Remembering The Outer Limits: Top 10 Episodes

[@theonetruerobb4852]

My sister was babysitting for me one evening. OL came on - The Zanti Misfits episode. My sister had to leave the room, she was so scared. I was pretty scared myself, but somehow willed myself to stay and watch. I was 8 years old, and the episode was brand new that evening. 60 years later I still feel a twinge when I see that episode....

[@mbeenz]

Yep The 6th Finger is MY FAVORITE!! A Brilliant Series! I Loved It! Still to this Day!

[@Jimifan57]

The Zanti Misfits is my favorite by far. Great story with a brutal ending. and as a kid I was fascinated/terrified by the stop-motion effects. Thanks for the rundowns. I live in China and will head home for Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), and now you've given me an idea for what to watch on the flight.

[@Wesley-eu7rn]

My favorite also. As a ten year old I watched this one alone and it sure pushed my buttons.

[@54blewis]

My favorite as well,and later when I joined the USAF in” 73”and became an SP ( security police) I realize that the military involved in the story was Airforce personnel as a buddy and I talked about the show…true story!

[@carolhansen4657]

I LOVED this show! It came on right at my bedtime so I didn't see any episodes until summer reruns. The Zanti Misfits is the first I remember seeing, and I hid behind a chair when the "cooties" came out of the spaceship. So many stars in their youths! Robert Culp has always been my favorite. Lloyd Nolan, Inger Stevens, Martin Landau, David McCallum, Ben Gazzara ... so many just in your top 10.

[@georgeanthony7282]

Just the introduction itself scared the living daylights out of me (as a little kid watching this show in the 1960s)!

[@jeffgorham8819]

One of Vic Perrin's best works.

[@trevormaurer3684]

The images from this series have stayed with me since I was a child in the 60,s with the 6th Finger being Unforgettable.

[@ronm6585]

I loved this show. Thanks for sharing Rich.

[@TooLooze]

I remember watching Architect of Fear when it came on one of the two available TV stations. I was terrified.

[@electraazteca6002]

The early Outer Limit episodes were the most influential things in my whole life. It affected my life as related to who I am , where I am in this universe later affecting my work as an artist and even till now affecting my work as a composer, thank you so much for this wonderful travel back in time I was watching the stuff when I was like eight years old and my parents let me watch it.

[@dennisgingrich4963]

My uncle was a set painter at Metro Media in Hollywood in the 50's and 60's. In 1963 he took me to work with him. He was working on the Outer Limits. I got to see the actors rehearse the episode " The Man with The Power" that featured Donald Pleasence. In the corner of the set, being held in place by chicken wire, was the foam rubber silver painted mask of the "alien" that controlled your TV at the beginning of each episode.

[@johntiggleman4686]

@dennisgingrich4963 I don't recall seeing an "alien" controlling TVs...I remember there was an oscilloscope pattern, with "The Control Voice," intoning those infamous words. After the first few episodes, the introduction was truncated for some reason. But I just can't remember any alien.

[@billolsen4360]

That was a great episode.

[@scottjones1109]

Never having been a sci-fi kind of guy, this wasn't a must watch series for me when I was young. But 'A Feasibility Study' is one elpisode I caught back then & its profundity I NEVER forgot and its mind blowing conclusion remains something that has stayed with me ever since.

[@cuoioron2281]

"Cry of Silence" is my favorite of this excellent series. It has a profound message and spooky setting. Also, Arthur Hunnicutt is exceptional as the farmer zombie.

[@northeastbassfishing1501]

I love the original Outer Limits series, I often revisit it in my DVD collection. My top 10 are, 1. Nightmare, 2. A Feasibility Study, 3. The Inheritors Parts 1&2, 4. Corpus Earthling, 5. The Zanti Misfits, 6. Demon With a Glass Hand, 7. The Man Who Was Never Born, 8. The Invisibles, 9. The Sixth Finger, 10. The Architects of Fear. Love the channel, keep up the good work. Honorable mention, The Bellaro Shield, Fun and Games, Soldier, O.B.I.T, and The Galaxy Being.

