"Nightmare" is an episode of the original ''

The Outer Limits ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' television show. It first aired on 2 December 1963, during the first season.

Premise

A group of space troopers are psychologically tortured in an alien

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as Prisoner of war, prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, inte ...

Plot

In response to an unprovoked nuclear attack from the planet Ebon, a group of soldiers–representing Unified Earth–is sent to fight the enemy on their alien world. Captured en route to Ebon, the soldiers undergo physical and psychological torture and interrogation at the hands of the Ebonites, who possess the ability to control physical abilities and senses. The prisoners become suspicious of each other when their captors claim they have received cooperation in obtaining military secrets, which is further complicated by each one's past and ethnic origins, along with the unexpected appearance of high-ranking Earth officers among the hostile aliens. The Earthmen are subjected to various interactive images of relatives and friends which have been implanted in their minds during questioning, allowing them to feel a false sense of security, or surfacing deeply hidden emotional conflicts. In the end, it is revealed that all of this is a military "game", organized by the Earth officers to test their troops' loyalty and valor under intense interrogation and psychological stress. The Earth-Ebon war itself is a fake, as the Ebonites' initial bombardment was unintentional and for which they had apologized. Unexpected accidents and deaths having occurred during the test, the Ebonites –who are, in actuality, a peaceful and honorable alien civilization– ultimately demand that such an immoral and inhuman experiment should end at once. Nevertheless they fail to prevent one last man from being killed, one of the conspiring Earth officers thought to be an illusion created by the Ebonites to trick the captives into revealing more information.

Closing narration

Original air date and reception

Originally scheduled to air on November 25, 1963, this episode was delayed until December 2 due to television coverage of the

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements o ...

of President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

. When the episode did air (in December) it was one of the most watched television episodes aired at the time, and the most-watched television broadcast of any show that week in every television media market in Maine, Wyoming, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee as well as in every media market in Georgia outside of Atlanta. Science fiction writers

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave science fiction, New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. His published wo ...

and

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein ( ; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific acc ...

both said they believed it was the best episode of the original season of ''The Outer Limits''.Sign-Posts up Ahead: "The Twilight Zone," "The Outer Limits," and TV Political Fantasy 1959-1965; Rick Worland - Science Fiction Studies - Vol. 23, No. 1 (Mar., 1996), pp. 103-122 (20 pages)

Cast

References

External links

"Nightmare" appreciation
by David C. Holcomb {{The Outer Limits The Outer Limits (1963 TV series) season 1 episodes 1963 American television episodes Television episodes written by Joseph Stefano Television episodes about space warfare