THE OUTER LIMITS - Costume / Wardrobe Card from the "Sex, Cyborgs and Science-Fiction" series issued by Rittenhouse in 2003

Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor and director. He is a three-time Emmy, two-time Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nominee. Bridges was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 7, 2003, at 7065 Hollywood Boulevard for his contributions to the television industry. He is the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and elder brother of fellow actor Jeff Bridges.

Early life

Bridges was born on December 9, 1941 in Los Angeles, California, the son of actors Lloyd Bridges (1913–1998) and Dorothy Bridges (née Simpson; 1915–2009). He was nicknamed Beau by his parents after Ashley Wilkes' son in Gone with the Wind. His younger brother is actor Jeff Bridges, and he has a younger sister, Lucinda. Another brother, Garrett, died in 1948 of sudden infant death syndrome. Beau has shared a close relationship with Jeff, for whom he acted as a surrogate father during childhood, when their father was busy with work. He and his siblings were raised in the Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles.

Wanting to become a basketball star, he played in his freshman year at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) under legendary coach John Wooden, where he joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon, he later transferred to the University of Hawaii. In 1959, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard Reserve and served for eight years.

Career

In 1948, Bridges had an uncredited juvenile role in the iconic film noir Force of Evil, and No Minor Vices as Bertram, in 1949 he played a third juvenile role in the film The Red Pony. In the 1962–1963 television season, Bridges, along with his younger brother, Jeff, appeared on their father's CBS anthology series, The Lloyd Bridges Show. He appeared in other television series too, including National Velvet, The Fugitive, Combat, Bonanza, Mr. Novak, and The Loner. In 1965, he guest-starred as Corporal Corbett in "Then Came the Mighty Hunter", Season 2, Episode 3 of the military series, Twelve O'Clock High. He found steady work in television and film throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He appeared in such feature films during that time as The Landlord (1970), The Other Side of the Mountain (1975), Greased Lightning (1977), Norma Rae (1979), Heart Like a Wheel (1983), and The Hotel New Hampshire (1984).

In 1989, in perhaps his best-known role, he starred opposite his brother Jeff as one of The Fabulous Baker Boys. In the 1993–94 television season, Bridges appeared with his father in the 15-episode CBS comedy/western series, Harts of the West, set at a dude ranch in Nevada. In 1995, Bridges starred with his father and his son Dylan in "The Sandkings", the two-part pilot episode of the Showtime science fiction series, The Outer Limits. In 1998, he starred as Judge Bob Gibbs in the one-season Maximum Bob on ABC. He had a recurring role in the Showtime series Beggars and Choosers (1999–2000).

In 2001, he guest-starred as Daniel McFarland, the stepfather of Jack McFarland, in two episodes of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace. He played a single father and college professor in the fantasy adventure film, Voyage of the Unicorn, based on the novel by James C. Christensen.

From 2002 to 2003, he took on the role of Senator Tom Gage, newly appointed Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, in over 30 episodes of the drama series The Agency. In January 2005, he was cast as Major General Hank Landry, the new commander of Stargate Command in Stargate SG-1. He also played the character in five episodes of the spin-off series Stargate Atlantis as well as the two direct to DVD films Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum.

His role in the film Smile, with Linda Hamilton and Sean Astin, showcased his personal beliefs in helping others.

In November 2005, he guest-starred as Carl Hickey, the father of the title character in the hit NBC comedy My Name Is Earl. Bridges' character became recurring. Bridges received a 2007 Emmy Award nomination for his performance.

In 2008, Bridges co-starred in the motion picture Max Payne, based on the video game character. The film also starred Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis. Bridges portrayed "BB" Hensley, an ex-cop who aides Wahlberg on his quest to bring down a serial killer. The film received mixed reviews, but Bridges' participation was noted for being a positive one. It was not the first motion picture with Bridges regarding the video game world; The Wizard had him in a role as a landscaping company owner who was later found, like his son Jimmy (played by actor Luke Edwards), to have a skill with NES games.

On February 8, 2009, Cynthia Nixon, Blair Underwood, and Bridges won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for their recording of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth.

