Day: October 18, 1968

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Original Series Season 03 Star Trek

Is There In Truth No Beauty?

Star Trek ClassicStardate 5630.7: Miranda Jones, a telepath who studied mental disciplines on Vulcan, arrives with Ambassador Kolos, a Medusan – an alien life form whose physical form is so hideous, humanoid life forms are driven insane if they look upon him. Also beaming aboard is Larry Marvick, one of the original designers of the Enterprise – and hopelessly in love with Miranda, although she has chosen to spend her life serving as a liason between the Medusans and other humanoids. Miranda senses that someone is actively contemplating murder, and suspects Spock is envious of her once-in-a-lifetime mission – but even Miranda is unaware of the real would-be killer and their target.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Jean Lisette Aroeste
directed by Ralph Serensky
music by George Duning

Guest Cast: James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Diana Muldaur (Dr. Miranda Jones), David Frankham (Larry Marvick)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Planet Of The Apes Season 1

Tomorrow’s Tide

Planet Of The ApesVirdon, Burke and Galen are making good time along a shoreline, with the humans actually traveling on foot in the water as much as possible so the tide will cover their tracks; Galen is having none of it, preferring to stay well away from the water. They spot what appears to be a damaged raft adrift, and Burke and Virdon swim out to retrieve it, finding a man lashed helplessly to it: someone tied him to it and left him for dead at sea. The exhausted man wears a metal band indicating that he was a slave from a forced labor camp. Virdon and Burke scout out the nearby labor camp, where humans are forced to spear-fish at gunpoint by their ape masters, but they are captured by the guards and brought before Hurton, the camp’s commandant. They prove their ability to fish under fire – literally – but in order to prevent them from becoming trapped at Hurton’s camp, Galen appears, claiming that Virdon and Burke are his wayward slaves. But instead of releasing them, Hurton decides they should answer for their crimes to the “gods of the sea” – the plentiful sharks that have claimed many a fisherman in these waters. But even after thwarting this attempt to kill them, the two astronauts face a new threat: the man they rescued has been discovered…and Hurton’s over-eager security chief is more than happy to blame the newcomers for this, and punish them accordingly.

Order the DVDswritten by Robert W. Lenski
directed by Don McDougall
music by Earle Hagen

Guest Cast: Roscoe Lee Browne (Hurton), Jay Robinson (Bandor), John McLiam (Gahto), Jim Storm (Romar), Kathleen Bracken (Soma), Larry Ellis (Drayman #2)

Notes: Actor Roscoe Lee Browne is well-known in genre circles for two other genre appearances in the 1970s: he appeared as the gleaming robot Box in Logan’s Run (1976), and later narrated the best-selling storybook record The Story Of Star Wars in the wake of that film’s success. While the episode boasts some beautiful location filming and impressive underwater scenes for a TV budget, the “shark” props used (usually before a glimpse of stock footage of real sharks) are, perhaps, a little bit less than convincing.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Man From Atlantis Season 1

Hawk Of Mu

Man From AtlantisWhen all electrical power fails in an 80 mile radius near the Foundation for Oceanic Research, Mark and the Cetacean crew investigate, hoping to discover whether or not the phenomenon has a natural cause. Mark stumbles across an ancient artifact known as the Hawk of Mu, supposedly a link to the lost Lemurian civilization of the vanished island of Mu. But the Hawk’s power is already being harnessed for less than peaceful purposes by Mr. Schubert, whose own daughter becomes Mark’s unlikely ally in the fight to stop him.

teleplay by Luther Murdoch
story by David Balkan
directed by Harry Harris
music by Fred Karlin

Man From AtlantisCast: Patrick Duffy (Mark Harris), Belinda J. Montgomery (Dr. Elizabeth Merrill), Alan Fudge (C.W. Crawford), Victor Buono (Mr. Schubert), Robert Lussier (Brent), Sydney Lassick (Constable), Vicky Huxtable (Juliette Schubert), Carole Mallory (Woman), Richard Laurance Williams (Jomo), J. Victor Lopez (Chuey), Jean Marie Hon (Jane), Anson Downes (Allen)

