The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)

The Outer Limits is an American television series that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1965. The series is often compared to The Twilight Zone, but with a greater emphasis on science fiction (rather than simply fantasy, bizarre, or supernatural) stories. The Outer Limits is an anthology of self-contained episodes, sometimes with a plot twist at the end.

The series was revived in 1995, airing on Showtime from 1995 to 1999, then on Sci-Fi Channel from 1999 until its cancellation in 2002. In 1997, the episode "The Zanti Misfits" was ranked #98 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.

Series overview

<h3>Introduction

Each show would begin with either a cold open or a preview clip, followed by a "Control Voice" narration that was played over visuals of an oscilloscope. The earlier and longer version of the narration ran as follows, using an Orwellian theme of taking over your television.

First lines of each episode: There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind toÂ â€" The Outer Limits.

A similar but shorter monolog caps each episode: We now return control of your television set to you. Until next week at the same time, when the control voice will take you toÂ â€" The Outer Limits.

Later episodes used one of two shortened versions of the introduction. The first few episodes began simply with the title screen followed by the narration and no cold open or preview clip. The "Control Voice" was performed by veteran radio, screen, and TV actor, Vic Perrin.

Production information

The Outer Limits originally was broadcast from 1963 to 1965 on the U.S. television broadcasting network ABC; in total, 49 episodes. It was one of many series influenced by The Twilight Zone and Science Fiction Theatre, though it ultimately proved influential in its own right. In the un-aired pilot, the series was called Please Stand By, but ABC rejected that title. Series creator Leslie Stevens retitled it The Outer Limits. With a few changes, the pilot aired as the premiere episode, "The Galaxy Being".

Writers for The Outer Limits included creator Stevens and Joseph Stefano (screenwriter of Hitchcock's Psycho), who was the series' first-season producer and creative guiding force. Stefano wrote more episodes than any other writer for the show. Future Oscar winning screenwriter Robert Towne (Chinatown) would write "The Chameleon", which was also the final episode filmed for the first season. Two especially notable second-season episodes "Demon with a Glass Hand" and "Soldier" were written by Harlan Ellison, with the latter episode winning a Writers' Guild Award. The former was for several years the only episode of The Outer Limits available on laser-disc.

The first season combined science-fiction and horror, while the second season was more focused on 'hard' science-fiction stories, dropping the recurring "scary monster" motif of the first season. Each show in the first season was to have a monster or creature as a critical part of the story line. First-season writer and producer Joseph Stefano believed that this element was necessary to provide fear, suspense, or at least a center for plot development. This kind of story element became known as "the bear". This device was, however, mostly dropped in the second season when Stefano left. (Two first-season episodes without a "bear" are "The Forms of Things Unknown" and "Controlled Experiment" the first of which was shot in a dual format as science-fiction for The Outer Limits and as a thriller for a pilot for an unmade series The Unknown. Actor Barry Morse who starred in "Controlled Experiment" states that this episode also was made as a pilot for an unrealized science-fiction comedy series. It is the only comic episode of The Outer Limits. Earlier season one episodes with no "bear" were "The Hundred Days of the Dragon" and "The Borderland" made before the "bear" convention was established. Second season episodes with a "bear" are "Keeper of the Purple Twilight", "The Duplicate Man", and "The Probe". Bears appear near the conclusion of second season episodes "Counterweight", "The Invisible Enemy", and "Cold Hands, Warm Heart".)

The "bear" in "The Architects of Fear", the monstrously-altered Allen Leighton, was judged by some of ABC's local affiliate stations to be so frightening that they broadcast a black screen during the "Thetan's" appearances, effectively censoring most of the show's last act. In other parts of the United States the "Thetan" footage was tape delayed until after the 11 o'clock evening news. In still others, it was not shown at all. (Unlike today where all film series are transferred to videotape for transmission, from the 1950s to about the mid-1980s all film series were broadcast directly off the film print via telecine.)

The show's first season had distinctive music by Dominic Frontiere, who doubled as Production Executive; the second season featured music by Harry Lubin, with a variation of his Fear theme for One Step Beyond being heard over the end titles. Another tangible that marked the series was using talented actors, including: David McCallum, Jill Haworth, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Martin Sheen, Adam West, Bruce Dern, Robert Culp, Sally Kellerman, and future Oscar winner Robert Duvall.

