Day: August 4, 1971

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Ace Of Wands Season 2

Seven Serpents, Sulphur And Salt – Episode 3

Ace Of WandsA suspicious Sam prevents Tarot from drinking the poisoned coffee, and again, Tarot is able to break the spell over Lulli, bringing her out from under Mr. Stabs’ control. But when she reveals that Stabs has the photo of the missing segment of the map, it’s clear that this race for an ancient secret is in a dead heat: everyone now has the complete map, it’s just a matter of who can decipher it and reach it first. The map leads to a dangerous abandoned well in a graveyard near the ruins of a castle, and Sam decides it’s safest for him to scale his way down the well to find part of the symbol that will unlock the secret. The other part of the symbol is under a large, marked stone, guarded by a particularly poisonous snake, though Tarot is able to retrieve it without disturbing the snake. But it’s only now that his nemeses have done the hard work that Mr. Stabs shows up to claim victory…and in that moments, it looks as though Tarot might switch sides.

written by Trevor Preston
directed by Pamela Lonsdale
music by Andrew Bown

Ace Of WandsCast: Michael Mackenzie (Tarot), Judy Loe (Lulli), Tony Selby (Sam), Donald Layne-Smith (Mr. Sweet), Russell Hunter (Mr. Stabs), Ian Trigger (Luko), Jonathan Cecil (Mr. Thwaites)

Notes: Along with the rest of the first and second seasons of the series, this episode of Ace Of Wands is missing due to ITV’s policy of erasing and reusing then-expensive videotape in the 1970s. This synopsis is based on the original scripts (included as bonus features on Network DVD’s box set release of the surviving third season) as well as very low-quality audio recordings of the episode in question.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Space: 1999

The Bringers Of Wonder – Part 1

Space: 1999During a routine Eagle mission, Koenig – flying solo – seems to lose all control over his emotions. Giggling and yelling, Koenig flies his Eagle right into a nuclear waste dump, critically damaging both himself and his craft. Dr. Russell is left with no choice but to connect him to an experimental device to keep his brain alive – and while the commander is out of commission, a spacecraft is detected on approach to the moon at a speed faster than light. Amazingly, it appears to be a Super-Swift – an upgraded Eagle-style craft that only existed on the drawing board before the moon was blasted out of Earth’s orbit. When contact is made with the Super-Swift, Tony Verdeschi is stunned to see that his older brother Guido is apparently commanding a mission to rescue the Alpha crew. The loved ones of many of Alpha’s crew are aboard as well. Commander Koenig finally awakens from his treatment, and Dr. Russell tells him the good news…but when he meets the Super-Swift crew, he sees not humans, but amorphous creatures. And he can’t understand why his crew is going along with them willingly.

Order the DVDswritten by Terence Feely
directed by Tom Clegg
music by Derek Wadsworth

Guest Cast: Tony Anholt (Tony Verdeschi), Nick Tate (Alan Carter), Zienia Merton (Sandra Benes), Jeffery Kissoon (Dr. Ben Vincent), Toby Robins (Diana Morris), Stuart Damon (Guido Verdeschi), Jeremy Young (Jack Bartlett), Drewe Henley (Joe Ehrlich), Patrick Westwood (Dr. Shaw), Cher Cameron (Louisa), Al Lampert (Ken Burdett), Billy J. Mitchell (Professor Hunter), Earl Robinson (Sandstrom), Robert Sheedy (Henry), Nichols Young (Peter Rockwell), Albin Pahernik (Lizard Animal)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Deepwater Black Mission Genesis

Legacy

Deepwater Black / Mission GenesisThe ship is nearly wiped out in a tachyon storm, with the lack of a clear chain of command nearly getting the crew killed. Bren is sent into the bowels of the ship to reroute power, but is distracted when he finds a message tape with his name on it – along with the words “for your eyes only.” After the immediate crisis, Bren returns to his quarters to watch the message: a top secret communique from the original Bren’s military commanding officer, informing him that he may have to take command at a critical moment. But the message is vague enough to make Bren think that his time is now, and he begins planning an armed takeover; after all, the lack of discipline on the bridge is dangerous, and it’s in everyone’s best interests. Yuna and Zak, conducting repairs outside the ship in the shuttlecraft, are stranded outside the shields, and Bren chooses this moment to relieve Reb of command by force, stunning him and taking him off the bridge. The more his crewmates resist his command, the more paranoid Bren becomes. Lise discovers that the message tape was coated with a mind control drug developed by the military, but by the time Bren finds out that he’s out of control, it may be too late for Yuna and Zak.

Deepwater Blackwritten by Jeff Copeland
based on the Deepwater novels by Ken Catran
directed by Don McCutcheon
music by Fred Mollin

Cast: Gordon Michael Woolvett (Reb), Nicole de Boer (Yuna), Jason Cadieux (Bren), Julie Khan (Gen), Craig Kirkwood (Zak), Sara Sahr (Lise), Kelli Taylor (Gret)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Spinoff: Crusade

Racing The Night

CrusadeGideon’s sources lead the Excalibur to a world that may have fallen victim to the plague centuries ago. After a crewman is murdered and vivisected despite the planet’s apparent lack of life forms, an investigation reveals a graveyard of alien ships – and attracts a well-armed defense force determined to prevent the Excalibur’s departure. Galen continues to refuse Dureena’s request to be trained as a technomage. Despite his mistrust, Gideon turns once more to his hidden source – the box he won years before.

