STILL IN CONTROL OF OUR TELEVISION SETS. 'THE OUTER LIMITS' TURNS 50!

Not your normal family album! The diverse aliens of THE OUTER LIMITS strike a pose. Images: ULIKE/MGM.

With American television firmly entering its golden age into the early sixties, a wealth of classic TV series would forever imprint themselves onto the minds of a generation of viewers. The western was the main king of the small screen then, but the worlds of fantasy and sci-fi were soon catching up, capturing healthy audiences and critical interest, led primarily by the soon classic anthology series that went beyond sight and sound, travelling the mental and physical borders of imagination and terror that were THE TWILIGHT ZONE- still the most influential series of its kind, and creator Rod Serling's greatest literary achievement. Springing in many way from its success, but also its antithesis in some respects, and equally just as well crafted, came 1963's THE OUTER LIMITS created by PSYCHO adaptor Joseph Stefano and soon well-respected Executive Producer Leslie Stevens. This was a show whose anthology stories could also go anywhere, often into even darker and scarier realms than anything experienced in TWILIGHT, and boasted some of the finest writers ever assembled for the small screen (including Robert Towne, Harlan Ellison and Jerry Sohl) and incredible guest casts (Robert Culp, Martin Landau, Sally Kellerman, Robert Duvall, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Henry Silva and many others), but THE OUTER LIMITS would ultimately be best remembered for the many diverse, fascinating and often truly scary creatures that would emerge through its storytelling (nicknamed "Bears" in the scripting process) which became deservedly iconic in the years to come, achieved mostly through the ingenious imagination and physical crafting of top designer/sculptor Wah Chang. Also building pivotal atmosphere and mood setting would be the supreme music of Dominic Frontiere, one of a of a rare breed of television score composers who really knew his craft and helped make the incredible stories even more indelible in viewers minds (later contributing equally great music for the Roy Thinnes starring alien thriller THE INVADERS). With strong production values and often almost cinematic direction (from the likes of Byron Haskin, Gerd Oswald and James Livingston) its no surprise that so many of the gifted talents who worked on this show would become so pivotal to the foundation building of the equally iconic- even more so- success of another sci-fi series, this one shot in colour only a few years later: Gene Roddenberry's infinity traversing STAR TREK.

Cliff Robertson makes first contact with The Galaxy Being.

Its opening titles and subtly powerful control voice (provided by the late Vic Perrin) being one more key factor in the shows continued presence in pop culture history, THE OUTER LIMITS now celebrates it's satisfying landmark Fiftieth Anniversary today (its impressive original launcher, The Galaxy Being, written and directed by Leslie Stevens, starring Cliff Robertson as a man in touch with an alien being through radio/video waves, setting the standard for what was to come). I'll never forget my first impressions of the show in the seventies-my brothers sixties card collection of the series various monsters scared the living daylights out of me a four-year old, so much so that I had my parents hide them from me!, whilst my later first viewing of the series in the early eighties, late-night Fridays on the UK's BBC 2, proved equally memorable! Despite the odd wonky episode in its later, less acclaimed second season (of which Stefano, the key creative force of the series and its top writer, had left the series due to friction with network executives over the shows direction), THE OUTER LIMITS continues to resonate with audiences and lives up to its reputation as one of the best genre series ever created.

Compilation art card for the series.

Here's a look back at KOOL TV's top ten THE OUTER LIMITS episodes...

THE ARCHITECTS OF FEAR. Robert Culp undergoes a unique transmogrification into an alien being, in an attempt to unite the peoples of Earth away from war.

The superior intellect. David McCallum in The Sixth Finger.

THE SIXTH FINGER. An eternally youthful David McCallum makes an impression as a big-headed (literally) human guinea pig whose mental powers make him superior to mankind- and soon a threat that must be stopped at all costs!

The mutant Andro (Martin Landau) returns to Earth.

THE MAN WHO WAS NEVER BORN. Martin Landau stars in this haunting love story, as a future man travelling back to the past to save his loved one and humanity from a terrifying mutated future.

A weird criminal makes an impression in The Zanti Misfits.

THE ZANTI MISFITS. Alien prisoners resembling spiders with grotesque human faces arrive on Earth and terrorise a desert town. Guest starring Bruce Dern.

An Ebon alien in Nightmare.

NIGHTMARE. A group of humans soldiers are terrorised by their alien captors, the Ebon, in a tense morality play.

THE INVISIBLES: A race of alien parasites begin their secret infiltration of mankind in this tense thriller starring BULLITT's Don Gordon.

A rare colour shot of the trapped alien from The Bellero Shield.

THE BELLERO SHIELD. Martin Landau and Sally Kellerman make their second appearance in the series, as a trapped alien is inadvertently caught in the ambitious and deadly machinations of a powerful scientist and his controlling family.
 

Michael Ansara's Soldier, trapped in 1960's Earth.

