Day: January 18, 1974

Categories
Season 1 Six Million Dollar Man

Population: Zero

The Six Million Dollar ManNorris, California, population: 23…at least until a California highway patrolman pulls into town and reports that everyone in Norris is dead. After just a few minutes of investigating the scene, he too keels over, clutching his head and screaming in pain. Oscar feels that Steve Austin is too valuable a resource to send into what may still be a dangerous situation, but Steve grew up near Norris and refuses to stay away. Despite the fact that no hazardous chemicals or radiation have been detected, Steve dons a spacesuit and walks into town, finding not just one survivor, but many – everyone in Norris is alive. The survivors’ stories lead Steve to believe that ultrasonic sound waves being used by a disgraced government scientist are the culprit; ransom notes dropped by helicopter demand millions of dollars, or the sonic weapon will be used against another town, this time leaving no survivors.

written by Elroy Schwartz
directed by Jeannot Swzarc
music by Oliver Nelson

The Six Million Dollar ManCast: Lee Majors (Steve Austin), Richard Anderson (Oscar Goldman), Martin E. Brooks (Dr. Rudy Wells), Penny Fuller (Dr. Chris Forbes), Don Porter (Dr. Stanley Bacon), Paul Carr (Paul Cord), Paul Fix (Joe Taylor), Walter Brooke (General Harland Tate), Morgan Jones (Major Phillips), Colby Chester (Joe Hollister), John Elerick (Corporal Ed Presby), Virginia Gregg (Mrs. Nelson), Stuart Nisbet (Harry Johnson), Bob Delegall (1st Technician), David Valentine (Teletype Operator), Mike Santiago (Frank)

The Six Million Dollar ManNotes: Steve’s bionic limbs and implants are shown to be vulnerable to extreme cold. (Insert Stone Cold Steve Austin joke here.) The casting for this episode really went where no man has gone before: both Paul Carr and Paul Fix guest starred as, respectively, helmsman Lt. Kelso and Dr. Piper, in the second Star Trek pilot. (Their former captain, William Shatner, would be appearing alongside The Six Million Dollar Man later in the show’s first season.)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Classic Season 19 Doctor Who

Four To Doomsday

Doctor WhoThe Doctor, trying to return Tegan to Heathrow Airport, manages to get the TARDIS to the correct time and date – but in the wrong place, landing aboard a vast spaceship which is slowly making its way toward Earth. The Doctor and his friends eventually meet Monarch, ruler of the alien Urbankans, who are preparing to visit Earth on what Monarch claims is a mission of peace. But it seems that the Urbankans have already paid Earth a visit – representatives of various periods and cultures in the planet’s past. But none of it is real – the “abductees” aren’t really human, and Monarch’s mission is one of conquest, not peace.

Order the DVDDownload this episodewritten by Terence Dudley
directed by John Black
music by Roger Limb

Guest Cast: Stratford Johns (Monarch), Philip Locke (Bigon), Paul Shelley (Persuasion), Annie Lambert (Enlightenment), Burt Kwouk (Lin Futu), Illario Bisi Pedro (Kurkutji), Nadia Hammam (Villagra)

Broadcast from January 18 through 26, 1982

LogBook entry & review by Earl Green

Categories
Season 01 Star Trek The Next Generation

Datalore

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 41242.2: Data visits his home planet and discovers that his creator also constructed – and, for some unknown reason, disassembled – a “twin brother” of the android: Lore. The crew welcomes Lore with open arms, but they soon discover that the greed Data lacks as a human emotion is indeed possessed by Lore.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Robert Lewin and Gene Roddenberry
story by Robert Lewin and Maurice Hurley
directed by Rob Bowman
music by Ron Jones

Guest Cast: Brent Spiner (Lore), Biff Yeager (Chief Engineer Argyle)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Deep Space Nine Season 01 Star Trek

Babel

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStardate 46425.8: Business as usual is keeping O’Brien the busiest man on DS9, as systems continuously break down almost at random, mainly food replicators. In the course of his repairs, O’Brien accidentally activates a concealed Bajoran device designed to release an adaptive virus into the food generated by that replicator. He is immediately stricken with the disease, which scrambles his brain’s ability to connect language, stimuli and responses. Quark, impatient to get service back on schedule at his bar, unwittingly spreads the virus to all of his patrons, and a stationwide epidemic ensues. Bashir, before falling victim to the virus himself, discovers that the plague was created by the Bajora in an attempt to prevent the construction of the station years ago, and it is eventually fatal. Most of the population is rendered useless, with a few exceptions, among them Odo, Major Kira and Quark. They must find an antidote to the virus and try to ensure the station’s safety until a cure can be found.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonteleplay by Michael McGreevey and Naren Shankar
story by Sally Caves and Ira Steven Behr
directed by Paul Lynch
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Jack Kehler (Jaheel), Matthew Faison (Surmak Ren), Ann Gillespie (Nurse Jabara), Geraldine Farrell (Galis Blin), Bo Zenga (Asoth), Richard Ryder (Bajoran Deputy), Frank Novak (Businessman), Kathleen Wirt (Aphasia Victim), Lee Brooks (Aphasia Victim), Todd Feder (Federation Male)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 4 Xena: Warrior Princess

