Strange things were going on at the small New England college where Marian had enrolled. Startling visions of a young woman who had died in her dorm room drove her to go to a big old house off campus and meet with a group of eccentrics dubbed The Others— people who had extrasensory abilities to reach beyond this world and into other dimensions. Grizzled, 83-year-old Elmer was the founding father, a famous medium; Mark, a hunky resident at St. Joseph’s Hospital who was an empath, able to detect people’s feelings and even transfer life into them; Warren, a gaunt young psychic who yelled a lot; Satori, a New Age “sensitive” who used Tarot cards; Miles, a professor of folklore and mythology who was calm and businesslike, and Albert, a blind, grouchy old seer who had prophetic visions (“You’ll die if you stay in that room!”). Together they helped people beset with ghosts and goblins. Fighting evil was no picnic, and some of their cases were quite dangerous, as when Marian was flung into eternity and Elmer had to reach down through swirling “other dimensions” to pull her back from death. Others were sweeter, as when the team helped a dead husband tell his wife where the money was hidden. The special effects were often gripping, as spooks jumped out of bathroom drains and faces appeared in the flames.
OTHERWORLD (Science Fiction)
FIRST TELECAST: January 26, 1985
LAST TELECAST: March 16, 1985
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Jan 1985-Mar 1985 CBS Sat 8:00–9:00
CAST:
| Hal Sterling | Sam Groom |
| June Sterling | Gretchen Corbett |
| Trace Sterling | Tony O’Dell |
| Gina Sterling | Jonna Lee |
| Smith Sterling | Brandon Crane |
| Kommander Nuveen Kroll | Jonathan Banks |
Hal and June Sterling were on a sightseeing trip with their three children—Trace (18), Gina (17), and Smith (11)—when their lives took a most bizarre twist. While touring the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt they inadvertently passed through a portal to a strange parallel universe. The land in which they found themselves was full of radically different societies, each inhabiting its own area. There were, among others, a mining town run by human-appearing androids, a society in which families were against the law, and a pleasure resort that killed its guests to obtain from their bodies a substance that could give eternal youth to others. Each week the Sterlings found themselves in a new environment where they had to try to fit in, and keep their identities secret, as they searched for the capital city of Imar. There the Supreme Governors of Otherworld had the power to return them to their own world. Hot on their trail was the malevolent Kommander Kroll, whose mysterious “access crystal” they had stolen when they first stumbled into Otherworld.
OUR FAMILY HONOR (Drama)
FIRST TELECAST: September 17, 1985
LAST TELECAST: January 3, 1986
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Sep 1985-Oct 1985 ABC Tue 10:00–11:00
Nov 1985-Jan 1986 ABC Fri 10:00–11:00
CAST:
| Commissioner Patrick McKay | Kenneth McMillan |
| Vincent Danzig | Eli Wallach |
| Det. Sgt. Frank McKay | Tom Mason |
| Officer Liz McKay | Daphne Ashbrook |
| Katherine McKay | Georgann Johnson |
| Augie Danzig | Michael Madsen |
| Marianne Danzig | Barbara Stuart |
| Jerry Cole (Danzig) | Michael Woods |
| Officer Ed Santini | Ray Liotta |
| Rita Danzig | Sheree J. Wilson |
| Jonas Jones | Dick Anthony Williams |
| George Bennett | Ron Karabatsos |
One critic called it “a series you can’t refuse,” but viewers evidently felt otherwise about this soap opera about two families, one involved in organized crime and the other stalwarts of the New York City Police Department. The McKay clan was headed by Commissioner Patrick, whose hotheaded son, Frank, was a detective and niece, Liz, a recent graduate of the academy. Liz had been assigned to street patrol, where she was partnered with Off. Ed Santini. On the other side of the law were the Danzigs, headed by ruthless crime lord Vincent, whom Commissioner McKay had known since childhood. Augie was Vincent’s inept but dangerous son and heir apparent, killing people to please his father. Among the worried wives were Katherine (Patrick’s), Marianne (Vincent’s), and Rita (Augie’s).
Principal stories included Liz’s star-crossed love affair with Jerry Cole, who proved to be Vincent’s rebel son; the Danzigs’ involvement in the death of a contractor whom Jerry tried to help; and Augie’s death (in the last episode) in a struggle with Frank, who was trying to take him in for killing Rita’s lover.
OUR HOUSE (Drama)
FIRST TELECAST: September 11, 1986
LAST TELECAST: June 26, 1988
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Sep 1986 NBC Thu 8:30–9:30
Sep 1986-May 1987 NBC Sun 7:00–8:00
May 1987-Jun 1987 NBC Sun 8:00–9:00
Jun 1987-Jun 1988 NBC Sun 7:00–8:00
CAST:
| Gus Witherspoon | Wilford Brimley |
| Jesse Witherspoon | Deidre Hall |
| Kris Witherspoon (15) | Shannen Doherty |
| David Witherspoon (12) | Chad Allen |
| Molly Witherspoon (8) | Keri Houlihan |
| Joe Kaplan | Gerald S. O’Loughlin |
| Bertha | Nicole Dubuc |
| * Crimshaw | Owen Bush |
| *Cliff | Bob Hoy |
| Mark (1987) | Thomas Wilson Brown |
| J. R. Dutton (1987–1988) | David Mendenhall |
The Associated Press called this homey series “a family show suitable for framing.” It was certainly warm and old-fashioned, a gentle story about getting along and growing up. Gus was a cantankerous 65-year-old grandpa with a walrus mustache who treasured his privacy living alone in his handsome, tree-shaded Victorian house. However, when his married son died, Gus was faced with the prospect of taking in his distraught widow Jesse—who had no funds—and her three rambunctious children. That was the end of serenity in Gus’ house. It was now, as he told Jesse, “our house.”
