer in the 1940s when he was training to be a paratrooper. He was even known for his "godless" fighting style. It seems that he was looking at his own body like a boxer's body...and was unsure of what he saw. He was also uncomfortable with acting; he preferred writing and producing, hoping to turn acting duties over to a rotating roster of famous faces. Appearing on camera, Serling admitted, gave him a nervous breakdown. He continued with the metaphors of struggle, saying:

"I just get really nervous before going 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 carry himself in and out of the ring."

Serling also admitted in the same interview that fame is fleeting. He had a hit show on his hands with The Twilight Zone, but there was every reason to believe he would be forgotten by the following year. Which was fine with; he liked the anonymity. Serling, who died in 1975, could not have predicted the lasting impact his show would have on culture at large, nor how well it would be remembered.

The Twilight Zone was revived in 1985, 2002 and 2019.and is seen again to this day.