Comparison to The Twilight Zone

Like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits had an opening and closing narration in almost every episode. Both shows were unusually philosophical for science-fiction anthology series, but differed in style. The Twilight Zone stories were often like parables, employing whimsy (such as the Buster Keaton time-travel episode "Once Upon a Time") or irony, or extraordinary problem-solving situations (such as the episode "The Arrival"). The Outer Limits was usually a straight action-and-suspense show which often had the human spirit in confrontation with dark existential forces from within or without, such as in the alien abduction episode "A Feasibility Study" or the alien possession story "The Invisibles". As well, The Outer Limits was known for its moody, textured look in many episodes (especially those directed by Byron Haskin or Gerd Oswald, or photographed by Conrad Hall) whereas The Twilight Zone tended to be shot more conventionallyÂ â€" although there are, of course, notable exceptions to these rules of thumb on both series.

However, there is some common ground between certain episodes of the two shows. As Schow & Frentzen, the authors of The Outer Limits: The Official Companion, have noted, several Outer Limits episodes are often misremembered by casual fans as having been Twilight Zone episodes, notably such "problem solving" episodes as "Fun and Games" or "The Premonition".

Cinematography

The program sometimes made use of techniques (lighting, camerawork, even make-up) associated with film noir or German Expressionism (see for example, "Corpus Earthling"), and a number of episodes were noteworthy for their sheer eeriness. Credit for this is often given to the cinematographer Conrad Hall, who went on to win three Academy Awards (and many more nominations) for his work in motion pictures. However, Hall worked only on alternate episodes of this TV series during the first two-thirds of the first season. The program's other cinematographers included John M. Nickolaus and Kenneth Peach.

Special effects

The various monsters and creatures from the first season and most props were developed by a loose-knit group organized under the name Project Unlimited. Members of the group included Wah Chang, Gene Warren and Jim Danforth. Makeup was executed by Fred B. Phillips along with John Chambers.

Characters and models

Many of the creatures that appeared in Outer Limits episodes have been sold as models or action figures in the 1990s and 2000s. A variety in limited editions have been as model kits to be assembled and painted by the purchaser issued by Dimensional Designs, and a smaller set of out-of-the-box action figures sold in larger quantity by Sideshow Toys. The former produced a model kit of The Megasoid from "The Duplicate Man", and both created a figure of Gwyllm as an evolved man from "The Sixth Finger".

Influence on Star Trek

A few of the monsters reappeared in Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek series later in the 1960s. The moving microbe beast in "The Probe" later was used as the 'Horta' in "The Devil in the Dark", and operated by the same actor, Janos Prohaska. The "ion storm" seen in "The Mutant" (a projector beam shining through a container containing glitter in liquid suspension) became the transporter effect in Star Trek. The black mask from "The Duplicate Man", is used by the character Dr. Leighton in "The Conscience of the King". The Megazoid, from "The Duplicate Man" and the Empyrean from "Second Chance" (1964) were seen briefly near Captain Christopher Pike in other cages in the Star Trek pilot "The Cage". The process used to make pointed ears for David McCallum in "The Sixth Finger" was reused in Star Trek as well.

Lead actors who would later appear in the regular cast of Star Trek included Leonard Nimoy, who appeared in two episodes ("Production and Decay of Strange Particles" and "I, Robot") and William Shatner who appeared (in the episode "Cold Hands, Warm Heart") as an astronaut working on a Project Vulcan (the name "Vulcan" itself was later used as the name of the planet of Spock's origin.) Actors who subsequently appeared in the regular supporting cast of Star Trek were Grace Lee Whitney in the episode "Controlled Experiment" and James Doohan in a supporting role as a policeman in "Expanding Human".

In single-episode roles, John Hoyt, who played the Bifrost alien in "The Bellero Shield", as well as Professor Hebbel in "I, Robot", and Emmett Balfour in "Don't Open Till Doomsday", appeared as Dr. Phillip Boyce, the shipâ€™s surgeon of the Enterprise, in "The Cage", the original unaired pilot of Star Trek. Footage with Hoyt was re-used in the two-part Star Trek episode "The Menagerie". Vic Perrin, who was the Control Voice of The Outer Limits, voiced The Keeper in the Star Trek episode "The Menagerie, Part II", and appeared as Tharn, head of the Halkan high council, in "Mirror, Mirror". Perrin also voiced the Metron in "Arena", and the probe Nomad in "The Changeling". Skip Homeier, who appeared in "Expanding Human", later appeared in Star Trek as Melakon in "Patterns of Force" and as Dr. Sevrin in "The Way To Eden". Actress Arlene Martel, who played Spock's Vulcan Bride T'Pring, starred in "Demon With A Glass Hand". Also, Lawrence Montaigne, who played T'Pring's suitor Stonn in the same Star Trek episode "Amok Time", also was briefly seen with Shatner in "Cold Hands, Warm Heart". (Montaigne also portrayed the Romulan Decius in the Star Trek episode "Balance of Terror".) Sally Kellerman, who appeared in "The Human Factor" and "The Bellero Shield" also guest-starred in the Star Trek episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Harry Townes appeared as Dr. Scott in the Outer Limits episode "O.B.I.T." and also in "The Return of the Archons". Michael Forest starred in "It Crawled Out of the Woodwork" and was also Apollo in the Star Trek episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?". That same Outer Limits episode also featured Barbara Luna who also acted the part of the captain's mate Marlena in "Mirror Mirror". In "Cold Hands, Warm Heart", which featured William Shatner as lead character, actor Malachi Throne played the personal doctor to Shatner's character. Throne played Commodore Mendez in Star Trek's "The Menagerie". Michael Ansara, who played the title role in The Outer Limits episode "Soldier", played the Klingon Commander Kang three times on Star Trek beginning with the episode "Day of the Dove".

