From 1963 to 1965, The Outer Limits was the gold standard of television science fiction. The hour-long series, broadcast weekly by ABC, adopted the anthology format of such earlier series as Twilight Zone and Tales of Tomorrow. Outer Limits distinguished itself from these seminal programs by its high production values and its emphasis on "hard" science concepts and themes. "What is all this experimentation and exploration getting us?" the series asked time and time again. A kick in the chops from a large mutated alien, came the standard answer.

Outer Limits was the brainchild of two men. Producers Leslie Stevens and Joseph Stefano both came with theatrical and feature film backgrounds. Stevens had written the script for The Left-Handed Gun, a 1958 western starring a young Paul Newman. Stefano had had even more success, penning the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's classic Psycho in 1960. The pair teamed up...