The Outer Limits

I viewed the original Outer Limits in real time, when first broadcast and have since viewed the entire original series again and again in re-runs and complete on DVD. I find the New Outer Limits WELL MORE than just a remake of old retread episodes, as some of the more adolescent commentators have suggested.

With seven (7) years of programs versus just the two (2) years of the original series, the producers and writers have certainly added considerable new original stories and philosophical lines to a much longer running and very well produced (cable) TV series. Plots are intelligent, scientifically accurate projections of the unknown possibilities of the sometimes frightening and imminent future.

While most producers and directors in Hollywood ignorantly view Sci-Fi as indistinguishable from Horror and Fantasy, this series returns to the origins of Science Fiction in the logical, moral and philosophical projections of current new technologies into their possibly fearful near term realizations. This series does this very well and remains unique in its avoidance of the "shoot-em-up" video game monster mentally of much of the current generation. It has brains, history, a message and good entertainment. It is an adult series without unbearable teenage know-it-all fantasies. Hurray!

Now, if we can only get MGM to release the entire New Outer Limits series on DVD instead of just the six poor teaser discs and the 1st season now only available.

The Outer Limits was a television show from the mid-1960s. Like the Twilight Zone, unitary fictional stories with unexpected endings were presented. But the difference between both series was that this one was much more ambitious, its episodes were 1 hour long, the FX more sophisticated and the stories more elaborated. This 90s remake keeps the essence of the original alive. Some episodes are truly superlative, the cast and the direction are perfect, also everything that happens here is widely related to the scientific advances of the time, although all the episodes may be somewhat disparate, the vast majority are of a almost cinematic quality.

It's a revival of the old series from 63 to 65. It's similar to The Twilight Zone except the stories are sci-fi based. It's mostly technology and aliens. It's not all an anthology show. Sometimes there are sequels to some episodes on a later date and some clip shows that tie some episodes together in the same world.

I don't like the clip shows. It feels like a waste of time. It's not good as a highlight show and it's unconvincing creating an unified world. And it's not a minor problem. There are quite a few of these shows and I have to downgrade the series from 7 to 6. I really like quite a few of these episodes. Some of them are not particularly compelling. It's also good to see some stars doing work when they're not as well known.

No, I have not seen the original series and I won't compare the two if I had. This series is filmed in Canada in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. The series is well-written in a different story each week. Some are little out there but most of the time it is the quality of the story telling. I loved the Afterlife episode with Clancy Brown and Barbara Gerrick and the Deprogrammers episode with the irresistible Brent Spiner as a Deprogrammer in a world where humans have become slaves to a lizard reptilian species. It's funny how the lizards and reptiles are our favorite evil aliens like V but anyway he has three days to program a man who is totally brainwashed in serving the alien species on earth. The stories are usually a little out there but very entertaining to watch.

I haven't seen all the Outer limits episodes, but when I have tuned in I've seen some quite good episodes almost like a one-hour movie with good (if lesser known) guest stars. Others have been embarrassing to watch or just plain average, it seems the way they did things was to have mostly low budget "filler" episodes and save up for a great, blockbuster episode every now and then.

The Outer Limits seems to offer both the best and worst of TV, I say overall it's not a bad effort but viewers like me may lose patience when it starts to seem like a long time between good episodes. I'm surprised the show ran as long as it did, with every science fiction-themed show outside of Star Trek and Stargate being cancelled at the first opportunity.