Jesse worked at various jobs, including that of freelance photographer. Granddaughter Kris had Gus’ strong will, and aimed to become an air force test pilot someday; David was headstrong too, but unsure of himself at age 12; and Molly was just a sweet girl who wanted everyone to get along. Joe was Gus’ long-time pal. Stories revolved around the compromises made by three generations living under one roof, and the lessons learned by all, including the grumpy, heart-of-gold granddad.
OUR MAN HIGGINS (Situation Comedy)
FIRST TELECAST: October 3, 1962
LAST TELECAST: September 11, 1963
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Oct 1962-Sep 1963 ABC Wed 9:30–10:00
CAST:
| Higgins | Stanley Holloway |
| Alice MacRoberts | Audrey Totter |
| Duncan MacRoberts | Frank Maxwell |
| Tommy MacRoberts | Rickey Kelman |
| Dinghy MacRoberts | K. C. Butts |
| Joanie MacRoberts | Regina Groves |
Stanley Holloway, the veteran British music-hall comic who achieved fame in America in the role of Eliza Doolittle’s father in My Fair Lady was the star of this comedy. He played Higgins, a gentleman butler from Scotland who found himself sent to America to serve a suburban couple, the MacRoberts. They had “inherited” him as part of an ancestral bequest. The couple and their three children, Tommy, Dinghy, and Joanie, were constantly being saved from various predicaments by the ever-resourceful Higgins.
OUR MISS BROOKS (Situation Comedy)
FIRST TELECAST: October 3, 1952
LAST TELECAST: September 21, 1956
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Oct 1952-Jun 1953 CBS Fri 9:30–10:00
Oct 1953-Jun 1955 CBS 9:30–10:00
Oct 1955-Sep 1956 CBS Fri 8:30–9:00
CAST:
| Connie Brooks | Eve Arden |
| Osgood Conklin | Gale Gordon |
| Philip Boynton | Robert Rockwell |
| Walter Denton (1952–1955) | Richard Crenna |
| Mrs. Margaret Davis | Jane Morgan |
| Harriet Conklin (1952–1955) | Gloria McMillan |
| Stretch Snodgrass (1952–1955) | Leonard Smith |
| Miss Daisy Enright (1952–1954). | Mary Jane Croft |
| Mrs. Martha Conklin (1952–1953) | Virginia Gordon |
| Mrs. Martha Conklin (1953–1956) | Paula Winslowe |
| Superintendent Stone (1953–1955) | Joseph Kearns |
| Angela (1954–1956) | Jesslyn Fax |
| Ricky Velasco (1954–1955) | Ricky Vera |
| Mr. Oliver Munsey (1955–1956) | Bob Sweeney |
| Mrs. Nestor (1955) | Nana Bryant |
| Mrs. Nestor (1955–1956) | Isabel Randolph |
| Gene Talbot (1955–1956) | Gene Barry |
| Clint Albright (1955–1956) | William Ching |
| Benny Romero (1955–1956) | Ricky Vera |
| Mr. Romero (1956) | Hy Averback |
Our Miss Brooks had originated on CBS radio in 1948, and was heard on both radio and TV throughout the mid-1950s with essentially the same cast. It was one of the period’s most popular and loved comedies, and gave Eve Arden a role with which she will forever be identified. She played Connie Brooks, the wisecracking English teacher at Madison High. Her nemesis was crusty, blustery principal Osgood P. Conklin, who was constantly blowing his stack at her for something. Mr. Boynton, the handsome but incredibly shy biology teacher, was the potential husband she was always trying to snag—without success. Connie rented a room from kindly old Mrs. Davis and rode to school each morning with one of her students, the somewhat dim-witted Walter Denton. Her interaction with these varied regulars, played by an excellent supporting cast, comprised the stories. No one in Our Miss Brooks was an out-and-out lunatic, as is so often the case in TV comedies, but everyone had some pronounced but realistic idiosyncrasy that viewers could identify with, thus making the show’s principals a perfect TV “family.” Eve Arden herself was much in demand to speak to educational groups and at PTA meetings, and even received a dozen offers of positions as an English teacher at real high schools. They could hardly have afforded her, as she was by then making $200,000 per year!
By the start of the 1955–1956 season the ratings were beginning to slip and the setting was changed. Madison High was razed for a highway project and Miss Brooks found a new job at Mrs. Nestor’s Private Elementary School nearby. For some reason, Mr. Conklin had acquired the job of principal there, and he and other cast members remained on the show to harass her. Connie’s new love interest was the young physical education teacher, Gene Talbot, who was chasing her, quite a turnaround from Mr. Boynton’s shy indifference. Somehow the revised format seemed to limp along and Mr. Boynton was brought back in the spring of 1956. His return did not help, however, and the show ended its run shortly thereafter.
Connie’s long pursuit of Mr. Boynton did finally pay off, though not in the TV series. In a 1956 Warner Bros. movie based on the series, he finally proposed, and she became Mrs. Philip Boynton.
OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE NORTH (Documentary)
FIRST TELECAST: June 15, 1952
LAST TELECAST: August 29, 1952
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Jun 1952 ABC Sun 10:00–10:30
Aug 1952 ABC Fri 8:00–8:30
This was a series of film shorts about Canada, produced by the Canadian government.
