Good News for Science Fiction Fans


Much has been written lately in various publications about the relatively new phenomenon of TV shows on DVD and the resultant sales figures that have studios dancing for joy. Did they actually need further proof that people love TV and are willing to pay for it? We can't predict, of course, whether or not those folks who spend mucho dinero getting all the seasons of Friends will one day wake up and think “What the hell did I do?” and hide them in the back of the closet, but no doubt there’s something comforting about having your favorite TV shows, uncut and commercial free, at your beck and call.

I’m cheap so I haven’t bought much, but I am grateful to MGM homevideo for finally bringing out the second half of The Outer Limits, the classic series (not the Showtime/Sci Fi Channel ‘90s version) to DVD this month. Those of us who grew up watching TOL (and at least in Los Angeles it ran pretty steadily in syndication for a long time) have never forgotten this literate, haunting, exciting and brilliant series. My professional relationship with the show began when the Turner networks bought a boatload of product from MGM/UA in the early ‘90s, and the most exciting thing to me was that the original TOL episodes were part of the deal. It was my great pleasure to be able to present them uncut for the last time on TV several times, and if you catch them today on Sci Fi they’re severely edited and rarely presented at all, in fact.

But you needn’t rely on commercial television for your Outer Limits fix these days. Pick up both sets of episodes and you’ll be able to watch those wonderful 49 episodes again and again. You can probably pick them up for 100 bucks total, which is too much of course, but maybe there’s a sale on somewhere. However, if you amortize the cost over forty years of yearning, it’s awfully cheap entertainment.

This second season’s worth isn’t as good as Season 1, but there still are some favorites in there. William Shatner gives an overwrought yet ultimately charming performance as astronaut Jeff Barton in “Cold Hands, Warm Heart,” and particularly of interest is the 2nd TOL appearance of the fascinating Geraldine Brooks as Barton’s wife. Brooks, who was a frequent guest star all over TV back in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, was married to writer Budd Schulberg (On the Waterfront) at the time of her way-too-early death at age 52 of cancer. She’s especially amazing in “The Architects of Fear” from the first season, but even in this 2nd banana wifey role she’s unusual and breathtakingly contemporary.

Science fiction aficionados love Harlan Ellison’s “Demon With a Glass Hand” starring Robert Culp in the third of his TOL appearances, with him cavorting all over Los Angeles’ architectural noir classic Bradbury Building. He’s Trent, a robot with those crystal digits, and he's the key to the future of mankind. Moody and intelligent, this is a terrific episode and holds up wonderfully. There’s also a spunky performance by Arlene Martel, who if you’re a Trek fan you’ll recall as Mr. Spock’s betrothed in “Amok Time.”

“I, Robot” is another Trek connection with Leonard Nimoy’s appearance as a cocky newspaper reporter covering the trial of a robot accused of killing his creator. This may be a standard courtroom drama, but Adam Link (the robot) has an appealing tin teddy bear face and the performances take this one above the norm. They remade this one on the new Outer Limits show, with Nimoy playing the part of the lawyer – Howard Da Silva here -- who’s defending the bot. It’s not a bad version, but the robot isn’t nearly as likeable and the show doesn’t play as much to sentiment as in the original, which is probably good. “I, Robot” isn’t groundbreaking, but it does get to you a bit.

Michael Ansara is fierce in “Soldier” as Quarlo, a warrior from the future who’s tossed into our time and studied by a curious scientist (Lloyd Nolan) and his family. Based on a Harlan Ellison story, “Soldier” has a great premise and there’s a genuinely menacing tinge to the whole situation. Mostly it’s about Ansara’s unique interpretation of Quarlo. You really believe he’s a man out of time.

There are some other interesting episodes too, like “Expanding Human,” with Skip Homeier as a scientist toying with weird drug concoctions that turn him into mini-Hulk with a big amoral streak. Although this one isn’t considered a classic episode, I really like the odd suburban normalcy (as portrayed by Homeier and his co-star Keith Andes) and the ‘60s location shots (including a wonderful typical Southern California apartment courtyard) that permeate the episode. The underrated Homeier – and if you don’t know his name you probably know his face, as he guested in just about every TV series up until the late ‘70s – gives his Dr. Roy Clinton a poignant and bewildered mien that really works, and you’ll love his oh-so-goofy-but-effective facial transformation. Plus, you get to see James “Scotty” Doohan as a police lieutenant!

Even the most mundane episodes of The Outer Limits look amazing, with stark and astounding black and white cinematography that underlines the basic seriousness of the series. Maybe that’s the best thing about TOL, when you get down to it. It’s incredibly earnest, somber … a thinker’s show, a show about adults facing monsters, moral dilemmas and mayhem in crazy and unusual situations. Go pick up Season 2, and Season 1 if you don’t have it already. This one’s a keeper.

Check out The Outer Limits information on Sci Fi Channel’s website.

Here's a nice fan site for the show.

And here's MGM's official Outer Limits site.