Day: September 23, 1963

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Classic Season 1 Outer Limits

The Hundred Days Of The Dragon

The Outer LimitsAs the Presidential election looms in the United States, an east Asian government plans a shocking takeover strategy – using a well-briefed deep cover agent and a serum which renders his skin pliable, capable of mimicking another person’s face and even their fingerprints, they will replace William L. Selby, the leading candidate, putting their man into office when he wins the election. The agent breaks into Selby’s hotel room, injects the real Selby with the skin serum, turning him into the likeness of a foreign agent – and then shoots him at point-blank range, later claiming self-defense. As anticipated, “Selby” wins the election, but soon after taking office he surprises his Vice President with the news that he will meet with the Chinese leader, brokering a troop withdrawal from a disputed southeast Asian nation. Selby’s Vice President doesn’t agree with him, but his dissent will soon be of little consequence – the Chinese delegation arriving to meet with the President is also planning on the replacement of more key officials in the United States government.

Download this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Allan Balter and Robert Mintz
directed by Byron Haskin
music by Dominic Frontiere

Cast: Sidney Blackmer (William Selby), Phillip Pine (Theodore Pearson), Mark Roberts (Robert Carter), Nancy Rennick (Carol Conner), Aki Aleong (Dr. Su-Lin), Richard Loo (Li-Chin Sung), Joan Camden (Ann Pearson), Bert Remsen (Frank Summers), Clarence Lung (Major Ho Chi-Wang), Henry Scott (Agent Marshall), James Hong (Wen Lee), James Yagi (Li Kwan)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Moonbase 3

Achilles Heel

Moonbase 3Rejected for a seat on Britain’s expensive, high-profile manned mission to Venus, astronaut Adam Blaney is stuck on Moonbase 3, heading up a research team – and, whether he consciously knows it or not, deliberately putting their experiments and their careers in jeopardy. One of his scientists worries about the state of his marriage since his wife remains on Earth, and the other is hesitant to jeopardize her career, worried that she’s washed up due to her age. Dr. Caulder, under strict orders to rush research whose potential revenue is needed to fund Moonbase 3, tries to keep Blaney and his team on task. Moonbase psychologist Helen Smith becomes a counselor to this team, but she fails to detect Blaney at the center of all of these problems; when he ends up starting a relationship with her, she’s even more blinded to the potential trouble. It’s only when she’s at the mercy of the vacuum of space that she realizes that refusing his advances could bring out a more dangerous side of him.

written by John Lucarotti
directed by Christopher Barry
music by Dudley Simpson

Cast: Donald Houston (David Caulder), Ralph Bates (Michel Lebrun), Fiona Gaunt (Helen Smith), Barry Lowe (Tom Hill), Edward Brayshaw (Adam Blaney), Ann Ridler (Kate Weyman), Malcolm Reynolds (Bill Knight), Nancie Wait (Dodi Knight), Peter Bathurst (Director General), Joanna Ross (Jane), Anne Rosenfeld (Lisa), Oliver Ford-Davies (Astronaut)

Original Title: The Gentle Rain

Notes: Moonbase 3 had already predicted the existence of a European Union (with Britain as a member nation), and here it identifies the currency of this body as the “eurodollar”; where Moonbase 3 is experiencing a budget crunch, Caulder complains that the American and Russian-funded Moonbases are blessed with far deeper pockets. Although the term that inspired this episode’s title, “Achilles’ heel,” includes a possessive apostrophe, the episode’s title does not include the apostrophe and is chronicled here as such. Writer John Lucarotti (1926-1994) was one of the earliest group of freelance writers to pen Doctor Who scripts in the 1960s, including the well-regarded historical story The Aztecs. All of his Doctor Who contributions aired in the 1960s, which makes his participation here a bit of a coincidence, since the then-current team of producer Barry Letts and script editor Terrance Dicks – both serving in the same capacities for Moonbase 3 – had not worked with Lucarotti on any produced Doctor Who stories. Actor Oliver Ford-Davies, making an early career appearance here as a nameless astronaut, is now better known to genre fans at Sio Bibble, governor of Naboo and advisor to Queen Amidala, in the Star Wars prequel trilogy.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Gemini Man