In 2009, Bridges guest-starred as Eli Scruggs on the 100th episode of Desperate Housewives and received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance.

In 2010, Bridges signed with Chris Mallick in the production of the film Columbus Circle. On March 19, 2010, it was announced that Bridges would play the role of Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford, the father of private eye Jim Rockford, on the pilot episode of a new version of The Rockford Files, scheduled for production for broadcast in fall 2010. In 2011, he guest-starred as an old boyfriend of matriarch Nora Walker in Brothers and Sisters and as an attorney, estranged from his son Jared Franklin in Franklin & Bash.

On January 3, 2012, Bridges took on the role of J.B. Biggley in the hit revival of the Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, taking over for John Larroquette. He was contracted to play the role until July 1, 2012. However, the revival closed May 20, 2012.

On October 3, 2013, Bridges became a major character on the CBS television show The Millers. He plays Tom, the father of two children: son Nathan Miller (Will Arnett) and daughter Debbie (Jayma Mays). Tom, after forty-three years of marriage, has gotten divorced and has moved back in with his daughter, driving her crazy. Bridges joined the series in early March 2013.

Bridges has had several roles in films since then including Underdog Kids and Lawless Range in 2016. He has also had guest roles on the shows Masters of Sex and Code Black.

Awards

Bridges has 14 Emmy Award nominations with three wins. He is the only actor to win the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or Special more than once, with two wins.

• 1992 Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or Special, for Without Warning: The James Brady Story

• 1993 Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or Special, for The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom

• 1997 Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or Special, for The Second Civil War

Personal life

Bridges married Julie Landfield in 1964, and the two divorced in 1974. They have two sons: Casey Bridges (b. 1969) and actor Jordan Bridges (b. 1973). He married Wendy Treece in 1984. They have three children. Dylan Lloyd Bridges, Emily Beau Bridges and Ezekiel Jeffrey Bridges. Beau and Wendy have five grandchildren. Lola, Orson, Clark, Oliver and Parker.

Bridges is a Christian. He has stated that if the script calls for his character to say God's name in vain, he will ask the director if he can change the line. Bridges has been a vegan since 2004.

