User Reviews

I recall this series when I was quite young. I remember that I was really intrigued by the scientific explanations that were then extrapolated into an adventure of some sort. Some of them were quite dull, but there was always a connection to be made. In this episode, a test pilot using a new fuel in his experimental jet, goes at a tremendous speed and ejects when he sees a rocket-like entity approaching the plane. The rest of the episode involves his ability to explain what he knows happens to a group of naysayers. He even visits a world renowned expert on flying saucers. We get a Carl Sagan kind of explanation of the cosmos and the possibility of extra-terrestrial life. It's a simple story, but given the budding interest in astronomy at this time, it packed a pretty good wallop. It might be pointed out that this preceded the scare that took place due to the Soviet launch of Sputnik.

A pilot who was testing an experiential fuel capable of pushing his plane past Mach 2 recounts the events that led to his ejection and loss of the aircraft: a strange object that was capable of flying faster the anything on Earth was on a collision course with his jet. The first episode of Ivan Tors' vintage 'scientific' sci-fi anthology is pretty typical of the well-regarded series: Truman Bradley discusses some 'real' science relevant to the episode (in this case, perceptions of objects moving at very high speeds) before introducing the fictional story. In 'Beyond', the connection between the two segments is tenuous and the 'science' in the story is a vague (microgravity plays a role but as the plane was not in orbit or flying parabolas, it is unclear why). The plot is minimal but the 'double twist' ending is imaginative. The episode includes some nice (albeit inconsistent) footage of early jet aircraft and features an intelligent discussion of the probability of extraterrestrial life. Tors used the same footage of mice in microgravity in his 'hard science fiction film 'Riders to the Stars '(1954) one of his three 'OSI' films that played out like extended episodes of his TV series. Similar to 'Tales of Tomorrow', 'Science Fiction Theatre' is frequently more interesting as a window on the media portrayal of science in the mid-1950s than as stand-alone entertainment but there are some pretty clever, fun episodes.