Day: February 16, 1966

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Batman Season 1

A Riddle A Day Keeps The Riddler Away

BatmanA foreign king is visiting Gotham City, but it greeted by a surprise from the Riddler. Batman and Robin are immediately called in to keep the Riddler from disrupting the king’s visit, but are caught flat-footed when the king is abducted before their very eyes. But the king and his riches aren’t the prize; the Riddler will settle for nothing less than ridding the world of Batman.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Fred de Gorter
directed by Tom Gries
music by Nelson Riddle / Batman theme by Neal Hefti

BatmanCast: Adam West (Batman), Burt Ward (Robin), Alan Napier (Alfred), Neil Hamilton (Commissioner Gordon), Stafford Repp (Chief O’Hara), Madge Blake (Mrs. Cooper), Frank Gorshin (The Riddler), Susan Silo (Mousey), Reginald Denny (King Boris), Marc Cavell (Fangs), Tim Herbert (Whiskers), Roy Jenson (Whitey), Tris Coffin (Ambassador), Johnny Magnus (M.C.)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

Space Seed

Star Trek ClassicStardate 3141.9: The Enterprise discovers a derelict vessel which turns out to be an Earth ship dating back to a series of wars in the 1990s in which Earth’s population was threatened by a group of genetically engineered superhuman beings. The inhabitants of the rogue ship, though they try to conceal the fact at every opportunity, are the only surviving oppressors from that war. Their leader, Khan, wishes to resume their reign of terror, beginning with a takeover of the Enterprise.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by Gene L. Coon and Carey Wilbur
story by Carey Wilbur
directed by Marc Daniels
music by Alexander Courage

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Ricardo Montalban (Khan), Madlyn Rhue (Marla), Blaisdell Makee (Spinelli), Mark Tobin (Joaquin), Kathy Ahart (Crew Woman), John Winston (Transporter Chief Kyle)

Note: This story was the basis for the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Also, at some point during this episode, a pregnant tardigrade arrives aboard the Enterprise, unnoticed by any of the ship’s crew (Short Treks: Ephraim And DOT).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Original Series Season 02 Star Trek

Patterns of Force

Star Trek ClassicStardate 2534.0: On arrival at Ekos, the Enterprise is the target of a nuclear missile attack, a technology which didn’t exist the last time a Federation ship visited the planet. Kirk and Spock beam down to investigate, discovering that the government on Ekos has been transformed into a Nazi police state which came about when Federation teacher John Gill tried to simply increase the efficiency of the government on Ekos. Gill is now under the control of the people he has tried to educate, and anyone who tries to reveal the truth about Gill or rescue him – including Kirk and Spock – are hunted men.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by John Meredyth Lucas
directed by Vincent McEveety
music by George Duning

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Richard Evans (Isak), Valora Noland (Daras), Skip Homeier (Melakon), David Brian (John Gill), Patrick Horgan (Eneg), William Wintersole (Abrom), Gilbert Green (S.S. Major), Ralph Maurer (S.S. Lieutenant), Ed McCready (S.S. Trooper), Peter Canon (Gestapo Lieutenant), Paul Baxley (First Trooper), Chuck Courtney (Davod), Bart LaRue (Newscaster)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 1 Star Blazers

The Day Planet Ballan’s Sun Dropped

Star BlazersD minus 255 days: The first Star Force reconnaisance planes reach Ballan, and Wildstar and Conroy barely get away after finding the Gamilon base. The Argo continues toward Ballan, but its arrival has been anticipated – Generals Lysis and Volgar are still planning strategy, but Volgar is appalled at Lysis’ willingness to sacrifice the Gamilon base on Ballan (and all of its personnel) in a plan to crush the Argo with Ballan’s artificial sun. Wildstar, however, suspects that the Argo is flying into a trap, and indeed the ship sustains severe damage in the battle. Captain Avatar, impressed by Wildstar’s handling of the situation, makes the young officer the Argo’s Deputy Captain.

