Day: April 9, 1955

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Science Fiction Theatre Season 1

Beyond

Science Fiction TheatreHost Segment: Truman Bradley demonstrates forces that can conclusively be proven to exist, such as gravity, acceleration, sound and magnetism, without being seen.

Story: Test pilot Major Gunderson pushes a new experimental jet plane to unheard-of speeds, more than twice the speed of sound. But even more surprising is Gunderson’s awed report from the sky: something up there is overtaking him, a vehicle shaped nothing like a conventional aircraft. Gunderson’s controls go haywire and he’s forced to eject to survive. His superiors are alarmed when Gunderson begins talking about having encountered a flying saucer…

teleplay by Robert Smith and George Van Marter
story by Ivan L. Tors
directed by Herbert L. Strock
music not credited

Science Fiction TheatreCast: Truman Bradley (Host / Narrator), William Lundigan (Maj. Gunderson), Ellen Drew (Mrs. Gunderson), Bruce Bennett (Gen. Troy), Tom Drake (Dr. Everett), Basil Ruysdael (Prof. Carson), Douglas Kennedy (Col. Barton), Michael Fox (Radar Man), Robert Carson (Capt. Ferguson), Mark Lowell (Radio Operator)

Notes: To put this story in its historical context, the first Mach 2 jet flight had been flown by test pilot Scott Crossfield in late 1953, only to be exceeded by a Mach 2.44 flight flown by Chuck Yeager in December of that year, less than a year and a half before Science Fiction Theatre premiered in syndication Science Fiction Theatrewith this episode. Other elements, such as the notion of a military cover-up (albeit a quiet, non-threatening one) of a real UFO sighting, were very much ahead of their time.

Unusually for 1955, the first season of Science Fiction Theatre was filmed in color by Ziv Television Productions, a bit of future-proofing that Ziv could afford as its programming was in demand by television stations whose networks ran very limited programming of their own. While most of Ziv’s programs were either modern-day dramas and spy thrillers, westerns, or wartime dramas, this was one of only three science fiction shows Ziv produced; the short-lived World Of Giants anticipated elements of Irwin Allen’s 1960s series Land Of The Giants, while Men Into Space, picked up by CBS, speculated on and dramatized the future of real spaceflight.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Buck Rogers Season 2

Testimony Of A Traitor

Buck Rogers In The 25th CenturyThe Searcher makes a return to Earth, and once refueled and resupplied the ship will return to its deep space exploration mission. But before the Searcher can set off again, the Commissioner of Earth’s war crimes tribunal grounds the ship and arrives to personally arrest Buck. An ancient audiovisual recording medium predating the holocaust, known as a “videotape,” is uncovered, and its still-intact contents implicate Buck in a conspiracy that led to the near-destruction of Earth in the late 20th century. The Commissioner convenes Buck’s trial aboard the Searcher, and makes it clear that based on the damning evidence, he intends to pursue the death penalty. Buck claims he remembers none of what is recorded on the tape, but even when he submits to a mind probe devised by Dr. Goodfellow to reveal his true memories of 20th century Earth, images of his apparent betrayal of his own country still inexplicably appear.

Order the DVDswritten by Stephen McPherson
directed by Bernard McEveety
music by Bruce Broughton

Cast: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Erin Gray (Colonel Wilma Deering), Thom Christopher (Hawk), Jay Garner (Admiral Asimov), Wilfred Hyde-White (Dr. Goodfellow), Felix Silla (Twiki), Jeff David (voice of Crichton), Ramon Bieri (Commissioner Bergstrom), William Sylvester (Lt. General Preston Myers), David Hooks (General Arnheim), Walter Brooke (President of the United States), John Milford (Official), John O’Connell (Major Peterson), Thomas Bellin (Crawford), Buck Young (Brigadier General Biles), Carl Reindel (Air Force Sergeant), Eric Lawrence (Young Marine), Jim Emery (Marine Pilot), Dean Brooks (Marine Sergeant), Bill Andes (Colonel Turner)

Notes: The videotape identifies November 22nd, 1987 as the date of the nuclear war – and apparently in whatever alternate history Buck’s adventures took place in, gigantic top-loading VCRs were still in use. (It’s also an odd coincidence – the 24th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy – given the conspiratorial nature of the storyline.) Guest star William Sylvester had appeared in another SF favorite, playing the role of Dr. Heywood Floyd in 2001: a space odyssey.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Wizards & Warriors