OUR PLACE (Musical Variety)
FIRST TELECAST: July 2, 1967
LAST TELECAST: September 3, 1967
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Jul 1967-Sep 1967 CBS Sun 9:00–10:00
REGULARS:
The Doodletown Pipers
Jack Burns
Avery Schreiber
The George Wilkins Orchestra
Narrated by a huge puppet dog named Rowlf, one of Jim Henson’s Muppets, this musical and comedy variety series was the 1967 summer replacement for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. It featured the singing of the Doodletown Pipers and the comic antics of the team of Burns & Schreiber.
OUR PRIVATE WORLD (Serial Drama)
FIRST TELECAST: May 5, 1965
LAST TELECAST: September 10, 1965
BROADCAST HISTORY:
May 1965-Sep 1965 CBS Wed 9:30–10:00
May 1965-Sep 1965 CBS Fri 9:00–9:30
| Lisa Hughes | Eileen Fulton |
| Helen Eldredge | Geraldine Fitzgerald |
| John Eldredge | Nicolas Coster |
| Eve Eldredge | Julienne Marie |
| Tom Eldredge | Sam Groom |
| Brad Robinson | Robert Drivas |
| Dr. Tony Larson | David O’Brien |
| Sandy Larson | Sandy Smith |
| Franny Martin | Pamela Murphy |
| Dick Robinson | Ken Tobey |
| Pat | Kathy Dunn |
In the wake of ABC’s great success with its prime-time soap opera Peyton Place CBS decided to try its own version of the form during the summer of 1965. This series was a spin-off from the highly successful daytime serial As the World Turns and focused on Lisa Hughes, one of World’s leading characters. Young divorcée Lisa decided to find a new life for herself by leaving her small hometown and moving to Chicago, where she found a job in the admitting room of a hospital. The two major plot lines involved her life and associations at the hospital and the machinations of the Eldredges, a socially prominent and extremely wealthy family living in the exclusive suburb of Lake Forest. The CBS experiment proved not to be very successful and the series was canceled at the end of the summer, leaving actress Eileen Fulton to her daytime role only.
OUR SECRET WEAPON—THE TRUTH (Discussion)
FIRST TELECAST: February 6, 1951
LAST TELECAST: April 17, 1951
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Feb 1951-Apr 1951 DUM Tue 7:30–8:00
PANELISTS:
Leo Cherne
Ralph de Toledano
This propaganda program had been presented on CBS radio during World War II as a forum for debunking Nazi claims against America. It was revived during the Korean War for use against a new enemy, with regulars Leo Cherne and Ralph de Toledano on hand each week to “answer Communist lies about us” with facts and testimony from special guests. Previously a local program in New York.
OUR TIME (Variety)
FIRST TELECAST: July 27, 1985
LAST TELECAST: September 7, 1985
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Jul 1985-Aug 1985 NBC Sat 8:00–8:30
Aug 1985 NBC Sat 8:30–9:00
Sep 1985 NBC Sat 9:30–10:00
REGULARS:
Karen Valentine
Tim Stack
Patti Lee
Zane Buzby
Phil Hartman
Denny Evans
Harry Anderson
Nostalgia for the 1960s was the theme of this lightweight summer series, hosted by actress Karen Valentine with a different cohost each week. Fads of the era were satirized in comedy sketches, and TV and music stars of the ’60s paraded through the show, some as featured guests and others in cameos. Old film clips of guests in their TV series of the past were used in a regular “then and now” feature to show how they had aged. Among the “TV kids” of the ’60s who received this treatment were Tim Considine, Don Grady, and Barry and Stanley Livingston (from My Three Sons) Dwayne Hickman and Sheila James (The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) Jay North (Dennis the Menace) Jon Provost (Lassie) Ken Osmond and Frank Bank (Leave It to Beaver) Noreen Corcoran (Bachelor Father) Marc Copage (Julia) and Butch Patrick (The Munsters). Musical performers appearing included such moldy oldies as Frankie Avalon, The Coasters, Johnny Rivers, Leslie Gore, Mitch Ryder, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. Cohosts included Paul Petersen, Sonny Bono, and John Sebastian. No doubt they all appreciated the work.
OUR TIMES WITH BILL MOYERS (Documentary)
FIRST TELECAST: June 26, 1983
LAST TELECAST: August 23, 1983
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Jun 1983 CBS Sun 8:30–9:00
Jun 1983-Aug 1983 CBS Tue 8:30–9:00
HOST/CORRESPONDENT:
Bill Moyers
Each episode of this summer series featured CBS correspondent Bill Moyers talking with people about a social problem in modern-day America. Among them: residents of Gadsden, Alabama, discussed trying to get by in a community dependent on the depressed rubber and steel industries; a profile of Dina Rasor, who revealed information to the public about Pentagon waste and inefficiency; the search for a cure for A.I.D.S. (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome); and the reflections of a number of people who heard Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington in 1963, about what the speech had meant to them.
OUR WORLD (Documentary)
FIRST TELECAST: September 25, 1986
LAST TELECAST: September 3, 1987
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Sep 1986-Jul 1987 ABC Thu 8:00–9:00
Jul 1987-Sep 1987 ABC Thu 9:00–10:00
HOSTS:
Linda Ellerbee
Ray Gandolf
ABC had a problem… how to compete against the red-hot Cosby Show and not lose a fortune in the process. The answer: raid the news division’s vaults, string together old film footage from a specific period, and package it with some glitzy graphics and intelligent commentary. Our World was probably the cheapest hour on prime-time TV, yet it was the darling of critics (and a small but vociferous group of fans) who saw it as a worthwhile alternative to the escapist hits on NBC and CBS. In addition to news clips, the show featured first-hand “witness” commentary from people who were there, music, TV and radio entertainment of the era, and even some docudrama “re-creations” of famous events. Periods spotlighted ranged from October 1938 (approaching war in Europe, The War of the Worlds radio broadcast at home), to the summer of 1969 (Vietnam and the “Woodstock Generation”), and beyond.