SOLDIER. The template for James Cameron's THE TERMINATOR franchise, and Harlan Ellison's first classic episode for the series, as a soldier from the far distant future (Michael Ansara) is accidentally sent back int time to the 1960's, and soon has to get used to life away from the war zone. But is soon transpires that one of his enemies has also made the journey back and prepares to renew battle.

Adam West sees his foe in The Invisible Enemy.

THE INVISIBLE ENEMY. Crash-landing on an alien planet, two astronauts (Including BATMAN's Adam West) have to fight off devouring threats from a race of alien sand sharks, in a gripping story made long before JAWS!

Robert Culp is the Demon with a Glass Hand.

DEMON WITH A GLASS HAND. Robert Culp is an amnesiac fugitive on the run, on a lonely Earth now invaded by the mysterious Kyben. But what has happened to Humanity? And what is the ultimate purpose of his talking hand? Season Two's finest hour, in another superlative script by Harlan Ellison.

With additional thanks to John Scoleri's excellent website for certain episodic images: We Are Controlling Transmission

NOW YOU SEE HIM? 'THE INVISIBLE MAN' ARRIVES ON UK DVD

Vanishing point! David McCallum is THE INVISIBLE MAN, out now on UK DVD. Images: ACORN MEDIA/UNIVERSAL.

The Golden Age of Seventies US TV nostalgia released onto shiny DVD continues apace with ACORN MEDIA's welcome arrival of the classic, fondly remembered 1975 David McCallum starring sci-fi/thriller series THE INVISIBLE MAN, in a lovely 4-disc, thirteen episode set.

Husband and wife scientists Daniel and Kate Westin (David McCallum and Melinda Fee).

Based loosely on the always intriguing novel/concept by H.G. Wells (whom I think would have been thrilled and fascinated by Hollywood's popular re-working of his themes and ideas), the top producer behind the hit Bionic action series THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN and THE BIONIC WOMAN, as well as shepherd to the original STAR TREK franchise in its classic era movie years, Harve Bennett, joins forces with friend and later firebrand writer/producer of HILL STREET BLUES, Seven Bochco, to deliver an enjoyable, often clever, light-hearted and lively new spin on the use of invisibility, as kindly and ambitious scientist Doctor Daniel Westin (NCIS star David McCallum), of the industrialist Klae Organisation, in his research into molecular disintegration and transportation unwittingly and advantageously discovers the secret, albeit permanently, to becoming invisible. Seeing its merits and potential for good, whilst also needing funds to find the process that will undo and reverse this new situation he has found himself in, Westin, with the help and support of his loving and capable co-scientist wife Kate (the rather gorgeous Melinda Fee) become perfect spies for the government through the company, aided by their boss and supporter, Walter Carlson (Craig Stevens), and soon known under their top secret cover as The Klae Resource. 

Daniel becomes invisible for the first time in the pilot episode.

The Invisible Man TV Intro (HD) coming soon to dvd and blu-ray - YouTube

Featuring a great main titles sequence and lovely theme music from THE PINK PANTHER's Henry Mancini, produced by another formidable US TV and film-making talent, THE OUTER LIMITS and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Leslie Stevens, THE INVISIBLE MAN would make the most of then available special effects methods in bringing the Westin's adventures to amiable life (including video tape blue screen composition, wire work and "smoke and mirrors" style photography) against all manner of scenarios and villains, within family audience friendly stories that managed to blend drama and comedy, showing intelligence used brains over firepower for the most part, and giving the always excellent and seemingly age immune McCallum an opportunity to have the kind of escapist fun he'd previously enjoyed in the mid-sixties, as co-lead on the hit THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. It's a shame that the one and only series original US run on NBC was so brief, as I think the characters and concept (later reworked into all new series vehicle- GEMINI MAN (starring ALIAS SMITH AND JONES Ben Murphy)), was getting bolder and better with its final episodes, showing lots more potential to come.

The lovely Melinda Fee as Kate Westin.

The thirteen episodes (including the excellent pilot), all uncut and digitally remastered, look superb in this ACORN UK release-the best I've ever seen the series (and I'm old enough to remember seeing it on its original UK seventies transmissions and its later nineties repeats on the the BBC 2 channel!). There's also an accompanying photo gallery and cast filmographies for the series, but sadly no interviews, featurettes or audio commentaries-disappointing, really, as I'm sure McCallum would likely have contributed something to the release had he been available.

KOOL TV overall rating- episodes: 3 out of 5

Here's a look at KOOL TV's favourite episodes from the series:

 

Craig Stevens joins the team as Walter Carlson for the weekly series.

