theLogBook.com's Retrogram podcast
The week of July 26th, 2021: Commander Koenig and Dr. Russell sound completely different. Travis sounds the same (but which one?). Kolchak is about to be clearer than ever. Moonbase Alpha’s Eagles and little color TVs are getting smaller. It’s a very different kind of Retrogram. (35:58)
1978-1981: With Britbox (and Forces TV in the UK) bringing Blake’s 7 back to everyone’s screens, Retrogram presents a unique, “focus episode” to provide the show’s historical context, its literary and pop culture inspirations, its influence on what came after it, and an even-handed look at the pros and cons of the show…all without spoiling all of the show’s big surprises (and they are legion). Also, find out which Babylon 5 regular cast member had a role in a Terry Nation project! (47:38)
Content warning: brief plot-relevant mention of sexual assault, assault on minors
The week of October 14th, 1973: Wait, isn’t this the road we came in on? In honor of the late, great Dean Stockwell, it’s time for this short episode (previously a Patreon-only bonus show from the end of 2020) to get a wide release, taking a look at a Stockwell performance that has gone unseen by many for over 40 years. (14:55)
One story, three times: Meet Cyril Kornbluth and his amazing Little Black Bag from the future – one of the best short stories in the history of science fiction, and a story that merited being told three times across three decades. (47:36)
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The week of December 27, 1971: Â It’s been over 50 years since these episodes premiered. Was the world a better place? Was genre TV a better place? What color does a Dalek really need to be? And where’s Joe Corvin with my money? (55:23)
The week of November 20, 1983: Â A world on the brink of what would likely be its last war. Instead of fighting that war, let’s dramatize it! Let’s also thwart evil plans to take over Earth by everything from cubes to evil warlords, and try to figure out if Doctor Who’s 20th anniversary had more intrigue on screen or behind the scenes. Hopefully this massive trivia bomb is the only one you have to worry about today. (1:08:55)
Oh No, It’s The ’90s!: Ah, the ’90s – a decade that turned the broadcast industry upside-down. You know, just like every previous decade since broadcasting was invented. But Retrogram is about to start going there, so it seemed like a good time to talk about why so much ’90s genre TV was syndicated. And why the ’90s syndication landscape looks an awful lot like the ’20s streaming landscape. Why aren’t your favorite ’90s shows out on Blu-Ray? How far into the ’90s will Retrogram go? The answers to these questions and probably two or three others are in this show. (53:12)
Special thanks to theLogBook.com’s Discord community for suggesting this topic and sending me down a real research rabbit hole.
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The week of May 2, 1977: Before the Dark Times, before the Empire – well, approximately three weeks before the Dark Times and before the Empire – television sci-fi is just doing its thing on both sides of the Atlantic, unaware that audience expectations are about to change drastically. Retrogram examines five shows that were on the air during one of the last few weeks before a little movie called Star Wars took the world by storm. (1:06:06)
