In 1959 two television series, the Twilight Zone and One Step Beyond, began. They seemed at first glance like carbon copies. Each featured a charismatic host who would introduce a strange tale, then reemerge at the end to present a coda. The two series even shared some of the same actors, such as the pre-Star Trek William Shatner.

But there was one crucial aspect that separated the two. The Twilight Zone relied on the some of the best science fiction and horror writers of the time, like Richard Matheson and Robert Bloch. One Step Beyond, however, presented an early form of docudrama -- the stories were all based on real events.

Here is the very first episode of One Step Beyond, broken down into 3 Youtube clips. They appear to be  cut at the moment of commercial breaks. (If you want, you could turn on your TV to watch a commercial between the clips!) The starring actress, Virginia Leith, is pretty impressive -- she exhibits a raw emotion that makes me wonder why her career never really got off the ground. She would, however, go on to star in a cult classic, The Brain That Wouldn't Die. It's been presented -- tongue firmly in cheek -- by both Elvira and Mystery Science 3000.