THE INVISIBLE MAN (Pilot episode)

Working for the influential Klae scientific research company, Doctor Daniel Westin, in his continuing research into teleportation techniques, discovers the power to become invisible for selected periods of times. Soon unwilling and unhappy with the prospect of his new research work being used for military purposes, he destroys his equipment, but an error in his scientific theories has left him permanently invisible. Wanted by his scientific boss, Walter Carlson (played in the pilot episode by an antagonistic Jackie Cooper), and soon hunted by his own government and foreign powers wanting the secrets of invisibility for their own interests, Daniel ultimately overcomes this difficult situation with help from his dedicated wife, Kate (Melinda Fee), and a long time friend, Nick Maggio (Henry Darrow), a plastic surgeon with expertise in makeup and skin solution, who has created Dermaplex- a unique substance that gives our series hero a special face and hands to wear over his invisible skin.

 

Daniel administers a test drug linked to his invisibility.

Steven Bochco, alongside Harve Bennett, capably writes this intriguing extended pilot episode, nicely visualised by Robert Michael Lewis, which proves a little darker in tone to the lighter-hearted series soon following in its footsteps.

Notes: The character of Nick Maggio reappears in the series final episode, An Attempt to Save Face, but is recast with another actor- Charles Aidman.

The Klae Corporation building exteriors seen throughout the series would also be home to Dr. Rudi Wells OSI science labs in THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN.

THE KLAE RESOURCE (Episode One of the series)

Under the top-secret codename The Klae Resource, the Westins, now working as spies for the government (in order to fund research work to restore Daniel back to normality), investigate Lionel Parks, a recluse Howard Hughes-type figure living in Las Vegas, who’s putting his revolutionary new energy system up for grabs to the highest bidder. But the government believes that an imposter is filling in for Parks, and his deal making must be stopped at all costs. The Westins are quickly putting their skills to good use, and the gambling environment around them, to their advantage.

 

Our heroes enjoy beating the Las Vegas odds in The Klae Resource.

A fun episode from Steven Bochco, whose main guest stars include Robert Alda and Barry Sullivan as Lionel Parks.

Now playing Klae Corporation boss Walter, Craig Stevens makes for a more amiable version of the character (a variation on THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN’s Oscar Goldman), who makes a nice mix with the couple.

THE FINE ART OF DIPLOMACY (Episode Two)

Whilst Kate uses all her feminine allure to distract Iberian foreign minister Diego Devega (Ross Martin), Daniel has to infiltrate and expose an art ring gang within the Iberian Embassy, and replacing the priceless stolen items with forgeries before they can be sold abroad. But first he has to get through the underground vault's security systems…

A very enjoyable MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-esque script from Bionic series veteran James D. Parriott makes the most of exuberant guest star Ross Martin (of THE WILD, WILD WEST fame) as Diego, and Michael Pataki as his henchmen.

 

McCallum gets ready to film an effects scene against blue screen.

MAN OF INFLUENCE (Episode Three)

The Westins poses as paranormal investigators in order to debunk a powerfully influential spiritualist, Ernest Sheed (John Vernon), and his colleague Williams (THE INCREDIBLE HULK’s Jack Colvin), who are manipulating important American businessmen into making unusual but critical decisions that benefit outside forces rather than the domestic front.

STOP WHEN RED LIGHTS FLASH (Episode Eight)

Contempt of court!

What should have been a little side step through the town of Docker Junction soon sees the Westins taking on its corrupt legal system, using the baddies nefarious schemes and practices against them. Highly comic episode from Sterling Lester, making the most of UNIVERSAL STUDIOS backlot town square (best known as the home of Marty McFly in the BACK TO THE FUTURE movies). A notable guest cast includes veteran cult TV favourites Roger C. Carmel and Scott Brady.

 

Kate and Daniel-ready for the next mission!

THE KLAE DYNASTY (Episode Ten)

Family ties!

On the eve of her top scientific summit at the Klae facility, Caroline Klae is kidnapped by an unknown group, with Daniel unwittingly in the firing line as one of the culprits. Beginning the search for the missing woman, the explanation for her kidnap soon points closer to home.

One of the best episodes of the season to mix comedy and action, written by Philip DeGuere and directed by Alan J. Levi, with a top star cast including the always sexy Nancy Kovak, THE X-FILES Peter Donat, film star Farley Granger and regular TV baddie George Murdock.

 

A nice montage from the main titles sequence for the series.

POWER PLAY (Episode Eleven)

A highly intelligent but insane criminal, Pike, breaks into the Klae facility and cunningly holds our trio hostage, threatening murder in wanting the secret of The Klae Resource.

With mild continuity links to the previous episode, The Klae Dynasty, this is overall a very serious penultimate adventure from Leslie Stevens, once again well handled by director Alan J. Levi. It’s a siege drama that makes fine use of our core trio in a charged situation, alongside an intense performance from guest star Monte Markham as the deranged Pike.

 

A great, of its time, cover for the series on DYNAMITE magazine.

Get hold of THE INVISIBLE MAN DVD set here: The Invisible Man [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: David McCalum: Film & TV