In his early television work in the late 50s/ early 60s, William Shatner acted in episodes of Twilight Zone, One Step Beyond, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Boris Karloff’s Thriller. He also starred in the 1963 episode Cold Hands, Warm Heart for The Outer Limits, where he met producer/director Leslie Stevens, who would cast him as the lead two years later in the bizarre, Esperanto-language art film, Incubus (1965).
Both seasons of the original Outer Limits are now streaming free to Prime members on Amazon. Other future regular Star Trek alums who appeared on the show include Leonard Nimoy (two episodes); James Doohan (Scottie); Mark Lenard (Sarek); and Grace Lee Whitney (Yeoman Rand).
In this episode, directed by veteran television helmer Charles F. Haas (Perry Mason, Bonanza), Shatner plays Colonel Jeff Barton, an American astronaut who returns in triumph to Earth after a successful solo orbit of Venus. Unbeknownst to his superiors, however, he was infected by Venusian cooties when his ship went off course for eight minutes and drifted too close to the planet. The Venusian who infected him is played by a puppet who bears a passing resemblance to the infamous Zuni fetish doll from the Dan Curtis cult television movie, Trilogy of Terror (1975).
Returning to Washington in triumph, Barton is promoted to general and then collaborates on a project to lobby Congress for Project Vulcan, a plan to colonize Mars. However, he keeps exhibiting strange physical characteristics. He is always cold, dressing in heavy coats and sweaters in the middle of summer, and he drinks massive quantities of scalding hot coffee. His devoted wife, played by Geraldine Brooks, is frightened by the changes.
When he visits a steam bath, he turns up the temperature to lethal measures and nearly dies. In the hospital, it’s discovered that Barton’s blood isn’t human anymore and his hands are turning into webbed claws. His old friend and doctor, played by Malachi Throne (who later played the spymaster Noah Bain in the Cold War spy series It Takes a Thief), tries to treat him, with unsuccessful results at first.
Eventually, a complete blood transfusion sets things right. There are several scenes where Shatner does his familiar bug-eyed, shrieking freak-out thing (Khaaaaaaan!). On the whole, however, this is a so-so episode; it's not terrible, but it's not the best either.