Notes: The makers of Man From Atlantis employed cutting edge computer graphics for the scenes in Schubert’s lab: the computer screen displayed actual graphics from the then-brand-new Apple II computer, which had just been released in June 1977.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Buck Rogers Season 1

The Plot To Kill A City, Part 2

Buck Rogers In The 25th CenturyMoments after he learns of a plan by criminal mastermind Seton Kellogg to detonate an antimatter charge in New Chicago, Buck’s cover is blown and he’s captured. Wilma has captured one of Kellogg’s conspirators and taken him back to Earth, but he refuses to surrender any information about the plot. Buck has to find a way back to Earth – but even when he does, Kellogg and his assassins are already on the planet, putting a backup plan into effect that doesn’t require the presence of Argus – and will still prove just as deadly to New Chicago.

Order the DVDswritten by Alan Brennert
directed by Dick Lowry
music by Stu Phillips

Cast: Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), Erin Gray (Wilma Deering), Tim O’Connor (Doctor Huer), Frank Gorshin (Seton Kellogg), John Quade (Jolen Quince), Anthony James (Varek), James McEachin (Selvan), Nancy DeCarl (Sherese), Markie Post (Joella Cameron), Robert Tessier (Marcos), James Sloyan (Barney), Victor Argo (Argus), Whitney Rydbeck (Hartsteen), Gwen Mitchell (Ticket Clerk), Nonice Williams (Katrina), John Furlong (1st Cop), Mitch Reta (Technician), Richard Reed (1st Rowdy), Seamon Glass (Pirate)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Knights Of God

Episode 6

Knights Of GodAs Mordrin tries to control and redirect Gervase’s anger at the news of Julia’s death, Brother Hugo begins working in earnest to build his own power base within the Knights, growing paranoid that Prior Mordrin will try to eliminate him soon. Hugo also anticipates that Gervase will be set against him at some point, and so he sets events in motion to try to eliminate Mordrin’s prize catch, using Julia as the bait again.

written by Richard Cooper
directed by Michael Kerrigan
music by Christopher Gunning

Knights Of GodCast: Claire Parker (Julia), Anne Stallybrass (Nell), George Winter (Gervase), Julian Fellowes (Hugo), John Woodvine (Mordrin), Patrick Troughton (Arthur), Shirley Stelfox (Beth), John Vine (Williams), Christopher Bowen (Pilot), Spencer Leigh (Wilson)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Highlander Season 2

The Darkness

HighlanderA militant Watcher, Pallin Wolf, traps Immortals by kidnapping their closest mortal friends – usually their lovers – and luring them to his house where he dons night-vision goggles and bests them in combat in a dark room. As Wolf beheads another victim, Duncan, Tessa and Richie are having a night on the town. Richie introduces them to a self-proclaimed psychic who reads Tessa’s palm and predicts doom. Remembering an incident in the distant past when a spurned lover cursed him never to marry, Duncan, shaken by the reading, proposes to Tessa out of the blue, and naturally she accepts. Duncan then sees that they are being watched, but fails to find the eavesdropper. The next day, a suspicious figure passes the store and Duncan takes off after him – which turns out to be just what Wolf wants, as he knocks Richie out and kidnaps Tessa. Duncan eventually tracks Wolf and Tessa down, but before that fateful night ends, Duncan’s life and Richie’s conception of death will never be the same again.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Christian Bouveron & Lawrence Shore
directed by Paolo Barzman
music by Roger Bellon

HighlanderCast: Adrian Paul (Duncan McLeod), Alexandra Vandernoort (Tessa), Stan Kirsch (Richie), Traci Lords (Greta), Andrew Jackson (Pallin Wolf), Frank C. Turner (Harry), Lisa Vultaggio (Carmen), Richard Lautsch (Roman), Kendall Cross (Michelle), Adrian Hughes (James), Travis MacDonald (Kid)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 07 Star Trek The Next Generation

Gambit Part II

Star Trek: The Next GenerationStardate 47160.1: Riker is accepted into Baran’s outlaw fold by pretending to be an old enemy of “Galen,” and the mercenaries’ mission continues. Picard discovers that Baran’s gang is not looking for Romulan artifacts, but for ancient Vulcan artifacts. The Romulan mercenary Tallera reveals herself as an undercover Vulcan security operative, and she earns Picard’s trust enough for him to reveal his own identity. A Klingon shuttle pilot carrying the last of three vital artifacts is intercepted by the Enterprise, which becomes Baran’s next target. Riker is left for dead on the Enterprise by Picard to resume command, as Picard leads a mutiny among the mercenaries and kills Baran. Picard must try to play into Riker’s hands without arousing the mercenaries’ suspicions – or Tallera’s.