Bridges, his brother Jeff and late father Lloyd were among six veterans – the others being Jerry Coleman, Bob Feller and Brian Lamb – honored with the Lone Sailor Award by the United States Navy Memorial in 2011. The award recognizes Navy, Marine and Coast Guard veterans who have distinguished themselves in their civilian careers.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1948	No Minor Vices	Bertram
1948	Force of Evil	Frankie Tucker	Uncredited
1949	The Red Pony	Beau
1949	Zamba	Tommy
1951	The Company She Keeps	Obie	Uncredited
1961	The Explosive Generation	Mark
1965	Village of the Giants	Fred
1967	The Incident	Felix
1968	For Love of Ivy	Tim Austin
1969	Gaily, Gaily	Ben Harvey
1970	Adam's Woman	Adam
1970	The Landlord	Elgar
1971	The Christian Licorice Store	Cane
1972	Hammersmith Is Out	Billy Breedlove
1972	Child's Play	Paul Reis
1973	Your Three Minutes Are Up	Charlie
1974	Lovin' Molly	Johnny
1975	The Other Side of the Mountain	Dick Buek
1976	One Summer Love	Jesse
1976	Swashbuckler	Major Folly
1976	Two-Minute Warning	Mike Ramsay
1977	Greased Lightning	Hutch
1978	The Four Feathers	Harry Faversham
1979	Norma Rae	Sonny
1979	The Fifth Musketeer	Louis XIV
1979	The Runner Stumbles	Toby Felker
1980	Silver Dream Racer	Bruce McBride
1981	Honky Tonk Freeway	Duane Hansen
1982	Night Crossing	Günter Wetzel
1982	Witness for the Prosecution	Leonard Vole
1982	Love Child	Jack Hansen
1983	Heart Like a Wheel	Connie
1984	The Hotel New Hampshire	Mr. Win Berry
1985	Alice in Wonderland	Unicorn
1987	The Killing Time	Sam Wayburn
1987	The Wild Pair	Joe Jennings
1988	Seven Hours to Judgment	John Eden
1989	The Iron Triangle	Capt. Keene
1989	Signs of Life	John Alder
1989	The Fabulous Baker Boys	Frank Baker
1989	The Wizard	Sam Woods
1990	Daddy's Dyin': Who's Got the Will?	Orville Turnover
1991	Married to It	John Morden
1992	Sidekicks	Jerry
1996	Jerry Maguire	Matt Cushman	Uncredited
1996	Hidden in America	Bill Januson
1997	RocketMan	Bud Nesbitt
1999	The White River Kid	Daddy Weed
2000	Common Ground	Father Leon
2000	Sordid Lives	G.W. Nethercoth
2000	Meeting Daddy	Larry Branson
2000	Songs in Ordinary Time	Omar Duvall
2001	Voyage of the Unicorn	Alan Aisling
2001	Boys Klub	Mario's Dad
2003	Out of the Ashes	Herman Prentiss
2004	10.5	President Paul Hollister
2004	Debating Robert Lee	Mr. Lee
2005	The Ballad of Jack and Rose	Marty Rance
2005	Smile	Steven
2006	I-See-You.Com	Harvey Bellinger
2006	The Good German	Colonel Muller
2006	Charlotte's Web	Dr. Dorian
2007	Americanizing Shelley	Gary Gordon
2007	Spinning Into Butter	Dean Burton Strauss
2008	Stargate: The Ark of Truth	Major General Hank Landry	Video
2008	Stargate: Continuum	Major General Hank Landry	Video
2008	Max Payne	BB Hensley
2010	Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove	Gus Grisby	Video
2010	My Girlfriend's Boyfriend	Logan Young
2011	Don't Fade Away	Chris White
2011	The Descendants	Cousin Hugh
2012	Columbus Circle	Dr. Ray Fontaine
2012	Eden	Bob Gault
2012	Hit & Run	Clint Perkins
2012	From Up on Poppy Hill	Yoshio Onodera (voice)	English dub
2013	Rushlights	Sheriff Brogden
2014	1000 to 1: The Cory Weissman Story	Coach	Video
2014	The Tale of the Princess Kaguya	Prince Kuramochi (voice)	English dub
2015	Underdog Kids	Ron
2016	Lawless Range	Mr. Reed
2017	The Mountain Between Us	Walter
2018	Galveston	Stan
2018	All About Nina	Larry Michaels
2018	Dirty Politics	Hank
2019	Supervized	Ted
2019	Elsewhere	Dad
2020	One Night in Miami...	Mr. Carlton
2022	Dreamin' Wild	Don Sr.
2022	End of the Road	Captain J.D. Hammers

