"There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture."
When CBS's The Twilight Zone proved to be a hit in 1959, other networks kept an eye open for similar series. In 1963, ABC launched The Outer Limits. Joseph Stefano, who was known for adapting the novel "Psycho" into the classic film screenplay, produced it.
Running an hour long (following Twilight Zone's expansion to that length earlier in the year), The Outer Limits stuck to a strict science-fiction format. Despite being described by some as a "monster of the week" show, it became a favorite among genre fans. Fondness for this show prompted a new version in 1995, which lasted 7 seasons. Many classic episodes came out of the original show's first season, including "The Zanti Misfits" (my wife's favorite!), "The Bellero Shield", and "The Hundred Days of the Dragon" (whose face-shaping scene appeared in the film "Mrs. Doubtfire").
Many actors and actresses appeared here, who are now very recognizable names in Hollywood: Robert Culp, Donald Pleasence, Martin Landau, Sally Kellermen, Martin Sheen, Bruce Dern, Barry Morse, Carroll O'Conner, Marion Ross, Robert Duvall, and Vera Miles can all be seen here. Three people who would go on to work on Star Trek also worked in this show: behind the camera, Assistant Director Bob Justman. In front of the camera, Grace Lee Whitney and some guy named Leonard Nimoy.
The DVDs: "Volume 1"
The complete first season of The Outer Limits is on four discs; each one of them double-sided and dual-layered (DVD-18's). They are held in an interesting triple-Alpha keepcase (similar to M*A*S*H), but silver-colored and with an extra detachable disc holder for the 4th disc that slides under that same two hooks that the booklet insert slides under. It's an interesting arrangement, that doesn't interfere with the ability to get to the disc you want.
Understanding which disc - or which side of a disc - you want may be a bit harder. Since there is programming on both sides, there aren't big labels of the type most TV-on-DVD discs have. Since Outer Limits Season 1 is over 27 hours of anthology stories, it's not something the average viewer will watch in one or two sittings (like "V", for instance). Be aware that you will need to look closely at the 2-millimeter high writing on the hub rings to identify which Volume you are on, and then look further to the right to see which side of the disc you are facing. It's not spelled out easily, either: to get to "The Zanti Misfits", for instance, you have to use the booklet to determine that - with four episodes per disc side - you need to get to the back side of disc 2, and then look at the tiny writing on the hub rings and find "Volume 2 1003988.2.B" (the "B" at the end tells me I'm on the back side; the front sides are always "A"). This system may upset some purchasers when you're trying to figure out where you left off last time, especially when it was a couple of days ago, or longer.
Once you get to where you are going, the menu is straightforward. When the drawer closes and the disc starts, you are first treated to the MGM lion, and then to the original black-and-white Outer Limits logo, complete with animated sine wave. This quickly transforms into an animated color menu, which zooms out to show in each corner the four episodes on that side of the volume. In the meantime, a computerized-sounding Control Voice (not meant to resemble original Control Voice actor Vic Perrin in the slightest) repeats the familiar opening dialogue from the series. Except that the words "television set" and "picture" (as in "adjust the...") are replaced with "DVD player". This is cute, but I must admit it will get old before you reach the final side out of the eight.
Note that there is no "play all" feature on these discs. Also, there is nothing on-screen to indicate the airdate order to watch the episodes in. Consulting the booklet reveals that the top two titles precede the bottom two titles, though. Though there's no harm done if you watch these shows out of order...I'm just a stickler for it, however! Choosing one of the four episodes brings you to a list of the chapter stops within each story; you can "Play Episode", or pick a chapter and dive right in.
Video
I am rather impressed with the high quality of the video on these DVDs. I'll say up front that some episodes are worse than others, probably due to the condition of the source materials, but don't let that put you off. There is a surprising amount of clarity and depth to the shades of gray, and I must say that some of the scenery is actually beautiful. At times when a dark setting is called for, the deep blacks and subtle dark shading is exemplary in its ability to give you the creeps. The special effects are cheesy by today's standards, and can appear "defective" at times as a result. But in reality they look the way they are supposed to, and have the desired result of telling the story effectively.
The only real "defect" to the picture is the noticeable specks, dirt, and holes. These artifacts aren't usually clustered, they tend to be small and spread out and usually appear one at a time. I can vividly recall one scene in "The Borderland" where the artifacts did cluster up on half the screen, but it was just for a moment and we were right back into the story. For the most part, these specks won't bother you. In fact, my wife Stephanie made the interesting comment that it enhanced her enjoyment of the DVDs, making it feel like she was watching old late-night reruns of the show, like she did with her dad growing up. But I can assure you that the quality is much higher than any syndicated airings during the 70's or 80's.
Audio
The soundtrack is presented in its original mono version. I'm pleased to say that there is a lot to love about this audio. While not perfect - during some episodes it occasionally sounds rough for a line of dialogue - it stays clear and easy to understand almost all of the time. Special audio effects sound terrific all the time: rockets firing, generators humming, motorcycles revving, mice exploding, whatever. The musical soundtrack that accompanies these episodes is full of appropriate music, perfect to set whatever mood is needed. And it all comes across clear as a bell, with very little hissing or other distractions. One person reported to me that they heard hissing throughout these discs, but I listened carefully with both standard small-screen mono TV sets, and with a high-end 5.1 receiver system. I'm sorry; this is not present on the level he described.
To top off a wonderful audio presentation, I'm pleased to say that these episodes are closed captioned for the hearing impaired. My compliments to MGM for remembering to include this!
There are no supplements on the DVDs themselves; they are packed very full with the episodes themselves.
There is a nice 12-page booklet, chalk full of synopses for all 32 first season episodes, as well as the general credits and the chapter stop listings. This full-color insert has one screen shot for each story, each nicely framed in a different old-style television set.
Summary
The original Outer Limits was a smart show, that didn't attempt to talk down to its audience. "Techno-babble" terms that later became used in more popular Sci-Fi shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation appeared here first ("temporal drift" comes to mind). Yet the dedicated viewers got it, and enjoyed what they were watching.
In the Volume 1 DVD set we are presented with the entire first season, commercial-free and uninterrupted. We get it with the benefit of great visual and audio quality, and at a price that isn't too shabby (the SRP of $79.96 for eight "sides" of programming would equate to about $10 per DVD, if normal single-sided discs had been used...I don't see how anyone can complain after store discounts are taken into account).
At the time of its first airing, The Outer Limits didn't have the mass-market appeal that The Twilight Zone had, which led to a lower budget second season (that proved to be its final one for 30 years). I think that even in today's more SciFi-enlightened culture, this still won't be everyone's cup of tea. But anyone interested in the subject matter will find a great compilation of the first 32 shows. There are 17 episodes left in the second season, including two written by legendary author Harlan Ellison. I say, "Bring 'em on!"