Order the DVDsteleplay by Ronald D. Moore
story by Naren Shankar
directed by Alexander Singer
music by Jay Chattaway

Guest Cast: Richard Lynch (Baran), Robin Curtis (Tallera), Caitlin Brown (Vekor), Cameron Thor (Narik), James Worthy (Koral), Sabrina LeBeauf (Ensign Giusti), Martin Goslins (Setok)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Deep Space Nine Season 02 Star Trek

Invasive Procedures

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStardate 47182.1: DS9 is evacuated to avoid endangering any personnel due to the passage of a plasma storm. A handful of renegades infiltrates the nearly-abandoned station with the aid of Quark, who doesn’t know what they’re really after. The leader of the intruders is Verad, a candidate for Trill host who was rejected by the symbiosis evalutation board as unfit for the joining, and he intends to steal the symbiont Dax. As the crew is held hostage, Bashir is coerced into performing the operation to implant Dax into Verad. As Bashir struggles to keep Jadzia alive long enough to reunite her with Dax, Sisko tries to keep the newly integrated Verad Dax talking in hope of appealing to his mentor’s better nature.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonteleplay by John Whelpley and Robert Hewitt Wolfe
story by John Whelpley
directed by Les Landau
music by Dennis McCarthy

Cast: Avery Brooks (Commander Benjamin Sisko), Rene Auberjonois (Odo), Siddig El Fadil (Dr. Julian Bashir), Terry Farrell (Lt. Jadzia Dax), Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien), Armin Shimerman (Quark), Nana Visitor (Major Kira Nerys), John Glover (Verad), Megan Gallagher (Mareel), Tim Russ (T’Kar), Steve Rankin (Yeto)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Deep Space Nine Season 02 Star Trek

Cardassians

Star Trek: Deep Space NineStardate 47177.2: A Bajoran man arrives on DS9 with his adopted son, a young Cardassian who was abandoned when his people withdrew from Bajor. This draws the attention of the Cardassian government, particularly Gul Dukat, who claims he is eager to solve the dilemma of Cardassian war orphans left behind on Bajor. DS9’s resident tailor, Garak, seems to find Dukat’s sudden pledge to resolve the abandoned children’s situation ironic, since the boy in question is really the son of one of the civilian assembly who voted to pull the Cardassian military out of Bajoran space – one of Dukat’s political adversaries. Sisko and Dr. Bashir, aided and abetted by Garak’s cryptic advice, must decide the fate of the Cardassian youth, possibly deciding the end result of an internal power struggle whose combatants couldn’t care less about the boy’s situation.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazonteleplay by James Crocker
story by Gene Wolande and John Wright
directed by Cliff Bole
music by Jay Chattaway

Cast: Avery Brooks (Commander Benjamin Sisko), Rene Auberjonois (Odo), Siddig El Fadil (Dr. Julian Bashir), Terry Farrell (Lt. Jadzia Dax), Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko), Colm Meaney (Chief O’Brien), Armin Shimerman (Quark), Nana Visitor (Major Kira Nerys), Rosalind Chao (Keiko), Andrew Robinson (Garak), Robert Mandan (Kotan Pa’Dar), Terrance Evans (Proka), Dion Anderson (Zolan), Marc Alaimo (Gul Dukat), Sharon Conley (Jomat Luson), Karen Hensel (Deela), Jillian Ziesmer (Asha)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 2

