The Outer Limits (TV Series) I, Robot (1964) User Reviews

A robot is accused of killing his creator and is placed on trial for "its" life.

[Deusvolt · 9/10 · 28 May 2007]

This is the first original story entitled "I Robot." Isaac Isimov did have an anthology of his positronic robots stories published as a book with the same title. Asimov explained that the title was his editors' idea but he realized that there was another older story of the same title. Published in 1939 in Amazing Stories, it was written by the brothers Earl and Otto Binder under the pseudonym Eando Binder. They also wrote the teleplay for this distinguished Outer Limits episode. In fact, not one of the stories in the Asimov anthology was entitled "I, Robot." This episode also has nothing to do with the movie of the same title which starred Will Smith and which, as in the case of Bicentennial Man (starring Robin Williams), acknowledged reference of the Three Laws of Robotics formulated by Asimov which were supposed to govern robotic behavior.

I was much touched and fascinated by this story when I first saw it as a 15-year old. The robot design is now crude by present-day standards. It even spoke with a mechanical monotone which nevertheless added to its charm. When asked why he killed his creator, he replied: "It was an accident" with such a tone.

According to the DA's theory, the scientist who created the robot unconsciously transferred some of his personality and flaws into "it." Allegedly, the brilliant scientist was claustrophobic. So when he was trying to pack the robot to ship it to another site, it panicked and flailed about knocking the old man dead.

Actually what happened was that a heavy shelf dropped on the old man. As the robot tried to lift the shelf, a workman walked in who totally misinterpreted the scene and thought that the robot beaned the scientist with the shelf.

The robot is brought to trial and the courtroom scene was riveting as the defense attorney argued passionately citing the previous displayed benevolent behavior of the robot. In the end, however, the judge found the robot guilty and sentenced him to be sent to a facility where he would be dismantled. He could have escaped at anytime but the robot with dignified stoicism accepts the fate decreed for him by humans. The ending scene has the robot breaking free of his guards outside the courthouse to save a little girl about to be hit by the prison wagon sent to fetch him. He throws the girl out of the car's path and was effectively dismantled in the resulting collision. He proved to be more humane than the real humans.

Wow. The special effects in this one were actually very good.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 10 January 2012]

This episode is rather surprising because unlike a typical episode of "The Outer Limits", the special effects appear very good--as if the budget was rather large--which it was not. It's about a robot--and for a 1960s show, the robot is quite effective. Had the robot been cheesy looking, the episode would have been a lot less effective.

The show begins with the police chasing a robot across the countryside. Apparently 'Mr. Link' is assumed to have killed its creator. But the robot gives up without a fight and the Sheriff plans on having the mechanical man disassembled. An opportunistic newspaper reporter (Leonard Nimoy) wants to exploit this as a story and convinces the dead professor's niece to get the creation a lawyer (Howard De Silva). And much of the rest of the show consists of a court hearing to determine what to do next.

All in all, an effective and interesting show. It also helped having De Silva, as he was a gifted actor. It also helped that it was written well--with a real sense of heart. My only question is how did they do this show without driving Isaac Asimov crazy?! After all, he wrote the book "I, Robot" over a decade earlier and the show had an awful lot of similarities--yet Asimov isn't credited at all. Hmmmmm.

By the way, if you see the show don't you think that the character of the little girl was amazingly stupid?! One of the only weaknesses I saw in the story, actually.

He did it! Him! The Tin Man!

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 8/10 · 2 February 2010]

This is one of the best episodes I've seen of the original The Outer Limits, this time the only negatives being those derived from the culture and the time period. It is excessively human-centric, it oversimplifies, there are inconsistencies, it can get over-dramatic and it is *way* too obvious about the Frankenstein parallel(seriously; they literally say it several times), and that all hurts it. This is also essentially black and white, and winds up being preachy; however, after the hicks of the beginning, this does actually give arguments to both sides, and makes those that we are meant to disagree with be more than the standard one-note "evil" types. The writing isn't flawless, but it's pretty good, and manages to be clever(if not every attempt works, and some of it feels smarmy, because banter on the screen was "in" back then), and this does have points presented and lines of dialog that are memorable. Nimoy is cool as always, and the acting in general is fairly solid. While the humor varies a tad, there definitely is a laugh or two to be had in this. The effects are nice enough, and there are great details on the robot suit. I recommend this to any fan of science fiction as a forum in which to express thoughts that might seem controversial. 8/10

Issues Which Are Pertinent Today...Even More Than Then.....

[redryan64 · 10/10 · 18 July 2015]

PERHAPS WE ARE just a little overly enthusiastic about this episode. We come about this definitely slanted and decidedly prejudiced attitude honestly. Ours is a tradition of story reading and appreciation that has its roots in the genres of Science Fiction and the Super Hero; which were mainly featured in the pages of the Pulp Magazines and their visual counterpart, the Comic Book.