[@tylenoljackson9378]

I always got a kick out of seeing the instantaneous radio transmission between Earth and a planet in the Andromeda galaxy in the episode "The Galaxy Being".

[@Primus54]

A great episode, I decided to “accept” the idea that a “quantum particle” frequency had been accidentally tapped into which provided instantaneous communication. 😉

[@RabbiSteve]

Thanks for making this and sharing it. I think my favorite is Harlan’s “Demon With a Glass Hand”, one of the exceptional great ones from the mostly not as good second season. Love “The Zanti Misfits”, also “I Robot” (the one I remembered longest from youth and one of the few I was able to stay up to watch in my childhood when it first aired). Also, love “The Man Who Was Never Born”, also “Feasibility Study”, “Wolf 359” (which is one of the only other ones I got to see back when it first aired and it scared the crap out of me!), “The Bellaro Shield”, “The Sixth Finger” and also “The Galaxy Being”, the pilot. Ask me tomorrow and some of this would change. What a great show! Sci-fi noir at its best.

[@JGG1701]

Fun fact: Mr. Nimoy appears in the remake of "I Robot" in the newer Outer Limits series. Which was directed by his son Adam.

[@nickimontie]

Great list of episodes! I loved all these kinds of shows- Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Night Gallery, Sixth Sense, One Step Beyond.

[@jameshowland7393]

I bought the BlurRay box set. I have always loved this series!

[@larrybittke7760]

My favorite episode was NIGHTMARE. The Ebonite appearance was frightening for the time and the earth prisoners were undergoing experiences that were very impressionable on this viewer. Quite a twist for the ending as well.

[@Moodie111]

I agree. 'Nightmare' is definitely in my top 10 list for this show.

[@joestrike8537]

Not to mention the ultra-minimalist set - actually not a set at all but an empty stage!

[@MRSYSTEM96]

I've seen number 7, 6, 5, 4 and 1 on your list. I can't wait to see the others

[@scottmiller6495]

Tremendous and intelligent review of this epic series! Many of your choices are great, however I watch many episodes from the underrated shortened second season quite frequently and they are superb as well thanks to Ben Brady and Harry Lubins music! You named a few but here's some of my favorites: Cold Hands Warm Heart with William Shatner, Behold Eck, Cry of Silence with Eddie Albert, Wolf 359 with Patrick O,Neil , The Inheritors with Robert Duval, The Premonition and finally The Probe which was a terrific swan song to this fantastic show !!!!!😊😊😊😊

[@joestrike8537]

Yes, despite the series being taken over by other creatives (I still prefer the original season 1 theme; the new one was way too similar to "One Step Beyond" - which was another amazing series, but that's a subject for a separate video) season 2 had a surprising number of grade A episodes

[@nunyabizness6595]

I'm finishing up the series (again) with the last four: Counterweight and Barham (meh) and Preminition and Probe (good.) The network had no clue about what they had and yet allowed Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 4 seasons. Wow!😂😂😂

[@OldDood]

I was 4-5 years old when The Twilight Zone came out. I loved that show but I was a little to young when it came out to fully understand it. (The Adult themes) However, The Outer Limits came out in 1963 and I was 7-8 years old when it came out. I remember watching The Zanti Misfits first run when I was a child. WOW. It scared me like nothing else back then. I woke up screaming that night from a Nightmare of that episode. I remember running downstairs and jumping into my Father's lap. My Mother was not happy at me and told me I could never watch that show again. I cried "Nooooo, I love that show" My Father chuckled over that. He let me sit in his lap while he watched Johnny Carson. That was my fist time watching Johnny Carson.

[@creech54]

All excellent episodes and most would be in my top 10, but I'd have to leave room for the 2-part episode "The Inheritors". My #1 would probably be "The Architect of Fear". I think it is the quintessential OL episode! 🙂

[@clauderobotham6261]

Great choices. Thanks for posting.

