'The Outer Limits' is often mentioned in the same breath as 'The Twilight Zone' as one of the peaks of '60's television science fiction, and with good reason. The shows have a good deal in common, both are anthologies based partly on published fiction and original works. Both were made in glorious monochrome, feature top-drawer actors of the day, and still stand up well nearly fifty years later.
'Limits' was the creation of Leslie Stevens, but the man who produced the first season ( and wrote many classic episodes ) is most frequently credited with its success. He was Joseph Stefano, writer of the screenplay of Hitchcock's 'Psycho'. Stefano was responsible for establishing that each episode should have a 'bear' - his nickname for a monster. He also hired Conrad Hall to create the show's distinctive lighting effects, while the special effects ( good for the time ) were by Projects Unlimited. It goes without saying that a modern audience would probably find the 'bears' hilarious, but the series did not depend entirely for its impact on monsters. In 'Limits' you will find something closely approximating the poetry of science fiction.
Each episode opened with the picture blurring, while an announcer warned that the set was now under 'their' control. It was a gimmick designed to invoke comparison with the famous Orson Welles 'War Of The Worlds' radio broadcast ( written by Stevens, incidentally ) which conned many into believing a real alien invasion was underway.
Stand-out stories include 'A Feasibility Study' in which an American town is transported to an alien planet, 'The Zanti Misfits' sees the arrival on Earth of hideous bug monsters with human-like faces, 'The Bellero Shield' has a devious woman attempting to exploit alien technology for her own ends, 'The Man With The Power' features Donald Pleasance as a man able to destroy anyone at will, in 'The Production & Decay Of Strange Particles' ( great title! ) atomic power triggers terrifying transformations in people, 'The Galaxy Being' ( the show's pilot ) sees a radio ham accidentally making contact with a creature from the Andromeda constellation, 'The Forms Of Things Unknown' has David McCallum as the inventor of a 'time tilting' machine constructed out of hundreds of clocks. Somewhat out of place was 'The Hundred Days Of The Dragon', a conventional spy yarn in which the Red Chinese kill the President of The United States and replace him with an impostor, but it was gripping nevertheless.
The impressive list of guest-stars included Barry Morse, Robert Culp, Carroll O'Connor, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Duvall, Sally Kellermann, Martin Landau, Sam Wanamaker, Warren Oates and Cliff Robertson. Special mention must be made of Dominic Frontiere, whose powerful music underlined the show's atmosphere of mystery and horror.
'Limits' proved a surprise hit, and plans for a second season was laid. But when the network announced a change of time slot, Stefano resigned in protest. A new producer - Ben Brady - was appointed. Fans do not hold the second season in high regard, but a number of episodes, such as the two-parter 'The Inheritors', Harlan Ellison's 'Soldier' and 'Demon With A Glass Hand', are as good as anything to be found in the previous year.
Unfortunately, the new time-slot lost 'Limits' viewers and it was abruptly cancelled. It appeared on I.T.V. ( usually in a late-night slot ) in the mid-'60's, and in 1980, B.B.C.-2 ran both seasons ( often jumbling up the episodes in haphazard fashion ) in one bumper run where it acquired a new audience.
As a result of the success of 'The X-Files' in the 1990's, 'Limits' was resurrected by cable television. Some of the original shows - including 'I Robot', 'A Feasability Study' and 'The Inheritors' - were remade. The special effects were predictably better but alas little else was. The nudity it could have done well without.
Luckily, both seasons of the original are out on D.V.D. and serve as a timely reminder of the greatness of '60's science fiction.
'Limits' was the creation of Leslie Stevens, but the man who produced the first season ( and wrote many classic episodes ) is most frequently credited with its success. He was Joseph Stefano, writer of the screenplay of Hitchcock's 'Psycho'. Stefano was responsible for establishing that each episode should have a 'bear' - his nickname for a monster. He also hired Conrad Hall to create the show's distinctive lighting effects, while the special effects ( good for the time ) were by Projects Unlimited. It goes without saying that a modern audience would probably find the 'bears' hilarious, but the series did not depend entirely for its impact on monsters. In 'Limits' you will find something closely approximating the poetry of science fiction.
Each episode opened with the picture blurring, while an announcer warned that the set was now under 'their' control. It was a gimmick designed to invoke comparison with the famous Orson Welles 'War Of The Worlds' radio broadcast ( written by Stevens, incidentally ) which conned many into believing a real alien invasion was underway.
Stand-out stories include 'A Feasibility Study' in which an American town is transported to an alien planet, 'The Zanti Misfits' sees the arrival on Earth of hideous bug monsters with human-like faces, 'The Bellero Shield' has a devious woman attempting to exploit alien technology for her own ends, 'The Man With The Power' features Donald Pleasance as a man able to destroy anyone at will, in 'The Production & Decay Of Strange Particles' ( great title! ) atomic power triggers terrifying transformations in people, 'The Galaxy Being' ( the show's pilot ) sees a radio ham accidentally making contact with a creature from the Andromeda constellation, 'The Forms Of Things Unknown' has David McCallum as the inventor of a 'time tilting' machine constructed out of hundreds of clocks. Somewhat out of place was 'The Hundred Days Of The Dragon', a conventional spy yarn in which the Red Chinese kill the President of The United States and replace him with an impostor, but it was gripping nevertheless.
The impressive list of guest-stars included Barry Morse, Robert Culp, Carroll O'Connor, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Duvall, Sally Kellermann, Martin Landau, Sam Wanamaker, Warren Oates and Cliff Robertson. Special mention must be made of Dominic Frontiere, whose powerful music underlined the show's atmosphere of mystery and horror.
'Limits' proved a surprise hit, and plans for a second season was laid. But when the network announced a change of time slot, Stefano resigned in protest. A new producer - Ben Brady - was appointed. Fans do not hold the second season in high regard, but a number of episodes, such as the two-parter 'The Inheritors', Harlan Ellison's 'Soldier' and 'Demon With A Glass Hand', are as good as anything to be found in the previous year.
Unfortunately, the new time-slot lost 'Limits' viewers and it was abruptly cancelled. It appeared on I.T.V. ( usually in a late-night slot ) in the mid-'60's, and in 1980, B.B.C.-2 ran both seasons ( often jumbling up the episodes in haphazard fashion ) in one bumper run where it acquired a new audience.
As a result of the success of 'The X-Files' in the 1990's, 'Limits' was resurrected by cable television. Some of the original shows - including 'I Robot', 'A Feasability Study' and 'The Inheritors' - were remade. The special effects were predictably better but alas little else was. The nudity it could have done well without.
Luckily, both seasons of the original are out on D.V.D. and serve as a timely reminder of the greatness of '60's science fiction.