The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)
| The Outer Limits | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre |
Science fiction Horror |
| Created by | Leslie Stevens |
| Directed by |
László Benedek Abner Biberman John Brahm John Erman Felix Feist Robert Florey James Goldstone Charles F. Haas Byron Haskin Leonard Horn Gerd Oswald Paul Stanley Leslie Stevens |
| Narrated by | Vic Perrin (Control Voice) |
| Opening theme |
Dominic Frontiere (1963–64) Harry Lubin (1964–65) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 49 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Leslie Stevens |
| Producer(s) |
Joseph Stefano (1963–64) Ben Brady (1964–65) |
| Cinematography | Conrad Hall, John M. Nickolaus, Kenneth Peach |
| Running time | 51 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Daystar Productions Villa DiStefano United Artists Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Picture format | Black-and-white 4:3 |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | September 16, 1963 – January 16, 1965 |
The Outer Limits is an American television series that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1965 at 7:30 PM Eastern Time on Mondays. The series is often compared to The Twilight Zone, but with a greater emphasis on science fiction stories (rather than stories just dealing with fantasy or supernatural matters). The Outer Limits is an anthology of self-contained episodes, sometimes with a plot twist at the end.
The series was revived in 1995, airing on Showtime from 1995 to 2000, then on Sci-Fi Channel from 2001 until its cancellation in 2002. In 1997, the episode "The Zanti Misfits" was ranked #98 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.
Each show would begin with either a cold open or a preview clip, followed by a "Control Voice" narration that was mainly run over visuals of an oscilloscope. Using an Orwellian theme of taking over your television, the earliest version of the narration ran as follows:
A similar but shorter monolog caps each episode: We now return control of your television set to you. Until next week at the same time, when the control voice will take you to – The Outer Limits.
Later episodes used one of two shortened versions of the introduction. The first few episodes began simply with the title screen followed by the narration and no cold open or preview clip. The Control Voice was performed by actor Vic Perrin.
The Outer Limits was originally broadcast on the American television network ABC (1963–65). In total, 49 episodes were produced. It was one of many series influenced by The Twilight Zone and Science Fiction Theatre, though it ultimately proved influential in its own right. In the un-aired pilot, the series was called Please Stand By, but ABC rejected that title. Series creator Leslie Stevens retitled it The Outer Limits. With a few changes, the pilot aired as the premiere episode, "The Galaxy Being".
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