1963 would prove to be a historical year for lovers of science fiction and monsters alike with the introduction of the now iconic television show, The Outer Limits (originally titled Beyond Control). For one hour at a time, television sets across the nation would be controlled by the transmissions of show runners Leslie Stevens and Joseph Stefano. Season one in particular would leave a mark destined to echo across generations to come.
The original show enjoyed a run of two seasons (thirty-two episodes and seventeen episodes respectively) before being revived in 1995 until its final airing to date in 2002.Through various creative hands and minds we were brought a multitude of standout experiences with such prolific writers as Harlan Ellison, Richard Matheson, and R.R. Martin behind them. However, it was the original first season where the birth of the show truly cast an indelible shadow.
Screenwriter Joseph Stefano, coming off the heels of his Psycho success, would write a dozen episodes during the first season while co-producing alongside Leslie Stevens. With his trademark monster — or “bear-of-the-week” as they were dubbed — Stefano’s signature touch would garner repeated call-outs among fan favorite lists around the world. His gothic settings served to accent the nature of his rich visualization and defined what an Outer Limits episode was all about.
After years of having the show test our fears and anxieties without fail, we can now enjoy a full immersion into Stefano’s words like never before. The added layers of details provided by the published scripts act as an insider’s glimpse of exactly how the atmospheric wonder and magic of Stefano’s masterful vision was brought to life on screen.
From specialty publisher, Gauntlet Press, we got From the Inner Mind To … The Outer Limits: Scripts of Joseph Stefano, Volume 1. The book, showcases six produced scripts (including two early drafts) plus two never filmed, completed scripts. None of these scripts have been published anywhere else until now.
I sat down with editor Dave Rash and Dominic Stefano, son of Joseph Stefano, to discuss how and why each script was selected for this book, the scope of Joseph Stefano’s style and impact, and a whole lot more.
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