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1960–1963	My Three Sons	Russ Burton	3 episodes
1960–1961	Sea Hunt	Warren Tucker	2 episodes
1961	The Real McCoys	Randy Cooperton	Episode: "The Rich Boy"
1962	National Velvet	Mercutio	Episode: "The Star"
1962	Wagon Train	Larry Gill	Episode: "The John Bernard Show"
1962–1963	Ensign O'Toole	Seaman Howard Spicer	32 episodes
1963	Rawhide	Billy Johanson	Episode: "Incident at Paradise"
1963	Ben Casey	Larry Masterson	2 episodes
1964	The Eleventh Hour	Leonard	Episode: "Cannibal Plants, They Eat You Alive"
1964	Combat!	Private Orville Putnam	Episode: "The Short Day of Private Putnam"
1964	My Three Sons	Howard Sears	2 episodes
1965	Twelve O'Clock High	Cpl. Steven Corbett	Episode: "Then Came the Mighty Hunter"
1965	The F.B.I.	Jerry Foley	Season 1, Episode 12: "An Elephant is Like a Rope"
1966	Gunsmoke	Jason	Episode: "My Father's Guitar"
1966	The Fugitive	Gary Keller	Episode:"Stroke of Genius"
1966	Branded	Lon Allison	Episode:"Nice Day for a Hanging"
1966	The Loner	Johnny Sharp	Episode:"The Mourners of Johnny Sharp"
1967	The Fugitive	Larry Corby	Episode: "The Other Side Of The Coin"
1967	Bonanza	Horace Perkins	Episode: "Justice"
1967	Cimarron Strip	Billie Joe Show	Episode: "Legend of Jud Starr"
1971	Robert Young and the Family	Sketch Actor	Television film
1973	The Man Without a Country	Frederick Ingham	Television film
1974	The Stranger Who Looks Like Me	Chris Schroeder	Television film
1978	The Four Feathers	Harry Faversham	Television film
1978	The President's Mistress	Ben Morton	Television film
1978	Mutual Respect	Kevin Pearse	Television film
1978	Hallmark Hall of Fame	Stubby Pringle	Episode: "Stubby Pringle's Christmas"
1979	The Child Stealer	David Rodman	Television film
1980	United States	Richard Chapin	13 episodes
1982	The Kid from Nowhere	Bud Herren	Television film
1982	Dangerous Company	Ray Johnson	Television film
1982	Witness for the Prosecution	Leonard Vole	Television film
1984	The Red-Light Sting	Frank Powell	Television film
1985	Space	Randy Claggett	Five-part miniseries
1986	Outrage!	Brad Gordon	Television film
1989	Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure	Richard Czech	Television film
1989	Frederick Forsyth Presents: Just Another Secret	Grant	Television film
1991	Without Warning: The James Brady Story	James Brady	Television film
1990	Women & Men: Stories of Seduction	Gerry Green	Television film
1990	Guess Who's Coming for Christmas?	Arnold Zimmerman	Television film
1991	Wildflower	Jack Perkins	Television film
1991	Tales from the Crypt	Dr. Martin Fairbanks	Episode: "Abra Cadaver"
1993	Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story	Col. Tom Parker	Television film
1993	The Man with Three Wives	Norman Grayson	Television film
1993	The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom	Terry Harper	Television film
1993–1994	Harts of the West	Dave Heart	15 episodes
1994	Secret Sins of the Father	Tom Thielman	Television film
1994	Million Dollar Babies	Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe	Television film
1995	Kissinger and Nixon	Richard Nixon	Television film
1995	The Outer Limits	Dr. Simon Kress	Episode: "The Sandkings"
1996	A Stranger to Love	Allan Grant	Television film
1996	Nightjohn	Clel Waller	Television film
1996	Losing Chase	Richard Phillips	Television film
1996	The Uninvited	Charles Johnson	Television film
1996	Hidden in America	Bill Januson	Television film
1997	The Second Civil War	Jim Farley	Television film
1998	Maximum Bob	Judge Bob Gibbs	7 episodes
1999	Inherit the Wind	E.K. Hornbeck	Television film
1999	P.T. Barnum	P. T. Barnum	Television film
2000	The Wild Thornberrys	Hayden Adam (voice)	Episode: "Every Little Bit Alps"
2000	The Christmas Secret	Nick	Television film
2001–2003	The Agency	Tom Gage	32 episodes
2002	Will & Grace	Daniel McFarland	Episode: "Moveable Feast"
2002	We Were the Mulvaneys	Michael Mulvaney, Sr.	Television film
2002	Sightings: Heartland Ghost	Derek	Television film
2004	Evel Knievel	John Bork	Television film
2005	Into the West	Stephen Hoxie	Episode: "Manifest Destiny"
2005–2007	Stargate SG-1	Major General Hank Landry	35 episodes
2005–2006	Stargate: Atlantis	Major General Hank Landry	5 episodes
2005–2006	American Dad!	Lieutenant Eddie Thacker (voice)	Episode: "Stannie Get Your Gun"
2005–2008	My Name Is Earl	Carl Hickey	7 episodes
2006	10.5: Apocalypse	President Paul Hollister	Television film
2007	Two Families		Television film
2009	Desperate Housewives	Eli Scruggs	Episode: "The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened"
2009	The Closer	Detective George Andrews	Episode: "Make Over"
2011	Brothers & Sisters	Nick Brody	5 episodes
2011	Game Time: Tackling the Past	Frank Walker	Television film
2011–2012	Franklin & Bash	Leonard Franklin	3 episodes
2011–2012	White Collar	Agent Kramer	3 episodes
2013	The Goodwin Games	Benjamin Goodwin	4 episodes
2013–2016	Masters of Sex	Barton Scully	21 episodes
2013–2015	The Millers	Tom Miller	34 episodes
2014	Bubble Guppies	Mr. Claws (voice)	Episode: "A Very Guppy Christmas!"
2015–2017	Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero	Sheriff Scaley Briggs (voice)	4 episodes
2015–2018	Black-ish	Paul Johnson	3 episodes
2016	Flower Shop Mysteries	Jeffrey Knight	3 episodes
2016	Code Black	Pete Delaney	Episode: "Hail Mary"
2016–2017	Bloodline	Roy Gilbert	12 episodes
2017	Christmas in Angel Falls	Michael	Television film
2017–2018	Mosaic	Alan Pape	8 episodes
2018–2020	Homeland	Vice President Ralph Warner	6 episodes
2018–2020	Greenleaf	Bob Whitmore	5 episodes
2019	Goliath	Roy Wheeler	5 episodes
2020	Messiah	Edmund DeGuilles	5 episodes
2020	Robbie	Robbie Walton Sr.	8 episodes
2021	Mr. Mayor	Adolphus Hass	Episode: "Avocado Crisis"
2021	The Premise	William	Episode: "Moment of Silence"
2023	Lessons in Chemistry	Wilson	Upcoming series