Daughter of Pomira

Xena: Warrior PrincessXena and Gabrielle are traveling through the area where Xena’s army once fought the Horde. The pair are trying to avoid running into the savages, when they spot a Horde warrior out with three teens. They notice that the girl in the group has blonde hair, and Xena seems to recognize her from somewhere. Suddenly a hatchet flies through the air, hitting the Horde warrior. A man runs to attack the kids, but Xena stops him. Gabrielle finds a Roman sling shot and Xena remembers giving it to the daughter of one of her warriors. The warrior and bard travel back to the village with Milo. There Xena tells Vanessa’s parents that she has seen their daughter. And with encouragement from Gabrielle, she promises to bring her home.

Order the DVDswritten by Linda McGibney
directed by Patrick Norris
music by Joseph LoDuca

Guest Cast: Beth Allen (Vanesa/Pilee), Craig Ancell (Milo), Bruce Hopkins (Rahl), Mandy Mcmullin (Adiah), Watchman Rivers (Cirvik)

LogBook entry by Mary Terrell

Categories
8th Doctor Doctor Who The Audio Dramas

Storm Warning

Doctor WhoThe Doctor happens upon a recursive disaster in the time vortex – a timeship whose fiery demise is repeating itself over and over again, leaving the vessel helpless to fend off the attack of vortex-dwelling creatures swarming over the wreck. The Doctor impetuously tries to nudge the timeship out of its predicament, putting the TARDIS in danger of joining it in its never-ending fate. The gambit works, but when the Doctor makes a hasty emergency exit of the vortex, vortizores follow the TARDIS to its destination: Earth, 1930, aboard the doomed maiden voyage of British Airship R-101. The Doctor becomes stranded aboard the ship – which history records as having crashed in France on its first flight with all hands lost – when the TARDIS, having landed in one of the ballast tanks, is dumped overboard. He then meets stowaway Charlotte Pollard – “Charley” for short – who boarded the R-101 in the guise of a steward, but has now been found out and is on the run. Lord Tamworth, the Minister of the Air, is also aboard, as is the dirigible’s nervous designer, fearful of the changes that Tamworth made to his specifications. And in Cabin 43, a heavily-sedated passenger is kept in isolation, though someone aboard the craft has made arrangements to return her home…to an alien space vehicle at an altitude of 5,000 feet.

Order this CD written by Alan Barnes
directed by Gary Russell
music by Alistair Lock / theme arrangement by David Arnold

Cast: Paul McGann (The Doctor), India Fisher (Charley), Gareth Thomas (Lord Tamworth), Nicholas Pegg (Frayling), Barnaby Edwards (Rathbone), Hylton Collins (Chief Steward Weeks), Helen Goldwyn (Triskele)

Timeline: after the 1996 TV movie and before Sword Of Orion

LogBook entry and TheatEar review by Earl Green

Categories
Hyperdrive Season 1

Hello Queppu

HyperdriveCommander Henderson is assigned to open diplomatic relations with an alien race called the Queppu, primarily so the Tesco retail chain can extend its reach across the galaxy. Henderson takes Teal and York with him, insisting that York leave the heavy weaponry on the Camden Lock, but when the Queppu reveal their primitive, warlike tendencies, Henderson’s first contact team is in trouble. Worse yet, he’s left Jeffers in charge of the ship, and when Henderson needs help the most, his crew isn’t there.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonwritten by Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley
directed by John Henderson
music by Mark Thomas

HyperdriveCast: Nick Frost (Henderson), Kevin Eldon (York), Miranda Hart (Teal), Dan Antopolski (Jeffers), Stephen Evans (Vine), Petra Massey (Sandstrom), Paterson Joseph (Space Marshal), Steven Burrell (Joshua), Geoffrey McGivern (Supreme Ruler), Montserrat Lombard (Lavya), Byron McGuinness (Courtier), Morwenna Banks (Announcer), Maggie Service (Computer voices)

Notes: Geoffrey McGivern was the actor behind the microphone in the original and revived BBC Radio series of Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, though he did not appear in the 1981 TV adaptation (in which he was replaced by David Dixon, who was thought to look more otherworldly).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Lost Season 2

The Hunting Party

  • By Dave
  • January 18, 2006

LostFlashback: Jack’s reputation from his wife Sarah’s recovery has attracted an older patient in desperate search of hope for a cure for a spinal tumor. Jack’s father does not feel the man is a candidate for surgery, but the patient’s daughter Gabriella appeals directly to Jack, who can’t step back from a challenge. Jack keeps throwing himself into his work even though he can feel the distance growing between him and Sarah, and even though his father warns him not to get too close to the case – or to Gabriella.

