I want to write about two major science fiction shows that grew to popularity at two different points in the 1960s—The Outer Limits (1963-1965) and Star Trek (1966-1969). Aside from both being science fiction programs, there seemingly is not much that links the two series in terms of tone and content. Instead, what is striking is how two different shows explored different themes involving everything from sexism and feminism, racism and race relations, and militarism and peace. All of the social commentary was very relevant to the issues in the latter half of the 1960s. Star Trek, in particular, is notable for being set in future yet reflecting contemporary problems, including the Cold War. Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek’s creator, himself said, “I have no belief that Star Trek depicts the actual future. It depicts us, now, things we need to understand about that.” It is worth comparing it to The Outer Limits because of how tonally different the two were despite both being science fiction shows with a great deal of contemporary subtext.
If I'm going to compare the two shows, I think it's best to use one particular episode as an example. The Outer Limits and Star Trek both have episodes that are an adaptation of a short story titled "Arena" by Fredric Brown. The story is about a man and an alien who are coerced into fighting to the death by a superior, if not omnipotent, alien being. Whoever loses the duel will have their race annihilated by the superior alien. The Star Trek episode shares the name of the short story. The different approaches the respective writers took for both episodes define the differences between the two shows. In The Outer Limits episode, titled “Fun and Games,” good and bad are not clearly defined. Much of this is due to the series’ film noir influences. Many of the characters are shady, with a lot of inner conflict, and could have been straight out of a 1940s film noir. For example, in “Fun and Games,” the main protagonist is an ex-pug named Benson who’s on the run from the law for a crime he witnessed, but did not commit. Like most of the anthology’s protagonists, Benson's humanity is tested in a physical manifestation and external conflict with an alien being. Having a character like that, and putting him in a position that decides the fate of humankind, significantly raises the stakes in a way that Star Trek was not necessarily able to. At the end of “Fun and Games,” Earth is ultimately saved, but is it truly a note of triumph? The main character goes back to his sad existence and all is as it was before—bleak.
In the Star Trek episode “Arena,” which aired a few years after “Fun and Games,” Captain James T. Kirk is put in the exact same position as Benson. He is summoned to a planet by a vastly superior being to fight another captain of a different species to determine the outcome of their race. Kirk is ever cunning, and his heroism keeps the feeling of imminent danger to a minimum. At the end, Kirk defeats his opponent but refuses to finish him off, thus filling the role of peace-maker. The being that summoned Kirk then appears, as a young, almost angelic figure. It is revealed that Kirk’s mercy was what passed the true test, proving that there is indeed hope for human beings. This is a clear message relating to The Cold War, which was causing escalating paranoia in the wake of the Vietnam War at the time.
The Outer Limits and Star Trek have great differences, as exemplified by their contrasting handling of the same source material. Aside from being an anthology show rather than a continual episodic series, The Outer Limits, unlike both Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, is not at all overt in its social commentary. Its goal, first and foremost, was to entertain. Therefore, the writers focused more on the suspense and sci-fi aspects. The message was conveyed through the edgy nature of its characters, and the decisions they make when put in extreme scenarios. The tone of The Outer Limits was considerably darker, and its messages were often more ironic, as opposed to the sometimes didactic Star Trek. One interesting thing to note is that before Star Trek was created, Gene Roddenberry was often present at The Outer Limits studio and even recruited some of its writing team for Star Trek.
Star Trek took a very progressive, very optimistic view of the future. Gene Roddenberry was a self-described humanist, who always held out hope for mankind. His vision of the 23rd century was a world in which war, religion, racism and sexism do not exist. Mr. Spock is often used as a figure that is discriminated and treated poorly, particularly by Dr. McCoy, for being a Vulcan. This is because, being an alien, he was a safe target to get the message across without much controversy. In addition, the creators of the show attempted to portray female characters as equals. However, studio executives put pressure on the creators to keep women dressed in skimp clothing and skirts. Nonetheless, the character Lt. Uhura is notable not only because she is a woman in a commanding position, but she is also a black character. The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise was deliberately mixed race, including a Japanese American character, Hikaru Sulu. Star Trek’s legacy as an innovative show is not solely because of its science fiction ideas, unlike The Outer Limits (the sci-fi content of which has inspired countless rip-offs and adaptations), and more with its social and political commentary, particularly when it comes to race relations. After all, the show was broadcast during the height of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. In the episode “Plato’s Stepchildren,” Star Trek made television history by showing the first interracial kiss between Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura—a decision that was hard to make for the studio executives at NBC.
Ultimately, Star Trek and The Outer Limits have secured their place in TV history for different reasons. Both are great displays of science fiction which has more to say about the times in which they were broadcast. The Outer Limits typically had contemporary settings with contemporary characters, in which an external science fiction element is introduced. It’s the ordinary meets the extraordinary, which is the basis for a lot of the show’s appeal. It is able to more effortlessly relate to the events of which it took place due to layered characters and modern setting. Star Trek, on the other hand, is set in the future but reflects an idealized version of the human race as envisioned in the 1960s. The two shows are worth comparing because they are both examples of hard science fiction. All true good science fiction, like westerns, are morality plays. They may have outlandish stories and settings, but they’re about us. It allows for subjective viewing—anyone can find themselves in these stories, and that makes them endure.
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