The Borderland

Peter Mark Richman stars as Professor Ian Fraser, who, along with his wife Eva(played by Nina Foch) and a fellow colleague(played by Philip Abbot) claim to have discovered a doorway into the fourth dimension that they accidentally discovered via electrical fields. They need the backing of a wealthy man named Dwight Hartley(played by Barry Jones) who has recently lost his beloved son in an accident, and is desperate to make contact with him. They manage to make use of a power station to recreate the experiment, but the sabotage of a vengeful, discredited medium(played by Gladys Cooper) and her associate(played by Alfred Ryder) threaten all their plans... Interesting episode with good writing and ideas, even if it does leave many unanswered questions in its wake.

Scientists attempt to open a doorway into another dimension but lack enough electrical power to do so. However, the lead scientist's left hand has "changed polarity" and been turned into a second right hand when it momentarily is pulled into the gap.

When the scientists prove to a local tycoon that a psychic promising to put him in contact with his dead son is a fraud, he grants them access to the city power plant for one hour so they can succeed. The tycoon hopes they can reach "the other side" and contact his son. But the jilted psychic and her associate have other plans.

One of the weakest episodes in season 1, "The Borderland" make no sense: there is no reason for the scientists to believe that they can contact anyone on the "other side", let alone the tycoon's dead son, and in fact this subplot is never resolved; the script is unbearably talky and padded, full of pointless pseudoscientific jargon; and there's no reason for the psychic and her friend to show up inside the power plant except that it's necessary to the plot that they do so (how did they even know this experiment was happening today? Don't they have any security in this building?). Reportedly this one was one of the first episodes filmed but it's easy to see why it was held back until late in the season.

About a power station that can contact the afterlife.

I never liked the way this was pushed back to episode 12 when in fact it was the second episode produced! It would have made a fine 2nd episode so why push it back??????

Guest stars Alfred Ryder and Mark Richman both appeared in several 1960s sci-fi shows (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, QM's The Invaders, etc,) to the point that it was almost expected that one or both of them should turn up a 1960s sci-fi show. They were both very welcome! In this, Ryder's character has a touch of Dr Smith in Lost In Space.

The Borderland has a nice epic-feel (thanks to the Power Station set) and the hour is a bit different as it features no monster.

All in all, a fine episode.

During a séance, electronics scientist Mark Richman (as Ian Fraser) reveals "medium" Gladys Cooper (as Mrs. Palmer) is a charlatan. She claims the fakery helps channel her participants to believe, which is necessary when contacting the dead. Haven't heard that before, but it is a good explanation, under the circumstances. The failure distresses millionaire Barry Jones (as Dwight Hartley), who hoped to contact a son who died in a car accident at age seventeen...

Conveniently present at the séance, Prof. Richman explains he and wife Nina Foch (as Eva) have another idea for Mr. Jones. They are experimenting with a "doorway into the fourth dimension" and need financial backing. Richman has stuck his left hand in the doorway and now has two right hands. How this means Jones' dead son will be found seems far-fetched, but we go along with the idea. From writer/director Leslie Stevens, it's interesting if not convincing.

****** The Borderland (12/16/63) Leslie Stevens ~ Peter Mark Richman, Nina Foch, Barry Jones, Gladys Cooper

Man of wealth Dwight Hartley is desperate to contact his dead son, after a failed seance with Mrs Palmer, he's approached by Professor Ian Fraser, who claims to have found a path to the fourth dimension, Hartley sees a potential means for contact.

A thoroughly imaginative, creative episode, I think this is without a doubt one of the more interesting ones from series one. We have the obvious sci fi element, but it's also mixed in with the occult to.

It's a very solid production, very well made, with some age defying special effects, and a quality that still shines through decades later, huge credit to the production team.

The acting is spot on, Mark Richman and Nina Foch are both great, the character of Dwight Hartley was very well played by Barry Jones, you did get the impression of a desperate father, and of course a wonderful turn from the wonderful Gladys Cooper, who played the dodgy medium.

9/10.