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Nominated work	Result
1969	Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture	For Love of Ivy	Nominated
1990	American Comedy Awards	Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture	The Fabulous Baker Boys	Nominated
	National Society of Film Critics Awards	Best Supporting Actor		Won
1992	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film	Without Warning: The James Brady Story	Won
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie		Won
1993	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom	Won
1994	Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film		Won
1995	CableACE Awards	Actor in a Drama Series	The Outer Limits	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series		Nominated
1996	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	Kissinger & Nixon	Nominated
1997	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film	Losing Chase	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	Hidden in America	Nominated
		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	The Second Civil War	Won
	Satellite Awards	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film	Hidden in America	Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie		Nominated
1999	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	Inherit the Wind	Nominated
2000	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	P.T. Barnum	Nominated
	Satellite Awards	Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film		Nominated
2002	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie	We Were the Mulvaneys	Nominated
2007	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series	My Name Is Earl	Nominated
2008	Grammy Award	Best Spoken Word Album	An Inconvenient Truth	Won
2009	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series	Desperate Housewives	Nominated
2010	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series	The Closer	Nominated
2011	Gotham Awards	Best Ensemble Performance	The Descendants	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series	Brothers & Sisters	Nominated
2012	Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	Best Cast	The Descendants	Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture		Nominated
2014	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series	Masters of Sex	Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series		Nominated
2015	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series		Nominated

The Outer Limits is an American television series that was broadcast on ABC from September 16, 1963 to January 16, 1965 at 7:30PM Eastern Time on Mondays. The series is often compared to The Twilight Zone, but with a greater emphasis on science fiction stories (rather than stories of fantasy or the supernatural matters). The Outer Limits is an anthology of self-contained episodes, sometimes with a plot twist at the end.

The series was revived in 1995, airing on Showtime from 1995 to 2000, then on Sci-Fi Channel from 2001 until its cancellation in 2002. In 1997, the episode "The Zanti Misfits" was ranked #98 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.

As of April 2019, a new revival was stated to be in the works at a premium cable network.

Series overview

Introduction

Each show would begin with either a cold open or a preview clip, followed by a "Control Voice" narration that was mainly run over visuals of an oscilloscope. Using an Orwellian theme of taking over your television, the earliest version of the narration ran as follows:

“There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. We repeat: there is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to– The Outer Limits. “

Later episodes used one of two shortened versions of the introduction. The first few episodes began simply with the title screen followed by the narration and no cold open or preview clip. The Control Voice was performed by actor Vic Perrin.