Order the DVDswritten by Keisuke Fujikawa & Eiichi Yamamoto
directed by Leiji Matsumoto
music by Hiroshi Miyagawa

Season 1 Voice Cast: Kenneth Meseroll (Derek Wildstar), Tom Tweedy (Mark Venture), Amy Howard (Nova), Eddie Allen (Leader Desslok), Lydia Leeds (Starsha), other actors unknown

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 1 Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman In Hollywood

Wonder WomanHollywood calls on the War Department to seek Major Steve Trevor’s expertise in a filmed re-enactment of the war exploits that made him famous. Somewhat to Trevor’s dismay, General Blakenship is more than happy to loan him out as both advisor and actor. Diana accompanies him to Hollywood. At the same time, Drusilla is sent from Paradise Island to summon Diana for an important anniversary celebration among the Amazons, but delivering the message is no simple matter. Someone is trying to kidnap some of Trevor’s co-stars, who also happen to be war heroes, and studio boss Mark Bremer seems remarkably unconcerned about what’s going on…because he’s a German agent planning to take Trevor and his fellow war heroes back to Berlin for trial. Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl must combine forces if they’re to stop the fiendish plot.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Jimmy Sangster
directed by Bruce Bilson
music by Artie Kane

Wonder WomanCast: Lynda Carter (Diana Prince / Wonder Woman), Lyle Waggoner (Major Steve Trevor), Richard Eastham (General Blankenship), Beatrice Colen (Etta Candy), Harris Yulin (Mark Bremer), Robert Hays (Corporal Jim Ames), Chirstopher Norris (Gloria Beverly), Charles Cyphers (Kurt), Alan Bergmann (Director), Carolyn Jones (Queen), Debra Winger (Drusilla), Ross Bickell (Lt. Bill Rand), David Himes (Sht. Harry Willard), Barry Van Dyke (Freddy), Danil Torppe (George), Eric Boles (Roger), Alex Rodine (Destroyer Captain), June Whitley Taylor (Receptionist), Carmen Filpi (Guard)

Wonder WomanNotes: This is the final World War II-era Wonder Woman TV episode, and as such it’s the last we see of Richard Eastham as General Blankenship and Beatrice Colen as Etta Candy. Technically, it’s also the last time we see Major Steve Trevor, but fear not, the second season – set in the 1970s, contemporary with the show’s airdates – introduces us to American intelligence agent Steve Trevor, who looks exactly like his father. This is also the second and final appearance of Debra Winger as Drusilla, and is loaded with some extremely young familiar faces, such as Robert Hays (Airplane!, Wonder WomanStarman) and Barry Van Dyke (Galactica: 1980, Diagnosis Murder). The first season finale also marks the end of Wonder Woman on ABC; though the shift to the 1970s era would probably have happened anyway, ABC’s cold feet at renewing the chronically expensive series gave CBS time to step in and outbid them.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Classic Season 22 Doctor Who

The Two Doctors

Doctor WhoThe second Doctor and Jamie are sent on a mission by the Time Lords to ask a team of scientists, as diplomatically as possible, to bring their time travel experiments to an end. The Doctor is unable to convince the head scientist, Dastari, to heed the Time Lords’ warnings; Dastari is far too busy admiring his own work, including his genetic “improvement” of Chessene, a savage Androgum. But Chessene’s augmentations have simply given her the ability to apply her violent primitive impulses on a grander scale – such as a collusion with the Sontarans to use the new time travel device as a weapon of conquest. The Doctor is captured by the Sontarans and taken to their secret base of operations on Earth – and his sixth incarnation will have to find him to avoid the corruption of his entire timeline.

Order the DVDwritten by Robert Holmes
directed by Peter Moffatt
music by Peter Howell

Cast: Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri), Patrick Troughton (The Second Doctor), Frazer Hines (Jamie McCrimmon), John Stratton (Shockeye), Jacqueline Pearce (Chessene), Laurence Payne (Dastari), James Saxon (Oscar), Carmen Gomez (Anita), Clinton Greyn (Stike), Tim Raynham (Varl), Aimee Delamain (Dona Arana), Nicholas Farcett (Technician), Laurence Payne (Computer voice), Fernando Monast (Scientist)

Broadcast from February 16 through March 2, 1985

LogBook entry & review by Earl Green

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Deep Space Nine Season 06 Star Trek

One Little Ship

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStardate 51474.2: The Defiant is surveying a rare subspace compression phenomenon in Federation space, with the aid of the runabout Rubicon, which is miniaturized (along with Dax, O’Brien, and Bashir), when they are attacked by Jem’Hadar who board the Defiant and capture its officers. The tiny Rubicon manages to get inside the Defiant, where the officers are working to retake the ship as they are made to repair the warp drive. Can the Rubicon’s crew somehow aid them…and can they ever return to normal size?