The Long, Twilight Struggle

Babylon 5Londo has been recalled to Centauri Prime for consultations on the war effort. Current plans call for allowing the Narn to direct their entire fleet toward the Centauri supply planet as the bulk of the Centauri fleet converges on the Narn homeworld – and Refa expects Londo to deploy his “associates” to defend the Centauri supply world. In the meantime, Sheridan and Delenn are contacted by Draal, the Minbari who took over custodianship of the buried technological treasures of Epsilon 3. He wishes to pledge his allegiance to Sheridan in the coming war, even though Sheridan himself is still uncertain what role he will play in that conflict. The Narn fleet, led by G’Kar’s uncle, attacks the Centauri supply base only to be wiped out by the Shadows, who appear to be gaining more strength with each appearance. In the meantime, a Centauri fleet – one of whose ships carries Londo as a first-hand observer – begins bombarding Narn with mass drivers, laying the entire planet to waste. The nation of Narn again falls to its knees at the whim of the Centauri Republic.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by John C. Flinn III
music by Christopher Franke

Babylon 5Cast: Bruce Boxleitner (Captain John Sheridan), Claudia Christian (Lt. Commander Ivanova), Jerry Doyle (Garibaldi), Mira Furlan (Delenn), Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin), Andrea Thompson (Talia Winters), Stephen Furst (Vir), Bill Mumy (Lennier), Robert Rusler (Warren Keffer), Mary Kay Adams (Na’Toth), Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar), Peter Jurasik (Londo), John Schuck (Draal), Rif Hutton (ISN Reporter), William Forward (Lord Refa), W. Morgan Sheppard (G’Sten), Neil Bradley (Narn #2), Jonathan Chapman (Narn Second), Joshua Cox (Tech #1), Elisa Beth Garver (Tech #2)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 5 Xena: Warrior Princess

Animal Attraction

Xena: Warrior PrincessXena, Gabrielle, Amarice and Joxer are heading to Spamona for a break in the town known for its hot springs. Along the way, they find a horse caught in a trap. Xena realizes that the animal calms down a bit when Gabrielle is close to it, so she has her distract him while she frees its hoof. They take the wounded horse on with them. In Spamona, they learn from the sheriff, Talia, an old friend of Xena’s, that the warlord Darcon plans to attack the village. Xena offers to help but Talia refuses it. Since Xena hasn’t been feeling well lately, Gabrielle tells her to go see a healer. When she does, the man has some startling news…

Order the DVDswritten by Chris Manheim
directed by Rick Jacobson
music by Joseph LoDuca

Guest Cast: Jennifer Sky (Amarice), Ted Raimi (Joxer), Alison Bruce (Talia), David Te Rare (Darcon), Mfundo Morrison (Arman), John Smith (Stablehand), Michael Howell (Deputy), Ric Chan (Healer), Norman Potts (Gang member), John Lawler (Barkeep)

LogBook entry by Mary Terrell

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Season 07 Star Trek Voyager

Drive

Star Trek: VoyagerStardate 54058.6: Tom Paris and Harry Kim are giving the new Delta Flyer a shakeout cruise to ensure that it lives up to the specs of the original, which was destroyed during the Borg infiltration mission. Another ship pulls up alongside the Flyer, and the pilot challenges Tom to a drag race in space – a race which the Delta Flyer wins only over Harry’s protests. The other pilot’s ship develops a problem, and Tom and Harry have to beam her out of her ship to save her. As they work on repairing her vessel, she tells the Starfleet officers about a race in a neighboring sector – a race in which Tom is eager to enter the new Delta Flyer, even if it means sacrificing time with B’Elanna. The race commemorates a new and still delicate peace – but the contestants are about to find out that someone is hoping to end that peace. Will war consume the sector before Tom and B’Elanna patch their relationship up?

