Day: December 6, 2021

Space: 1999 Moonbase Alpha Technical Operations Manual

Space: 1999 Moonbase Alpha Technical Operations ManualAnderson Entertainment publishes the Space: 1999 Moonbase Alpha Technical Operations Manual, a glossy, large-format coffee table book detailing the technical specifications of Space: 1999’s settings, vehicles, weapons, uniforms, and more.

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The Mandalorian: Chapter 5: The Gunslinger

The MandalorianStreaming service Disney+ premieres the the fifth episode of Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian, the first live-action TV series set in the Star Wars universe, starring Pedro Pascal. Amy Sedaris (Strangers With Candy) and Jake Cannavale (Nurse Jackie) guest star. Read more

Star Trek: Short Treks: The Brightest Star

Star Trek: Short TreksStreaming service CBS All Access debuts the third episode of Short Treks, a series of 15-20 minute short stories set in the Star Trek universe, with this story serving as an “origin story” for Star Trek: Discovery‘s Commander Saru. Doug Jones and Michelle Yeoh star.

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The Flash: The Present

The FlashThe CW airs the 55th episode of The Flash, a modern-day reboot of DC Comics’ superhero starring Grant Gustin. Mark Hamill (Star Wars) guest stars.

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Eureka: Do You See What I See

EurekaSyfy airs the 64th episode of the science fiction series Eureka, starring Colin Ferguson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, and Joe Morton. Matt Frewer (Max Headroom), Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica), and Jim Parons (Big Bang Theory) guest star in an animated Christmas special (and also the fourth season finale).

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Eureka now streaming on Amazon Prime

Missing Venus

Akatsuki at VenusJapan’s AKATSUKI unmanned space probe fires its thrusters to slow down enough to be captured into an orbit around Venus, a maneuver which will take place mostly in the planet’s shadow, out of communication with Earth. But when ground controllers reacquire communications with AKATSUKI, it is in safe mode, and not in its predicted orbit around Venus. The main orbital engine, damaged by overheating due to salt deposits on a fuel valve, fired for less than three minutes and cannot safely be fired again, leaving AKATSUKI into a solar orbit. Mission planners put AKATSUKI into a hibernation mode to preserve it for another opportunity to orbit Venus in 2015.

ISS: Unity node arrives

ISSSpace Shuttle Endeavour joins the first two modules of the International Space Station together, having carried the Unity docking node into orbit in its cargo bay. With no living quarters or long-term life support facilities, the station is not yet ready for full-time occupancy; two further shuttle missions are required to prepare the station for its next major addition.

The X-Files: Dreamland II

The X-FilesThe 122nd episode of Chris Carter’s modern-day science fiction series The X-Files airs on Fox, starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Michael McKean guest stars.

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Sliders: State Of The A.R.T.

SlidersFox airs the 33rd episode of Tracy Torme’s alternate-universe science fiction series Sliders, starring Jerry O’Connell, John Rhys Davies, Sabrina Lloyd, and Cleavant Derricks. Robert Englund (V, A Nightmare On Elm Street) guest stars.

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Sliders now streaming on Amazon Prime
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Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Star TrekThe first Star Trek film since 1982’s Star Trek II to be directed by Nicholas Meyer, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country premieres in theaters, with Paramount billing it as the final appearance of the original crew. Depicting the earliest hints of a political alliance between the Federation and the Klingons, Star Trek VI is intended to hint at the future already playing out on TV on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and is preceded by a special two-part episode of that show featuring Leonard Nimoy. While some of the cast reprise their roles in later movies, TV episodes and even fan-made productions, this does mark the final appearance of DeForest Kelley in character as Dr. McCoy.

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Doctor Who: Survival, Part 3

Doctor WhoThe 697th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Julian Holloway guest stars; Anthony Ainley makes his final appearance as the Master in the original series. This is the final episode of the original Doctor Who series, as the BBC quietly keeps the show off the schedule without making an announcement of the series’ cancellation. Doctor Who returns – with Sylvester McCoy briefly reprising his role – as a one-off TV movie in 1996, and then goes dormant again until revived in 2005.

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Quantum Leap: Catch A Falling Star – May 21, 1979

Quantum LeapNBC airs the 18th episode of Donald Bellisario’s science fiction series Quantum Leap, starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. John Cullum (Northern Exposure) and Paul Sand guest star.

