The Very Best Of "One Step Beyond" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

AB · 02-29-2008, 08:34 PM

Has anyone ever heard of this show? I saw the dvd at Walmart for $5, and was wondering if it would be good to get? I believe it had 4 or 5 disc's in it. I only remember a few of the stars listed on the box, Cloris Leachman, Suzanne Pleshette, Robert Blake & Charles Bronson.

TV_Fan · 02-29-2008, 08:57 PM

These are all public domain episodes, but yes I have heard of the show. I bought the 20 episode set put out by Diamond Entertainment. The quality is watchable. I have heard the quality of the sets vary. I never saw the show before I bought the set at a Sam Goody stoe closing sale. I enjoyed some of the episodes. If you like The Twilight Zone you might like this show. For $5 you really can't go wrong.

Zoneboy · 02-29-2008, 09:01 PM

It's a very good show and well-worth the $5, I own that collection myself.

Pentimento · 03-01-2008, 11:53 AM

I have it, and while the sound and picture quality are not good I still find it entertaining. The stories aren't as interesting as those of similar shows like "The Twilight Zone" or "Tales from the Dark Side", but they're all supposedly based on actual events. I used to watch it when I was a kid and a lot of the episodes freaked me out back then. (A few of them still do.

) And, for five bucks, it's not really a huge gamble.

AB · 03-01-2008, 09:34 PM

Thanks for the in-put, I'll probably go back & get it tommorrow. I wish I could find the Twilight Zone that cheap.

bencasey · 03-02-2008, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by annball1957

Thanks for the in-put, I'll probably go back & get it tommorrow. I wish I could find the Twilight Zone that cheap.

I feel the opposite. I wish this cost as much as Twilight Zone and was done in the same quality. You get what you pay for. It's a great show but I'm sure at that price it will look like ****.

Zoneboy · 03-02-2008, 05:58 AM

This collection is 50 episodes on 4 discs and was distributed by Mill Creek Entertainment. The MSRP was $14.98 so getting these for a 3rd of that is a good deal. I haven't watched the entire set but for $5, You can't go wrong. The episodes aren't perfect but they don't look like **** either.

The complete run was 97 episodes so you get over half the series here. Like Ben Casey said, I would also love to see this released in the same manner as Twilight Zone but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Ann, If you purchase this, I highly recommend the episode "The Dead Part of the House" to be among the first you watch. This episode alone makes it worth the $5

TV_Fan · 03-02-2008, 10:39 AM

From what I've heard most of the episodes are in the public domain and most of the original masters were lost. I doubt there will ever be an official release. The set I have from Diamond Entertainment is watchable. It's not regular DVD quality but for the few dollars I paid I'm not complaining. Also, you don't always get what you paid for. I bought the entire first season Sony release of The Jeff Foxworthy Show at Walmart for $5.50. I got a lot more than what I paid for.

Zoneboy · 03-02-2008, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TV_Fan

From what I've heard most of the episodes are in the public domain and most of the original masters were lost.

The 50 offered in this collection are public domain but not the remaining 47. I doubt the original masters were lost because other series such as The Andy Griffith Show and The Beverly Hillbillies simply let their copyrights expire on some episodes. I'm sure the masters for these series are safely tucked away in the ABC and CBS vaults

AB · 03-02-2008, 01:28 PM

I'll pick it up this afternoon and try to watch a couple of episodes. I'll watch that "The Dead Part Of The House" first. Hopefully it will be on this dvd set. I just don't remember this show off hand, but maybe once I start watching it, it'll come back to me.

goingghostal · 03-02-2008, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by annball1957

I'll pick it up this afternoon and try to watch a couple of episodes. I'll watch that "The Dead Part Of The House" first. Hopefully it will be on this dvd set. I just don't remember this show off hand, but maybe once I start watching it, it'll come back to me.

Thanks, Annball1957 for jogging my memory about "One Step Beyond!" I hadn't seen it for many years, but was an avid watcher back in the days. I will check out our local Wal-Mart to see if it is available! You can't go wrong for just $5.00! I thought it was a good show, along with the "Outer Limits" and of course, "The Twilight Zone!"

