One Step Beyond

Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond is an American television series created by Merwin Gerard. The original series ran for three seasons on ABC from 1959 to 1961 and remains syndicated to this day. Because the copyright has lapsed on at least some of the episodes", several distribution companies have released episode packages using 16mm syndication prints rather than the 35mm originals, resulting in uneven audio and video. The series was popular enough to be parodied on The Benny Hill Show in a sketch entitled "One Step Behind" and inspired two musical homages.

John Kenneth Muir's book An Analytical Guide to Television's One Step Beyond, 1959–1961 presents the history of this TV series including a synopsis and analysis of the episodes.

History:

Created by Merwin Gerard and produced by the prolific producer Collier Young, the program was hosted by John Newland, "your guide to the supernatural" (also credited as "Our guide into the world of the unknown"). Newland presented tales which explored paranormal events and various situations that defied logical explanation. Unlike other anthology programmers, this ABC network series episodes were presented in the form of straightforward thirty-minute docudramas, all said to be based on true events. Initially, the program included the corporate name of the sponsor Alcoa as its full title.

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