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonwritten by David Weddle & Bradley Thompson
directed by Allan Kroeker
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: Aron Eisenberg (Nog), Scott Thompson Baker (First Kudak’Etan), Fritz Sperberg (Second Ixtana’Rax), Leland Crooke (Vorta), Christian Zimmerman (Third Lamat’Ukan)

LogBook entry by Tracy Hemenover

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Earth: Final Conflict Season 1

If You Could Read My Mind

Earth: Final ConflictAn attendee of a Taelon conference on psi powers reveals that she has penetrated the psychic bond that keeps all of the Taelons in touch with one another. Zo’or gives Sandoval orders to kill the psychic before she can expose more of the Taelon agenda. The psychic, however, knows enough to seek out Boone for shelter, even as she is being stalked by an assassin hired by Sandoval. Knowing that her days are numbered, she offers to have her insight transferred into Boone’s mind – knowledge that the Taelon scout whose remains were found in Ireland did more than just report on humanity.

written by Julie G. Beers
directed by Milan Cheylov
music by Micky Erbe & Maribeth Solomon

Guest Cast: Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Dr. Belman), Shauna MacDonald (Katya Petrenko), Michael Filipowich (Judson Corr), Anita La Selva (Zo’or), Leni Parker (Quo’on), Norma Clarke (Madam Marie)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 3 Xena: Warrior Princess

Forgiven

Xena: Warrior PrincessThe urn of Apollo is stolen, and the temple’s head priest asks Xena and Gabrielle to retrieve it. When the warrior goes to retrieve Argo, a teenage girl decides to attack the bard. After Xena stops her, Tara says that she’s there to take Gabrielle’s place. The warrior tells her she’s not looking for a new partner, and the two women leave. But Tara follows them and inisists that she can help them find the gang responsible for stealing the urn. Xena reluctantly allows the girl to join them.

Order the DVDswritten by R.J. Stewart
directed by Garth Maxwell
music by Joseph LoDuca

Guest Cast: Shiri Appleby (Tara), Brett Coutts (Micah), Mervyn Smith (Dorus), Wade Jackson (Wayan), David Goodwin (Lark), and Argo

LogBook entry by Mary Terrell

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Season 06 Star Trek Voyager

Collective

Star Trek: VoyagerStardate not given: The Delta Flyer is captured by a Borg cube, and there is no escape for Tom, Chakotay and Neelix. Harry, trying to make adjustments in one of the Flyer’s Jeffries tubes during the attack, is knocked out by an explosion and is left aboard. Voyager catches up with the cube quickly and disarms it with surprising ease. Seven of Nine beams aboard to find that only a handful of drones are running the cube – and all of these drones are no more than adolescents. Despite the skeleton crew aboard the Borg ship, the children take the three Voyager crew members hostage and demand repairs and supplies from Voyager in exchange for their safety. Harry awakens and makes covert contact with Voyager, and Janeway sends him on a mission to sabotage the cube and weaken the Borg children’s position. In the meantime, Seven of Nine attempts to reason with these recently disconnected drones the way that Janeway once reasoned with her.

Order the DVDswritten by Mark Gaberman & Andrew Shepard Price
directed by Allison Liddi
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: Ryan Spahn (Boy One), Manu Intirayni (Icheb), Marley McClean (Mezoti), Kurt Wetherill (Azan), Cody Wetherill (Rebi)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Avenue 5 Season 1

He’s Only There To Stop His Skeleton Falling Over

Avenue 5Billie suits up to help Captain Clark shut off the valve that’s leaking human waste into space, but no one seems to notice that she played a key part, or that she was even there at all. Avenue 5‘s Halfway Home party is imminent. It’s not that the ship is halfway home by any stretch of the imagination, but that everyone running the ship has been too concerned with not dying to reschedule the automated announcements. Iris, possibly the most humorless human being ever born, insists on having the authority to veto the jokes devised by the ship’s stand-up comedian for the occasion, watering his set down to a dull, unfunny roar. As the cloud of human excrement continues orbiting Avenue 5 due to the ship’s artificial gravity, the party becomes something ugly: the passengers want someone to blame for their latest woes, and they want that someone shoved out of the nearest airlock, unless Captain Clark intervenes.

