August 3, 1981 – theLogBook.com Episode Guides

The Calling

By theLogBook.com
August 3, 1981

A rotting skull emerges from a sea of mist in the caverns where Rothgo and his young companions once consulted before going on their adventures. The skull is replaced by the visage of Belor, who exclaims “I live!”

Terry and Helen receive a call for help from Rothgo, by way of the crystals he gave them at the end of their previous adventures. With Belor’s return, he needs his champions once more. Phil, Rothgo’s other champion, walks into a stone circle and vanishes, reappearing in Rothgo’s cavern. Rothgo warns Phil that Belor is assembling a force intended to be equal and opposite to the Nidus, called Albedo, and Phil must again wander through the labyrinth into the past, finding a splinter of Rothgo’s former self with whom to ally himself. Helen and Terry follow, finding Phil has been sent back to the time of the Vikings, where Rothgo is fighting a losing battle to keep Belor from harnessing the power of the Albedo.

written by Bob Baker
directed by Peter Graham Scott
music by Sidney Sager

Cast: Ron Moody (Rothgo), Pamela Salem (Belor), Lisa Turner (Helen), Simon Henderson (Terry), Simon Beal (Phil), Howard Goorney (Loke), David Trevena (Alberick), Stephen Lyons (1st Guard)

Notes: In strict scientific terms, “albedo” refers to a measurement of how much sunlight is reflected by a body such as a planet or moon without being absorbed by an atmosphere or some other phenomenon in the way. High-albedo objects are brighter, and low-albedo objects are dimmer. Stone circles figured prominently in a previous collaboration between director Peter Graham Scott, and HTV executive producer Patrick Dromgoolie, 1977’s Children Of The Stones.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Star Cops TV Series

This Case To Be Opened In A Million Years

By theLogBook.com
August 3, 1987

Literally moments after the Star Cops’ lunar base is put on maximum alert due to the failed launch (and near-spill) of nuclear radiation at the nearby launch pad, Spring is summoned by the personnel division on Earth, with orders to report to Earth for scheduled leave time…regardless of the emergency. Theroux heads up the investigation into the accident while Spring heads home, but since the death of his girlfriend, Spring has found little comfort on Earth. He finds even less when he has to fend off an attacker – but not before the man drugs him – and is then charged with the man’s murder. It turns out that Spring’s assailant is an Italian with mob ties, recently deported back to Earth from the moonbase courtesy of the Star Cops. Spring is swiftly relieved of duty as Kenzy and Devis investigate a commercial moon mining operation that may have its own ties to the Mafia…and to a black market trade in nucelar-weapons-grade uranium. As for Theroux and moonbase administrator Alexander Krivenko, they seem all too ready to sit by as Spring is railroaded.

written by Philip Martin
directed by Graeme Harper
music by Justin Hayward & Tony Visconti

Cast: David Calder (Nathan Spring), Erick Ray Evans (David Theroux), Trevor Cooper (Colin Devis), Linda Newton (Pal Kenzy), Jonathan Adams (Alexander Krivenko), Michael Chesden (Carlo Santanini), Susan Curnow (Marla Condarini), Stewart Guidotti (Inspector Canova), Vikki Chambers (Lina Margello), Flip Webster (Personnel Officer), Andre Winterton (Angelo Fordenone), Carl Forgione (Tour Guide)

Notes: Writer Philip Martin had already gained fame – or, depending upon whom you ask, notoriety – for his gritty, stylized BBC crime drama Gangsters, as well as his well-received Doctor Who story Vengeance On Varos, which introduced Sil, a promising new enemy for the Doctor; rather less well-received were Martin’s scripts for parts 5-8 of The Trial Of A Time Lord, which revisited Sil but confused viewers, actors and the production crew alike. This was his only Star Cops script to be filmed; a second script, Death On The Moon, was cast, costumed and rehearsed, but a crew strike at the BBC prevented filming from taking place.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 1

A Voice in the Wilderness – Part 2

By theLogBook.com
August 3, 1994

As Sinclair and Ivanova return to the station with the dying being from Epsilon 3, the Earth Alliance heavy cruiser Hyperion arrives, supposedly to provide backup should any of the alien governments object to an anticipated Earth takeover of the unimaginably powerful technology found on Epsilon 3. In the meantime, Draal, a friend of Delenn’s who has arrived to tell her he is probably never going to return to Minbar, somehow picks up on the presence of the alien Varn in the medlab. Varn reveals that Epsilon 3 is the hiding place of a level of technology which could be malevolently destructive in the wrong hands, and Varn is its guardian, but with his condition fading of natural causes, the planet’s defenses are becoming erratic and volatile. As if the uncooperative captain of the Hyperion isn’t enough for Sinclair to deal with, an alien ship containing beings similar to Varn arrives, demanding custody of Epsilon 3’s technology and theatening any who stand in the way. Draal wants to take Varn and go to Epsilon 3, and Delenn convinces Londo to fly them down to the surface in the midst of a pitch battle between the combined forces of B5 and the Hyperion and the alien attackers. Draal intends to take Varn’s place as the Guardian of Epsilon 3 – but who will lay claim to the planet and its arsenal?

