The Outer Limits and Star Trek

I recently purchased The Outer Limits Original Series Complete Box Set (DVD) . I was struck by the apparent influence that this series had on Star Trek (the original series). The Outer Limits aired between 1963 and 1965—well ahead of Star Trek to influence the writers of Star Trek episodes and at the same time close enough to be fresh in the minds of Gene Roddenberry and others involved with Star Trek.

You can see the origins of the Talosian large head make up and Vulcan ears in David McCallum's character in The Outer Limits episode, "Sixth Finger". Listen for the Prime Directive practiced by shipwrecked aliens on Earth in the episode, "The Chameleon". The dangers and dilemmna of time travel is told in the "City on the Edge of Forever"-like story, "The Man Who Was Never Born" (The Outer Limits).

Does the following sound familar? After getting irradiated, one of a group of space travelers mutates into a man that can read minds and holds his fellow space explorers hostage with his powers. And yes , his eyes also go weird on him. See him in the episode called "The Mutant". "Fun and Games" is basically a "The Gamesters of Triskelion"-esque episode with Gorn-like opponents fighting a man and woman abducted from Earth. The stakes are of course the survival or total descruction of their respective home worlds.

Most striking of all is the spore plants that spew seeds and gas in "Specimen: Unknown". Even the most loyal Trekker can't deny that the Star Trek episode, "This Side of Paradise" probably took this idea directly from The Outer Limits. The plants are so similar that the Star Trek episode could be a sequel of The Outer Limits episode with the slight plot adjustment to account for the fact that the plants are merely mind altering and not deadly. (I would say that the Bertold radiation on the Omicron Ceti III altered the spore-plant's genetic makeup to produce a different strain with the non-lethal intoxicating effects.)

Another notable fact is that many of the actors on Star Trek had appeared in The Outer Limits. Leonard Nimoy, Grace Lee Whitney, Sally Kellerman, and others starred in episodes of the series.

Regardless of any similarity with Star Trek, I think the following are the best episodes of The Outer Limits :

"Fun and Games"
"The Invisibles"