Retrogram #2214: The Little Black Bags
theLogBook.com releases the 31st episode of the Retrogram podcast, hosted by Earl Green, covering the following shows retelling their own versions of Cyril Kornbluth’s sci-fi short story of the same name:
- Tales Of Tomorrow: The Little Black Bag (1954)
- Out Of The Unkown: The Little Black Bag (1969)
- Night Gallery: The Little Black Bag (1970)
Legends Of Tomorrow: The Getaway
The CW airs the 61st episode of Legends Of Tomorrow, starring Caity Lotz, Matt Ryan, Brandon Routh, and Tala Ashe.
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Chuck McCann, actor, dies
Comedian and actor Chuck McCann, a familiar TV face from his start in children’s television in New York in the 1950s to his near-ubiquity in both television shows and commercials in the 1970s and 1980s, dies of congestive heart failure at the age of 83. He continued to be a fixture on children’s television nationally, including a stint on the Sid & Marty Krofft Saturday morning kids’ sci-fi comedy Far Out Space Nuts in 1975, of which he was also co-creator. McCann’s voice could also be heard in numerous animated TV series, including Pac-Man and Animaniacs; he was the voice of The Thing in the animated Fantastic Four series.
Dragon CRS-8
SpaceX launches the unmanned Dragon CRS-8 (Commercial Resupply Mission 8) to the International Space Station, carrying supplies and experiments, as well as delivering via its cargo trunk the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), the first new addition to the ISS since 2011. The flight is a success, and for the first time, the Falcon 9 first stage returns intact to an unmanned drone barge in the Atlantic Ocean, where it can be refurbished and reused. Though SpaceX has previously brought an intact booster down on dry land, this is the first success in several attempts to recover the spent first stage at sea.
Soyuz TMA-12 / ISS Expedition 17
The seventeenth full-time crew of the International Space Station lifts off from Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz TMA-12. Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko take up residence on the ISS for 199 days. Arriving with them on the ISS for a ten-day stay is South Korean astronaut Yi So-Yeon, who returns to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-11 with the Expedition 16 crew.
Mars Rovers’ mission extended
NASA announces that the Spirit rover has exceeded its mission goals of 90 continuous Martian days of operation since landing, with over 600 meters of the Martian surface covered. NASA applies for, and receives approval on, a plan to keep Spirit and Opportunity roving through September, almost tripling the rovers’ planned life span. The extended mission, made possible by a budget boost of $15 million, will give engineers the chance to try handing control over to the Rovers’ built-in systems, and it’ll afford a greater opportunity to examine the unusual rocks and evidence of past bodies of water on the Martian surface.
The Clone Wars: Chapter 20
Bridging the gap between Star Wars Episode II and Episode III, Cartoon Network premieres the 20th mini-episode of Genndy Tartakovsky’s The Clone Wars animated shorts. The Clone Wars shorts return – in a slightly less short format – in the spring of 2005, running up to the theatrical release of Episode III; on DVD, this is also the end of Volume One. This installment marks the first appearance of General Grievous.
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Hear about it on the Sci-Fi 5 podcast
Electric Light Orchestra II / The Lost Planet
EMI Records releases a UK-only remastered, expanded edition of the second Electric Light Orchestra album, Electric Light Orchestra II, featuring a bonus CD bearing the 1972 album’s unused work-in-progress title, The Lost Planet. The bonus disc includes numerous previously unissued songs, including demos from a session to test out prospective new lead singers before Jeff Lynne took that mantle as well, following the departure of co-founder Roy Wood. Though a remastered Electric Light Orchestra II is later issued in North America, it does not include the second disc or its contents.
STS-110: giving ISS its backbone
Space Shuttle Atlantis lifts off on the 109th shuttle flight, an 11-day mission to add the integrated truss “backbone” to the International Space Station. In addition to assembling and attaching this major part of the station, a mobile transport is added for the station’s remote manipulator arm, allowing the arm to roll from one end of the station to the other for whatever functions may be required. Aboard Atlantis for her 25th flight are Commander Michael Bloomfield, Pilot Stephen Frick, and mission specialists Jerry Ross, Steven Smith, Ellen Ochoa, Lee Morin and Rex Walheim.
E:FC: Honor And Duty
The 105th episode of Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, airs in syndication, starring Jayne Heitmeyer, Von Flores, Melinda Deines, Guylaine St. Onge, and Alan Van Sprang.
