The Twilight Zone Versus The Outer Limits.
When science fiction enthusiasts gather, one of the popular discussion they may engage in is the relative merits of The Twilight Zone versus The Outer Limits. This is especially true of middle age and older sci-fi lovers. Of the two my vote would go for Twilight Zone. In part because it was there first, it set the standard and paved the way for Outer Limits, On Step Beyond and other science fiction television to come.
The Twilight Zone was about human nature and the frightening, unexplainable twists and turns life can take that land us in unfamiliar territory. The Outer Limits seemed to high-light science with a “watch out it can only lead to trouble” attitude. Outer Limits was similar to science fiction movies of the 1950s playing on fears of what science would unleash upon us if we weren’t careful.
The Twilight Zone message seemed to convey the message that the problem was with human nature and strange frightening things were around the corner regardless of our scientific endeavors. While Outer Limits was a cautionary tale about the scientific frontier, The Twilight Zone strove to show that there was no safety in avoiding any frontiers; strangeness abounds all around us.
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