Smithereens

Gemini ManSam Casey reports to work at Intersect, only to have to rescue a man who is ambushed by two attackers on Intersect’s own grounds. The victim of the attack is Dr. Hale, inventor of a fuel additive known as tripolodene, capable of increasing gas mileage to 70 miles per gallon with no modifications to the vehicle in question. Hale believes that oil companies both foreign and domestic are trying to silence his invention, and needs Intersect’s help getting a sample of the tripolodene to safety so it can be patented. Sam, posing as a truck driver, will transport Hale and his tripololodene incognito, while a heavily armed military convoy will draw the attention of those who attacked Hale. Unless, of course, someone inside the operation has already blown Sam’s cover…

written by Frank Telford
directed by Alan J. Levi
music by Lee Holdridge

Gemini ManCast: Ben Murphy (Sam Casey), Katherine Crawford (Abby Lawrence), William Sylvester (Leonard Driscoll), Andrew Prine (Luther Stark), Alan Oppenheimer (Dr. Hale), Jim Stafford (Buffalo Bill), Lawrence Bame (Worker), Jeannie Wilson (Girl Guard), Gil Serna (Mechanic), Nicholas Lewis (1st Embassy Guard), Raymond O’Keefe (2nd Embassy Guard)

Gemini ManNotes: The first episode of Gemini Man as a weekly series, Smithereens is best known to post-1970s TV fans as one half of the syndicated TV movie Riding With Death, assembled by Universal from this episode and a later, unaired Gemini Man episode, Buffalo Bill Rides Again. That movie, in turn, was riffed by Mike and the ‘bots in a fan-favorite 1997 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. This was the first acting role for country musician and comedian Jim Stafford, who had already hosted his own variety show in 1975. He went on to guest star on Fantasy Island and The Love Boat, among others, but in 1990 opened a theater in Branson, Missouri and began concentrating most of his time on that career.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Wonder Woman

Anschluss ’77

Wonder WomanWord reaches the Inter-Agency Defense Command that a surviving Nazi war criminal named Gerlich is hiding out in South America, planning a comeback for the Third Reich and an event he calls “Anschluss ’77”. Steve and Diana are dispatched to South America to follow up on these leads, but despite cooperation from the local authorities, it’s clear that their arrival is far from a secret. Diana is kidnapped shortly after discovering that Gerlich is conducting cloning experiments, but manages to transform into Wonder Woman and hitch a ride to Gerlich’s base of operations by hanging on to his personal helicopter. What they find is that not only is Gerlich assembling a new Nazi army to take over the world, but that he has created a clone of Hitler himself to lead them…

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Dallas L. Barnes
directed by Alan Crosland
music by Artie Kane

Wonder WomanCast: Lynda Carter (Diana Prince / Wonder Woman), Lyle Waggoner (Steve Trevor), Normann Burton (Joe Atkinson), Mel Ferrer (Gerlich), Leon Charles (Von Klemper), Barry Dennen (Hitler), Kurt Kreuger (Koenig), Julio Medina (Gaitan), Tom Ormeny (Rogel), Peter Nyberg (Strasser)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Logan's Run

The Collectors

Logan's RunWhen the hovercraft breaks down in the desert, Logan and Jessica go exploring on foot while Rem tries to conduct repairs. But what the two runners find isn’t desolation – it’s an oasis in the unlikeliest of places, and a populated one too. When they cautiously introduce themselves, Logan and Jessica find that they’re among friends: fellow runners tell them they’ve found Sanctuary. But after repairing the hovercraft, Rem goes looking in exactly the same place, and he doesn’t see Sanctuary at all, but more desert. Even though they’re separated from each other, Logan, Jessica and Rem quickly discovered that they aren’t guests in a safe haven, but captives in an interplanetary zoo whose “specimens” have been abducted by an alien crew. They also seem to have developed telekinetic powers, which could be their means of escape…or their undoing.