Order the DVDswritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Mike Vejar
music by Evan H. Chen

Cast: Gary Cole (Captain Matthew Gideon), Tracy Scoggins (Captain Elizabeth Lochley), Daniel Dae Kim (Lt. Matheson), Carrie Dobro (Dureena Nafeel), David Allen Brooks (Max Eilerson), Marjean Holden (Dr. Sarah Chambers), Peter Woodward (Galen), Brenan Baird (Kulan), Madison Mason (General Miller), Neil Bradley (Drazi Ambassador), Roxanna Brusso (Crew member #1), Jonathan Chapman (Brakiri Ambassador), Adam Clark (Ranger)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

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Farscape Season 2

Look at the Princess Part 3: The Maltese Crichton

  • By Dave
  • August 4, 2000

FarscapeThe statue-fied Crichton is an easy target for Clavor’s saboteurs, although fortunately statues are also much harder to kill. After being returned to the flesh by a Peacekeeper secret agent working against Clavor, Crichton goes into hiding, prompting a planet-wide search and potential unpleasant consequences for Chiana, Rygel and D’Argo. Zhaan continues her efforts to persuade the Builders to spare Moya while the Scarrans, Scorpius, the Empress’ troops and D’Argo all search for Crichton. And even if Crichton survives the hunt, he has to decide what to do about those marriage vows.

Order the DVDswritten by David Kemper
directed by Andrew Prowse
music by Guy Gross

Guest Cast: Wayne Pygram (Scorpius), Bianca Chiminello (Jenavian), Matt Day (Tyno), Tina Bursill (Empress Novia), Felix Williamson (Prince Clavor), Aaron Cash (Dregon), Gavin Robins (Cargn), Jonathan Hardy (Kahaynu), Felicity Price (Princess Katralla)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

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Season 10 SG-1 Stargate

Insiders

  • By Dave
  • August 4, 2006

Stargate SG-1Exploration teams are having trouble making any headway on the two worlds identified by Morgan in Atlantis. Daniel has returned to Camelot to look for clues in Merlin’s library. The rest of the team is somewhat surprised when an uncloaked Alkesh heads right into Cheyenne airspace. After Landry orders it shot down, SG-1 heads to the crash site to discover that the ship bears a Ba’al, claiming to be the original and offering a deal. Ba’al believes that the location of the anti-Ori weapon can be found at one of the stargate addresses O’Neill learned from the Ancient repository the first time he encountered it. If SGC will kill the rest of his clones – whom Ba’al says have turned against him – then Ba’al will tell them how to find the weapon.

Agent Barrett arrives to request that SGC turn Ba’al over to the NID for questioning, in order to help gather intelligence about the Goa’uld infiltration of the Trust. But the hunt for Merlin’s weapon takes priority, so SG-1 and several other teams capture a number of clones and return them to the SGC. When Barrett has an uncharacteristic loss of patience, it provides an opportunity for one of the clones to escape. Dr. Lee attempts to rig up a system to dispense symbiote poison through the ventilation systems, but in the time it takes to coordinate that effort, the clones demonstrate some impressive coordination of their own, as the Goa’uld’s real agenda becomes clear.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Alan McCullough
directed by Pete Woeste
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Cliff Simon (Ba’al), Peter Flemming (Agent Malcolm Barrett), Bill Dow (Dr. Lee)

Notes: O’Neill first (and inadvertently) used the Ancient repository in season 2’s The Fifth Race. The Goa’uld infiltration of the Trust was discovered in season 8’s Full Alert. SG-1 foiled Ba’al’s plan to establish his own network of stargates in season 9’s Off the Grid.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

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Season 3 Stargate Stargate Atlantis

Sateda

Stargate AtlantisA routine visit to a planet through the stagate is cut short when, instead of being open to trade, the locals call Ronon Dex a “Wraithbringer” and attack Sheppard’s party. McKay takes an arrow through the leg but still manages to return to Atlantis through the gate, but the others are hit by tranquilizer darts and taken captive. Apparently, Ronon has been here before, when he still had the runner implant that allowed the Wraith to track him; when the locals took him in on that occasion, the Wraith laid waste to their village in their hunt for him. The leader of the village, who lost his daughter in that attack, was given a homing device by the Wraith in the event their prey has returned, and he has already called them to retrieve Ronon. Ronon responds to this by threatening to kill himself before the Wraith arrive, unless the villagers release Sheppard and Teyla and let them return to Atlantis. By the time Sheppard can return with a full strike team, the village has been razed once more, and Ronon has been abducted. The Wraith implant another tracking device in Ronon, return him to his homeworld of Sateda, and begin the hunt again. But Ronon proves to be hard to kill – and when Sheppard tries to pull him out before he has settled his scores with the Wraith, Ronon can be even harder to rescue.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Robert C. Cooper
directed by Robert C. Cooper
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Frank Collison (Keturah), Chaiara Zanni (?), Curtis Caravaggio (?), Dan Payne (Big Wraith), David Pauls (Aton), Chuck Campbell (Technician), Todd Scott (Malik), Alexandra Carter (Linor), John Stewart (Villager), Mitch Pileggi (Colonel Caldwell),
Kavan Smith (Major Lorne)

LogBook entry by Earl Green