ANOTHER REASON WHY we have developed this devotion to the episode is that the author Eando Binder is a legendary writer in both the fields of the written narrative and the illustrated comics.

WHILE THIS IS just conjecture on our part, it would appear that this episode (as well as the I. ROBOT episode of the revival OUTER LIMITS Series of 19095-2002) was probably intended to be a pilot episode for a spin-off series of ADAM LINK.

WITHOUT THE AUTHOR'S being heavy handed, over dramatic or sanctimonious, the general tone of the stories are a sort of reminder to we of the Human Race to check our moral compass and never forget those basic foundational items such as the Golden Rule. In this Age of fanatical terrorism, questionable moral equivalences and total disrespect for Human Life, we need Adam Link more than ever.

INCIDENTALLY, THIS WRITER'S name of "Eando" was a nom-de-plume of two brothers. Earl and Otto Binder combined their first initials and thus E and O became "Eando."

WHEN WE TOLD Schultz about this his comment was: "Clever, these Americans!"

Still a very pertenant "what if."

[liambean · 9/10 · 12 January 2018]

We still don't have robots that can reason like a human being, but perhaps it won't be much longer before we do.

We already have self parking cars, cars that can avoid collisions, cars that can stop by themselves to avoid hitting people. Rockets that land themselves, aircraft that fly themselves, and sailboats that can get you from point A to point B with very little human interaction.

Fifteen years ago, these machines were nothing more than far-fetched ideas.

All of this is possible due to Artificial Intelligence. All of these machines now qualify as robots to one degree or another. They are self reasoning. Not quite human, to be sure, but closer than they've ever been.

So this particular episode asks a question that we haven't yet had to face...yet.

If a machine, by it's autonomous actions, causes the death or injury of a human, what do we do with the machine? Do we blame the company that makes them, sue the programmers and designers, or do we put the machine itself on trial.

That this subject was broached so long ago is the first remarkable thing about this now fifty year old television episode.

The second, perhaps even more remarkable thing about this story is that it was originally written, by Otto Binder for "Amazing Stories" magazine, in1939, almost eighty years ago at the time of this writing.

A SENTIENT Robot?

[edrybaaudio · 10/10 · 29 October 2017]

As is my usual style, I won't tell you much about what actually happens in this 1964 "Outer Limits" entry. Since this hour was written and produced in 1964, the idea of a robot that could walk, talk, think, read, and do many of the other things humans can do seemed impossible at the time. But as of this writing in October, 2017, computers are everywhere (check that phone in your pocket!) and the Automotive Industry is extremely close to having cars that are capable of driving themselves SAFELY. Thei dea behind this particular show was REALLY "out there" when the show was produced, but NOW, not so much.

Here comes the SPOILER I'll give you here: this thinking robot hears a loud crash from the next room, and "he" finds the scientist who created him badly injured when a type of small generator falls off a wall and lands on the scientist's head. Someone comes in and sees this, and accuses the robot of killing the scientist.

So now there's a big to-do over this intelligent robot killing a person, and the local over- zealous District Attorney has the robot hauled into court. The procedure is a HEARING, so there is no jury. The Judge takes on the role of the Jury as well. I'm not going to tell you any more (it would RUIN the ending), but you'll be surprised at what happens. This metal "Sentient Being" could be MUCH more sentient than we thought. If you can, watch for this episode in the dead of night on Me-TV, Saturdays on the air, cable, or satellite near you.

The Trial of Adam Link

[hitchcockthelegend · 9/10 · 2 July 2019]

I, Robot is directed by Leon Benson and adapted to screenplay by Robert C. Dennis from the story written by Eando Binder. It stars Howard da Silva, Ford Rainey, Marianna Hill and Leonard Nimoy. Music is by Harry Lubin and cinematography by Kenneth Peach.

Season 2 - Episode 9

Originally a very short story in Amazing Stories, it would influence Isaac Asimov and in turn see a big screen blockbuster released in 2004. Plot sees a robot named Adam Link on trial for the murder of his creator. Defence attorney Thurman Cutler (da Silva) comes out of retirement to not only try and prove Link is innocent, but to put on trial the workings of a machine in a human world, and that of the human condition of acceptance, growing and learning one self.