Skies Of Death

Wizards & WarriorsPrince Blackpool’s sneak attacks have given away to something more aggressive: he has declared open war on Castle Baldorf. Greystone and Marko lead the defense from the front line, only to discover that Blackpool has added ballistic weaponry to his arsenal. Airborne explosives land at the feet of King Baldorf’s army, causing devastating damage, while Blackpool’s men don’t even have to advance. Worse yet, Blackpool’s cannon is sitting atop the Cliffs of Death, a climb that has killed many a man in peacetime. Greystone tries to lead a force of Baldorf’s best men to the cliff face, but Blackpool’s cannon fire drives them into retreat. Greystone and Marko set out to do the job themselves, with a little help from Greystone’s brother Justin – though Greystone worries about whether his brother will even show up. Greystone has a plan to make Blackpool’s cannon backfire, not only destroying the cannon but whatever force is amassed on the Cliffs of Death to fire it. Climbing the Cliffs will be a challenge. Getting back down alive will be nothing short of a miracle.

written by Don Reo
directed by Bill Bixby
music by Lee Holdridge and Alf Clausen

Wizards & WarriorsCast: Jeff Conaway (Prince Erik Greystone), Walter Olkewicz (Marko), Duncan Regehr (Prince Dirk Blackpool), Julia Duffy (Princess Ariel), Clive Revill (Vector), Jay Kerr (Justin), Julie Payne (Queen Lattinia), Thomas Hill (King Baaldorf), Robert Gray (Injured Soldier), Robert Carnegie (Guard #4), Chris Hendrie (Guard #3), Warren Munson (Peasant), Alex Daniels (Blackpool’s Soldier), George Marshall Ruge (Blackpool’s Soldier), Lonnie Wun (Blackpool’s Soldier)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Alien Nation Season 1

Gimme Gimme

Alien NationA uniquely Tenctonese cross between a lightweight fabric and an incredibly resilient metal, Nu-Knit is rolled out as a prime investment opportunity for Newcomers and humans alike. Its inventor, newcomer Edgar Allan Poe, has forged an uneasy alliance with a shifty human business partner, but when Poe is murdered – after someone replaces the water in his swimming pool with deadly salt water – that partner becomes a prime suspect. Sikes and George are on the case, but after hearing George sing the praises of Nu-Knit, Captain Grazer has also invested heavily in the company, and insists on pursuing the case from the standpoint of protecting his money. A visit to Nu-Knit’s factory leaves Sikes nauseous, almost to the point of fainting, prompting concerns about the company’s compliance with environmental laws. When Poe’s former business partner produces an alibi that, while not commendable, at least turns out to be true, the hunt is on for the real killer…someone who also has a reason to cover up the deadly secret behind Nu-Knit.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episodewritten by Andrew Schneider & Diane Frolov
directed by David Carson
music by David Kurtz

Guest Cast: Alan Fudge (Phil), Kim Braden (Marilyn Houston), Joseph Cali (Lee Smith), Armin Shimerman (Cyril Roman), David Selburg (Edgar Allen Poe), Beverly Leech (Rita Poe), Michele Lamar Richards (Lois Allen), Michael Zano (Mr. Elias), Bob Minor (Cop), Lance E. Nichols (Delivery Man), Stephen Hart (Thug)

Notes: There’s something refreshingly un-ironic about Armin Shimerman in the role of an unscrupulous, profit-mongering alien, even if it predates his regular role as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Quark by three years.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 03 Star Trek Voyager

Before & After

Star Trek: VoyagerStardate not given: “Grandma Kes” awakens surrounded by people who claim they are her family, but whom she doesn’t recognize. She fades into unconsciousness and reawakens at a slightly earlier time in her life. Although she remembers the experience, it apparently hasn’t happened yet for the rest of the crew. Confused and frightened, Kes continues to experience the morilogium – the final phase of the Ocampan lifespan – as well as the temporal effects of life-extension treatments in the Doctor’s experimental bio-temporal chamber. As the temporal effects grow more and more out of control, Kes regresses through her entire life, seeing a 9-year history of Voyager in reverse as she struggles to understand her situation and how to stop what is happening to her.