[@fob1xxl]

Wouldn't miss it ! 💙

[@galandirofrivendell4740]

One of my favorite TV shows growing up in the 1960s. Loved The Zanti Misfits, probably my number one favorite episode. Yes, the special effects are a bit cheesy by today's standards, but it remains a classic in tension and suspense. A few of my favorites not on your list: The Premonition, Specimen: Unknown, Second Chance and Controlled Experiment (the series' only comedic episode). It was fun watching someone naming his top Outer Limits episodes. I'm going to have to dig out my DVDs of the series and rewatch my favorites again. Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane!

[@joestrike8537]

"Controlled Experiment" starred Barry Morse (Inspector Gerard on "The Fugitive") and Carroll O'Connor (Archie Bunker in "All In the Family") - so out of character from the roles they're best known for!

[@grumpyoldwizard]

Best series of it's time. Twilight Zone is tense but Outer Limits scared the crap out of me! I used to watch TV with my Grandpa and I remember the terror I felt just hearing the opening tone. I couldn't finish it sometimes but I begged to watch it the next week.

[@philipmorris4843]

Soldier starred Micheal Ansara as the good guy, he was married to Barbara Eden and made many appearances in tv and movies

[@billolsen4360]

Had no idea Ansara & Eden were married. Both always seemed like decent, down to earth people

[@daleupthegrove6396]

Two episodes that combine gothic horror and science fiction are The Guests and Don't Open Till Doomsday.

[@Richard-b5r9v]

Michael Ansara in the episode The Soldier was married to actress Barbara Eden who is still alive in her 90s

[@paulr.3220]

I remember watching these while holding a pillow to hide behind during the scary parts when I was 9 or 10 years old.

[@LouisGriffin-x3d]

I'm 69 years old I grew up I'm the late 50s early 60s I miss the outer limits the twilight zone it was a great time to be born in.

[@vonzigle]

Thanks!

[@RerunZone]

Thanks @vonzigle! I really appreciate it!

[@m9078jk3]

Corpus Earthling was aired (November 18,1963) just a couple of days before the assassination of U S President John F Kennedy on November 22 ,1963 . There was a break in regular broadcasting due to this National disaster with President Kennedy's Funeral and the next episode of the Outer Limits "Nightmare"wasn't aired till December 2,1963

[@DavidSmith-rc7hs]

Man you could have done a top 20 on this show alone......we need part two......😊

[@gailseatonhumbert]

A good selection. Leonard Nimoy also did a remake of I Robot years later playing the defense attorney in the second one.

[@joestrike8537]

JUST watched "The Invisibles" a couple of days ago from my season 1 box set, because the "Control Voice''s final line (..."and sweeps the gutters clean") had popped into my head. (Still can't understand why Don Gordon didn't become an A-List actor.) You left out MY two favorite episodes: "The Borderland" (using magnetic fields to break through to another dimension.) They must've spent a lot of money on this one, if only to dress up a lot of extras in lab coats; plus the bizzare trippy sequence with LOTS of optical work still blows my mind. (Of course that might've been the result of watching it during an LSD trip in college.) "O.B.I.T." is another killer ep, about an alien eavesdropping machine capable of tuning in on anyone based on their biological signal. The wrap-up, where the alien reveals himself, followed by the Voice's closing narration "in the final analysis dear friends, whether OBIT lives up to its name or not...will depend on you" is awesome - an episode of a sci-fi tv show is challenging you, personally, to live a moral life. (The only problem is here in the 21st century people WANT to be eavesdropped on & line up to appear on reality TV shows!)

[@DennisHough]

Here are my top ten: 1)Nightmare 2)It Crawled Out of the Woodwork 3)O.B.I.T. 4)A Feasibility Study 5)Demon With a Glass Hand 6)Corpus Earthling 7)The Bellero Shield 8)The Architects of Fear 9)The Invisibles 10)Fun and Games I watch them again and again, and it never gets old.