More about Earth: Final Conflict in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
Earth: Final Conflict now streaming on Amazon Prime
The X-Files: Three Words
The 177th episode of Chris Carter’s modern-day science fiction series The X-Files airs on Fox, starring Gillian Anderson and Robert Patrick. David Duchovny appears as Agent Mulder; Judson Scott (Star Trek II, The Phoenix) guest stars.
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UPN airs the 
Cable channel TNT premieres Star Trek: DS9: Business As Usual
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 114th episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine now streaming on Paramount Plus
UPN airs the Star Trek: DS9: Rules Of Engagement
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 88th episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine now streaming on Paramount Plus
Babylon 5: Ceremonies Of Light And Dark
The week-long national syndication window opens for the 55th episode of J. Michael Straczynski’s science fiction series Babylon 5. Award-winning SF writer (and series creative consultant) Harlan Ellison provides an irascible computer voice in this episode.
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Babylon 5 now streaming on Amazon Prime
Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.: Wild Card
Fox airs the 23rd episode of the sci-fi western, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., starring Bruce Campbell, Julius Carry, and Christian Clemenson. Kelly Rutherford (Melrose Place) guest stars.
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The Adventures Of Brisco County Jr. now streaming on Amazon Prime
STS-56
Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off with the ATLAS-2 scientific payload for a nine-day mission. A free-floating platform to measure solar wind activity is also deployed and then retrieved before returning to Earth. Aboard Discovery for her 16th flight are Commander Kenneth Cameron, Pilot Stephen Oswald, and mission specialists Michael Foale, Kenneth Cockrell and Ellen Ochoa.
Quantum Leap: Moments To Live
NBC airs the 71st episode of Donald Bellisario’s science fiction series Quantum Leap, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. Kathnleen Wilhoite (Pepper Ann, Gilmore Girls) guest stars.
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Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Congo, January 1917
The sixth episode of George Lucas’ historical adventure series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles airs on ABC, starring Sean Patrick Flanery. Bryan Pringle (Brazil) and Friedrich von Thun (Schindler’s List) guest stars in the finale of the abbreviated first season. Already a hit with critics, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles won’t be seen again until September, at which point it will be a heavily-promoted part of ABC’s fall season.
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Twilight Zone: Special Service
The 63rd episode of a revival of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone airs in syndication. David Naughton stars in an episode written by J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Jeremiah, Sense8).
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More about The Twilight Zone in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
The Twilight Zone now streaming on Paramount Plus
Beauty and the Beast: A Happy Life
CBS airs the 22nd episode of Ron Koslow’s fantasy series Beauty and the Beast, starring Linda Hamilton, Ron Perlman, and Roy Dotrice. This is the first season finale.
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Beauty & The Beast now streaming on Paramount Plus
Ladyhawke soundtrack
Atlantic Records releases an album of Andrew Powell‘s soundtrack from the movie Ladyhawke. The album is produced by Alan Parsons, and features a rock-based score performed by the same musicians who record for the Alan Parsons Project.
The Powers Of Matthew Star: Swords And Quests
The 21st episode of the science fiction series The Powers Of Matthew Star airs on NBC, starring Peter Barton and Louis Gossett Jr. Kevin Hooks (The White Shadow, He’s The Mayor) guest stars.
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The Greatest American Hero: Saturday Night On Sunset Boulevard
ABC airs the fourth episode of Stephen J. Cannell’s superhero comedy series The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Connie Sellecca, and Robert Culp.
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The Greatest American Hero now streaming on Amazon Prime
The Sixth Sense: Whisper Of Evil
The 11th episode of The Sixth Sense airs on ABC, starring Gary Collins. Frank Converse (Coronet Blue) guest stars.
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Doctor Who: The Mutants, Part 1
The 318th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Garrick Hagon (Star Wars) and John Hollis (The Empire Strikes Back) guest star.
More about Doctor Who in the LogBook
Order VWORP!1 from theLogBook.com Store
Nimbus 4
NASA launches the Nimbus 4 satellite, designed to observe weather patterns from orbit and test new weather and climate detection technologies. Nimbus 4 is among the first satellites to test what will become known as global positioning system technology, capable of pinpointing ground-based targets with special equipment. The satellite begins to experience intermittent attitude control problems in 1971, but remains in at least partial service through 1980.
The Avengers: The Superlative Seven
British broadcaster ABC airs the 116th episode of the spy-fi series The Avengers, starring Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg. Brian Blessed (Flash Gordon) and Charlotte Rampling (Zardoz) guest star.
More about The Avengers in the LogBook and theLogBook.com Store
The Avengers now streaming on Amazon Prime