"The Outer Limits" (1963) TV series 1963-1965

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

16 September 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

There is nothing wrong with your television. Do not attempt to adjust the picture.

Plot:

Anthology type science fiction program with a different cast each week. Tending toward the hard science...

Plot Keywords:

Anthology | Cult Favorite | Psychotronic | Alien | Supernatural

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Vic Perrin	...	Control Voice / ... (28 episodes, 1963-1965)
Bob Johnson	...	Anthean / ... (11 episodes, 1963-1964)

Also Known As:

"Beyond Control" (USA) (working title)
"Please Stand By" (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

51 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | USA:TV-PG | UK:PG | Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Bradbury Building - 304 S. Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Villa Di Stefano

Trivia:

The second-season episode "The Duplicate Man" features the famous Chemosphere House. Designed by architect John Lautner, the house is seen in a few exterior shots but the inside shots were on a set designed to resemble the house's interior.

Quotes:

The Control Voice: 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 can reduce the focus to a soft blur...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Eternity (1990)

An example of what television is capable of

I was a fan of this show from the premier episode of "The Galaxy Being" which I saw when I was ten years old. I just recently was given the DVD set of both seasons. It's great to be able to see THE UNCUT episodes the way they were originally broadcast. It's true that the special effects of the early 60's are rather crude compared to what can be done with CGI today, however, the original Outer Limits made up for it by two things which often are missing in todays science fiction movies and series:excellent story lines with equally excellent acting. Another thing which always stood out for me was the music score which accompanied each episode. I was surprised when my teenage daughter watched some of the episodes with me and like them. One episode which resonated with her was "Don't Open Til Doomsday" It was weird having her discuss the episode with me and express the same feelings that I had 42 years ago when I saw it for the first time. I have to say that when the technology allowed for more realistic and fantastic special effects it seemed to take the heart out of good story telling. Even though I watched The new Outer Limits on Showtime and enjoyed it I feel that it still was inferior to the original series.