AB · 03-08-2008, 06:51 PM

^ It was in the $5 rack up near the front of the store in our Walmart. I've watched almost all of the first disc, and I still don't remember ever seeing this show before. The actors are very dramatic on the episodes and it was cool seeing Mike Conners (Mannix) as an italian trapeze artist and Pernell Roberts as a french soldier. Wow!

tv star collector · 03-08-2008, 07:38 PM

I can remember seeing One Step Beyond on television during its original
run (under the title Alcoa Presents), way back in 1959 (I was twelve at
the time). It has often been compared to Rod Serling's Twilight Zone,
but it may surprise a lot of people that One Step Beyond actually pre-dates Twilight Zone by over eight months. Alcoa Presents (which
was re-titled One Step Beyond in syndication) premiered on ABC on
Jan. 20, 1959. Serling's classic show followed, on CBS, debuting on Oct. 2,
1959. It was, though, often (poorly) imitated and did influence many later
sci-fi shows. The two series were very similar. The former dealt with (in TV Guide's words) "paranormal tales, including ghosts, psychic phenomena
and alien abductions" while the latter is described as an "anthology of sci-fi,
suspense and goosebump-inducing tales" that were "filled with invention and
irony .. and frequently a terrific twist at the end." Now, after having had an
opportunity to see Serling's show--and although I still have fond memories of
the earlier show hosted by John Newland--I have to admit that, on the whole,
Twliight Zone is a notch better than its predecessor ... mainly because
the prolific Rod Serling penned most of the episodes himself. He was, simply, one of the best
television writers of all time.

goingghostal · 03-08-2008, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by annball1957

^ It was in the $5 rack up near the front of the store in our Walmart. I've watched almost all of the first disc, and I still don't remember ever seeing this show before. The actors are very dramatic on the episodes and it was cool seeing Mike Conners (Mannix) as an italian trapeze artist and Pernell Roberts as a french soldier. Wow!

Yep....I had to search through about a zillion DVD's from the $5 table before finally locating one. I was 10 years old in '59 when "One Step Beyond" aired and probably didn't get into it as much as I did watching the "Twilight Zone," but I do recall some of these episodes that I have been watching. Not a bad show at all IMO! Speaking of the year, 1959.....I just watched "House on Haunted Hill' {the original from '59 starring Vincent Price} on the Chiller Channel earlier this week. Not as frightening, now of course, as it was then because I'm eons older and I know what to expect, but at the time, it scared the daylights out of me. My Mom and Dad had to practically hold me down in my seat to keep me from bolting out of the theatre on several occasions. That's when I first heard the phrase, "it's ONLY a movie!" Back in those days, a movie theatre was just what it was supposed to be.....a huge structure with a vast spacious balcony seating area with every seat throughout the theatre filled to capacity and our city had about a dozen or so at one time. When horror movies were showing, I remember employees would dress up as "scary" characters and prowl around up and down the stairways to attempt to leap out and scare the audience during the tense moments of the movie. Those were the days! Now all we have are narrow ear-bursting cookie-cutter "rooms" to call "theatres!" Oh, to be "shined" in the face from a flashlight by an usher, again! LOL! Sorry....got off the subject of "One Step Beyond" there.

repeatshistory · 03-31-2008, 05:58 PM

This set is very reasonable for the five bucks. Watched and enjoyed ALL of the episodes. Not every ep is a great transfer, and there are a few 'trouble spots' along the way, but all in all, an excellent five buck buy. They're mostly gone from the racks at WalMart now, but you can get them throught the 'site to store' transfer. Shipping is free when you pick it up at your local store.

02-29-2008, 08:34 PM	#1
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,426	The Very Best Of "One Step Beyond" Has anyone ever heard of this show? I saw the dvd at Walmart for $5, and was wondering if it would be good to get? I believe it had 4 or 5 disc's in it. I only remember a few of the stars listed on the box, Cloris Leachman, Suzanne Pleshette, Robert Blake & Charles Bronson.

02-29-2008, 09:01 PM	#3
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,338	It's a very good show and well-worth the $5, I own that collection myself.
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

02-29-2008, 08:57 PM	#2
TV_Fan Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 15, 2005 Location: USA Posts: 876	These are all public domain episodes, but yes I have heard of the show. I bought the 20 episode set put out by Diamond Entertainment. The quality is watchable. I have heard the quality of the sets vary. I never saw the show before I bought the set at a Sam Goody stoe closing sale. I enjoyed some of the episodes. If you like The Twilight Zone you might like this show. For $5 you really can't go wrong.

