▶ "One Step Beyond": Episode of the Week (10/22)

"TIDAL WAVE" -- SEASON (3) EPISODE (1). August 30 1960.
COMMENTARY (spoilers alert): The third season of "One Step Beyond'" opened in August of 1960 by dramatizing a "true life" story of recent vintage -- one that had, in fact, occurred only three months before the airing of the show. Specifically: "Tidal Wave" involves a series of earthquakes which struck Chile on May 21, 1960, and then generated "seismic sea waves." These tidal waves moved at an amazing 425 miles an hour and were reported as high as 16 feet as they surged towards Hawaii on Wednesday: May 25, 1960.
The specific story of "Tidal Wave" concern the tsunami's touchdown in Hawaii and the experience of one Margaret North, a woman handicapped by polio, whose cries for help were inexplicably heard by a "deaf" military man. In a bold move, "One Step Beyond" ends this dramatization by ushering the real participants on-screen to confirm their odd psychic experience. Though this final interview is brief and a bit stilted, and the two interviewees seem terribly nervous in front of the camera, it is still a powerful testimonial that lends credence to "One Step Beyond's" ongoing attempt to document the personal record of those who have survived so-called paranormal experiences. Unless one assumes flat out that these real witnesses are liars, their presence makes the tale of telepathic communication a difficult one to dismiss out of hand.
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and the experience of Mrs. North in May of 1960 proves that adage. The details of the story could not be more compelling had they been invented. Specifically, Mrs. North makes for a perfect protagonist. Left alone in her home, she is physically confined to a wheelchair and terribly lonesome because she and her husband have just moved to Hawaii. She does not know any of the neighbors yet, and they are unaware of her handicap. So, when Margaret becomes trapped, aware that a tidal wave is approaching, there is no hope of escape. The episode becomes almost unbearably suspenseful as North pulls herself to the door, falls from her wheelchair, tries to crawl out to the street, and then shouts for help. Her anguished, desperate pleas are heard by Thomas Powers, a hearing-impaired military officer who finds himself inexplicably lost in the North's neighborhood. Hearing her cries for help, Powers stops his car, looks around, and saves Mrs. North. How did he hear her (?) Was it thought transference (?) Telepathic communication (?) Fortunate happenstance (?)
In this case, one cannot establish how or it happened, only confirm that it did happen, since the actual participants made themselves available to tell their personal story. In a court of law (or even a court of skeptics), personal accounts such as these would not hold up, no doubt; but this is television, after all, and "One Step Beyond" gains some "accuracy" points for bringing the witnesses on the air. Again, one should remember that "One Step Beyond's" mission was not to authenticate all its stories, only to dramatize real accounts in a way commensurate with the research and literature of the time. In that regard, "Tidal Wave" succeeds admirably. It shares a tale of recent interest (May 1960) around a confirmed event (earthquakes, tidal waves) and let's the participants air their side of the story . . .
From John Kenneth Muir's definitive book "An Analytical Guide to Television's One Step Beyond": • ▶ "One Step Beyond" Ba...

[@juliefarrell3957]

I adore these..especially the little extra stuff in the description..thank you, whoever you are ❤️✌🏼😘

[@Mountlougallops]

Thanks for mentioning the notes. I hadn’t thought to look at the description. You’re right. Very good info there.

[@Lolabelle59]

So nice that Mrs. North appeared at the end of the episode, and John Newland was so chivalrous.

[@usmale4915]

This is my favorite episode "Tidal Wave"! It's excellent and supposedly a real event. The acting is very good and when she's trapped by her wheelchair is when it becomes very intense. Thank you for posting this episode!

[@collincovid6950]

Beautifully done and what more can one say than God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform

[@joygrantonio1984]

This show was wayyyyy ahead of its time. I always watched them as a little girl. My reason for investigating the paranormal today.

[@one-step-beyond-1959]

These OSB episodes are interesting to people for several different reasons, some of which overlap: (1) 1950s values and sensibility; (2) parapsychological themes; (3) black and white cinematography; (4) altered state of consciousness triggered by past times and places . . .

[@IslandGirlKelly]

Fantastic episode. One of the very best. Many thanks One Step Beyond. I look forward to these weeklies as in the past I would binge watch these. So nice to have someone help me to keep from doing that yet again. 🙏🥂

[@stephanieclini3834]

Merveilleuse histoire, pleine d'espérance ! Merci.

[@saran3214]

Thank you so much! I haven't seen this one. That was a good actress playing the woman and that old man was strong. She had to weigh at least 100 lbs and he carried her like she was nothing. I did recognize William Scallert, he was in everything. A great episode.

[@Mili91100]

Neither have I

[@usmale4915]

Don't forget TED KNIGHT is also in this episode!

[@saran3214]

@@usmale4915 Of course!

[@alextollinche9947]

The Scary thing is that Life is indeed Stranger than Fiction Yesterdays Science Fiction is Today's Science Fact the Show One Step Beyond was Ahead of its Time 👻🎃👻🎃👻🎃👻Happy Halloween Everybody 👻🎃👻😊

[@nelliethursday1812]

I love this series even more than Twilight Zone. This series came out before Twilight Zone

[@usmale4915]

The Twilight Zone (1959) and One Step Beyond (1959)! Now which came first?

[@Harbalz]

How ironic that we are observing La Palma today? 🏄🌊🌊🌋

[@1200sbeemer]

I was only three months and 10 days old when this happened. Amazing story, love watching these. I could tell some amazing stories myself but won’t use this platform to do so.

[@sarahalbers5555]

Great episode of the week. I have to say I got super anxious about the tidal wave and the wheelchair bound wife

[@usmale4915]

That's what makes this episode so fantastic. Very intense, indeed!

[@MsBackstager]

WOW Ted Knight!

[@user-mv9tt4st9k]

Wow.

[@danielscuiry2847]

This was one of the episodes that was a true portrayal of an actual event. Many were fictionalizations based on true stories. But this was the real deal 👍🏻

[@MrTwenty20video]

Good episode. Thank you.

[@lorraine4755]

Cool

[@wendyhill3856]

What a great actress

[@one-step-beyond-1959]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHiYaGBsaryUp6c&ab_channel=One-Step-Beyond

[@MissouriPenny]

Enjoyed replay thanks for sharing your channel with us 😀 😊 👍🏼

[@antoniagreco6316]

Devine intervention 🙏🏻

[@johnnyboy2653]

That was very god lol, thanks.

[@minivegana6516]

WOW!!!😳

[@violethouseworth5943]

Im looking for a certain episode//A lady has car trouble and walks to the nearest house.When she has company with the occupants, she later realizes it is her son and his family (in the future)...been looking for this episode forever

[@one-step-beyond-1959]

Sorry -- I don't recognize this as an OSB episode. But it sounds familiar. Maybe it's from the new series of Twilight Zone episodes -- I don't know them all . . .

[@candyflair7946]

😯

[@lestatangel]

🖤🎃🖤 6th

[@sodone466]

Well, what about next week?

[@one-step-beyond-1959]

We did that "episode of the week" series a couple of years ago . . .

[@williamsweeney7954]

Enjoyed Ted Knight before he became Ted Baxter on Mary Tyler Moore.