The Outer Limits was originally broadcast on the American television network ABC (1963–65). In total, 49 episodes were produced. It was one of many series influenced by The Twilight Zone and Science Fiction Theatre, though it ultimately proved influential in its own right. In the unaired pilot, the series was called Please Stand By, but ABC rejected that title (NBC would later approve the title for their 1979 comedy series). Series creator Leslie Stevens retitled it The Outer Limits. With a few changes, the pilot aired as the premiere episode, "The Galaxy Being".

Writers for The Outer Limits included creator Stevens and Joseph Stefano (screenwriter of Hitchcock's Psycho), who was the Season 1 producer and creative guiding force. Stefano wrote more episodes of the show than any other writer. Future Oscar-winning screenwriter Robert Towne (Chinatown) wrote "The Chameleon", which was the final episode filmed for Season 1. Two especially notable Season 2 episodes "Demon with a Glass Hand" and "Soldier" were written by Harlan Ellison, with the former episode winning a Writers' Guild Award. The former was for several years the only episode of The Outer Limits available on LaserDisc.

Season 1 combined science fiction and horror, while Season 2 was more focused on 'hard science fiction' stories, dropping the recurring "scary monster" motif of Season 1. Each show in Season 1 was to have a monster or creature as a critical part of the story line. Season 1 writer and producer Joseph Stefano believed that this element was necessary to provide fear, suspense, or at least a center for plot development. This kind of story element became known as "the bear". This device was, however, mostly dropped in Season 2 when Stefano left (two Season 1 episodes without a "bear" are "The Forms of Things Unknown" and "Controlled Experiment", the first of which was shot in a dual format as science fiction for The Outer Limits and as a thriller for a pilot for an unmade series The Unknown. Actor Barry Morse, who starred in "Controlled Experiment", states that this episode also was made as a pilot for an unrealized science fiction/comedy series. It was the only comedic episode of The Outer Limits).

Earlier Season 1 episodes with no "bear" were "The Hundred Days of the Dragon" and "The Borderland" made before the "bear" convention was established. Season 2 episodes with a "bear" are "Keeper of the Purple Twilight", "The Duplicate Man", and "The Probe". "Bears" appear near the conclusion of the Season 2 episodes "Counterweight", "The Invisible Enemy", and "Cold Hands, Warm Heart".) The "bear" in "The Architects of Fear", the monstrously altered Allen Leighton, was judged by some of ABC's local affiliate stations to be so frightening that they broadcast a black screen during the "Thetan's" appearances, effectively censoring most of the show's last act. In other parts of the United States, the "Thetan" footage was tape-delayed until after the 11pm/10c news. In others, it was not shown at all.

The series was shot at KTTV (MetroMedia Square) on sound stage # 2. Season 1 had music by Dominic Frontiere, who doubled as Production Executive; Season 2 featured music by Harry Lubin, with a variation of his Fear theme for One Step Beyond being heard over the end titles.

Cinematography

The program sometimes made use of techniques (lighting, camerawork, even make-up) associated with film noir or German Expressionism (see for example, "Corpus Earthling"), and a number of episodes were noteworthy for their sheer eeriness. Credit for this is often given to the cinematographer Conrad Hall, who went on to win three Academy Awards (and many more nominations) for his work in motion pictures. However, Hall worked only on alternate episodes of this TV series during the first two-thirds of the first season. The program's other cinematographers included John M. Nickolaus and Kenneth Peach.

Special effects

The various monsters and creatures from the first season and most props were developed by a loose-knit group organized under the name Project Unlimited. Members of the group included Wah Chang, Gene Warren and Jim Danforth. Makeup was executed by Fred B. Phillips along with John Chambers.

Characters and models

Many of the creatures that appeared in Outer Limits episodes have been sold as models or action figures in the 1990s and 2000s. A variety in limited editions have been as model kits to be assembled and painted by the purchaser issued by Dimensional Designs, and a smaller set of out-of-the-box action figures sold in larger quantity by Sideshow Toys. The former produced a model kit of The Megasoid from "The Duplicate Man", and both created a figure of Gwyllm as an evolved man from "The Sixth Finger".

