One Step Beyond

[Zone Fighter]

One Step Beyond (1959-1961)

Directed and hosted by John Newland

Similar to but not nearly as well known as The Twilight Zone or Outer Limits. The stories are spookier than the other series and the host claims that they are true stories, which of course thay can't be.

I found a $1 DVD containing four episodes at Target.

The Last Round (26 minutes) - Charles Bronson is an American boxer fighting in England in an arena haunted by the ghost of a man killed in the ring. It's said that who ever sees Paddy will die soon. (3rd season)

Captain's Quest (25 minutes) - a married couple rent a house once owned by an old sea captain who apparently murdered his wife and the man he believe to be her lover. Once they take the house the husband (Robert Webber) starts accusing his wife of having an affair with his business partner, but he calls them by the names of the deceased captain's wife and partner. According to the Internent Movie Database the correct title for this is "The Captain's Guests" which would make more sense then "Captain's Quest". No title is given on screen. (1st season)

Where Are They? (25 minutes) - featuring Yvette Mimieux. This episode is divided into two stories. In the first story, once a day for 10 months Chico, California receives a shower of large rocks, for the past 3 days its been at the same time 3pm and same place, at the towns newspaper. In the second story a man calling himself Charles Elton demonstrates to the secretary of state and 3 scientists that he can turn water into gasoline then after offering to sell his secret for 10 million dollars vanishes. (3rd season)

Justice Three (26 minutes) - Sir Roberts falls asleep during a noon sermon, at the same time Sir Roberts takes Constable Josh Jones (Clifford Evans) to a loft apartment where lays a woman's corpse and confesses to her murder. When the constable starts to read him his rights Sir Roberts vanishes. Later Sir Roberts denies having left chaple and his claim is supported by his wife, the minister and 4 other men. The IMdb leaves "Three" out of the title, which again makes sense. (3rd season)

I wouldn't mind seeing more episodes and apparently more are available.

[Preston]

As far as zonefighter's skepticism of the authenticity, the Only one I can confirm is the one about rocks falling from the sky. That episode is based on an actual account, and there are several other True cases of that sort. There are also cases of FROGS falling from the sky, and those Frog accounts have been explained as a storm picking up frogs and then depositing them elsewhere.
Also you'll note that JOHN NEWLAND reads verbatim from the actual newspaper account and also gives the exact date of the article so it can be checked out.

[Zone Fighter]

There are no such things as ghosts so the ghost stories cannot be true. And no alchemy is going to turn water into gasoline.

I didn't see him reading any newspapers and even if he did they'd just be props used to make it look real.

[Preston]

I agree with you that there's No proof for ghosts and the gasoline-miracle. But as for the rocks from the sky, you can turn to the BIBLE in the book of Joshua, where a shower of rocks mysteriously fell from the sky and killed many of the Amorite army.

Also, it's already well-known that tornadoes can carry heavy objects over a distance, so that would account for those rocks from the sky in ONE STEP BEYOND.

[Zone Fighter]

John Newland implies that the rocks were sent and the water to gasoline stunt performed by vistors from other planet. In the story itself there's a line from the guy with the gasoline pill that makes it sound like maybe he's not from this planet. When Alfred Hitchock talked as if the stories he hosted were real you knew he was kidding. John Newland seems to want you to take him seriously. As fantasies and science fiction they aren't bad, but its madness to take them as reality.