Thought of the Day
August 1, 2011
After today’s news of the debt ceiling “deal,” I once again find myself wondering where the presidential candidate Obama for whom I voted went, and where exactly this President Obama came from.
Finally, it dawned on me. The same thing happened fifty years ago.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/63078/the-outer-limits—original-the-hundred-days-of-the-dragon
The Classic TV History Blog 
August 1, 2011 at 11:29 am
I like this script/story, but I always thought it was the least “on concept” of The Outer Limits episodes. Closer to “The Man From UNCLE,” which debuted a year later.
Still, it shows the higher production values in terms of writing, directing, acting etc of an early Outer Limits episode as compared to some of the later outings.
August 1, 2011 at 11:51 am
I agree. It’s a well-executed episode, but such a blatant ripoff of The Manchurian Candidate that one can’t rate it too highly.
(Still, its plot really would explain the Great Obama About-Face … the Chinese are even plausible culprits!)
August 1, 2011 at 8:58 pm
The Manchurian Candidate is an excellent movie/concept/book. Still fresh today … Also, one that has a Cold War theme and undertone is “The Architects of Fear” with Robert Culp. That premise – wealthy, connected individuals developing a plausible enemy for today’s world – would work in a movie or television story today. However, the human pathos would probably be stripped out and it would end up just being another CGI alien bug shoot … sad. Christian Bale could come close to playing a man like Culp did, I believe.
August 1, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Stephen, I just love your blog and admire your work, but your (mercifully) infrequent political comments expose a painful naivety, even when your tongue is firmly planted in your cheek.
August 2, 2011 at 12:20 am
I wish I could argue with you, Todd, but like everybody who once had some hope that Obama could change things, I am feeling pretty naive these days.
October 16, 2011 at 6:44 pm
Todd, there were two episodes of the original Outer Limits that scared me to death, One was this one and the other was The Forms Of Things Unknown with David McCallum and all those clocks! Both of them had an air of total creepiness, they didn’t have an alien or monster, but the way they were shot and the music just left me so scared I couldn’t sleep after seeing them!