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Damaged goods: Atlantis returns

STS-27 landingSpace Shuttle Atlantis returns to Earth from a classified four-day mission to deploy a payload for the Department of Defense, and on only the second flight since the Challenger disaster, most of Atlantis’ crew are surprised to return to Earth at all. During the mission, they note that Atlantis is missing numerous heat shield tiles along the vehicle’s right side and its wing – a post-landing damage survey counts over 700 missing tiles, making Atlantis the most-damaged orbiter to return safely from space. The damage had been pointed out to ground controllers by the crew, but when NASA asks permission from the Defense Department to allow the crew to send a live TV signal to Earth so engineers can survey the damage in orbit, that permission is refused. A slow-scan encrypted video system is used instead, and its low resolution doesn’t reveal the extent of the damage. The damage is believed to have been caused by insulation vibrating loose from the solid rocket booster and the external fuel tank and striking the shuttle during launch, an almost identical cause of damage that proves catastrophic to another shuttle 15 years later.

Knights Of God, Episode 13

Knights Of GodUK regional broadcaster TVS airs the 13th and final episode of Richard Cooper’s alternate-history series Knights Of God, portraying a struggle between oppressive government and rugged resistance fighters in a post-civil-war UK. Michael Sheard (The Empire Strikes Back) guest stars. Read more

Doctor Who: The Trial Of A Time Lord, Pt. 14

Doctor WhoThe 655th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Lynda Bellingham, Michael Jayston and Honor Blackman guest star; Anthony Ainley appears as the Master. Though no one realizes it at the time of production, this is Colin Baker’s final appearance as the sixth Doctor before the BBC replaces him in the role. It’s also the final Time Lord story until well into the new series of the 21st century. The 23rd season of Doctor Who, and the trial storyline, concludes with this episode.

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Misfits Of Science: Fumble On The One

Misfits Of ScienceThe eighth episode of James D. Parriott’s lighthearted sci-fi series, Misfits Of Science, airs on NBC, starring Dean Paul Martin, Kevin Peter Hall, and Courteney Cox. Sid Haig (Jason Of Star Command) and Greta Blackburn (V) guest star.

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Twilight Zone: Episode 11

The Twilight ZoneCBS airs the 11th episode of a revival of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. Charles Martin Smith and Peter Riegert star in an episode comprised of two short stories, including an adaptation of Harlan Ellison’s short story One Life, Furnished In Early Poverty.

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The Twilight Zone now streaming on Paramount Plus

Hammer House Of Horror: The Two Faces Of Evil

Hammer House Of HorrorThe 13th and final episode of the Hammer Studios-produced horror anthology series Hammer House Of Horror airs on ITV. Peter McEnery and Georgina Hale guest star.

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Doctor Who: State Of Decay, Part 3

Doctor WhoThe 540th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This story, the second part of the E-space trilogy, introduces the “Time Lords vs. Vampires” mythos.

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Man From Atlantis: The Naked Montague

Man From AtlantisThe eighth episode of the science fiction series Man From Atlantis airs on NBC, starring Patrick Duffy and Belinda J. Montgomery. John Shea (Lois & Clark) and Ahna Capri (Enter The Dragon) guest star. Read more

The Lost Saucer: Fi Am Woman

The Lost SaucerABC airs the 14th episode of Sid & Marty Krofft’s The Lost Saucer, starring Jim Nabors (The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle USMC) and Ruth Buzzi (Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In). Carole Mallory guest stars.

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Planet Of The Apes: Up Above The World…

Planet Of The ApesThe 13th and final episode of the TV spinoff of Planet Of The Apes, Up Above The World So High, premieres on CBS. (The network passes on an earlier episode, The Liberator, as being too controversial.) This concludes the live-action TV run of Planet Of The Apes.

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The Twilight Zone: The 7th Is Made Up Of Phantoms

The Twilight ZoneThe 130th episode of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone airs on CBS. Ron Foster, Warren Oates, and Greg Morris star in an episode written by Serling.

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The Twilight Zone now streaming on Paramount Plus

One Step Beyond: Tonight At 12:17

One Step BeyondABC airs the 72nd episode of the supernatural anthology series One Step Beyond, hosted and directed by John Newland. Peggy Ann Garner guest stars.

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One Step Beyond now streaming on Amazon Prime

Pioneer 3

Pioneer 3NASA launches the Pioneer 3 space probe, intended – like its predecessors – to visit the vicinity of the moon. Designed to activate a television camera to get the first look at the moon’s far side, Pioneer 3 never reaches its target, only covering a third of the distance between Earth and the moon before it loops back toward Earth and burns up in the atmosphere a day later. Its near-identical twin, Pioneer 4, will be launched in 1959.

Vanguard TV-3

Vanguard TV-3The first attempt to launch an American satellite into orbit ends in fire, with the rocket failing to produce enough thrust to take off. The booster falls over and explodes on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, destroying the Vanguard TV-3 satellite, intended to be America’s contribution to the International Geophysical Year. The blame is later placed on the insistence of not using proven military rockets as launch vehicles.