written by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Janet Greek
music by Christopher Franke

Guest Cast: Louis Turene (Draal), Ron Canada (Captain Ellis Pierce), Curt Lowens (Varn), Denise Gentile (Lise Hampton), Aki Aleong (Senator Hidoshi), Joshua Cox (Tech #2), Chip Heller (Rowdy #1), Lenore Kasdorf (ISN Reporter), Michelan Sisti (Takarn), Marianne Robertson (Tech #1)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Farscape Season 3

Infinite Possibilities Part 2: Icarus Abides

By Dave
August 3, 2001

Harvey appears to have won the battle for control of Crichton’s body. Aeryn reluctantly prepares to shoot him when Jack intervenes – the clone is in control for a moment, but it’s a last, dying gasp. Crichton is free, and he quickly grasps the wormhole information flooding his mind. An advance Scarran scout boards Talyn and demands that Stark instruct the ship to prepare a neural interface that will let it take control; Stark and a recovering Crais plot to eliminate this threat. Furlow turns on the others, killing Jack and planning to sell the tech to the Scarrans, including the new wormhole weapon. Crichton and Aeryn chase her through the desert. Crichton eventually overtakes Furlow; during their fight the weapon is tossed from her vehicle, where the weapon’s power supply is exposed. Furlow once more urges Crichton to run away with her, where they can profitably exploit their knowledge. But Crichton knows the Scarrans are coming. He has to get the weapon aboard the copy of his module and into space – even if it means exposing himself to the weapon’s massive radiation.

written by Carleton Eastlake
directed by Ian Watson
music by Guy Gross

Guest Cast: Kent McCord (Jack Crichton), Magda Szubanski (Furlow), Thomas Holesgrove (Alcar), Noel Hodda (Charrid Leader 2)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Season 2 Star Trek Strange New Worlds

Subspace Rhapsody

By theLogBook.com
August 3, 2023

Stardate 2398.3: Investigating a subspace fold with unusual properties, the Enterprise is once again visited by Lt. Commander James Kirk of the Farragut, whose presence has La’An noticeably on edge. Hypothesizing that the subspace fold could be used to speed up long-range communications, Spock and Uhura have been trying to send signals through it to no avail. Commander Pelia suggests transmitting music into the fold, and the effect is immediate and unpredictable, causing members of the crew to burst into song in moments of extreme emotion. Even Spock is not immune, particularly after learning that Nurse Chapel has successfully applied for a three-month fellowship to study under Dr. Roger Korby. Worse still, the effect is spreading throughout existing subspace communications networks, affecting others across the galaxy in the same way. The Klingons, despite being accustomed to singing songs of their deeds in battle, are less than amused, and a major diplomatic breakdown looms unless Captain Pike and his crew come up with a show-stopping grand finale.

written by Dana Horgan & Bill Wolkoff
directed by Dermott Downs / choreography by Roberto Campanella
original songs by Tom Polce and Kay Hanley / additional lyrics by Dana Horgan & Bill Wolkoff
music by Nami Melumad
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds main theme by Jeff Russo

Cast: Anson Mount (Captain Christopher Pike), Ethan Peck (Lt. Spock), Jess Bush (Nurse Christine Chapel), Christina Chong (Lt. La’An Noonien Singh), Celia Rose Gooding (Ensign Uhura), Melissa Navia (Lt. Erica Ortegas), Babs Olusanmokun (Dr. M’Benga), Rebecca Romijn (Commander Una Chin-Riley), Paul Wesley (Kirk), Melanie Scrofano (Captain Batel), Dan Jeannotte (Lt. Sam Kirk), Bruce Horak (General Garkog), Carol Kane (Commander Pelia), Rong Fu (Jenna Mitchell)

Notes: With a history that stretches from dancing, singing Murf, to Kira singing “Fever” while Odo plays piano, to musically inclined space hippies, to Uhura serenading Charlie Evans in one of the original series’ earliest episodes, there’s never been a shortage of musical moments in Star Trek, but Subspace Rhapsody marks the first attempt to elevate that concept to a full-fledged stage-style musical sustaining across a full episode. It helps that almost the entire cast is musically inclined as well, and a soundtrack release followed almost immediately. Kirk’s mention to La’An that he has a steady – and pregnant – girlfriend is almost certainly a reference to Carol Marcus (Star Trek II, 1982). Bruce Horak – who starred in season one as Hemmer – makes his second comeback of the season, this time in Klingon guise.