The Island: Michael knocks out Locke and puts him and Jack into the gun locker in order to go after Walt. When Kate and Sawyer arrive to let them out, Jack and Locke take off after Michael. Sawyer insists on coming along, and Kate tries to follow. When Jack tells her to stay behind and watch the hatch, she drafts Hurley into button duty and follows. Jin wants to go after his friend as well, but Sun refuses to allow him to risk himself again.

Locke tracks Michael going north, following a different trail than he traveled with the tail survivors. As the three searchers probe each other’s motivations for the expedition, they hear gunfire, but are unable to find Michael. Locke and Jack’s argument over whether or not to proceed is interrupted by a representative of the Others – the one who took Walt and shot Sawyer. He tells the three that they are unwelcome guests on their island, and that from now on borders need to be respected. He tells them to leave their weapons behind and go home, or another of the survivors will pay the price.

Order the DVDswritten by Elizabeth Sarnoff & Christina M. Kim
directed by Stephen Williams
music by Michael Giacchno

Guest Cast: John Terry (Dr. Shephard), Julie Bowen (Sarah), Monica Dean (Gabriela), Ronald Guttman (Angelo), M.C. Gainey (Mr. Friendly)

Notes: The Others’ representative calls to Alex – the same name as Rousseau’s child. Jack’s successful operation on Sarah was shown in this season’s Man of Science, Man of Faith.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Invasion

Power

InvasionAfter revealing the truth about Tom Underlay to Mariel, Russell fears that his children may pay the price – Tom has taken them on an unannounced trip, leaving no clues as to where they’re being taken. Where the children are concerned, Tom promises a fun weekend getaway, but Jesse is immediately skeptical, relentlessly questioning Tom about where they are, and why there’s a sheriff’s department boat tied to the dock. Jesse can’t seem to get Rose or Kira worked up about the situation, though. Worked up barely begins to describe Mariel and Russell’s state of mind, and worse yet, Larkin suspects that Russell may be spending time with his ex-wife for reasons that have nothing to do with their children. Russell decides it’s time to tell Larkin everything he knows about the hurricane survivors who have banded into an unusually insular group, and even tells her about finding the body of the real Tom Underlay. But he doesn’t know what Larkin will do with the information – she could discard it as a flimsy excuse, or she could decide to make a news story out of it. And all the while, Tom is calling Mariel and giving her only the most cryptic answers about her children’s well being. To ensure their safety, however, she’ll have to reaffirm her loyalty to her husband – despite knowing that he’s no longer human.

Order this DVDwritten by Becky Hartman Edwards & Reed Steiner
directed by Lawrence Trilling
music by Jon Ehrlich & Jason Derlatka

Guest Cast: Elisabeth Moss (Christina), Mark Colson (Deputy Munger), Colin Fickes (Deputy Palmateer), Michael Mitchell (Derek Culie), Scott Klace (Stevie)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Season 4 Stargate Stargate Atlantis

Quarantine

Stargate AtlantisAlarms ring and bulkheads slam shut throughout Atlantis, signalling an automatic defense system: a deadly virus has been detected within the city, and everyone is to remain isolated where they are. Rodney, about to propose to his girlfriend, suddenly finds himself useless in the effort to find out what’s going on – and unfortunately, Colonel Carter and everyone else seems to be assuming that Rodney is somewhere at a computer terminal, fixing the problem, which looks more and more like a false alarm. Sheppard takes matters into his own hands, smashing through a window and climbing the command tower all the way to the top, but when he breaks another window to get in again, another automatic quarantine protocol kicks in: one which will destroy the entire city in a matter of minutes to present the “disease” from spreading.

Order the DVDswritten by Carl Binder
directed by Martin Wood
music by Joel Goldsmith and Neil Acree

Guest Cast: Jewel Staite (Dr. Keller), David Nykl (Dr. Zelenka), Brenda James (Dr. Katie Brown), Kavan Smith (Major Lorne), Chuck Campbell (Technician)

LogBook entry by Earl Green