How we'll be when we evolve (Outer Limits)

"The Sixth Finger": Why network execs refused to show the original ending

(RerunZone, 4/17/22) In the fall of 1963, The Outer Limits [or poor man's Twilight Zone] was one of the most popular and scariest shows on American television.

It was a science-fiction horror anthology that featured a "monster of the week" in graphic detail. The Outer Limits' fifth episode, “The Sixth Finger,” aired on October 14, 1963, and starred the soon-to-be-popular but then-unknown actor David McCallum and veteran Irish actor Edward Mulhare as rogue genetics scientist Professor Mathers.

The Outer Limits was a favorite among TV shows for many growing up. This episode in particular is fascinating. Something about the visuals, the eerie lighting, and David McCallum’s makeup really grabs attention.

Although most Americans weren’t familiar with McCallum at the time, he soon became a popular actor in the Man from UNCLE.

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