Reception and reputation

The series earned a very loyal audience in the first season. It was so devoted, some people were reported to take a TV set with them if they had to be away from home, so they would not miss an episode (as home video recording did not yet exist). However, the second season fared rather poorly in the Nielsen ratings after moving from Monday to Saturday night, going against Jackie Gleason. Producer Joseph Stefano chose to leave the show after the first year; he realized that competing against the more popular Gleason would kill his show (proven by its cancellation midway through the second season). However, the series retained a following for many years after its original broadcast. Many decades later, horror writer Stephen King called it "the best program of its type ever to run on network TV."

Originally scheduled to air on November 25, 1963, the episode "Nightmare" was delayed until December 2 due to television coverage of the state funeral of President John F. Kennedy.

Comparison to The Twilight Zone

Like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits had an opening and closing narration in almost every episode. Both shows were unusually philosophical for science fiction anthology series, but differed in style. The Twilight Zone stories were often like parables, employing whimsy (such as the Buster Keaton time-travel episode "Once Upon a Time"), irony, or extraordinary problem-solving situations (such as the episode "The Arrival"). The Outer Limits was usually a straight action-and-suspense show which often had the human spirit in confrontation with dark existential forces from within or without, such as in the alien abduction episode "A Feasibility Study" or the alien possession story "The Invisibles". As well, The Outer Limits was known for its moody, textured look in many episodes (especially those directed by Byron Haskin or Gerd Oswald, or photographed by Conrad Hall) whereas The Twilight Zone tended to be shot more conventionally.

However, there is some common ground between certain episodes of the two shows. As Schow and Frentzen, the authors of The Outer Limits: The Official Companion, have noted, several Outer Limits episodes are often misremembered by casual fans as having been Twilight Zone episodes, notably such "problem solving" episodes as "Fun and Games" or "The Premonition".

Legacy

Influence on Star Trek

A few of the monsters reappeared in Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek series later in the 1960s. The moving microbe beast in "The Probe" later was used as the 'Horta' in "The Devil in the Dark", and operated by the same actor, Janos Prohaska. The "ion storm" seen in "The Mutant" (a projector beam shining through a container containing glitter in liquid suspension) became the transporter effect in Star Trek. The black mask from "The Duplicate Man", is used by the character Dr. Leighton in "The Conscience of the King". The Megasoid, from "The Duplicate Man" and the Empyrean from "Second Chance" (1964) were seen briefly near Captain Christopher Pike in other cages in the Star Trek pilot "The Cage".

The process used to make pointed ears for David McCallum in "The Sixth Finger" was reused in Star Trek as well. Lead actors who would later appear in the regular cast of Star Trek included Leonard Nimoy, who appeared in two episodes ("Production and Decay of Strange Particles" and "I, Robot") and William Shatner who appeared (in the episode "Cold Hands, Warm Heart") as an astronaut working on a Project Vulcan. Actors who would subsequently appear in the regular supporting cast of Star Trek were Grace Lee Whitney (episode "Controlled Experiment") and James Doohan (episode "Expanding Human"). Roddenberry was often present in The Outer Limits' studios, and hired several of its staff, among them Robert Justman and Wah Chang for the production of Star Trek.

Lawsuit on behalf of Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison contended that inspiration for James Cameron's Terminator had come in part from Ellison's work on The Outer Limits. Cameron conceded the influence. Ellison was awarded money and an end-credits mention in The Terminator (1984), stating the creators' wish "to acknowledge the works of Harlan Ellison". Cameron was against Orion's decision and was told that if he did not agree with the settlement, they would have Cameron pay for any damages if Orion lost Ellison's suit. Cameron replied that he "had no choice but to agree with the settlement. There was a gag order as well."

Film adaptation projects

Filmmaker Kevin Smith has stated that, before offering him the chance to write Superman Lives in 1996, Warner Brothers offered him two projects: a remake of The Architects of Fear and Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. On June 20, 2014, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was developing a film version of The Outer Limits based on the "Demon with a Glass Hand" episode, with Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill writing and Mark Victor producing.

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