OUT ALL NIGHT (Situation Comedy)
FIRST TELECAST: September 19, 1992
LAST TELECAST: July 9, 1993
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Sep 1992-Oct 1992 NBC Sat 8:30–9:00
Nov 1992-Jan 1993 NBC Thu 8:00–8:30
Feb 1993 NBC Fri 8:00–8:30
Jun 1993-Jul 1993 NBC Fri 8:30–9:00
CAST:
| Chelsea Paige | Patti LaBelle |
| Jeff Carswell | Morris Chestnut |
| Vidal Thomas | Duane Martin |
| Charisse Chamberlain | Vivica A. Fox |
| Angus McEwen | Simon O’Brien |
Grammy winner Patti LaBelle starred as a former singing star and owner of a high-tech Los Angeles nightclub in this hip, music-oriented black sitcom. Club Chelsea was the trendiest spot around, with flashing lights, high-energy dancers, and a video wall. Jeff, a recent NYU graduate with dreams of becoming a music entrepreneur, smooth-talked Chelsea into making him manager-trainee. Chelsea also got Jeff and his buddy Vidal a luxurious apartment in a building she owned. Also in the building were Charisse, Chelsea’s daughter and a successful fashion stylist, who had to deal with constant overtures from horny, happy-go-lucky Vidal, and Angus, a Scottish student who was the stereotypically nutty neighbor. Dance routines and songs by pop groups at the club enlivened this otherwise unlikely series.
OUT OF THE BLUE (Situation Comedy)
FIRST TELECAST: September 9, 1979
LAST TELECAST: December 16, 1979
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Sep 1979-Oct 1979 ABC Sun 7:00–7:30
Dec 1979 ABC Sun 7:30–8:00
CAST:
| Random | Jimmy Brogan |
| Aunt Marion | Dixie Carter |
| Chris Richards (age 16) | Clark Brandon |
| Laura Richards (13) | Olivia Barash |
| Stacey Richards (10) | Tammy Lauren |
| Jason Richards (8) | Jason Keller |
| Shane Richards (8) | Shane Keller |
| Gladys | Hannah Dean |
| Boss Angel | Elieen Heckart |
Kiddie comedy in the style of Bewitched and My Favorite Martian. In this one, an inept angel was dispatched to help a harried Chicago woman cope with her five adorable nieces and nephews, after their parents had died in a plane crash. Aunt Marion decided to accept a boarder, to help meet expenses, so Random moved in. The fact that he was an angel, with magical powers, was the kids’ secret. Random could move people and places around with a twinkle, and he used his powers to teach the kids little lessons about growing up. Gladys was the black housekeeper.
OUT OF THE FOG (Drama)
FIRST TELECAST: April 7, 1952
LAST TELECAST: September 22, 1952
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Apr 1952-Sep 1952 ABC Mon 8:00–8:30
This was a short-lived series of mystery films, which alternated with Mr. District Attorney from April through June, then was seen weekly.
OUT OF THIS WORLD (Situation Comedy)
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Syndicated only
30 minutes
Produced: 1987–1991 (96 episodes)
Released: September 1987
CAST:
| Donna Garland | Donna Pescow |
| Evie Garland (age 13) | Maureen Flannigan |
| Mayor Kyle Applegate | Doug McClure |
| Beano Froelich (1987–1990) | Joe Alaskey |
| Buzz | Buzz Belmondo |
| Troy (voice only) | Burt Reynolds |
| Lindsay Selkirk | Christina Nigra |
| * Phil (1987–1988) | John Roarke |
| *Quigley Handlesman (1987–1988) | Carl Steven |
| Chris Fuller | Steve Burton |
| *Jeffrey Cummings (1990) | Tony Crane |
| Peter (1990–1991) | Peter Pitofsky |
| *Mick (1990–1991) | Tom Nolan |
THEME:
“Swinging on a Star” (1944 pop song)
Donna Garland ran a private school for gifted children in the town of Marlowe, near Carmel, California, but none was more gifted than her daughter Evie. Evie was starting to develop powers she had inherited from her father Troy, an extraterrestrial visitor from the planet Antareus who had married her mother and then been called back to his home planet shortly after her birth. Evie’s powers included the ability to stop time (freezing people in mid-sentence was a favorite trick) and to materialize things simply by willing them into existence. Whenever she had problems dealing with her powers she could communicate with her dad through a special cube that functioned as an interstellar phone. The only other person who knew about Troy was Donna’s brother, Beano, the rotund owner of “Beano’s Diet Clinic.” Anyone else who happened to see Evie’s remarkable powers at work simply thought that she—or they—were crazy.
Buzz was the eccentric character who ran the clinic for Beano, and Mayor Kyle an egocentric former TV star who had turned to politics.
After the first season there were numerous changes. The focus of the series shifted from the use of Evie’s powers to the everyday problems of high school life, with her best friend Lindsay and her boyfriend Chris moving up from occasional to regular players. Troy’s voice, which only Evie could hear during the first season, was audible to everyone starting in the fall of 1988. The third season saw Donna defeating Kyle for mayor, and subsequently appointing him police chief, and the fourth season brought Donna’s brother Mick, a former rock musician, back to Marlowe. Also seen during the last season were Jeffrey, the new hunk in high school (Chris was a student at Marlowe Community College) and Peter, a klutzy alien who was working as a waiter at the Goodie Goodie, the restaurant where Evie and all her friends hung out.