[@geralderdek282]

If your a original series ster trek fan as I am, you can see where they got ideas for some of thier episodes from the earlier outer limits.

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

The Outer Limits 🤝 Twilight Zone The two Kings of 60s anthology shows

[@dr.migilitoloveless2385]

This show scared the crap out of me when I watch at the age of six years old

[@maureencora1]

My Favorite Episode as a 1960s Kid is the Unseen Sand Shark Monsters.

[@willmfrank]

"The invisible Enemy."

[@maureencora1]

@@willmfrank Touche' (smile)

[@davidzweiban7957]

My favorite will forever be, “The Galaxy Being”.

[@maureencora1]

End of Transmission.

[@jimwalshonline9346]

Excellent...among my favorites, "Second Chance," and "Controlled Experiment"...

[@SusanChristopher-hl7eq]

Demon with the Glass Hand is probably mine. So many I love! Nightmare's Ebonite has disturbed me to this day -- until I realized he was played by exceptional actor John Anderson. I can see him now so it takes the edge off the fear! Whew!

[@martinhaub6828]

Great series and one I revisit often thanks to DVD. The newer version never managed to capture the magic of the originals. Needless to say, modern TV writers can't come close.

[@Richard-b5r9v]

The episode Expanding Human with Skip Homier playing the bad guy experimenting in drugs was my favourite

[@edg4441]

Good list. However, all lists are subjective. My # 1 Episode of the original series is "The Hundred Days of the Dragon" S1 E2. A true Cold War Story where Chinese Agents transform their appearance with a serum and try to replace all high-level officials of the US Government starting with the President of the United States. IMO, a truly great episode. No extraterrestrial storyline just an epic Communist vs. Free World storyline.

[@brucebezold2714]

Hundred days of the Dragon. Did any one think the hero looked a lot like Richard M. Nixon😂

[@edg4441]

@@brucebezold2714 I never made the connection. I never thought Philip Pine, who plays the vice president thwarted the Communist plot, looked like Nixon.

[@tim9s]

My favorite was 'The 100 Days of the Dragon.'

[@Laceykat66]

Demon with a Glass Hand was NOT "set in a dystopian future," but set in the present time. Culp & the other travel BACK to OUR time where the story is set. While I would substitute several for YOUR top 10, I cannot disagree with ANY that you chose.

[@michaelhall2709]

I would take exception to “Corpus Earthling” - talking rocks, really?! - but other than that it was a decent enough list.

[@geoffreyblankenmeyer9888]

You left off the Galaxy Being? You're nuts.

[@billb6283]

The January 1964 issue of "Famous Monsters Of Filmland" had the creature from "The Architects of Fear" on the cover

[@michaelhall2709]

“Demon With a Glass Hand” is not set in a dystopian future, but rather in the present day of the series. Robert Culp’s Trent is from the future, and there is little description of what the time he hails from is actually like.

[@Stonecutter334]

Wow you left out my top three episodes of all time. OBIT ,The Form of Things Unknown and The Inheritors. Id probably pick Feasibility Study for number four.

[@dr.migilitoloveless2385]

The Man that never born is my all-time favorite Outer Limits episode.

[@GaryAa56]

I loved the scares I used to get while watching The Outer Limits as a child!

[@MrScottx]

The Outer Limits was Fascinating in ever sense of the word.

[@adamc1966]

Yes 6th Finger is my #1 too. Excellent writing and acting 👍

[@brycefugate4416]

Loved the outer limits, twilight zone, the world beyond. Good memories.

[@olsencarl]

No need to reminisce as Freevee have a channel dedicated to this show streaming every episode from each era over and over and over again and again and again.

[@sgpproductions9016]

Surprised not to see Nightmare on this list! My favorite episode is The Invisible Enemy. I know it's a bit hokey, but I'm a sucker for space exploration stories. Who doesn't wanna watch Adam West battle sand sharks on Mars??

