Cinematronics releases the laserdisc-powered arcade video game Space Ace, with animation overseen by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth.
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Cinematronics releases the laserdisc-powered arcade video game Space Ace, with animation overseen by ex-Disney animator Don Bluth.
The third episode of Richard Carpenter’s fanciful retelling of the Robin Hood legend, Robin Of Sherwood, airs on ITV, starring Michael Praed, Mark Ryan, Judi Trott, and Nickolas Grace. John Abineri (Doctor Who, Blake’s 7) guest stars as Herne the Hunter.
NBC premieres the first part of its continuation of Kenneth Johnson’s alien invasion epic, V: The Final Battle. Heavily retooled without Johnson’s involvement, V is now focused on action and special effects spectacle, with in-fighting among the glamorous leaders of the Visitors providing a prime-time soap vibe.
NBC premieres the second part of its continuation of Kenneth Johnson’s alien invasion epic, V: The Final Battle. The birth of Robin’s alien-hybrid children is one of the genre cliffhangers of the decade. This marks the science fiction soundtrack debut of Dennis McCarthy, who later goes on to score most of the Star Trek spinoffs of the next three decades; he is tapped at a very late stage (mere days prior to broadcast) to rescore the entire miniseries – so late, in fact, that it’s ultimately impossible for him to redo the music for the first night in the time allotted.
NBC premieres the third and final part of its continuation of Kenneth Johnson’s alien invasion epic, V: The Final Battle. Now bearing little resemblance to the story Johnson originally hoped to tell with the sequel, the three-night event scores enough in the all-important Nielsen TV ratings to convince NBC to order a weekly series to be produced in time for 1984’s fall TV season.
Avalon Hill, a company best known for its boardgame and tabletop wargaming catalog, releases Shuttle Orbiter for the Atari 2600.
The fourth episode of Richard Carpenter’s fanciful retelling of the Robin Hood legend, Robin Of Sherwood, airs on ITV, starring Michael Praed, Mark Ryan, Judi Trott, and Nickolas Grace. Duncan Preston (Emmerdale) guest stars.
ITV airs the 85th episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. George Peppard (The A-Team) guest stars in the seventh season premiere.
The fifth episode of Richard Carpenter’s fanciful retelling of the Robin Hood legend, Robin Of Sherwood, airs on ITV, starring Michael Praed, Mark Ryan, Judi Trott, and Nickolas Grace. Peter Hutchinson (Gems) and Stephanie Tague guest star.
ITV airs the 86th episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Michael Jayston (Doctor Who: The Trial Of A Time Lord) guest stars.
Polydor Records releases an album of John Williams‘ soundtrack from Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, including the movie’s unique rendition of Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes”.
Atlantic Records releases James Horner‘s soundtrack from Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, including an instrumental “pop version” of the movie’s main theme. (The same album will be given a compact disc release at a later date by GNP Crescendo Records.)
The sixth episode of Richard Carpenter’s fanciful retelling of the Robin Hood legend, Robin Of Sherwood, airs on ITV, starring Michael Praed, Mark Ryan, Judi Trott, and Nickolas Grace. John Rhys-Davies (Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Sliders) guest stars in the first season finale.
ITV airs the 87th episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Patrick O’Neal, Tom Smothers, and Lois Smith (True Blood, Twister) guest star.
Having already made a unique sample-based production sound evident on such albums as Yes’ 90125, Art Of Noise releases its first album, (Who’s Afraid Of?) The Art Of Noise, on ZTT Records. The single “Close (To The Edit)”, accompanied by a manic, surreal music video, becomes an immediate hit. At this time, the “band” consists of Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn, J.J. Jeczalik and Gary Langan.
ITV airs the 88th episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Simon Cadell guest stars.
ITV airs the 89th episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Brad Dourif guest stars.
Springboard Software releases the computer publishing software suite The Newsroom for the Apple II home computer system, a very early example of a desktop publishing system, complete with the ability to transfer files to, and collaborate with, users of the same software on other platforms such as the Commodore 64.
With producer Harve Bennett now firmly in creative control of the movie franchise, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock premieres in theaters, directed by Leonard Nimoy (who, since his character is being searched for, plays only a small role as an actor in the film). The movie is a direct sequel to the events of the previous film, and sets up story developments for the fourth Star Trek movie, effectively serving as the middle chapter of a trilogy. The movie’s success confirms Nimoy’s graduation from actor to director.
ITV airs the 90th episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Jane Asher guest stars.
ITV airs the 91st episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Carol Lynley (The Poseidon Adventure, The Night Stalker) guest stars.
The American wing of Japanese arcade game manufacturer Taito introduces the coin-op racing game Buggy Challenge on the American arcade market.
ITV airs the 92nd episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Fritz Weaver and Ed Begley, Jr. guest star in an episode directed by Norman Lloyd.
Berkley Books publishes The Dune Encyclopedia, written and compiled by Dr. Willis E. McNelly and approved by Dune creator Frank Herbert (who would still contradict this book with some of his later Dune novels). The book, written from an academic point of view within the Dune universe, later goes out of print and is now considered a collectors’ item.
The Soviet Union launches Soyuz T-12 on a mission to space station Salyut 7. Cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Svetlana Savitskaya and Igor Volk visit the station crew and test new equipment during a three-hour spacewalk. Savitskaya becomes the first woman to fly in space twice as well as the first female spacewalker, an assignment that seems to have been devised purely for the political purpose of beating NASA to that first (the American space agency having announced in 1983 that an upcoming shuttle mission would feature a female spacewalker). Volk’s presence aboard the mission ensures that he has spaceflight experience ahead of his next mission, believed to be the first manned flight of the Soviet Buran shuttle. The Soyuz T-12 crew is in space for almost 12 days, returning to Earth on July 29th.
EMI Records releases the self-titled album Keats, written and performed by members of the Alan Parsons Project; Parsons produces.
ITV airs the 93rd episode of the anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected. Gloria Grahame guest stars.
Capcom releases the arcade video game Vulgus, a fast-paced coin-op shoot-’em-up.
Warner Bros. Records releases Lindsey Buckingham‘s second solo album, Go Insane, featuring the single of the same name.
Epic Records releases the Kansas compilation album The Best Of Kansas, featuring the highlights of the band’s first two lineups (though at the time of release, the band has broken up, only to reform a few years later).