Warner Brothers announces new network

PTENAfter two years of running the numbers and making alliances with foreign investors, Warner Brothers announces that it will launch its own television network, the Prime Time Entertainment Network, as a joint venture with Chris-Craft Industries’ group of television stations. Modeled after the recently premiered Fox Network, PTEN will begin with one night a week of programming, gradually increasing to two or more. With Fox still only broadcasting two nights a week, ironically, most TV stations that sign up as early adopters of PTEN are Fox affiliates. The network is expected to sign on in late 1992 or early 1993, and will become the home to the science fiction series Babylon 5.

Babylon 5 cleared for launch

Babylon 5Writer and series creator J. Michael Straczynski takes to the GEnie online message service to announce that his science fiction series, Babylon 5, has gotten the go-ahead from Warner Brothers and will be the cornerstone of a new television network. He promises that the series will begin with one or two two-hour movies to set up the premise, with a series to follow in 1993, as well as revealing that the show’s visual effects will be accomplished with computer generated graphics rather than miniature models.

STS-44

Space ShuttleNASA launches Space Shuttle Atlantis on a mission lasting nearly a week, deploying both classified and unclassified payloads for the Defense Department. After the payload deployments, tests are conducted to determine the viability of the shuttle orbiters for long-duration missions. Manning Atlantis for this mission are Commander Frederick Gregory, Pilot Terence Henricks, and mission specialists Mario Runco, James Voss, Story Musgrave and Thomas Hennen.

Super Force: Ghost In The Machine

Super ForceThe 31st episode of the science fiction crime drama Super Force is broadcast in syndication in North America, starring Ken Olandt, Larry B. Scott, and Patrick Macnee (The Avengers). Musetta Vander guest stars.

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Super Force: Made For Each Other – Part 1

Super ForceThe 32nd episode of the science fiction crime drama Super Force is broadcast in syndication in North America, starring Ken Olandt, Larry B. Scott, and Patrick Macnee (The Avengers).

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Doctor Who: The New Adventures: Timewyrm: Revelation

Doctor WhoVirgin Publishing releases the fourth book in the Doctor Who New Adventures series, “Timewyrm: Revelation” by Paul Cornell. This is Cornell’s first professionally-published fiction, and is published over the objections of former Doctor Who producer John Nathan-Turner (acting as an advisor to the editors), who cites concerns over the book’s abstract attempts to establish an epic mythology involving Gallifreyan gods. The book also concludes the four-book Timewyrm cycle, which has proven to be enough of a sales success that Virgin opts to continue publishing original Doctor Who fiction. Read more

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Star TrekThe first Star Trek film since 1982’s Star Trek II to be directed by Nicholas Meyer, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country premieres in theaters, with Paramount billing it as the final appearance of the original crew. Depicting the earliest hints of a political alliance between the Federation and the Klingons, Star Trek VI is intended to hint at the future already playing out on TV on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and is preceded by a special two-part episode of that show featuring Leonard Nimoy. While some of the cast reprise their roles in later movies, TV episodes and even fan-made productions, this does mark the final appearance of DeForest Kelley in character as Dr. McCoy. Read more

Super Force: Made For Each Other – Part 2

Super ForceThe 33rd episode of the science fiction crime drama Super Force is broadcast in syndication in North America, starring Ken Olandt, Larry B. Scott, and Patrick Macnee (The Avengers).

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Until The End Of The World (soundtrack)

Until The End Of The WorldThe soundtrack from the movie Until The End Of The World is released, featuring songs by U2, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Lou Reed, Talking Heads, R.E.M., Depeche Mode and others; the CD contains only a few short sections of Graeme Revell’s instrumental score. Read more

Magellan: mapping Venus in stereo

VenusThe third phase of data gathering begins for NASA’s Magellan unmanned space probe, launched via space shuttle in 1989 and currently orbiting the heavily-clouded planet Venus. Using radar to peer through the planet’s dense clouds, Magellan has now mapped 96% of the planet’s surface, and will now spend much of the remainder of 1992 filling in details in regions it has missed, as well as re-scanning some regions of Venus stereoscopically, allowing for three-dimensional terrain reconstruction.

Star Trek: The Next Generation spinoff announced

Deep Space NineParamount formally announces plans to launch another Star Trek spinoff, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, in 1993, with filming to begin later in 1992. With casting yet to be finalized and the series concept still in flux, the public’s first glimpse is a year away; many trade publications still list Michelle Forbes’ TNG character, Ensign Ro, as one of DS9’s main characters. The series will be the first Star Trek entity not created by the late Gene Roddenberry; instead, TNG showrunners Rick Berman and Michael Piller have created the show’s concept, which is said to be “darker and grittier.”