03-01-2008, 11:53 AM	#4
Pentimento Member Forum Regular Join Date: Feb 16, 2004 Location: The Big Valley Posts: 606	I have it, and while the sound and picture quality are not good I still find it entertaining. The stories aren't as interesting as those of similar shows like "The Twilight Zone" or "Tales from the Dark Side", but they're all supposedly based on actual events. I used to watch it when I was a kid and a lot of the episodes freaked me out back then. (A few of them still do. ) And, for five bucks, it's not really a huge gamble.

03-01-2008, 09:34 PM	#5
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,426	Thanks for the in-put, I'll probably go back & get it tommorrow. I wish I could find the Twilight Zone that cheap.

03-02-2008, 05:58 AM	#7
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,338	This collection is 50 episodes on 4 discs and was distributed by Mill Creek Entertainment. The MSRP was $14.98 so getting these for a 3rd of that is a good deal. I haven't watched the entire set but for $5, You can't go wrong. The episodes aren't perfect but they don't look like **** either. The complete run was 97 episodes so you get over half the series here. Like Ben Casey said, I would also love to see this released in the same manner as Twilight Zone but I'm not getting my hopes up. Ann, If you purchase this, I highly recommend the episode "The Dead Part of the House" to be among the first you watch. This episode alone makes it worth the $5

03-02-2008, 10:39 AM	#8
TV_Fan Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 15, 2005 Location: USA Posts: 876	From what I've heard most of the episodes are in the public domain and most of the original masters were lost. I doubt there will ever be an official release. The set I have from Diamond Entertainment is watchable. It's not regular DVD quality but for the few dollars I paid I'm not complaining. Also, you don't always get what you paid for. I bought the entire first season Sony release of The Jeff Foxworthy Show at Walmart for $5.50. I got a lot more than what I paid for.

03-02-2008, 01:28 PM	#10
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,426	I'll pick it up this afternoon and try to watch a couple of episodes. I'll watch that "The Dead Part Of The House" first. Hopefully it will be on this dvd set. I just don't remember this show off hand, but maybe once I start watching it, it'll come back to me.

03-08-2008, 06:51 PM	#12
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,426	^ It was in the $5 rack up near the front of the store in our Walmart. I've watched almost all of the first disc, and I still don't remember ever seeing this show before. The actors are very dramatic on the episodes and it was cool seeing Mike Conners (Mannix) as an italian trapeze artist and Pernell Roberts as a french soldier. Wow!

03-08-2008, 07:38 PM	#13
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,486	I can remember seeing One Step Beyond on television during its original run (under the title Alcoa Presents), way back in 1959 (I was twelve at the time). It has often been compared to Rod Serling's Twilight Zone, but it may surprise a lot of people that One Step Beyond actually pre-dates Twilight Zone by over eight months. Alcoa Presents (which was re-titled One Step Beyond in syndication) premiered on ABC on Jan. 20, 1959. Serling's classic show followed, on CBS, debuting on Oct. 2, 1959. It was, though, often (poorly) imitated and did influence many later sci-fi shows. The two series were very similar. The former dealt with (in TV Guide's words) "paranormal tales, including ghosts, psychic phenomena and alien abductions" while the latter is described as an "anthology of sci-fi, suspense and goosebump-inducing tales" that were "filled with invention and irony .. and frequently a terrific twist at the end." Now, after having had an opportunity to see Serling's show--and although I still have fond memories of the earlier show hosted by John Newland--I have to admit that, on the whole, Twliight Zone is a notch better than its predecessor ... mainly because the prolific Rod Serling penned most of the episodes himself. He was, simply, one of the best television writers of all time.

03-31-2008, 05:58 PM	#15
repeatshistory Doing my part to make your day Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 31, 2008 Location: Williams Bay, WI Posts: 381	This set is very reasonable for the five bucks. Watched and enjoyed ALL of the episodes. Not every ep is a great transfer, and there are a few 'trouble spots' along the way, but all in all, an excellent five buck buy. They're mostly gone from the racks at WalMart now, but you can get them throught the 'site to store' transfer. Shipping is free when you pick it up at your local store.