The Outer Limits: Season Two

"Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission…" After the original 32 episode 1963-1964 run (see review in VL-11/02), creator Leslie Stevens' The Outer Limits returned in 1964-1965 for a substandard and truncated 17-episode season, with original producer and visionary Joseph Stefano replaced by fish-out-of-sci-fi/fantasy-water producer Ben Brady. Boasting low-budget monsters, cheesy special effects, and some purple prose high-moral-ground intros and outros, The Outer Limits' second season nevertheless had its share of must-see-sci-fi-TV hours, including the Harlan Ellison-penned episodes "Soldier," a Terminator-inspiring classic featuring Michael Ansara as a soldier from the future; and "Demon With a Glass Hand," with Robert Culp as the title character, who has a glass hand/computer minus a few key fingers--i.e., modules--that will tell him who he is and what he's supposed to do. Star Trek fans will appreciate "Cold Hands, Warm Heart," starring William Shatner--in pre-Kirk mode--as an astronaut who returns from Venus with a few physiological quirks; and "I, Robot," with Leonard Nimoy in a minor role as a journalist following a court case trying a robot for murder in a thematic meld of Frankenstein and Perry Mason. Other notables include "Wolf 359," with Patrick O'Neal as a scientist who builds a miniature replica of a planet with a speeded-up evolutionary timeline generally mimicking Earth's development (unfortunately, the monster in this one is a ridiculous-looking ghost figure obviously made by sticking hands into latex gloves), and "The Duplicate Man," based on Clifford Simak's story about a scientist (Ron Randell) who clones himself to kill off a dangerous alien (but the clone develops the proverbial mind of its own). The real gem here, however, is the series' only two-parter "The Inheritors," starring Robert Duvall as an investigator tracking the movements of four wounded soldiers who not only all miraculously survive gunshots to the head, but display a second set of brainwave patterns, increased intelligence, and a somewhat otherworldly sense of mission. Although extra-less (and a bit overpriced: the original 32-episode set ran $79.95; the 17-episode set runs $69.95), the discs boast handsome transfers and solid Dolby Digital mono sound. While not as prominent as Star Trek, this landmark '60s thinking person's sci-fi series has a devoted fan base. Recommended. (R. Pitman) [Blu-ray Review—Dec. 11, 2018—Kino Lorber, 867 min., not rated, DVD: 5 discs, $49.99; Blu-ray: 4 discs, $69.99—Making its debut on Blu-ray, 1964-65’s The Outer Limits: Season Two features a fine black-and-white transfer with DTS-HD 2.0 audio. Extras include a handful of audio commentaries by authors and film historians David J. Schow, Tim Lucas, Dr. Reba Wissner, Craig Beam, Gary Gerani, and Steve Mitchell, alternate cuts of two episodes, a collection of interviews, various retrospective featurettes, promotional materials, and a booklet featuring Schow’s essay 'There Is Still Nothing Wrong with Your Television Set.' Bottom line: this second season of a landmark TV series makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]