A super episode, one of the better entries in series 2, the messages it gives remain pertinent as ever, the court case with its legal wrangling's holds strong interest, and the finale is socko - with the closing narration striking a mighty chord. 9/10

Of Robots and Men

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 16 March 2016]

Howard Da Silva stars as a cynical lawyer named Thurman Cutler who is contacted by an equally cynical newspaperman named Judson Ellis(played by Leonard Nimoy) on behalf of a young woman(played by Mariana Hill) whose inventor uncle was killed in his laboratory, and the blame has fallen on a robot he created named Adam who has been captured, and is due for destruction. Cutler gets the robot a trial, but a guilty verdict seems like a foregone conclusion in the unscientific community it occurred in. Can Adam be saved, or at least redeemed? Interesting story about robotic rights vs. human fears works reasonably well, with a fittingly ironic end.

Worthy Episode

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 18 January 2015]

This is a nice episode. The problem is too much familiarity. The idea of proving an artificial intelligence is sentient is one of those staples of science fiction. Perhaps Asimov did it first, but the arguments are always the same. There is no question of the power of these things (in this case a really cheap looking robot) is at issue. It has to do with the protections we have from these man-made creatures. Could they have acted violently, given these safeguards? Everything is in how nuanced the trial works, how aggressive the negative forces are, and what the motivations of the bad guys are. Commander Data went through a couple of these on Next Generation an ultimately it seems to be an overzealous soldier type who sees an android or robot as one who does the wishes of others. I've always wondered if we would be so callous if such beings existed, at least in such an advanced state as this. Of course, emotions are frequently an issue to be debated as they seem to be at the separation point. Anyway, the trial is a lot of fun and the episode is quite satisfying.

"You may end up a skillet, tin man, but I'm going to make you famous."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 16 June 2022]

I can't pick a favorite line of dialog among two I heard in this episode, one of which appears in my summary line. The other one was uttered by Mrs. McCrae (Mary Jackson) during her courtroom testimony - "I saw him when he was nothin' but a heap of nuts and bolts!" St. Louis Herald reporter Judson Ellis (Leonard Nimoy) made the skillet remark when he arrived on the scene to goose a story about a robot being accused of murder! Nimoy's character seemed to be kind of conflicted; he was on the side of the robot and its creator's niece (Marianna Hill), but made a lot of derogatory remarks about it nonetheless. The story opens with a scene direct from Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' novel, with repeated mentions of that Nineteenth Century character. Fast forward to the present, and the original story by Eando Binder appears to have inspired science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. The episode appeared to be way ahead of its time in the way it discussed and contrasted the arguments related to a robot's programming and the manner in which it might approach human understanding. The court trial convened to determine the robot's innocence or guilt placed emphasis on the idea of science and society both being on trial when it comes to determining the morality of man-made creations and their unintended consequences. The judge in this case ruled the robot was not human and that it should be destroyed to prevent subsequent 'accidents'. As an aside, a New York state court just two days ago (as I write this) ruled that an elephant living at the Bronx Zoo is not legally a person, and thus not entitled to fundamental human rights. Who would have guessed?

Drops the ball again

[hung_fao_tweeze · 5/10 · 11 January 2015]

The most perplexing thing about this episode is that producer Ben Brady had been doing 'Perry Mason' episodes....a LOT of them. But you wouldn't be able to tell this by the courtroom semi-drama performed here. If it had bothered to effectively raise any thought provoking issues at all, with the key word being 'effectively', it would have brought this ever so limp episode up a few notches.

I won't bother reviewing the plot since most of you already know it by heart. It is a really great concept! Since the laws of our land have given corporations the same legal rights and standing in our courts as human beings, at the rate things are going this should predictably be coming to your community soon in some incarnation. The main problems with this episode is that we never do feel any sympathy for Adam, the robot. Not quite, anyway. I suspect that the attempt was made to demonize the people, which was effective, and that somehow this would throw the imbalance of the viewer's empathy to Adam. Bad versus good. Unfortunately, at the end of the episode Adam still seems like a robot - and that is all. They tried to impress the fact that Adam's personality was imprinted from his now dead creator. The problem is that the viewer never really knows the creator. The action picks up after the creator's accident and I believe that the producer's of this broadcast must have thought we would simply figure it out. But the real first thing the robot does is break a child's arm. True, he was saving her from drowning...well, not quite...the water was barely a foot deep. The child was more scared than in any peril from drowning. So, like the rest of the proceeding episode, it is simply not effective at demonstrating any real commitment to the heart of the story. Nearly all of the characters are cliché cardboard representatives of whatever point of view they are supposed to have. The faces of the sheriff and the pursuers as they try and look angry and tough are, frankly, comically terrible. And, as I mentioned, the courtroom presentation is dreadful. I kept wondering when someone would deliver the surprising testimony or impressive verbal argument that would or should sway the judge. It never really happens. It barely breaches a rudimentary law textbook. Perry Mason could have easily won this case for either side --- but he wasn't here -- just his producer.