Order the DVDswritten by Kenneth Biller
directed by Allan Kroeker
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: Jessica Collins (Linnis), Michael L. Maguire (Arnis), Janna Michaels (young Kes), Rachel Harris (Martis), Christopher Aguilar (Andrew)

LogBook entry by Paul Campbell

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Lexx Season 2

Brigadoom

LexxLexx hightails it for the center of the universe, trying to stay ahead of Mantrid’s advancing drones. When a satellite along the way is heard broadcasting a Brunnen G battle song, however, Kai’s curiosity is piqued enough to make a stop. In an artificial environment aboard the satellite, Kai is offered the chance to relive the history of the Brunnen G and his own history – up until his death – through song. Xev and Stan watch as an elaborately staged musical traces the Brunnen G’s history from poet-warriors to watered-down pacifists who fell when they ignored the threat of His Divine Shadow – with the exception of Kai and a small number of others who took the initiative to fight back, at the cost of their own lives. But as the story grows longer and longer, Stan worries that the drones may catch up with them before they have a chance to mount their own defense and keep history from repeating itself.

Order the DVDswritten by Lex Gigeroff and Paul Donovan
directed by Bill Fleming
music by Marty Simon

Guest Cast: Jeremy Webb (Master of Ceremonies), John Dunsworth (Lett), Sharron Timmins (Groo), Paul MacGuillan (Kyoo), Joe Wynn (Newborn), Patricia Zentilli (Young Woman), Lorraine Segato (Time Prophet), Richard Sircom (Judge), Jeffrey Hirschfield (790), Tom Gallant (Lexx)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Farscape Season 1

Throne for a Loss

  • By Dave
  • April 9, 1999

FarscapeRygel attempts to impress a group of aliens with his royal status in order to earn the crew some work hauling cargo. Unfortunately the Tavleks are much more interested in earning a ransom from his “kingdom,” so they quickly kidnap the deposed Dominar. The crew does take one of the attackers hostage, and capture his weapon: a gauntlet that pumps its wearer full of stimulants to boost strength and aggression. Zhaan tries to reach out to the prisoner, now suffering from withdrawal. Crichton and Aeryn manage to get the gauntlet from an on-the-warpath D’Argo only to find that Rygel had taken an important control crystal from Moya in order to pull off his ruse – and without the crystal, Moya cannot survive for long.

Order the DVDswritten by Richard Manning
directed by Pino Amenta
music by Subvision

Guest Cast: John Adam (Bekhesh), Jeremiah Tickell (Kyr), Zoe Dimakis (Hontovek), Api Bavadra (Nonk)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

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Lexx Season 3

Battle

LexxThe attack on Garden is swift and deadly, and Lyekka is killed within moments. Stan and Kai see their moth lifting off, and Kai uses his brace to board the ship and throw its pilot out, but instead of Xev they find a bomb aboard the moth. Kai and Stan bail out, but Kai is able to attach himself to one of Prince’s balloons, and gets Stan to safety (after throwing that balloon’s crew overboard). Prince and one of his most loyal underlings, Priest, are holding Xev hostage on another balloon as a bargaining chip. But with Kai gaining altitude – a position from which he can attack any of Prince’s balloons – Prince must count on Priest to make a supreme sacrifice for the sake of victory. As the stakes rise, both Prince’s army and the crew of the Lexx discover the limits of their loyalty, their sacrifice, and their endurance.

Order the DVDswritten by Paul Donovan
directed by Christoph Schrewe
music by Marty Simon

Guest Cast: Nigel Bennett (Prince), Rolf Kaines (Priest), Jennifer Overton (Matron), Louise Wischermann (Lyekka)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Enterprise Season 02 Star Trek

Judgment

Star Trek: EnterpriseThe Enterprise is cornered by Klingon vessels after a humanitarian aid mission which led Archer to order evasion tactics that crippled another Klingon ship. Taken to Qo’nos to stand trial, Archer is introduced to his defense attorney, Kolos – who stands silently and offers no objections, no evidence and no testimony of his own at Archer’s trial. Duras, the captain of the Klingon ship disabled by the Enterprise, and now reduced in rank, presents his own version of events, alleging that Archer took an extremely hostile stance against him. But when Archer’s own defense won’t even allow him to speak at his trial, how can he avoid spending the rest of his life performing hard labor on Rura Penthe…and can T’Pol convince his crew not to create further diplomatic strife by rescuing him?

