Classic Sci Fi TV: Our ongoing look back at many of the classics of science fiction and fantasy television.
Updated: 5/8/21
What Is It? This anthology series gave us science fiction focused tales that often worked around a monster-of-the-week format and that also delivered the expected twist ending. The opening narration has since become iconic for sci fi TV:
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 to – The Outer Limits.
Aired: ABC, 1963-65, 2 Seasons Totaling 49 Episodes
Created By: Leslie Stevens
Notable Guest Stars: Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Shirley Knight, Barry Morse, Adam West
Is It Must-Watch Sci Fi TV? Absolutely. This show may not have aged well because it relied fairly heavily on special effects and those look rather cheesy by today’s standards. But the stories are first rate and often challenging for their time and helped set the standard for sci fi TV for many years after it aired.
The Skinny: This series is often considered the lesser of the two major 1960’s anthology sci fi series (with Twilight Zone outranking it), but it was an important show for its time and for the legacy it offered. Its monster-of-the-week format (imposed on it by the network) could have doomed it to repetitive, juvenile tales, but the writers–including well-known scribes like Harlan Ellison and Clifford Simak–made the most of this and delivered some hard-hitting tales. The first season had more of a sci fi/horror focus while the second season delivered tales heavier on science fiction elements as the monster aspect (or “the bear” as writer Joseph Stefano referred to it) was de-emphasized. But both seasons delivered their share of classic episodes.
It’s true that the show might suffer in the eyes of the CGI-generation due to the cheesiness of its special effects, but it accomplished much during its short run and helped the genre mature beyond the “for kids only” perception it carried over from the ’50s (though it would take time for that to be recognized). The show also offered a who’s who of actors who would go on to bigger roles in other sci fi shows like Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, Grace Lee Whitney, David McCallum, Martin Landau, Adam West, and more. Many more familiar faces from television and movies appeared on the show as well, and along with a talented crew behind the scenes helped raise The Outer Limits to the next level. Discerning viewers should be able to look past its outdated visuals and see the true classic television show that lays at its core.
Cancelled Too Soon? Yes. This show performed well in its first year on Monday nights according to the Nielsen ratings, but then ABC moved it to Saturdays to air against the popular Jackie Gleason Show (with new series Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea taking over the Monday timeslot The Outer Limits previously held). The ratings plummeted, and instead of rescheduling it, ABC cancelled it halfway through its second season.
Revival: The Outer Limits returned to television in 1995 and had a seven-season run that started on Showtime and then moved to the Sci Fi Channel for its last two years. While the revival was well received and delivered some classic episodes of its own, it has never achieved the legendary status of the original series.
Should It Be Rebooted? Sure. Like The Twilight Zone (which was recently revived on the CBS All Access streaming service), the format of The Outer Limits lends itself to being rebooted ever so often. Black Mirror seems to have kicked off a return of the sci fi anthology series, so why not take this as an opportunity to bring back one of the originals. And there are rumors that something is in the works, though nothing has been confirmed. Just be sure to get some damn good writers and actors onboard and follow the spirit of the original series and it should prove successful.
Interesting Fact: The original title for the show was “Please Stand By”. However, due to heightened tensions in the country with the Cuban Missile Crisis at its peak, the network felt that might cause panic if those words appeared on the screen to start the show.
Where Can you Watch It? The entire series has been released on DVD with a Blu-ray set on the way soon. The show has bounced around to several of the streaming services but is currently not available on any at the moment for some reason. You can purchase it VOD from Amazon.com, though.
Read More About the Show: Wikipedia | IMDb.com
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This was my favorite show for a long time back in the day. I had them all on VHS and now on DVD. Even though I’ve seen these episodes countless times I still watch them occasionally to this day.
A good idea ahead of its time, Outer Limits series was a moral play based on the message that mankind has to learn from the mistakes of the past. Using monsters to create a new fear factor, show was a reflection of the cold War and what lie ahead. The meger fifty thousand dollars budget is a good reason for the cheesines.