Star Wars vs. Galactica: case dismissed
Long after Glen A. Larson’s science fiction series Battlestar Galactica has completed its run, a California judge throws out 20th Century Fox’s 1978 lawsuit, which alleged that Galactica was too close to elements of Star Wars for the studio’s comfort. (Also at issue, though not specifically mentioned in the legal proceedings, was Universal Studios’ hiring of such Star Wars personnel as FX guru John Dykstra and illustrator Ralph McQuarrie to work on Galactica.) Universal’s television series is declared different enough in key areas to not be considered a rip-off – small comfort for the studio, since ABC cancelled had the series earlier in the year. Still, Galactica’s legal status will come into play later, as Universal will later reassert and exploit its rights to the basic Battlestar Galactica storyline in the 21st century. This is not the end of the lawsuit, however; much like both franchises, it too is revived in 1983, and Universal is ordered to pay 20th Century Fox a settlement of nearly a quarter million dollars in 1984.
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Cosmos: The Shores Of The Cosmic Ocean
Carl Sagan’s groundbreaking science documentary series Cosmos debuts on PBS. A popular history of science and scientific theory vs. tradition and superstition, segueing into Sagan’s field of expertise (astrophysics), Cosmos is a major milestone in American documentary filmmaking and the popularization of science and the scientific method (and makes an instant celebrity out of Sagan).
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Hammer House Of Horror: Rude Awakening
The third episode of the Hammer Studios-produced horror anthology series Hammer House Of Horror airs on ITV. Denholm Elliott (Raiders Of The Lost Ark) guest stars.
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Doctor Who: Meglos, Part 1
The 530th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. Jacqueline Hill (who starred in early seasons of Doctor Who as Barbara, one of the Doctor’s first companions) guest stars.
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Hammer House Of Horror: The Thirteenth Reunion
The second episode of the Hammer Studios-produced horror anthology series Hammer House Of Horror airs on ITV. Julia Foster and Dinah Sheridan guest star.
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Doctor Who: The Leisure Hive, Part 4
The 529th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This is the first story produced by John Nathan-Turner. Adrienne Corri and Nigel Lambert guest star.
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Hammer House Of Horror: Witching Time
The first episode of the Hammer Studios-produced horror anthology series Hammer House Of Horror premieres on ITV. Patricia Quinn (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and Ian McCulloch (Survivors) guest star in an episode written by Antony Read (Doctor Who).
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Doctor Who: The Leisure Hive, Part 3
The 528th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This is the first story produced by John Nathan-Turner. Adrienne Corri and Nigel Lambert guest star.
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Doctor Who: The Leisure Hive, Part 2
The 527th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This is the first story produced by John Nathan-Turner. Adrienne Corri and Nigel Lambert guest star.
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Tales Of The Unexpected: Vengeance Is Mine Inc.
ITV airs the 29th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Julian Fellowes (Knights Of God, and future creator of Downton Abbey) guest stars.
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Doctor Who: The Leisure Hive, Part 1
The 526th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This is the first story produced by John Nathan-Turner, who remains as showrunner through the series’ cancellation in 1989, and features a redesigned title sequence and – for the first time in the series’ history – a major revision to the theme tune. Adrienne Corri and Nigel Lambert guest star. Season 18 begins with this episode.
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Tales Of The Unexpected: Proof Of Guilt
ITV airs the 28th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Jeremy Clyde and Dudley Sutton guest star.
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Tales Of The Unexpected: A Picture Of A Place
ITV airs the 27th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Jessie Matthews and Bill Maynard guest star.
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Tales Of The Unexpected: The Flypaper
ITV airs the 26th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. This episode opens the third season, the first season in which adaptations of Dahl’s short stories are in the minority, with more original scripts and adaptations of works by other writers.
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Tales Of The Unexpected: The Man At The Top
ITV airs the 25th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. This concludes the second season; future seasons will rely on Dahl stories less frequently.
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Tales Of The Unexpected: The Orderly World Of Mr. Appleby
ITV airs the 24th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Robert Lang guest stars.
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Tales Of The Unexpected: Back For Christmas
ITV airs the 23rd episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Richard Johnson guest stars.
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Tales Of The Unexpected: Mr Botibol’s First Love
ITV airs the 22nd episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Jack Weston guest stars.
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Tales Of The Unexpected: Genesis & Catastrophe
ITV airs the 21st episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Helmut Griem guest stars.
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Tales Of The Unexpected: The Umbrella Man
ITV airs the 20th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. John Mills and Michael Gambon guest star.
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Galactica 1980: The Return Of Starbuck
The tenth episode of a vastly retooled Battlestar Galactica (or, depending on how you look at it, the show’s 31st episode) premieres on ABC. This is the final episode of the original Battlestar Galactica. Dirk Benedict stars as Starbuck.
Tales Of The Unexpected: Depart In Peace
ITV airs the 19th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Joseph Cotten and Maureen O’Brien (Doctor Who) guest star.
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Future Cop: the lawsuit
Writers Harlan Ellison and Ben Bova win a copyright infringement/breach of contract lawsuit against Paramount Television, ex-Paramount exec Terry Keegan, and ABC-TV over the short-lived 1976/77 TV series Future Cop, which they contend that the studio and network launched within months of an option lapsing on Brillo, an Ellison/Bova “robot cop” pilot script submitted in 1973. After a four-year wait to get the case into court, a jury takes only four weeks to find that the similarities between Brillo and Future Cop outweigh the differences, and award the writers $182,500 in compensatory damages and $154,500 in punitive damages, falling a bit short of the $3,000,000 sought. Ellison spends part of his proceeds from the suit to buy a billboard across from Paramount Pictures bearing the warning, “Writers, don’t let them steal from you!”
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Galactica 1980: Space Croppers
The ninth episode of a vastly retooled Battlestar Galactica (or, depending on how you look at it, the show’s 30th episode) premieres on ABC. Dana Elcar, Bill Cort and Ned Romero guest star.
Tales Of The Unexpected: Georgy Porgy
ITV airs the 18th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Joan Collins guest stars.
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Galactica 1980: Night The Cylons Landed II
The eighth episode of a vastly retooled Battlestar Galactica (or, depending on how you look at it, the show’s 29th episode) premieres on ABC. Wolfman Jack guest stars.
Tales Of The Unexpected: My Lady Love, My Dove
ITV airs the 17th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Elaine Stritch and Shane Rimmer (Thunderbirds) guest star.
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Galactica 1980: Night The Cylons Landed I
The seventh episode of a vastly retooled Battlestar Galactica (or, depending on how you look at it, the show’s 28th episode) premieres on ABC. Wolfman Jack guest stars.
Tales Of The Unexpected: Taste
ITV airs the 16th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Ron Moody (Into The Labyrinth) guest stars.
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Tales Of The Unexpected: Fat Chance
ITV airs the 15th episode of Roald Dahl’s anthology series Tales Of The Unexpected, hosted by the author himself and adapted from his short stories. Miriam Margolyes guest stars in the first episode not based on a Dahl short story.
More about Tales Of The Unexpected in theLogBook.com Store
Tales Of The Unexpected now streaming on Amazon Prime