[@brucebezold2714]

Doesn't he have shark Repelent from his Batbelt😊

[@nunyabizness6595]

I would have substituted I. Robot with either Galaxy Being, Bellero Shield, Nightmare or The Forms of Things Unknown.❤❤❤

[@rosschannells5407]

The Ants still SCARES me. 😮😮😮

[@cancel1913]

And me?! Well I love this video! Outer Limits indeed.

[@randyacuna5643]

My all time favorite television show. I would be nuts to puck a top 10 episodes. Way too many great episodes would be left off. Never was favorite of this idea.

[@frederickburke9944]

I had heard "Soldier" was the inspiration for Terminator but here it sounds like it has more in common with 1998's Soldier with Kurt Russell

[@willmfrank]

James Cameron infamously cherry-picked bits and pieces from Harlan Ellison's "Soldier' AND "Demon with a Glass Hand" but neither episode was as nearly direct an inspiration as Ellison's lawsuit made them out to be.

[@michaelhall2709]

@@willmfrankI tend to agree (even though the opening of “Soldier” is a dead ringer for that of THE TERMINATOR). But don’t tell Harlan, who still intimidates me even though he’s dead.

[@mydogbrian4814]

*> Moon Stone* (64) is my favorite! & I do not classify primarily Horror as Scify. They are separate genres. And "shoot them up" Space Westerns (STAR WARS) also as a separate category. Some blending is acceptable but not as the main theme. - True Scify is new & novel (1956 *Forbidden Planet)* approach to reality. Once introduced, future rehash is not true scify. - But like a Supreme Court judge once said; "I can't define it. But like porn; I know it when I see it."

[@AlanRogers250]

The Invisibles reminds me of Robert A. Heinlein's novel Puppet Masters.

[@johntiggleman4686]

"The Bellaro Shield" was quite good. I really never liked The Zanti Misfits mostly because they looked like large ants. And the stop action wasn't all that good: no money to hire Ray Harryhausen. I really can't place any in a favorite order, but this is my list, as far as my memory allows: "The Man Who Was Never Born," "Demon With A Glass Hand," "Nightmare," "A Feaseability Study," "The Sixth Finger," "The Bellaro Shield," "The Architects Of Fear," and the first episode, the title of which I can't recall. It was about some radio station DJ who used the station's electronic lab equipment to communicate with, and then bring to earth an alien. For the budgetary restrain, it had some rather good special effects...but not always.

[@Litauen-yg9ut]

Never got to see any of these episodes. Would love to though...

[@henrybrowne7248]

All are good choices. I believe one could have chosen damn near any 10 at random.

[@MsBackstager]

I agree with # 1 -- the 6th finger.

[@garfieldsmith332]

Great series. To me "Demon With A Glass Hand" is number one.

[@scotthayes5685]

Me Scott Hayes favorite Outer Limits episode is the six finger, and I' Scott rember back in the Twentieth century I' Scott never watched the Outer Limits series back in the 1960s when the Outer Limits was at night, I' Scott Hayes started Watching the Outer Limits TV show back in the 1960s when reruns started coming on in the daytime.

[@davidpo5517]

Perhaps I should rewatch the Zanti Misfits--it's the only "Outer Limits" episode I've ever seen. I watched it when I was a kid and it freaked me out so much I hated it, but I'd be interested in seeing what I think of it now.

[@billolsen4360]

My favorite is "The Galaxy Being" Episode 1 Season 1

[@maxelldenomie6131]

When the world and myself were young... Mom didn't care if I watched "The Twilight Zone", but I was forbidden to watch "The Outer Limits". Years later I asked her about this: she wouldn't look at me as she said she didn't remember that. I let it go...

[@goldstandardaviation1667]

The Invisible Enemy was my favorite

[@robertcampbell6349]

O.B.I.T. deserves at least an honorable mention. It was prophetic about our current surveillance state.

