When I first started searching YouTube for episodes to use in this feature, I came across quite a few episodes of an old black-and-white TV show called One Step Beyond. Running for three seasons (from 1959 to 1961), One Step Beyond was hosted by John Newland. Every week, Newland would tell the audience about some sort of possible paranormal phenomena. Then, a dramatization of a “real” event would be shown and occasionally, the show would end with Newland interviewing the real people whose story we had just watched.
To me, that all sounds like a lot of fun.
The 16th episode of One Step Beyond was called The Burning Girl and it dealt with a teenage girl who, whenever she got upset, could apparently cause fires to spontaneously erupt. It was written by Catherine Turney and directed by John Newland himself.
It was originally broadcast on May 5th, 1959 — presumably long before Stephen King even had the idea to write about a girl named Carrie.
Through the Shattered Lens 
Lisa Marie, I believe you’re thinking of “Firestarter” by Stephen King.
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Both of those King stories have dynamics similar to this “One Step Beyond” episode, but the main character is probably more similar to Carrie. Carrie had telekinetic abilities, over which she lost control when under duress or attack, as did Alice. And it was a fire that dispatched the tormenting students in the climactic scene at the prom, although I think the fire was a secondary development of turning (ironically) the fire hose on the other kids. I don’t know if we are supposed to understand that Carrie willed the resulting conflagration, as well, or that that was an unintended consequence..
Carrie and Alice also both had an abusive and dysfunctional mother figure to contend with, which like contributed to their stress management issues.
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I knew there were some science fiction TV series both simultaneous and prior to “The Twilight Zone”. But I was not aware of any programs that presented reenactments of alleged paranormal events, sometimes reconciled with the principals involved. I didn’t think that kind of show was produced until the at least the 70’s (“In Search Of” comes to mind; it was a documentary-style program, but it did have brief reenactments), and from what I remember, more like the 80’s. Impressive, and cool.
Interesting to see Edward Platt as the father in this episode. He played the Chief of Control in the classic “Get Smart” spy series. I keep picturing the chief and Max under “the Cone of Silence”, yet again attempting a conversation that was doom ed to fail. But enough musings from a nostalgic old man who would like to escape from Seth McFarlane-produced sitcoms and Maury Povich conducting DNA tests.
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Mister Edward Platt would also experience a brief journey into that shadowy realm that we like to call…”The Twilight Zone”.
http://www.cbs.com/shows/the_twilight_zone/video/622087103/the-twilight-zone-a-hundred-yards-over-the-rim
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Great, as usual. Nice period piece (sort of). I didn’t even recognize Cliff Robertson. What a smart script that show has.
Now I have to resist the temptation to stay up all night and watch more episodes. 🙂
Thank you, sir.
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