Download this episode via Amazonteleplay by Peter Baynham
story by Armando Iannucci & Peter Baynham
directed by Annie Griffin
music by Adem Ilhan

Avenue 5Cast: Hugh Laurie (Captain Ryan Clark), Josh Gad (Herman Judd), Zach Woods (Matt Spencer), Rebecca Front (Karen Kelly), Suzy Nakamura (Iris Kimura), Lenora Crichlow (Billie McEvoy), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Rav Mulcair), Ethan Phillips (Spike Martin), Andy Buckley (Frank Kelly), Matthew Beard (Alan), Jessica St. Clair (Mia), Kyle Bornheimer (Doug), Himesh Patel (Jordan Hatwal), Neil Casey (Cyrus), Julie Dray (Nadia), Adam Pålsson (Bridge Crew), Andrea Pizza (Anthea), Andrew Boyer (Drew), Wanda Opalinska (Baily), Daisy May Cooper (Sarah – bridge crew), Joseph Balderrama (Tim), Cristian Solimeno (Dave), Divian Ladwa (Pete), Tunji Kasim (Passenger), Frog Stone (Sound Engineer), Pamela Nomvete (Passenger), Maarten Dannenberg (Sean), Brigid Leahy (Ella), Kelly Coughlin (Jaden), Gabriel Quigley (Passenger), Sanjeev Kohli (Stan Clark), Ginny Holder (Cris Clark), Amanda Blake (White House Staffer), Denis Khoroshko (Cam), Wade McElwain (Passenger), Teowa Vuong (Newscaster), Nasa Ohalete (Newscaster), Haruka Abe (Newscaster), Raffaello Degruttola (Newscaster)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Picard Season 3 Star Trek

The Next Generation

Star Trek: Picard2401: Her private medical ship boarded by pirates, Dr. Beverly Crusher puts up a fierce fight to repel the boarders, but is injured in the exchange of fire. Fortunately, her son Jack is on hand to put her in stasis and escape before more hostiles can arrive. Prior to going into stasis, however, Crusher sends a cryptic warning to retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, requesting his help but urging him not to bring Starfleet in on the matter.

Picard promptly meets with Riker to formulate a plan, though “plan” may be putting it charitably; it involves a surprise inspection of the U.S.S. Titan-A, whose captain they attempt to convince to visit the area of space near the last known coordinates of Crusher’s ship. Captain Shaw, however, isn’t up for a joyride. His first officer, on the other hand, is more sympathetic to Picard’s obvious need for a ship. Now serving as the first officer of the Titan-A after an accelerated Starfleet Academy program netted her the rank of commander, Seven of Nine allows Picard and Riker to borrow one of the ship’s shuttles, though “borrow” may, again, be putting it charitably.

In the seedy District Six of the planet M’Talas Prime, Raffi is deep undercover, trying to gather intelligence on a nebulous threat to the upcoming celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Federation’s founding. The only information she is able to gather is extremely cryptic, but then she witnesses a portal open beneath a building, swallowing it whole, and then another opening in the sky nearby, depositing the wreckage of that building on top of an unsuspecting civilian population. There is a threat, and she’s too late to stop it.

Just outside Federation space near the Ryton system, Picard and Riker board Crusher’s ship. They find her in a stasis chamber, awaiting medical treatment. They also meet her son, who seems to be in a hurry to get away. The large, vicious-looking ship that emerges from a nearby nebula seems to be a very good reason for Jack Crusher to want to get away.

Order DVDswritten by Terry Matalas
directed by Doug Aarniokoski
music by Stephen Barton / additional music by Max McGuire

Star Trek: PicardCast: Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker), Ed Speleers (Jack Crusher), Jonathan Frakes (Captain William Riker), Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), Orla Brady (Laris), Todd Stashwick (Captain Liam Shaw), Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (Ensign Sidney La Forge), Anthony Azizi (Orion Drug Dealer), Stephanie Czajkowski (Lt. T’Veen), Joseph Lee (Lt. Mura), Chad Lindberg (Ensign Foster), Jin Maley (Ensign Esmar), Jani Wang (Bartender), Christian Crandall (Dark Haired Man), Amy Earheart (Eleos Computer), Grace Lee (Picard Chateau / La Sirena Computer), Ric Sarabia (Human Patron)

Star Trek: PicardNotes: The episode is dedicated to Annie Wersching (1977-2023), who died of cancer months after appearing as the Borg Queen in the second season of Star Trek: Picard (she also made her first TV appearance in an episode of Enterprise). Two of the guest stars in this episode also appeared in Enterprise: Todd Stashwick appeared as a Romulan in Kir’Shara (2004), while Ric Sarabia appeared in Vanishing Point (2002). The music score has many references to Jerry Goldsmith (including the use of his theme from Star Trek: First Contact over the end credits) and some stylistic references to James Horner; the opening legend “In the 25th century…” hearkens back to the opening of Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan.

LogBook entry by Earl Green