[@joestrike8537]

agreed - see my comment on the episode above

[@fje6902]

The only episode I would put on my list that is not on yours is "Nightmare" with a young Martin Sheen. I have also seen on top ten lists: The Man with the Power, The Mutant, The Inheritors, and Don't Open 'Til Doomsday. If you ever decide to do a worst list, it should include Behold Eck.

[@darrensmith6999]

Some great choices fro a great show.

[@TamiJoeris-ge5dg]

I love the episode The Human Operators.

[@TodaysDante]

Harlan Ellison sued The Terminator saying they stole it from Soldier. But I think The Man Who Was Never Born is more like The Terminator.

[@clauderobotham6261]

That's an interesting perspective and, now that you pointed it out, I agree. (I've read that Harlan Ellison, talented as he may have been, was a prima donna and could be mean and brutal.)

[@TodaysDante]

@@clauderobotham6261 - For decades he slammed Star Trek for changing his City on the Edge of Forever episode, even though it won awards and comes up on every top ten Star Trek list.

[@clauderobotham6261]

@@TodaysDante 😆Yes, and I believe he also had issues with the way "The Outer Limits" adapted his story for "Demon with a Glass Hand." I suppose nobody could ever please him.

[@michaelhall2709]

@@TodaysDanteRead Ellison’s original script for “City” before making up your mind.

[@michaelhall2709]

@@clauderobotham6261No, Ellison was delighted with the produced “Demon With a Glass Hand” and said so on numerous occasions.

[@LarryRobinsonintothefog]

My mother said that I hid behind a chair while the Outer Limits was on.

[@LarryRobinsonintothefog]

Wonder home much of 'I, Robot' is like Star Trek:TNG's 'Measure Of A Man.'

[@dmk7700]

I would revise #9 to Expanding Human and #8 to OBIT

[@marknelson2-ih6sq]

ZANTI MISFITS is the only one of those in my personal top 10

[@themoviemaniac8416]

I know it's subjective, but The Galaxy Being not being in the top 10 is quite an omission. And then there's The Inheritors.

[@dmk7700]

.... on second thought make #9 The Guest

[@brucebezold2714]

I always laugh when I hear The Architects of Fear was censored while the episode ZZZZ had a female character named virgina😮

[@sergioreyes298]

I agree with all your choices, except...I, Robot? Soldier? No, no, no! My goodness, there's The Forms of Things Unknown, The Bellero Shield (!!!), It Crawled Out of the Woodwork.

[@TheDavid77829]

❤ there's nothing wrong with your television if you have kids you'll be calling the repairman

[@dennishough4296]

It's all subjective, but I don't think "I, Robot" belongs anywhere near this this list. Even as a 7 year old, and already the greatest The Outer Limits' fan, I was embarrassed by the cheap robot costume and stiff acting, though the ending did bring a tear to this kid's eye. Otherwise, the list pretty much matches mine. I was disappointed not to see "It Crawled Out of the Woodwork" on the list, as on some days, it is my favorite episode.

[@kirkmorrison6131]

I preferred The Twilight Zone, but I enjoyed The Outer Limits also

[@mrees1421]

Already started with musks implants

[@RerunZone]

LOL

[@waynescarpaci5332]

Where is the "Galaxy Being" episode? BTW I loved this series which presented serious SciFi. Unlike the crap today!

[@kygent508]

This show did scare me as a 7 year old.

[@reidbronson6358]

Demon with the glass hand is considered to be the best by everyone on the planet but you.

[@joestrike8537]

maybe on *your* planet, buddy, not on mine.

[@roberttelarket4934]

I was a pre-teen when it first came out but it was not as good as The Twilight Zone(re-runs) The best ones and most memorable for me were I Robot, The Zanti Misfits, The Sixth Finger! As an aside I actually saw a young man in San Pedro California with 6 full fingers on one hand only in about 1992(technical term polydactyl).

[@verbalkint5450]

Same top episodes as everyone else who did this.