Love 60s TV - Trek, Twilight Zone and Outer Limits

[Plum]

I've become a big fan of 60s and 70s TV and film. When it comes to TV, the 60s are my favoritte time for three reasons. The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Star Trek.

Lately, I've been watching Twilight Zone and Outer Limits (you can find them on YouTube, I noticed) and I was struck by the creative similarities of the shows. They all were coming from the same place, I'm sure this level of writing and imagination was exactly what Star Trek was to Gene R. (and surely Gene Coone).

Oh bonus. You must catch an Outer Limits episode called "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" starring Bill Shatner. He plays an astronaut newly returned from orbiting Venus and it's as if he's a young Kirk! There's even some rather Trek like dialog regarding the future of humankind. Crazy!

Not to mention many Trek actors appear in both The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits. Just last night I greatly enjoyed the rare episode "The Encounter" (TTZ) starring George Takei.

Early TOS wasn't so wrapped up in it's own universe, adventure show trappings, and 'canon' as today's convoluted Trek obsessiveness. The stories came at the viewer rather like Twilight Zone and Outer Limits did, and sometimes the writers were future Trek contributors. Early TOS reflected the style of those times, the stories were about the characters being drawn into mysterious situations with often moral or even unsettling endings. The allegorical style of The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits is intact in Trek.

Of course, the 'fast Freddy' year of TOS lost much of the quality I'd associate with TTZ and TOL. Face it, the show verred into 'Lost In Space' territory.

With the new film coming out, I've surprised myself by becoming even more geeky about oldie-time television. I just don't think they made them like they used too.

 

[A beaker full of death]

Oh bonus. You must catch an Outer Limits episode called "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" starring Bill Shatner. He plays an astronaut newly returned from orbiting Venus and it's as if he's a young Kirk! There's even some rather Trek like dialog regarding the future of humankind. Crazy!

You forgot to mention the name of the project -- Project Vulcan!

 

[Gov Kodos]

The shows you mentioned were great for developing the characters of the players. One outer limits episode I liked for that was "The Galaxy Being" with the obsessive radio manager/amateur scientist slowly alienating everyone in his drive to examine the stars. His wife's desperation to pull him back to reality all just as important to the show and its message as the Galaxy Being itself. Few shows seem to write self contained whole stories like this anymore.

Take CSI, the external characters are cyphers meant to fit the crime and are little else dramaticly. The crimes and the people seldom have an effect on the cast. Any story they have is dribbled out over the course of an entire season, independant of the crimes and criminals, and may or may not continue in any sense the next season.
It all feels more like fanfiction than drama. Light fun fluff, but nothing to think about after you change the channel.

 

[Nardpuncher]

There's something nice, nostalgic and eerie about watching an old episode of TZ or Trek on a cold winter's night.
The most Twilight Zoney part of Trek for me is in City on the Edge of Forever when Kirk says "We're completely alone." and the camera pans up to the night sky.

 

[yankee-doo]

i think 60's, (our youth), seemed like everything was great especially the tv! i loved Combat, the sergent would have been a acceptable kirk, as you know he asked for too much money.
loved johnny Quest LOL, man from uncle, oh yea timetunnel, remember that. pity they only did one series. get smart of course. tv nowadays suck, im sure its me, isnt it?
70's too was majical for me, hawii 50, McCloud, of course Columbo, ahhhhhh my youth

 

[Plum]

Project Vulcan isn't the only thing that TTZ and TOL has in common with Trek, as I'm sure you know Beaker (put down the sword). The number of actors I recognize from Trek!! T'Pring in 'Demon With A Glass Hand'. Stonn. Charlie X. The list goes on. Of course, all these actors were part of that time.

There's something nice, nostalgic and eerie about watching an old episode of TZ or Trek on a cold winter's night.
The most Twilight Zoney part of Trek for me is in City on the Edge of Forever when Kirk says "We're completely alone." and the camera pans up to the night sky.

Watching early Trek not only feels to me, as you point out well, like those old shows but the story telling was ... well, about something. As opposed to the sort of thing I think Gov Kodos was pointing out. CSI is pretty much like an anthology series, as all cop/doctor shows are. But the 'procedural' has the procedure as the main draw. It's solving the crime/problem with the same tools and trust in authority. In fantastic fiction, the procedure isn't there, except as science fiction devices, etc. The story in these shows are 'about something'. Each story has a deeper view than just soap opera or procedure.

Much of Trek since doesn't seem to get this. That Trek was part of this sort of story telling style. And no, I wouldn't call it dated! But watching Trek since, and with the upcoming film in mind, I find I lament the loss of such great writing. Cause, like Twilight Zone or Outer Limits, Star Trek is THAT good. In fact, it was of a child of the two former.

Trekkies often speak abot the infulences Gene (and Gene) had for Star Trek. I think it would be wise for any real Trekkie to view all these shows and find the larger time frame these creators were writing in.

Oh, and I found Trek in the early 70s reruns. I'm not that old!

 

[MANT!]

Don't forget "The Invaders"..many Trek guest stars on that one..and Jack Lord as well...

I own all the old Outer Limits episodes on DVD..as well as season 1 of The Invaders..great fun...and the writing is very superior to that on today's "formula" programming...

 

[Plum]

The Invaders eh? Thanx! Will check it!

 

[Lee]

Don't forget "The Invaders"..many Trek guest stars on that one..and Jack Lord as well...

I own all the old Outer Limits episodes on DVD..as well as season 1 of The Invaders..great fun...and the writing is very superior to that on today's "formula" programming...