OUT THERE (Science Fiction Anthology)
FIRST TELECAST: October 28, 1951
LAST TELECAST: January 13, 1952
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Oct 1951-Jan 1952 CBS Sun 6:00–6:30
A live anthology series which used filmed special effects, Out There sought to bridge the gap between serious drama and the juvenile science fiction of such shows as Captain Video and Tom Corbet—Space Cadet. All of the episodes were adapted from stories by prominent science-fiction writers and were presented in such a way as to attract an adult audience but still be exciting enough to hold the attention of children.
OUTCASTS, THE (Western)
FIRST TELECAST: September 23, 1968
LAST TELECAST: September 15, 1969
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Sep 1968-Sep 1969 ABC Mon 9:00–10:00
CAST:
| Earl Corey | Don Murray |
| Jemal David | Otis Young |
This violent Western teamed a Virginia aristocrat-turned-gunman-and-drifter with a freed slave-turned-bounty hunter, in the years after the Civil War. The two of them had an uneasy relationship at best, often erupting into fights and arguments, as they pursued a common goal of making money by tracking down wanted criminals. Corey was the white man, and David the black.
OUTDOOR LIFE NETWORK (Network) (Informational Cable Network)
LAUNCHED:
July 1995
SUBSCRIBERS (MAY 2003):
51.7 million (48% U.S.)
For those who prefer to break a sweat from the comfort of their sofa, there is the Outdoor Life Network, presenting films of high-octane outdoor adventure sports and recreation. Typical documentary programs included Wild Survival with Corbin Bernsen (reenactments of close brushes with natural disasters and outdoor mishaps), Danger Zone with Picabo Street (extreme sports), Adventure Quest (adventurers), Friends of the Forests (ecology), Killer Instinct (wild animals), films by Jacques Cousteau, and Hunting with Hank (hunting with canine Hank and his owner Dez Young). Sports coverage included professional bull riding, the Tour de France bicycle race and World Cup Ski and Snowboarding events. A special event in 2003 was Global Extremes: Mt. Everest in which 12 “everyday” people showed their stuff in the jungles of Central America, the sands of the Kalahari and the glaciers of Iceland in order to win a place on an expedition to the summit of Mt. Everest.
OLN is not to be confused with the smaller Outdoor Channel (launched in 1993 and currently in about 20 million homes), which emphasizes somewhat more accessible hunting, fishing and motor sports outdoor activities as opposed to the adventure orientation of OLN.
OUTER LIMITS, THE (Science Fiction Anthology)
NETWORK HISTORY:
FIRST TELECAST: September 16, 1963
LAST TELECAST: January 16, 1965
Sep 1963-Sep 1964 ABC Mon 7:30–8:30
Sep 1964-Jan 1965 ABC Sat 7:30–8:30
CABLE HISTORY:
Showtime (1995–2001); Sci-Fi Channel (2001–2002)
60 minutes
Produced: 1995–2001 (154 episodes)
Premiered: March 26, 1995
CONTROL VOICE:
Vic Perrin (1963–1965)
Kevin Conway (1995–2001)
CREATOR/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:
Leslie Stevens (1963–1965)
At the opening of each episode in this anthology series the picture on the TV screen started to do funny things and the deep unemotional “control voice” intoned: “There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can change the focus to a soft blur—or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to… THE OUTER LIMITS.”
The special effects were good, the alien costumes interesting, and the plots inventive, often leaving viewers with a sense of unease that was either relieved or exacerbated by the moral/commentary the control voice gave at the end of each episode just before returning control of your television set to you.
Among the actors starring in episodes of The Outer Limits were Robert Culp, Martin Sheen, Bruce Dern, Martin Landau, Sally Kellerman, Lloyd Nolan, Cliff Robertson, and William Shatner. In the episode in which Shatner starred, he played an astronaut on a fly-by mission to the planet Venus. The mission was called Project Vulcan. What would Mr. Spock have said about that coincidence?
Thirty years after The Outer Limits left the air, a new weekly version was produced for the Showtime cable network. After airing on Showtime the episodes were packaged for syndication to local stations. After six seasons on Showtime The Outer Limits moved to the Sci-Fi Channel for its last year.
OUTLAWS (Detective Drama)
FIRST TELECAST: December 28, 1986
LAST TELECAST: May 30, 1987
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Dec 1986 CBS Sun 9:00–11:00
Jan 1987-May 1987 CBS Sat 8:00–9:00
CAST:
| John Grail | Rod Taylor |
| Harland Pike | William Lucking |
| Wolfson “Wolf” Lucas | Charles Napier |
| Isaiah “Ice” McAdams | Richard Roundtree |
| Billy Pike | Patrick Houser |
| Lt. Maggie Randall | Christine Belford |
It was 1899 and Texas Sheriff John Grail was leading a posse after a gang of bank robbers led by Harland Pike—a gang he had been a member of before he had gone straight and become a peace officer. Caught in a freak electrical storm, Grail and the gang were catapulted through time to contemporary Texas, a totally alien world from the one they knew. Realizing what had happened, though having no idea how, they reconciled their differences, used the gold coins from the robbery to buy a ranch they named the Double Eagle, and attempted to adjust to the modern world. At Grail’s urging they opened the Double Eagle Detective Agency, literally bringing old-fashioned justice to Houston and the Southwest. Their biggest problem was keeping Harland’s hot-headed kid brother, Billy, under control. These guys were a little hard to take. They wore outfits that, though newly made, were replicas of the clothes they had worn at the turn of the century; they still used their dated weapons; and they never seemed to get shot by the bad guys despite their penchant for striding side-by-side into gunfights. Maggie Randall was the contemporary Houston police officer who befriended them, got them out of trouble, and had a soft spot for John Grail.