I have just shredded this episode and you may think you shouldn't watch it. You should. My bias is based on the fact I had seen what the first season of OL could do with worse scripts that this. Even 'ZZZZZ' had merit. I admit I had quit watching the second season of OL after the 4th terrible episode in a row back in 64, so I only recently viewed this one. The Twilight Zone handled this concept way better in 'I Sing The Body Electric' as did Star Trek The Next Generation in 'The Measure Of A Man'. None of that is here but you will get the rudiments of this oft revisited theme.

De Sade's Justine suddenly feels blessed...

[fedor8 · 21 April 2021]

A story about a happy-faced Disney-like RO-BUTT (how it's pronounced here) being put on trial for murder.

No, it's not a comedy. Should have been though.

I am not AT ALL surprised that this nonsensical judicial drama is one of the best-rated episodes. Americans love their court-rooms, they never get bored of that stuff. Nevermind that audiences EVERYWHERE prefer dumb stories to clever ones.

Already the first scene lets us know how dumb and pathos-riddled this will be. A robot pursued by a lynch mob just HAPPENS to stumble upon a very young girl who JUST HAPPENS to be drowning at that very moment. The lynch mob JUST HAPPENS to arrive at the perfect moment to suspect that the robot is killing the girl rather than helping her. The girl JUST HAPPENS to be a big fat liar (or imbecile) when she deceives the mob that the robot tried to kill her. And why was this little girl all alone in a forest without supervision? The mob should have called Social Services instead...

All this malarkey in just the first 30 seconds.

The rest of the episode is just the usual politically-correct defense-lawyers-are-awesome garbage that is annoying, predictable and more like a soaper than proper sci-fi. In fact, replace the robot with a black man and you've got stereotypical judicial drama. This isn't sci-fi at all. It's standard preachy nonsense thinly-veiled as sci-fi.

I can't tell you what is more laughable: the girl's testimony, the idiotic Frankenstein book analogy/proof used by the prosecution, or the hilariously daft "experiment" in which the robot is tested for violent potential - which is when it starts thrashing the court-room...

Of course, it turns out that the robot was just a victim of horribly unlucky (hence highly unlikely hence absurd) coincidences - i.e. Bad writing: first he gets caught with a blood-soaked rod in his head while standing next to the dead professor, then that incredibly stupid incident with the little girl. The ultra-generic cliche of the innocent bystander getting caught holding the murder weapon at the scene of the crime is precisely what is employed here as the focal plot-device, and it is used without any shame - as generic cliches always are in bad literature and dumb movies.

In the end, the defense lawyer gives some contrived, unconvincing, cockamamie holier-than-thou speech about this case being about "society and progress being placed on trial", which simply doesn't wash. Defense lawyers are liars and spin-doctors, so for once the script gets something right, albeit unintentionally.

Then the punchline: the robot ONCE AGAIN has amazing bad luck, when he gets destroyed by a car while trying to save a little girl... That's right... the same little girl that accused him of attempted murder. Oh, the symbolism! May the heavens weep for this poor creature!

I mean the writer, not the robot. The writer is the poor creature, its brain having been deprived of oxygen.

De Sade's Justine wasn't this unlucky!

A bargain-basement morality tale with one-dimensional cardboard characters that can't possibly impress anyone older than 11.

Any writer that glorifies defense lawyers and journalists, while representing small-town people as losers and prosecution lawyers as sadistic tyrants is, of course, just another useless, deranged cog in the left-wing entertainment machine. But hey, now I'm starting to sound almost as bad i.e. As preachy as the defense lawyer! Or the narrator...

It's a pity that this cheesy robot prop was misused by such a lousy writer, and for such a useless episode. Avoid this horrible episode, unless you belong to that zombie species that actually enjoys tiresome, dreary, pointless, "poignant" court-room dramas.

Check out my TOL list, with reviews of all the episodes.

One Of The Six Stinkers In The Series

[StuOz · 18 July 2014]

A robot is suspected of murder.

I wish I could like this hour like others obviously like it. The Outer Limits is mostly good but this 49 episode series had six stinkers and this is indeed one of them...to me.

The moment we see the Wizard Of Oz-type "Tin Man" I knew we were in trouble. Perhaps they should have rented out MGM's Robby The Robot as he did the rounds in retro sci-fi TV (Twilight Zone, Lost In Space, Ark 11, etc).

Act one then moves to Leonard Nimoy just before doing Star Trek. Sorry, but I have spent my whole lifetime watching Star Trek episodes/movies so it is just too much of a struggle to see Nimoy as anyone other than Mr Spock. Maybe if he spoke in a different accent and had a beard I could let my imagination go with him.

The hour is not helped by the courtroom scenes and the story as a whole. Sorry, I hate it, but most others like it.