A Feasibility Study

A Feasibility Study is directed by Byron Haskin and written by Joseph Stefano. It stars Sam Wanamaker, Phylliss Love, Joyce Van Patten, David Opatoshu and Frank Puglia. Music is by Dominic Frontiere and cinematography by John M. Nickolaus Jr.

Season 1 - Episode 29

Episode sees an entire neighbourhood transported to the planet Luminos, where the inhabitants, Luminoids, are suffering from a disease that renders them as living statues. They are conducting a study to see if humankind can be used as slave labour, and thus this neighbourhood are the guinea pigs.

Super concept on offer here as the key twist in the tale revolves around a critical choice the humans have to make. This choice gives The Outer Limits one of its better episodes because it leads to an emotionally pumped, poignant and unforgettable finale. 8/10

This is one of the better episodes of "The Outer Limits" and it seems to have it all--excellent writing, lots of originality and some exceptional guest actors. In particular, Sam Wanamaker, David Opatashu and Joyce Van Patten help to make this one better since they all are very good actors.

The show begins with an alien species kidnapping a group of humans by literally chopping part of a town out of the Earth and bringing it to their planet. At first, the humans don't realize what has happened but they soon come to realize many BAD things--that they are not on Earth, the aliens are infected with a horrible virus and this is all part of a study to see if ALL the people of Earth can be enslaved to serve these brilliant but evil aliens. How the humans handle all this makes this one great--and very, very poignant. The ending, in particular, is one that might just make you shed a tear or two! Really. This is just exceptional throughout and I won't say more, as I don't want to spoil it.

The Beverly Hills neighborhood existing on a six-block section in Midgard Drive finds itself carved out and taken by an alien ship to the planet Luminos, where the inhabitants are to be used as a forced slave labor. The Luminoids are suffering from a leprosy-like disease that has blighted their planet, and unaffected humans will be used as test subjects that requires a choice, since human vanity and selfishness are being counted on to keep the abducted under control, in order to insure that the rest of the Earth will be viable for abduction. Can the people(some of whom are already infected) make the right choice? Outstanding episode is among the best, with an intelligent, ambitious script being matched by haunting visuals, atmospheric direction all leading to a noble, deeply moving climax that may move viewer to tears.

A typical American street of the 1960s is taken over by aliens.

This one has moments that will stay forever locked in the memory: the sick guy in the empty house, the car in the fog, the aliens first appearing, the look of the street, the look of the fog, etc.

I can think of several Outer Limits shows I like more than this one but there is no question that the general look of the episode is a knockout! Perhaps this hour could have used a bit more spark in it but it must of scared the hell out of people way back in 1964.

A 1964 version of TV's Under The Dome you might say. But done in one hour instead of several hours.

I recently saw this excellent episode, and I noticed several things that brought to mind similarities in Star Trek TNG and Star Trek Voyager. The idea of scooping out an entire area was also shown in the TNG episode The Best of Both Worlds - Part 1, where the Borg removed the entire New Providence colony. In fact, the post-removal shots in both episodes look very much alike.

Also, the disease symptoms in A Feasibility Study look similar to the Phage, which afflicted the Vidiians in Star Trek Voyager. The Phage looks more terrifying possibly because the makeup budget was no doubt smaller in the Outer Limits episode.