The Outer Limits: Season One (review)

Science fiction in the visual realms — film and TV — frequently bears little resemblance to its bookish cousin, which makes this new incarnation of the 1960s anthology show a particular joy. The 21 episodes here, from the series’ 1995 first season on the Showtime cable network, are intelligent, literate, even provocative: just what science fiction is supposed to be. And indeed, some episodes are written by or adapted from works by respected SF authors — Melinda Snodgrass, George R.R. Martin — or by scriptwriters who have gone on to continuing raising the bar for SF on TV, such as Stargate SG-1’s Jonathan Glassner. The remarkable production values and uniformly dedicated and smart performances almost demand that we consider these not installments in a TV show but 45-minute minimovies, and the show has the Cable Ace Awards and Emmy nominations to support such a contention. The amazing roster of guest stars features lots of faces that’ll be familiar to genre fans — Nancy Allen, Michael Dorn, Robert Patrick, Leonard Nimoy, David Warner, and others — as well as just plain-old big names, including Beau and Lloyd Bridges (appearing as father and son). There are no commentaries included, which is too bad, but five documentaries round out the set.