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Parents' Guide to

The Outer Limits

By Will Wade, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Thought-provoking sci-fi tales for tweens and up.

TV Syfy , Syndicated Science Fiction 1963
The Outer Limits Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 3 parent reviews

ashley12
ashley12 Adult
January 23, 2016
age 15+

Likeable Show, For the Most Part

I liked a lot of the shows, reminded me of The Twilight Zone. However, this show had some shocking scenes, in the episode called "Bits of Love", female nudity was displayed often, I didn't like it. Also, there is a lot of violence in the TV show. Viewer discretion advised.
Sadman
Sadman Adult
December 23, 2015
age 15+

Nudity and sex in DVD and international version

The rating given this show by Common Sense Media is for the syndicated version of this series. Parents need to know that the version available on DVD and aired outside the US has sex scenes and nudity that is not included in the syndicated version circulating in the US. The show itself is fine, though the sex scenes are generally gratuitous and date back to an era (which some may argue is still ongoing) where sex was added to cable shows just because they could get away with it on cable; the scenes aren't as explicit as you'll see on today's cable shows but they can still get pretty raunchy. Please note that the original version of the series from the 1960s is spooky and occasionally violent but contains no major objectionable material. And I consider it far superior to the remake. Try to catch it if you can, especially if your kids enjoy Twilight Zone.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Any given episode of THE OUTER LIMITS might take place just about anywhere, from the old West to a far-off alien planet to the modern world -- and the main characters might be humans, aliens, robots, or something else altogether. But the situations and conflicts are always something that any viewer can understand, because the plots of this thoughtful sci-fi anthology series always center on classic human themes like greed, love, power, and fear. Much like the venerable classic The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits usually starts with an easily believable situation, then adds just a touch of advanced technology, alien power, or mystical influence to create a sci-fi story that seems like something that could almost happen to anyone. Now-well-known actors often appear as guest stars, including Kim Cattrall, Adam Goldberg, Antonio Sabato Jr., and Lou Diamond Phillips.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (2 ):

The modern incarnation (which originally ran from 1995 to 2002 and still airs in syndication and is available on DVD) has dramatically improved special effects and production values over the original black and white version (which ran from 1963 to 1965). But like the original, today's version builds through each episode to a surprising plot twist. Though some episodes are better than others (and some of the twists are easier to spot than others), the show is generally quite satisfying to watch, especially when watching ordinary people who are thrust into extraordinary situations struggle to make impossible decisions.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about their basic assumptions of reality. Many episodes of this series have plots that build to a huge, surprising twist at the end and are designed to make viewers question their beliefs. What would you do if a stranger tried to convince you that the government was run by evil aliens? What if he said the fate of the world depended on your willingness to believe him? What if you felt his evidence was convincing but still had a nagging doubt about his sanity? How would you react if you realized that some of your most basic beliefs about society, about the world, about your close friends, turned out to be terribly wrong? Is it the media's job to make you think about things like this?

TV Details

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