OUTLAWS, THE (Western)
FIRST TELECAST: September 29, 1960
LAST TELECAST: September 13, 1962
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Sep 1960-Sep 1962 NBC Thu 7:30–8:30
CAST:
| U.S. Marshal Frank Caine (1960–1961) | Barton MacLane |
| Deputy Marshal Will Forman | Don Collier |
| Deputy Marshal Heck Martin (1960–1961) | Jock Gaynor |
| Deputy Marshal Chalk Breeson (1961–1962) | Bruce Yarnell |
| Slim (1961–1962) | Slim Pickens |
| Connie Masters (1961–1962) | Judy Lewis |
In its first season, The Outlaws approached the struggle between law officers of the Old West and the desperadoes they chased from a novel point of view. Although Marshal Frank Caine and his two deputies, Will Forman and Heck Martin, were the series regulars, each episode was seen through the eyes of the outlaws they were pursuing. The setting for the series was the Oklahoma Territory in the 1890s, when the Dalton Boys, the Jennings Gang, and other outlaws made it one of the most lawless of all the West’s frontiers.
When The Outlaws returned in the fall of 1961 there were a number of changes. Gone were Caine and Martin, and Will Forman was a full marshal with his own deputy. The perspective of the series was now from the side of the marshals and the honest citizens rather than the criminals. The action was based in the town of Stillwater, Oklahoma, where the marshals were headquartered. Connie Masters worked at the Wells Fargo office, and Slim was the town character.
OUTLOOK see Chet Huntley Reporting
OUTRAGEOUS (Audience Participation)
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Fox Family Channel
30 minutes
Produced: 1998
Premiered: August 15, 1998
HOST:
Idalis DeLeon
In this cross between Truth or Consequences and Candid Camera teams of contestants were sent out into Los Angeles to try to get ordinary people to do silly things for the camera. For example, under the pretense that they would be in a commercial, passersby might be asked to cry on cue; jump into a pool (for “Splash” soft drink); or eat from a trough like a pig. The studio audience then voted for the best resulting video, with the winning team receiving a $1000 prize. The rather sexy host was an actress named Idalis.
OUTSIDE U.S.A. (Documentary)
FIRST TELECAST: September 1, 1955
LAST TELECAST: June 3, 1956
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Sep 1955-Oct 1955 ABC Thu 10:00–10:30
Nov 1955-Jan 1956 ABC Tue 10:00–10:30
Jan 1956-Mar 1956 ABC Mon 10:00–10:30
Apr 1956-Jun 1956 ABC Sun 10:00–10:30
NARRATOR/COMMENTATOR:
Quincy Howe
Each week Mr. Howe introduced filmed coverage of an event or issue in world politics. Following the film he would analyze or evaluate the situation being covered.
OUTSIDER, THE (Detective Drama)
FIRST TELECAST: September 18, 1968
LAST TELECAST: September 3, 1969
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Sep 1968-Sep 1969 NBC Wed 10:00–11:00
CAST:
| David Ross | Darren McGavin |
David Ross was not the stereotyped glamorous private detective. He did not make much money, lived in a run-down Los Angeles apartment building, drove a beat-up 10-year-old car, and often got beat up himself while on cases. Ross was a loner who had never finished high school and had been orphaned when a small child. As an adult, he had served six years in prison on a trumped-up murder charge, before being pardoned. In short Ross had found the world a very unfriendly place—he was an “outsider.” Nevertheless he turned private eye to tackle other people’s problems, and proved an extremely thorough and productive investigator.
OUTSIDERS, THE (Drama)
FIRST TELECAST: March 25, 1990
LAST TELECAST: August 26, 1990
BROADCAST HISTORY
Mar 1990 FOX Sun 9:30–11:00
Apr 1990-Aug 1990 FOX Sun 7:00–8:00
CAST:
| Ponyboy Curtis (age 15) | Jay R. Ferguson |
| Sodapop Curtis (17) | Rodney Harvey |
| Darrel Curtis (19) | Boyd Kestner |
| Tim Shepard | Robert Rusler |
| Two-Bit Matthews | David Arquette |
| Steve Randle | Harold Pruett |
| Belinda (Scout) Jenkins | Heather McComb |
| Cherry Valance | Kim Walker |
| Randy Adderson | Scott Coffey |
| Greg | Sean Kanan |
| Marcia | Jennifer McComb |
| Buck Merrill | Billy Bob Thornton |
The Outsiders was the story of three orphaned brothers trying to keep their household together in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1966. The youngest, 15-year-old Pony-boy Curtis, who also served as the series’ narrator, was a student at Walker Ridge High School. A sensitive, introspective youth, who wanted to become a writer, Ponyboy was caught up in the conflicts between the tough street kids (“Greasers”) and the affluent jocks (“Socs”). There were constant fights, with Ponyboy being a favorite target of the Socs. The other Curtis brothers were Darrel, a carpenter trying to keep his family from being split up by the welfare authorities, and short-tempered Sodapop, who split his time between chasing girls and getting into fights. Other Greasers were tough Tim, wacky Two-Bit, and forthright Steve. The principal Socs, who lost most of the fights but still had all the money, were Randy and Greg. Two featured girls were underprivileged Scout, who had been befriended by Ponyboy, and beautiful Cherry, who was fascinated by the Greasers but attracted to the Socs’ money.
Based on the S. E. Hinton novel and the 1983 movie, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, who also produced the series. The young stars of the film were Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez, and Tom Cruise.