Download this episodewritten by James Schmerer
directed by Alexander Singer
music by Laurence Rosenthal

Guest Cast: Linden Chiles (John), Leslie Parrish (Joanna), Angela Cartwright (Karen), Lawrence Casey (Martin), Perry Bullington (Sandman #1), Ben Van Vacier (Sandman #2), Stan Stratton (Sandman #3)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Jason Of Star Command Season 1

Escape From Dragos

Jason Of Star CommandNicole, having escaped from Dragos’ ship thanks to Jason’s interference, returns alone to Star Command and stops Canarvan’s clone from lowering the shields. Aboard Drago’s ship, Jason uses Wiki to free himself and the real Commander Canarvan, and then helps Canarvan to escape in his Starfire shuttle. Jason, however, is trapped on the Dragonship with Drago and his minions…

Order this series on DVDwritten by Samuel A. Peeples
directed by Arthur H. Nadel
music by Yvette Blais & Jeff Michael and Horta-Mahana

Jason of Star CommandCast: Craig Littler (Jason), Sid Haig (Dragos), Susan O’Hanlon (Capt. Nicole Davidoff), Charlie Dell (Prof. E.J. Parsafoot), James Doohan (Commander Canarvin)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 05 Star Trek The Next Generation

Redemption II

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 45020.4: War erupts between the forces of Gowron and those of the family of Duras. The forces of Duras are winning even after Gowron’s fleets destroy all of their possible supply bases. Picard plans to take starships the Klingon/Romulan border to act as a blockade against Romulan aid to the Duras followers. Various Enterprise officers are assigned to other ships, most notably Data as captain of the starship Sutherland, whose first officer, Hobson, objects to serving under an android commander. Commander Sela, half-human, half-Romulan daughter of Tasha Yar, demands that the Federation leave the border. Guinan reveals that Sela is the product of the Tasha Yar who was sent to the Enterprise-C by Picard. Gowron launches a surprise attack on their enemies. Lursa and B’etor send a plea for aid. Sela tries to slip past the Sutherland, but Data foils the plan and the Romulans are revealed and forced to retreat, leaving Lursa and B’etor helpless. They escape and abandon Toral, leaving him to Gowron. Gowron offers Worf a chance to slay Toral, but Worf chooses not to judge Toral by his father’s actions and rejoins the crew of the Enterprise. As later noted when they unexpectedly arrived at Deep Space Nine, the Duras sisters are listed by the Klingon government as renegades, but still remain at large with at least one ship of their own, trying to raise capital for a second grab at the throne of the Klingon Empire.

Order the DVDswritten by Ronald D. Moore
directed by David Carson
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Denise Crosby (Sela), Tony Todd (Kurn), Barbara March (Lursa), Gwynyth Walsh (B’etor), J.D. Cullum (Toral), Robert O’Reilly (Gowron), Michael G. Hagerty (Captain Larg), Fran Bennett (Admiral Shonti), Nicholas Kepros (Movar), Colm Meaney (O’Brien), Timothy Carhart (Lt. Commander Hobson), Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan), Jordan Lund (Kulge), Stephen James Carver (Helmsman), Majel Barrett (Computer Voice)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Stargate Stargate Atlantis

Aurora

Stargate AtlantisRodney’s sensors detect the Aurora, an Ancient defense ship launched to protect the planet and the city. Though nobody expects the presumably lost ship to be manned, it contains nearly a full crew – kept alive in a state of near-total stasis. The aging of the Ancients’ bodies is slowed, but they’re still quite active mentally, and plugged into a network that allows them to control their ship. Rodney finds a way to plug Sheppard into the network without putting him in the same stasis, allowing him to communicate with the Ancients. But Sheppard finds that the Ancient crew doesn’t trust him – not even as a virtual reality construct. While Colonel Caldwell and his crew brace for a Wraith attack on the newly discovered ship, Sheppard discovers that the Wraith are already aboard the Aurora, both virtually and literally.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Carl Binder
story by Brad Wright & Carl Binder
directed by Martin Wood
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Mitch Pileggi (Colonel Caldwell), Bruce Dawson (Captain), Pascale Hutton (First Officer), James Lafaznos (Wraith), Kirby Morrow (Airman), Anne Openshaw (Pilot), Ryan W. Smith (Crewman), Graham Kosakoski (Guard)

Notes: Colonel Caldwell’s use of the term “military thrust” indicates that he wants the Daedalus’ pilot to push the ship’s engines past 100% throttle – or, as countless starship captains before him have put it less formally, get the hell out of there.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 2 Stargate Stargate Atlantis