Order DVDsDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxteleplay by David A. Goodman
story by Taylor Elmore & David A. Goodman
directed by Jim Conway
music by Velton Ray Bunch

Guest Cast: J.G. Hertzler (Kolos), John Vickery (Orak), Granville Van Dusen (Magistrate), Daniel Riordan (Duras), Helen Cates (Klingon First Officer), Victor Talmadge (Asahf), D.J. Lockhart (Klingon Cell Guard)

Notes: The set design of the Klingon court chamber and Rura Penthe are, of course, based on similar scenes from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (which, technically, takes place over a century later, hence the slight differences in the sets); the Duras character is intended to be an ancestor of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Duras, whose father betrayed the Klingons to the Romulans at Khitomer and then shifted the blame to Mogh, leading the High Council to dishonor Mogh’s son Worf for the crime. Guest star J.G. Hertzler played the curmudgeonly Klingon General Martok in the fourth through seventh seasons of Deep Space Nine. John Vickery has also appeared in past Star Trek segments, though SF fans may better recognize him as the recurring character of Neroon from Babylon 5.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Doctor Who New Series Season 01

The Unquiet Dead

Doctor WhoHaving demonstrated the TARDIS’ ability to fast-forward through the pages of future history, the Doctor takes Rose into the past – Cardiff, Wales, on Christmas Eve, 1869 to be precise. Before the time travelers can immerse themselves in this time period, however, they encounter something very much out of place – a sign of alien interference in Earth’s history. A recital of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens himself is brought to a halt by a walking corpse who exhales some kind of gaseous being into the theater. While the Doctor tries to make contact with the gas creature, Rose follows a local undertaker who retrieves the corpse – and winds up being kidnapped in the process. The Doctor and Charles Dickens give chase, eventually finding the undertaker’s place of business and discovering that he is doing his best to contain the alien threat with the help of a psychic girl. The Doctor suggests establishing a more firm contact with these beings, but doing so could unravel Earth’s timeline.

Order the DVDDownload this episodewritten by Mark Gatiss
directed by Euros Lyn
music by Murray Gold

Guest Cast: Alan David (Gabriel Sneed), Huw Rhys (Redpath), Jennifer Hill (Mrs. Peace), Eve Myles (Gwyneth), Simon Callow (Charles Dickens), Wayne Cater (Stage Manager), Meic Povey (Driver), Zoe Thorne (The Gelth)

Notes: Writer Mark Gatiss was one of the driving forces behind the popular comedy series The League Of Gentlemen, but also wrote several Doctor Who novels, starting with the New Adventures book “Nightshade” in 1992. As an actor, Gatiss has also gotten in on the Time Lord’s travels (sort of) – he took the part of an old enemy with a new disguise in the Doctor Who Unbound audio play Sympathy For The Devil in 2003, acting under the anagrammatical pseudonym of “Sam Kisgart”. With his League of Gentlement cohorts, Gatiss also provided “additional Vogon voices” for the feature film version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.

Reviews by Philip R. Frey & Earl Green
LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Audio Dramas Big Finish Blake's 7

Mirror

Blake's 7There is dissent aboard the Liberator about the crew’s next course of action. Jenna wants to hunt down Space Major Kade and take revenge, but Blake sends Cally to trail Kade instead, over Jenna’s protest. Cally finds that Travis has beaten her to it: he’s using Kade as bait to draw Jenna and the rest of the Liberator crew into a trap. Blake, Avon and Vila teleport to a cargo ship that may contain a clue to the whereabouts of Fedorac, the Federation’s analogue of Orac, only to discover that the ship seems to contain Fedorac itself – and other dangers. Acting on her own desire for revenge, Jenna leaves Blake and the others stranded and takes the Liberator back to the planet to find Kade, but Orac, preoccupied with discovering more about Fedorac, then leaves Jenna and Cally stranded on a primitive planet with Travis and a hostile local population. Is anyone, or anything, among the Liberator crew acting out of anything except self-interest?

Order this CDwritten by Peter Anghelides
directed by Ken Bentley
music by Alistair Lock

Cast: Gareth Thomas (Blake), Paul Darrow (Avon), Michael Keating (Vila), Jan Chappell (Cally), Sally Knyvette (Jenna), Brian Croucher (Travis), Alistair Lock (Zen/Orac), Bethan Walker (Locklan), Hugh Fraser (President)

Notes: The planet Vere is a nod to classic Blake’s 7 TV director (and, in series four, producer) Vere Lorrimer (1920-1998).

LogBook entry by Earl Green