TV Chat

John1956PA

(3,368 posts) Sat Sep 16, 2023, 12:46 AM Sep 2023

Sixty years ago today, "The Outer Limits" debuted on ABC.

The debut episode was "The Galaxy Being." I was watching. As a seven year old, I was frightened when the eerie creature literally took the screen.

Cliff Robertson portrayed the brilliant radio engineer who invented the 3-D monitor with audio. The son of a U. S. Supreme Court justice portrayed the creature in some scenes. William O. Douglas, Jr., donned a rubber suit coated with fluorescent paint. The effect was terrifying to me.

12 replies

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Sixty years ago today, "The Outer Limits" debuted on ABC. (Original Post) John1956PA Sep 2023 OP

Fridays were always fun in grade school: yonder Sep 2023 #1

In the last year of "The Outer Limits" (1963) the series was broadcast on Saturday evenings. John1956PA Sep 2023 #2

Would've been 1965 thereabouts. 11pm'ish after the local news yonder Sep 2023 #10

Sure. Rebroadcasts were common. I also like the first season better. John1956PA Sep 2023 #11

Fictional radio station KXKVI PSPS Sep 2023 #3

I was a kid, too, and the only episode I remember seeing was one involving Custer's last stand Rhiannon12866 Sep 2023 #4

There is a 1963 "Twlight Zone" ep. wherein US Army tank soldiers are transported back to 1876. John1956PA Sep 2023 #9

Yep, I remember being transfixed by The Galaxy Being in the debut of The Outer Limits. NBachers Sep 2023 #5

I was seven also nuxvomica Sep 2023 #6

My favorite episode was "The Voyage Hoome" featuring a young Michael Dorn. cloudbase Sep 2023 #7

Boy did they get letters! justaprogressive Sep 2023 #8

I used to be so scared bif Sep 2023 #12

yonder

(10,002 posts)

1. Fridays were always fun in grade school:

Reply to John1956PA (Original post)

Sat Sep 16, 2023, 12:59 AM

Sep 2023

Looking forward to the weekend AND
getting to stay up late to watch Outer Limits and Creature Features.

John1956PA

(3,368 posts)

2. In the last year of "The Outer Limits" (1963) the series was broadcast on Saturday evenings.

Reply to yonder (Reply #1)

Sat Sep 16, 2023, 01:04 AM

Sep 2023

In the first season, the 1963 series was broadcast on Tuesday evenings. In the 1990s, the new version of "The Outer Limits" was broadcast on CBS on Saturday nights at 11:30 PM.

yonder

(10,002 posts)

10. Would've been 1965 thereabouts. 11pm'ish after the local news

Reply to John1956PA (Reply #2)

Sat Sep 16, 2023, 01:58 PM

Sep 2023

Fridays for sure though. Perhaps rebroadcast or syndicated?

The later version didn't have quite the same appeal for me — being all grown up and skepti/cynical.

John1956PA

(3,368 posts)

11. Sure. Rebroadcasts were common. I also like the first season better.

Reply to yonder (Reply #10)

Sat Sep 16, 2023, 03:14 PM

Sep 2023

Rebroadcasts and delayed broadcasts did occur.

Also, as for my preference for the first season, I will add that I like the theme for the first season better than that of the second season.

The series ended with the episode "The Probe." It was suspenseful, thoughtful and poignant, and it did not present images of any scary-looking aliens, although that was the idea which the episode conjured.

PSPS

(14,134 posts)

3. Fictional radio station KXKVI

Reply to John1956PA (Original post)

Sat Sep 16, 2023, 01:54 AM

Sep 2023

The exteriors and some interiors were filmed at the real transmitter tower located on Briarcrest Peak in Beverly Hills. Back then, it was used for radio station KCBH but it's now KYSR.

Rhiannon12866

(222,081 posts)

4. I was a kid, too, and the only episode I remember seeing was one involving Custer's last stand

Reply to John1956PA (Original post)

Sat Sep 16, 2023, 03:15 AM

Sep 2023

Scary stuff!

John1956PA

(3,368 posts)

9. There is a 1963 "Twlight Zone" ep. wherein US Army tank soldiers are transported back to 1876.

Reply to Rhiannon12866 (Reply #4)

Sat Sep 16, 2023, 10:26 AM

Sep 2023

They arrive (without their tank) at Little Big Horn just before the battle begins. The episode ends by showing their names on the memorial dedicated to the cavalrymen who died in the battle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7th_Is_Made_Up_of_Phantoms

NBachers

(18,131 posts)

5. Yep, I remember being transfixed by The Galaxy Being in the debut of The Outer Limits.

Reply to John1956PA (Original post)

Sat Sep 16, 2023, 03:34 AM

Sep 2023

nuxvomica

(12,877 posts)

6. I was seven also

Reply to John1956PA (Original post)

Sat Sep 16, 2023, 03:51 AM

Sep 2023

That episode creeped me out, but deliciously so. I loved scary stuff at that age. A later episode called "The Architects of Fear" really haunted me though. Robert Culp agreed to be transformed into an alien creature with a big head and long arms in a scheme to unite humanity against a common foe.

cloudbase

(5,745 posts)

7. My favorite episode was "The Voyage Hoome" featuring a young Michael Dorn.

Reply to John1956PA (Original post)

Sat Sep 16, 2023, 05:12 AM

Sep 2023

justaprogressive

(2,447 posts)

8. Boy did they get letters!

Reply to John1956PA (Original post)

Sat Sep 16, 2023, 08:13 AM

Sep 2023

"The Galaxy Being" scared so many people they had to tone the series back down...

too bad!

bif

(23,980 posts)

12. I used to be so scared

Reply to John1956PA (Original post)

Mon Sep 18, 2023, 02:36 PM

Sep 2023

I would sit at the opposite end of our family room with my ears covered, and peaking at the tv during the opening credits. What a great show. I bought the complete series on DVD and started rewatching it. Way ahead of its time, IMO.

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