The Lost Boys

Stargate AtlantisFollowing up on a lead to the possible location of a ZPM, Sheppard, Teyla, Rodney and Ronon are abducted by a group of humans and taken through a stargate – and Sheppard is stunned to see Ford is in charge of their captors. Still given superhuman strength and agility as long as he continues to find sources of the Wraith enzyme, Ford introduces his new colleagues to the enzyme as well. Over time, Ford and his friends have learned to refine the Wraith enzyme – and even to process it into food form, which he feeds to Sheppard’s team without warning them. After drugging them with their first dose of the enzyme, Ford and his men free the Atlantis team to let them explore their new abilities. Ford’s men are doing their own part to fight the Wraith, using means that might not meet the Atlantis team’s approval, and to Rodney’s horror, Sheppard finds himself considering joining Ford for at least one attack on a hive ship – as a cover for getting his own team home. But Ford’s plan, using a stolen Wraith dart, doesn’t quite go as planned – and neither does Sheppard’s plan to return to Atlantis.

Order the DVDswritten by Martin Gero
excerpt written by Robert C. Cooper
directed by Brad Turner
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Rainbow Sun Francks (Aiden Ford), Kavan Smith (Major Lorne), Aaron Abrams (Kanayo), David Nykl (Dr. Zelenka), Paul Anthony (Jace), Woody Jeffreys (Bouncer / Guard #1), Aleks Holtz (Guard #2), James Lafaznos (Wraith Male), Andee Frizzell (Wraith Hive Queen)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Battlestar Galactica (New Series) Season 2

Pegasus

Battlestar GalacticaThough Galactica was widely believed to have been the only Battlestar to have escaped the carnage that scattered the Twelve Colonies, another of the mighty ships managed to flee, and it finally catches up with the Colonial fleet – the Battlestar Pegasus, under the control of Admiral Cain. The sleeker, more modern Pegasus was docked at a Colonial shipyard at the time of the Cylon attack, suffered heavy casualties in the ambush and then made a blind FTL jump into deep space. While both Adama and President Roslin see the addition of another Battlestar, with its own Viper squadrons and armaments, as a good sign for the Colonial fleet, it seems that Admiral Cain is less than enthused about having to protect a civilian population – or, for that matter, about having to accept the former Secretary of Education as the new President of the Colonies. Roslin acknowledges that Cain outranks Adama, but is skeptical of the change in command. And when Adama gets transfer orders moving Apollo and Starbuck to the Pegasus, he begins to share that skepticism. Baltar is asked to inspect a Cylon prisoner aboard the Pegasus, and learns that it’s the same model as Number Six, except that she’s been severely tortured. The Pegasus officer who was in charge of her interrogation apparently has the same savage treatment in mind for Sharon – and when Tyrol and Helo rush to her aid, they spark an incident that pits the two Battlestars against each other.

written by Anne Cofell Saunders
directed by Michael Rymer
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Aaron Douglas (CPO Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Paul Campbell (Billy Keikeya), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Dualla), Michelle Forbes (Admiral Cain), Graham Beckel (Colonel Fisk), John Pyper-Ferguson (Captain Cole “Stinger” Taylor), Sebastian Spence (Pegasus Pilot), Leah Cairns (Racetrack), Fulvio Cecere (Lt. Alastair Thorne), Mike Dopud (Gage), Derek Delost (Vireem), Vincent Gale (Chief Peter Laird), Michael Jonsson (Pegasus Guard #2)

Notes: Pegasus is based on the two-part episode Living Legend from the original Battlestar Galactica’s first season, in which Lloyd Bridges played the part of Commander Cain, whose wayward Battlestar Pegasus was also preparing for a strike on a sizable Cylon target. Michelle Forbes is best known to SF fans as the Bajoran Ensign Ro from the last three seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a character whose backstory inspired the spinoff series Deep Space Nine. Australian-born actor John Pyper-Ferguson is also a Star Trek: The Next Generation veteran, playing the “real” Eli Hollander in A Fistful Of Datas; he had a recurring role as Sims in the second season of Jeremiah, and was a regular on such shows as Brisco County Jr. and the TV series adaptation of The Crow.

LogBook entry by Earl Green