Logan’s Run
In the 23rd century, mankind lives in gigantic domed cities, protected by the elements and never allowed to venture outside. Pleasure is the only pursuit, but while there’s plenty of hedonism, there isn’t much longevity: everyone is expected to do their part to prevent overpopulation by laying down their life at the age of 30 in a spectacular ritual called Carousel, after which doctrine tells them that they will be reborn as infants. Implanted in the palm of every citizen’s hand is a glowing crystal that begins to flash red as their time draws near, and anyone who tries to defy the law and live past 30 is declared a Runner, and becomes the target of Sandmen – trained killers who, on the behalf of the city, put Runners to “sleep.”
It is this life into which Logan-5 (Michael York) is born, and he enjoys his work as a Sandman until the city’s central computer selects him for a special mission. Apparently, over the years (and carefully hidden from the general populace) over a thousand Runners have successfully escaped the city and taken refuge in a place known only as Sanctuary. Logan is assigned to become a Runner himself to infiltrate their ranks, and report back to the authorities where Sanctuary is so it can be destroyed, along with a growing resistance movement, once and for all. But no one will accept Logan unless they believe he has a reason to run – and thus he is subjected to a process which robs him of his remaining six years. With no indication that he will get them back if he accomplishes his task, and strangely drawn to a young woman named Jessica with dangerously dissident ideals, Logan finds that he now has more reason to become a real Runner than to fulfill his mission – even if it sets his fellow Sandmen against him.
screenplay by David Zelag Goodman
based on the novel by William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson
directed by Michael Anderson
music by Jerry GoldsmithCast: Michael York (Logan), Richard Jordan (Francis), Jenny Agutter (Jessica), Roscoe Lee Browne (Box), Farrah Fawcett-Majors (Holly), Michael Anderson Jr. (Doc), Peter Ustinov (The Old Man), Randoplh Roberts (2nd Sanctuary Man), Lara Lindsay (Woman Runner), Gary Morgan (Billy), Michelle Stacy (Mary), Laura Hippe (Woman Customer), David Westberg (Sandman), Camilla Carr (Sanctuary Woman), Grew Lewis (Cub), Ashley Cox (Timid Girl), Bill Couch (Sandman), Glen Wilder (Runner)
Review: In some ways, it’s regarded as pure cheese now, and even ripe for a remake, but I find that I still enjoy Logan’s Run. And despite my admiration for the movie, it’s incredibly derivative – there’s very little of the basic premise of mankind’s fate and state of existence that I haven’t already read in Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”, from the hedonistic lifestyle to the great outdoors being a horrible place in which our heroes are ill-equipped to survive. Where the two diverge is Logan‘s commentary and parody of ageism.
Notes: Considered by Starlog magazine to be the most promising SF TV series of 1977, Logan’s Run borrows some visual elements from the movie – namely costumes and props, to say nothing several minutes of the movie’s “Carousel” scenes (complete with excerpts of 
Tech Four), Hank Brandt (Gold), Betty Bridges (Fontaine), Wallace Chadwell (White), Kenneth Martinez (Martinez), Jeff Reese (Handley), Jeff Cotler (Binary), Sherril Lynn Katzman (Katie)
Guest Cast: William Smith (Patron / Modok), Len Birman (Positive 14 / Brawn), Kim Cattrall (Rama II), Jeanne Sorel (Rama I), Betty Jinnette (Woman-Positive), John Gowans (Engineer-Scientist)
Notes: This episode establishes that Logan has been running for nearly a year. This was the final episode of Logan’s Run broadcast by CBS. Following numerous time slot changes, an intermittent schedule of new episodes, and a fall 1977 schedule that had pitted the science fiction show – traditionally seen as the domain of male viewers – against Monday Night Football at a time when ABC’s weekly football game completely dominated television ratings. Three further episodes were produced, but not aired as part of CBS’ run; they premiered later in syndicated packages sold to such up-and-coming cable “superstations” as Ted Turner’s WTBS. The synopses of the remaining episodes, since their premiere dates are unknown (regardless of what the user-generated content on IMDb says), can be accessed by clicking on the show logo above.