Order the DVDswritten by Michael Taylor
directed by Winrich Kolbe
music by

Guest Cast: Cyia Batten (Irina), Benjamin Burdik (Assistant), Brian George (O’Zaal), Robert Tyler (Joxom), Patrick Kilpatrick (Assan)

Notes: Cyia Batten was one of the string of actresses who portrayed Gul Dukat’s daughter, Tora Ziyal, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. B’Elanna’s mention of Geidi Prime is an in-joke reference to the homeworld of the Harkonnen in Frank Herbert’s “Dune” novels. It isn’t really better than Risa…

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Firefly Season 1

War Stories

  • By Dave
  • October 18, 2002

FireflyFrustrated by the bond between old war vets Mal and Zoe, Wash insists on going on a job with Mal. Mal figures a sale of some of the medicine they stole from Ariel will be a safe enough milk run to indulge his pilot. Unfortunately, Niska’s men get word that Mal is in the area; they kill the buyers and kidnap Mal and Wash. As Niska tortures the two men, Mal tries to keep Wash distracted by continuing the argument about Zoe; Zoe, meanwhile, arrives on Niska’s station to try and ransom the two. Niska will only free one; Zoe chooses Wash, but Niska is nice enough to give her Mal’s ear as well. When they return to Serenity, the entire crew chooses to mount a rescue, a plan that has no right to work – but thanks to unlikely contributions from two of the crew, it just might.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Cheryl Cain
directed by James Contner
music by Greg Edmonson

Guest Cast: Michael Fairman (Niska), Katherine Kendall (Councillor), Rolando Molina (Black Market Buyer)

Notes: Mal drew Niska’s ire in The Train Job. This episode festures Mal’s opening narration.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

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Firefly Season 1

Jaynestown

  • By Dave
  • October 18, 2002

FireflyWhen Serenity lands on the mud-farming planet of Canton, Jayne is unusually cautious. A job of his a few years back didn’t quite go smoothly, and he’s concerned the local magistrate hasn’t let go of the grudge. The ruler of this company town has other things on his mind for the moment, like hiring Inara to help his son “become a man.” Mal, Jayne, Kaylee and Wash head into town to meet their contact. They bring Simon along to pose as a would-be buyer; they leave River in Book’s care, which raises its own issues. In town, Mal and the crew run into two obstacles. For starters, their contact has been killed by the magistrate. That wouldn’t be too much of an issue, since an associate has stepped in to finish the deal. But it turns out that botched job turned Jayne into a folk hero, when he dumped a considerable sum of money into the impoverished townspeople’s lap. And when those folks see their hero is back, it puts the kibosh on any chance of Serenity sneaking out of town quietly. Especially when the magistrate lets loose a man who holds an even bigger grudge against Jayne than he does.

Order the DVDsDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Ben Edlund
directed by Marita Grabiak
music by Greg Edmonson

Guest Cast: Gregory Itzin (Magistrate Higgins), Daniel Bess (Mudder), Kevin Gage (Stitch Hessian)

Notes: This episode features Book’s introductory narration.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Categories
Doctor Who Doctor Who Unbound

Exile

Doctor Who Unbound: ExileTrapped by the Time Lords and tried for the crime of interfering in history, the Doctor is scheduled to be exiled to Earth – but he escapes into his TARDIS and leaves Gallifrey. Not that this really does him much good, as he winds up trapped on Earth anyway. A few incarnations later, the Doctor’s situation has become even more unsettling – he has not only changed bodies, but changed gender as well. Without her TARDIS, the Doctor becomes bored, listless, and – with the help of two friends she makes on a job she takes to eke out a meager existence – perhaps just a little bit alcoholic. Or perhaps a lot – the Doctor begins to see and hear her previous (male) incarnation, warning her of alien invasions and labyrinthine plots against modern-day Earth. When the Time Lords send two agents to track the Doctor down and bring her back to justice (though they don’t know that the Doctor is now a woman), the only thing standing between the Doctor and her doom is an increasing reliance on the bottle. When it comes right down to it, which oblivion will the Doctor choose?

Order this CDwritten by Nicholas Briggs
directed by Nicholas Briggs
music by Nicholas Briggs

Cast: Arabella Weir (The Doctor), Hannah Smith (Cherrie), Jeremy James (Cheese), Toby Longworth (Time Lord #1), David Tennant (Time Lord #2), Graham Duff (Mr. Baggit), Nicholas Briggs (The previous Doctor)

Timeline: after Logopolis – the Doctor’s sacrifice in that episode is said to be a suicide, and a non-fatal suicide attempt triggers not only a regeneration, but a gender change, in Time Lords!

LogBook entry and TheatEar review by Earl Green