Original Series & Harlan Ellison

[clovis-man]

It seems most of the dialogue in this section has been about the later series. I'm interested in the original series, in large part because there was some reasonably intelligent writing behind it. Jerry Sohl and Clifford Simak are only two who come to mind as having penned an episode.

Harlan Ellison is responsible for two: The Demon With A Glass Hand and Soldier. I just watched the latter for the first time. With Lloyd Nolan as the philologist and Michael Ansara as the soldier from the future. The idea came from a 1957 Ellison short story and seems to be the first in a long line of notions about human warriors created from genetic engineering instead of human reproduction. Certainly the concept has been used by C.J. Cherryh in her Company Wars series and by George Lucas in the Clone Wars segments of Star Wars. Most blatant is the 1998 film also titled Soldier involving Kurt Russell in a similar role.

Interestingly, Ellison saw sufficient similarity to his story and James Cameron's Terminator to threaten a lawsuit. I bet there are other similar works out there that I have not remembered. Anyway, for it's time (1964), it was an advanced TV notion, if not the most elegantly executed. Still fun to see it after all these years.

 

[JustPassingThrough]

I just recorded the two episodes this weekend. Yep. Saw Demon when I was little bugger, and have never seen Soldier, but have them on the ol VCR (remember those) and plan on watching ol' Mr. Ellison at what some say is at his best.

 

[dask]

Wasn't there a cop show with Ernest Borgnine that was so close in concept to Ellison's and Ben Bova's "Brillo" that Ellison threatened a law suit?

 

[J-Sun]

Wasn't there a cop show with Ernest Borgnine that was so close in concept to Ellison's and Ben Bova's "Brillo" that Ellison threatened a law suit?

Actually, I'm not sure there's a TV show/movie and a story Ellison hasn't managed to line up and threaten to sue over.

 

[clovis-man]

Well, nobody ever said he was a mister congeniality winner. If you read some of the Star Trek bios (can't remember which), you'll soon see that he was always butting heads with the production staff over how to properly stage "City On The Edge Of Forever". It ended up much different than he had intended, but won a Hugo anyway. Go figure.

 

[JustPassingThrough]

That's right- the 'at his best' was the Star Trek episode, not the Outer Limits. Whatever, I will still watch Outer Limits- like them old sci fi shows, make me all tingly.

 

[BAYLOR]

Wasn't there a cop show with Ernest Borgnine that was so close in concept to Ellison's and Ben Bova's "Brillo" that Ellison threatened a law suit?

Future Cop? It lasted about half a season I think.

 

[logan_run]

He sued james cameron claiming he stole the terminaotr idea from the solider episode of outer limits he wrote int he 60s.

 

[BAYLOR]

It seems most of the dialogue in this section has been about the later series. I'm interested in the original series, in large part because there was some reasonably intelligent writing behind it. Jerry Sohl and Clifford Simak are only two who come to mind as having penned an episode.

Harlan Ellison is responsible for two: The Demon With A Glass Hand and Soldier. I just watched the latter for the first time. With Lloyd Nolan as the philologist and Michael Ansara as the soldier from the future. The idea came from a 1957 Ellison short story and seems to be the first in a long line of notions about human warriors created from genetic engineering instead of human reproduction. Certainly the concept has been used by C.J. Cherryh in her Company Wars series and by George Lucas in the Clone Wars segments of Star Wars. Most blatant is the 1998 film also titled Soldier involving Kurt Russell in a similar role.

Interestingly, Ellison saw sufficient similarity to his story and James Cameron's Terminator to threaten a lawsuit. I bet there are other similar works out there that I have not remembered. Anyway, for it's time (1964), it was an advanced TV notion, if not the most elegantly executed. Still fun to see it after all these years.

Solider still holds up pretty well even after a lll theses years. Michael Ansara and Lloyd Nolan were both great in this episode.

 

[dask]

Great cast. Need to look this one up.

 

[Starbeast]

I've been a big fan of the ORIGINAL series, since I was a kid.
I was always fascinated at how astonishing the stories were.

I looked forward to see the featured otherworldly beings,
along with the unusual man-made creations.

​

 

[logan_run]

 

[Jeffbert]

As an adult, this series reminds me of my childhood innocence, perhaps, childhood irrational thinking. Those character scared the hell out of me!

 

[logan_run]

Never saw outer limits in first run but owned some tapes op the show on vhs,one of them was solider a very excellent episode.

 

[Jeffbert]

I do not know why, but in one pose, Stewie Griffin's enemy baby reminds me of this thing, though not this view of it/him.

Architects of Fear was so very frightening, probably because we saw so little of this guy until the end.

 

[Kris_01]

...there was some reasonably intelligent writing behind it. Jerry Sohl and Clifford Simak are only two who come to mind as having penned an episode.

Which episodes? I never realized.

 

[BAYLOR]

I just recorded the two episodes this weekend. Yep. Saw Demon when I was little bugger, and have never seen Soldier, but have them on the ol VCR (remember those) and plan on watching ol' Mr. Ellison at what some say is at his best.

Both spectacular episodes.

 

[BAYLOR]

He sued james cameron claiming he stole the terminaotr idea from the solider episode of outer limits he wrote int he 60s.

Ellison won that lawsuit.