The Outer Limits episode "Keeper of the Purple Twilight" presents some curiosities. It stars Warren Stevens, who later played Rojan in the Star Trek episode "By Any Other Name", the leader of an alien race devoid of emotion and bent on taking over the galaxy. In the Outer Limits episode, Stevens plays a scientist who, through manipulation by an aggressive alien race, makes him devoid of emotion so that he will collaborate in their Earth take-over. The alien, just as with Rojan, becomes "human-like" (emotional) and thus becomes unable to attack Earth. What is curious is the number of plot parallels and the fact that both stories used the same actor. In the Star Trek episode, it is the crew who works to turn Rojan and his alien colleagues into emotional creatures, thus ending their quest for galactic domination and control of the Enterprise.

Gene Roddenberry was often present in The Outer Limits' studios, and hired several of its staff, among them Robert Justman and Wah Chang for the production of Star Trek.

Lawsuit on behalf of Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison contended that inspiration for James Cameron's Terminator had come in part from Ellison's work on The Outer Limits. Cameron conceded the influence. Ellison was awarded money and an end-credits mention in The Terminator (1984), stating the creators' wish "to acknowledge the works of Harlan Ellison". Cameron was against Orion's decision and was told that if he did not agree with the settlement, they would have Cameron pay for any damages if Orion lost Ellison's suit. Cameron replied that he "had no choice but to agree with the settlement. There was a gag order as well."

Reception

In the first year, the series earned a very loyal cult audience. So devoted, some were reported to take a TV set with them if they had to be away from home, so they would not miss an episode (as home recording was not commonplace). However, the second season fared rather poorly in the Nielsen ratings after moving from Monday to Saturday night, going against Jackie Gleason. This was the main reason that producer Joseph Stefano chose to leave the show after the first year, he realized that competing against the more popular Gleason Show would kill his show (proven by its cancellation midway through the second season). However, the series retained a cult following for many years after its original broadcast. Many decades later, revered horror writer Stephen King called it "the best program of its type ever to run on network TV."

In a 2002 Salon.com review of the original series, Mark Holcomb wrote that The Twilight Zone and Star Trek were more popular in part because they played things more safely than The Outer Limits, choosing to "never stray far from the rationalism that drives most American entertainment". Holcomb writes:

Home video

VHS release

A "platinum" version of the MGM/UA Library brand product of the video series was released.

DVD releases

MGM Home Entertainment has released both seasons of The Outer Limits on DVD in Region 1. In 2007, they re-released the series in three separate sets. In October 2008, MGM released a 7-disc box set featuring all 49 episodes of the series. The re-releases of Season 2 correctly claim three discs in the set on the outer packaging, whereas the individual slim cases with the DVDs inside rather confusingly claim only two.

The DVDs include a revised version of the original intro, heard over the episode menus:

The episodes "The Invisible Enemy" and "Wolf 359" are erroneously listed on one DVD case ("The Outer Limits Volume Three The Original Series Disc 1 Episodes 33â€"40") in "The Outer Limits The Complete Original Series Volumes 1â€"3". Both episodes are actually only on Disc 2 included in the case for "The Outer Limits Volume Three The Original Series Discs 2â€"3 Episodes 39â€"49".

Possible film

On June 20, 2014, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that MGM is developing a film version of The Outer Limits based on the "Demon with a Glass Hand" episode, with Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill writing and Mark Victor producing.

References

External links

The Outer Limits (1963) at the Internet Movie Database
We Are Controlling Transmission -- a blog about The Outer Limits
Outer Limits Fan Site
The Outer Limits with episode list at CVTA

The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)

Sunday, May 3, 2015

The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)