I'm sure you know this, but I just thought I'd mention, Invaders season 2 will be out in January, hooray!

 

[kissthestar]

You know, I don't think it's just nostalgia. When I watch 1st season TOS, TZ, even Dark Shadows, I hear a more sophisticated dialogue, in both vocabulary and phrasing, than I ever hear on current shows. I see characters developed in much more subtle ways. They just don't write'em like that anymore.

 

[Super Grover]

I know it's not sci-fi, but I can watch The Andy Griffith show anytime it's on.

I am fond of the other mentioned shows as well.

 

[Kirkman1987]

love many of the above shows.

I also recomend The Prisoner for anyone who likes 60's sci-fi. It's a nice, short 14 episode run that you'll likely watch over and over again. one of my favorites

 

[Plum]

^^^
The Prisoner is just incredible. I am lucky enough to have all the eps on DVD. Though, I believe it's 17 episodes.

You know, I don't think it's just nostalgia. When I watch 1st season TOS, TZ, even Dark Shadows, I hear a more sophisticated dialogue, in both vocabulary and phrasing, than I ever hear on current shows. I see characters developed in much more subtle ways. They just don't write' em like that anymore.

Yes, the writing was definitely more adult, more thought provoking as opposed to a the current romanticism. I suppose. Rod Sterling certainly was the big innovator in this sort of story telling in TV. Seems like the times produced a writing era rather removed from what we see today.

Something in me wonders of the old Trekkie cry about modern Trek not being 'really Trek' doesn't have something to do with this story telling maturity that modern Treks have lost and, frankly, all current media has lost. Something in me says that the more adult, relevant, themes seen in the old days are just too daring, to 'cerebral' (to coin a phrase) for today.

Oh yea, caught an Outer Limits episode called "I, Robot". Recognize these two?

 

[kissthestar]

Thanks for the great pic.

 

[Cap'n Caveman]

No one has mentioned another great Desilu show, Mission: Impossible. Watching season one a few months ago, I noticed that just about every episode guest-starred someone who appeared on Star Trek! A very imaginative, fun show. When they did a new series some years later, it just was not the same. I remember that the show came on right around bedtime, and I would sometimes sneak downstairs to watch it. The butt-whippin' was worth it!

 

[Forbin]

Lately I've been watching on DVD:

Wild Wild West
Mission: Impossible
Mannix
Hawaii 5-0
The Invaders
Man From UNCLE
I Spy

All of 'em are treasure troves of great 60s character actors.

 

[Jeri]

If you want to be sure and get all of them, browse:

United States Network Television Schedules, listed by year at wiki.

I was just doing that yesterday and got pretty jazzed off the memories; I started watching TV in the mid 1950's, and it's clear to me now I have a bajillion hours of it behind me.

 

[Plum]

^^^

Thanx so much Jeri, you're the shabazz.

I'm still going through the episodes. I'm finding them sporadically online. More and more I appreciate the social themes, stuff that people today might get flustered over as "too political". Always strikes me how back then, when things were incredibly conservative (check out the 'Stepford Wives' who regularly appear in many of these shows, belaying their intelligence more than a little at times) that even commercial TV manages this much, even if with allegory. Today TV is far more conservative than people! And TV wonders why they loose thier audience to other things? Just a thought.

Just watched 'The Architects of Fear' (TOL), a group of scientists and other men (in black?) deside the human race can be united by creating an alien invasion, thus using fear to control the populace. But in the end, love overcomes the facade. A Strausian narritive defeated by the love of a man and Stepford Wife... er, woman.

 

[QuasarVM]

I've become a big fan of 60s and 70s TV and film. When it comes to TV, the 60s are my favoritte time for three reasons. The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Star Trek.

Lately, I've been watching Twilight Zone and Outer Limits (you can find them on YouTube, I noticed) and I was struck by the creative similarities of the shows. They all were coming from the same place, I'm sure this level of writing and imagination was exactly what Star Trek was to Gene R. (and surely Gene Coone).

Oh bonus. You must catch an Outer Limits episode called "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" starring Bill Shatner. He plays an astronaut newly returned from orbiting Venus and it's as if he's a young Kirk! There's even some rather Trek like dialog regarding the future of humankind. Crazy!

Not to mention many Trek actors appear in both The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits. Just last night I greatly enjoyed the rare episode "The Encounter" (TTZ) starring George Takei.

Early TOS wasn't so wrapped up in it's own universe, adventure show trappings, and 'canon' as today's convoluted Trek obsessiveness. The stories came at the viewer rather like Twilight Zone and Outer Limits did, and sometimes the writers were future Trek contributors. Early TOS reflected the style of those times, the stories were about the characters being drawn into mysterious situations with often moral or even unsettling endings. The allegorical style of The Twilight Zone and Outer Limits is intact in Trek.

Of course, the 'fast Freddy' year of TOS lost much of the quality I'd associate with TTZ and TOL. Face it, the show verred into 'Lost In Space' territory.

With the new film coming out, I've surprised myself by becoming even more geeky about oldie-time television. I just don't think they made them like they used too.

That, to me, was a golden age of TV and film. Very rarely has anything touched it since...

 

[QuasarVM]

Don't forget "The Invaders"..many Trek guest stars on that one..and Jack Lord as well...

I own all the old Outer Limits episodes on DVD..as well as season 1 of The Invaders..great fun...and the writing is very superior to that on today's "formula" programming...

I'm sure you know this, but I just thought I'd mention, Invaders season 2 will be out in January, hooray!

Excellent! Lurking goreward to it!