OVER MY DEAD BODY (Detective Drama)
FIRST TELECAST: October 26, 1990
LAST TELECAST: June 20, 1991
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Oct 1990-Dec 1990 CBS Fri 9:00–10:00
Jun 1991 CBS Thu 10:00–11:00
CAST:
| Maxwell Beckett | Edward Woodward |
| Nikki Page | Jessica Lundy |
| Wendy | Jill Tracy |
| Det. Mueller | Peter Looney |
| Det. Ritter | Rick Fitts |
They were certainly an unlikely detective team. Maxwell Beckett was a cranky sixtyish English mystery writer suffering through a dry spell. His three bestselling novels had been followed by two bombs. Nikki Page wrote obituaries for The San Francisco Union while trying to move up to a job as a reporter. Because Maxwell was her favorite author, Nikki got him involved in a murder she had seen from her window and, after they solved the crime, they became friends and a team of amateur sleuths. All the action got Maxwell’s creative juices flowing again. Wendy was Nikki’s friend and coworker at the paper.
Produced by William Link, this series resembled Link’s earlier hit Murder, She Wrote. In each series a middle-aged writer stumbled upon a new murder mystery to solve every week. And if Maxwell didn’t, Nikki did.
OVER THE TOP (Situation Comedy)
FIRST TELECAST: October 21, 1997
LAST TELECAST: November 4, 1997
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Oct 1997-Nov 1997 ABC Tue 8:30–9:00
CAST:
| Simon Ferguson | Tim Curry |
| Hadley Martin | Annie Potts |
| Gwen Martin | Marla Sokoloff |
| Daniel Martin (age 7) | Luke Tarsitano |
| Yorgo Galfanikos | Steve Carell |
| Robert McSwain | John O’Hurley |
| Rose | Liz Torres |
Hadley was the sensible owner of a small, struggling Manhattan hotel, and Simon her wildly flamboyant ex, in this slapstick sitcom that certainly lived up to its title, but lasted only three weeks on the ABC schedule. Thrice-divorced Hadley was trying to make a go of the genteel Metropolitan Hotel, along with feisty right-hand woman Rose, overemotional chef Yorgo, and her two kids, whiny teenager Gwen and jug-eared, enthusiastic 7-year-old Daniel. Then in blew Simon, her first husband (or “first mistake”—they had been married for twelve days, twenty years earlier). A larger-than-life British soap opera actor who had just been fired from his show, Days to Remember he was out of cash and needed a new gig. Hadley was understandably suspicious, but could not resist his charms, not to mention the traffic he brought into the dowdy Metropolitan with his grand promotions, such as the colorful “theme nights” at the hotel bar. Robert was a silver-haired investor who wasn’t sure what to make of him either.
OVERLAND TRAIL, THE (Western)
FIRST TELECAST: February 7, 1960
LAST TELECAST: September 11, 1960
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Feb 1960-Sep 1960 NBC Sun 7:00–8:00
CAST:
| Frederick Thomas Kelly | William Bendix |
| Frank “Flip” Flippen | Doug McClure |
The opening of the Overland Trail, one of the major stage routes to the West, and the effort to push that route all the way to the Pacific Ocean, served as the backdrop for this series. The two men charged with moving the stage line from Missouri, over the Rockies, and through to California were Frederick Thomas Kelly and Frank Flippen. Kelly was a crusty former civil engineer and Union Army guerrilla who found getting the Overland Stage Line into operation the most exciting challenge of his life. His young friend and aide, nicknamed Flip, had been brought up by Indians and was full of an adventurous enthusiasm that complemented Kelly’s cautious nature. Their adventures and the adventures of their passengers provided the stories for this series.
OVERSEAS ADVENTURE see Foreign Intrigue
OVERTIME… WITH PAT O’BRIEN (Talk)
FIRST TELECAST: August 10, 1990
LAST TELECAST: August 24, 1990
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Aug 1990 CBS Fri 11:30–12:30 A.M.
HOST:
Pat O’Brien
This short-lived talk show, hosted by CBS Sports analyst Pat O’Brien, featured interviews with personalities ranging from football’s Joe Montana and John Madden to rock music performers MC Hammer and Glenn Frey.
OWEN MARSHALL, COUNSELOR AT LAW (Legal Drama)
FIRST TELECAST: September 16, 1971
LAST TELECAST: August 24, 1974
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Sep 1971-Jan 1973 ABC Thu 10:00–11:00
Jan 1973-Jan 1974 ABC Wed 10:00–11:00
Jan 1974-Aug 1974, ABC Sat 10:00–11:00
| Owen Marshall | Arthur Hill |
| Jess Brandon | Lee Majors |
| Danny Paterno (1973–1974) | Reni Santoni |
| Ted Warrick (1974) | David Soul |
| Melissa Marshall | Christine Matchett |
| Frieda Krause | Joan Darling |
This popular lawyer drama depicted the life and trials of Owen Marshall, a compassionate defense attorney practicing in a small town in California. Marshall’s cases ranged from civil suits to murder, but were always marked by a warmth and consideration for the accused. In a way, Owen Marshall was the courtroom equivalent of medicine’s kindly Marcus Welby and, in fact, the two series sometimes had joint episodes. In 1972 Marshall found himself defending the father of one of Dr. Welby’s patients against a murder charge, and in 1974 he defended Dr. Kiley, Welby’s associate, against a paternity suit.
Owen Marshall had several young law partners during his run, the first of whom was Jess Brandon. For a time in 1973–1974 Lee Majors, the actor portraying Brandon, was starring in two ABC series, this one and The Six Million Dollar Man. He was finally replaced in February 1974 by another future star, David Soul, in the role of Ted Warrick. In addition, Danny Paterno was seen as a partner during the final season. Melissa was widower Marshall’s 12-year-old daughter, and Frieda his loyal law clerk.
Owen Marshall was well regarded by real-life legal associations, and won several public-service awards. It’s cocreators were David Victor and University of Wisconsin law professor Jerry McNeely.
OXYGEN (Network) (General Entertainment Cable Network)
LAUNCHED:
February 2, 2000
SUBSCRIBERS (MAY 2003):
46.9 million (44% U.S.)
Oxygen is a women’s network that was founded with a great deal of fanfare in 2000 to compete with longtime category leader Lifetime. The original positioning had a feisty, rather aggressively feminist tone (one famous advertisement showed baby girls in a maternity ward raising their fists), and there was a considerable amount of original, if somewhat low-budget, programming. Shows on the original schedule included Pure Oxygen (magazine), Exhale with Candice Bergen (interviews), Ka-Ching (financial advice), X-Chromosome (cartoons), We Sweat (women athletes) and Pajama Party (a late-night variety show set in an apartment with everyone in their PJs). The network was also closely intertwined with the Internet, and a small band along the bottom of the screen offered directions to related Web sites and miscellaneous information. Much was also made of the high-powered backers of the channel, including Oprah Winfrey (who contributed a show called Oprah Goes Online in which she learned about the Internet), former Nickelodeon head Geraldine Laybourne and Hollywood power producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner (Roseanne, Murphy Brown etc.).
Alas, none of this attracted much of an audience, so the Internet connection was subsequently downplayed and many of the original programs were replaced by rerun (but female-appropriate) fare such as Xena: Warrior Princess, La Femme Nikita, Cybill and Absolutely Fabulous. More time was also devoted to movies. There were still some original series, including The Isaac Mizrahi Show (interviews), Girls Behaving Badly (a female and somewhat sexy Candid Camera-style prank show) and Conversations from the Edge with Carrie Fisher (interviews). Oprah contributed a new series called Oprah After the Show in which she talked to her studio audience after a taping of her syndicated daytime show.
Why is it called Oxygen? Founder Geraldine Laybourne said that the name came to her one night when she woke up gasping for breath.
OZARK JUBILEE (Country Music)
FIRST TELECAST: January 22, 1955
LAST TELECAST: September 24, 1960
BROADCAST HISTORY:
Jan 1955-Jun 1955 ABC Sat 9:00–10:00
Jul 1955-Sep 1956 ABC Sat 7:30–9:00
Oct 1956-Dec 1956 ABC Thu 10:00–11:00
Dec 1956-Jun 1957 ABC Sat 10:00–11:00
Jun 1957-Sep 1957 ABC Sat 10:00–10:30
Sep 1957-Sep 1959 ABC Sat 8:00–9:00
Sep 1958-Oct 1958 ABC Mon 7:30–8:30
Oct 1959-Sep 1960 ABC Sat 10:00–11:00
REGULARS:
Red Foley
Webb Pierce (occasional 1955–1956)
Jean Shepard (1955)
Hawkshaw Hawkins (1955)
Tommy Sosebee (1955)
Porter Wagoner (1955–1956)
Foggy River Boys/Marksmen (1955–1959)
Pete Stamper (1956)
Oklahoma Wranglers (1955)
Bud Isaac (1955)
Uncle Cyp & Aunt Sap Brasfield (1956–1960)
Flash & Whistler (1956–1957)
Tadpoles (1956)
Bill Wimberly’s Country Rhythm Boys (1956–1957)
Bobby Lord (1957–1960)
Jim Wilson (1957)
Marvin Rainwater (1957)
Slim Wilson’s Jubilee Band (1958–1960)
Wanda Jackson (1957–1960)
Billy Walker (1957)
Tall Timber Trio (1957–1960)
Bill McMain (1957)
Norma Jean (1958)
Leory Van Dyke (1958)
Suzi Arden (1958–1959)
Smiley Burnette (1959)
The Promenaders (1959–1960)
Shug Fisher (1960)
Lew Childre (1960)
THEME:
“Sugarfoot Rag,” by Hank Garland
Country and western music had a major showcase on network television in the late 1950s in this weekly hoe-down from Springfield, Missouri. The host was genial country singer Red Foley, a veteran of the Grand Ole Opry who projected a good-natured warmth and sincerity which characterized the whole proceedings. Appearing on Jubliee were many of the top names in country music, including regulars Webb Pierce (who was once-a-month host for a time in 1955–1956), the Foggy River Boys vocal quartet (renamed the Marksmen in 1957), comic Pete Stamper, and Porter Wagoner. Among the regular features were square dancing by the Tadpoles, a group of two-to-ten year olds, and the cornpone comedy act of Uncle Cyp and Aunt Sap, who portrayed an elderly married couple who were always throwing ancient jokes at one another. The “Junior Jubilee” portion of the show gave exposure to younger talent. Perhaps its biggest discovery was a sweet-as-peaches little 11-year-old with a booming voice, named Brenda Lee. She made her first appearance in March 1956, quickly became a Jubliee favorite, and later went on to stardom in both the country and popular music fields.
Julibee ran until 1960, when it was abruptly canceled by ABC. The official reason was that the network had acquired the Gillette fights and wanted to carry them in Jubliee ’s time slot. The real reason, however, was that host Red Foley had been indicted for tax fraud and was about to stand trial—a situation hardly consonant with the down-home sincerity he projected on the show (Foley’s first trial ended in a hung jury, and a second, in 1961, in acquittal).
Ozark Jubliee under went two name changes during its run, becoming Country Music Jubliee in July 1957 and Jubliee U.S.A. in August 1958.
OZZIE AND HARRIET see Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, The
OZZIE’S GIRLS see Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, The