Day: October 20, 1966

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Original Series Season 01 Star Trek

What Are Little Girls Made Of?

Star Trek ClassicStardate 2712.4: The Enterprise is en route to visit Dr. Korby, a brilliant scientist working in isolation who also happens to be Nurse Chapel’s fiance. Kirk and Chapel beam down and discover that Korby has used abandoned technology left behind by an extinct civilization to create android companions for himself – one of which, an attractive and very user-friendly “girl,” arouses Chapel’s suspicions. Korby, however, has become deranged in his isolation, and wants to take over the Enterprise so he can populate the “inferior” organic universe with androids…

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Robert Bloch
directed by James Goldstone
music by Fred Steiner

Star TrekCast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), Michael Strong (Dr. Roger Korby), Sherry Jackson (Andrea), Ted Cassidy (Ruk), Majel Barrett (Christine Chapel), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), Harry Basch (Brown), Vince Deadrick (Matthews), Budd Albright (Rayburn)

Notes: Appearing in a rare speaking role here, Vince Deadrick Sr. has been one of Hollywood’s busiest stuntmen, with credits as recent as the Pirates Of The Carribean movies. His son, Vince Deadrick Jr., is also an in-demand stuntman, and was the primary stunt double for Scott Bakula throughout the run of Star Trek: Enterprise.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Original Series Season 02 Star Trek

The Doomsday Machine

Star Trek ClassicStardate 4202.9: The starship Constellation is found in deep space, almost completely destroyed. The only person found aboard is Commodore Matt Decker, in a state of shock and only able to give minimal details of what happened. A gigantic ship/creature suddenly returns, well over ten times the size of the Federation vessels, capable of literally eating entire planets to replenish is colossal energy needs. Kirk is trapped on the unarmed Constellation, while Decker takes command of the Enterprise and plans to exact revenge on the huge alien vessel, no matter what the risk to Kirk’s ship and crew.

Order this episode on DVDDownload this episode via Amazon's Unboxwritten by Norman Spinrad
directed by Marc Daniels
music by Sol Kaplan

Cast: William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), William Windom (Commodore Decker), Elizabeth Rogers (Lt. Palmer), John Winston (Lt. Kyle), Richard Compton (Washburn), John Copage (Elliott), Tim Burns (Russ), Jerry Catron (Montgomery)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Pilot Movies Six Million Dollar Man

Wine, Women And War

The Six Million Dollar ManAustin has been working undercover for the OSI for some time since his original bionic implants were installed, but apparently America’s most reliable secret agent isn’t secret enough. He insists on taking a vacation, and just happens to run into a cosmonaut who he met during his NASA days, but his old “friend” is there to lure Austin in and capture him. But Austin isn’t being taken to the Soviet Union; instead, he’s being asked to help put an end to an international arms smuggling ring, dealing in nuclear weapons both American and Russian. Austin’s cosmonaut friend perishes in the fight, and if Austin wants to avoid death himself, he’ll have to outrun the shockwave of an atomic bomb.

written by Glen A. Larson
directed by Russ Mayberry
music by Stu Phillips

The Six Million Dollar ManCast: Lee Majors (Steve Austin), Richard Anderson (Oscar Goldman), Alan Oppenheimer (Dr. Rudy Wells), Britt Ekland (Katrina Volana), Eric Braeden (Arlen Findletter), Earl Holliman (Harry Donner), David McCallum (Alexi Kaslov), Michele Carey (Cynthia Holland), Lee Bergere (Masaha), Simon Scott (Captain Dawson), Dennis Rucker (First Officer Meade), George Keymas (Commander Patrol Boat), Joseph Hindy (Radar Man), Don Hanmer (Airline Passenger), Catherine Ferrar (Tamara), Bobbie Mitchell (Stewardess), John Elerick (1st Officer Briggs), Rozelle Gayle (1st Bodyguard), Bob Minor (2nd Bodyguard)

The Six Million Dollar ManNotes: So much for being set in the future: when raging against Oscar’s secrecy, Austin threatens to “kick [the OSI] so high you’ll need Skylab to get it down”…which sets The Six Million Dollar Man firmly in the present day of its production, since Skylab, the first American space station, was the focus of the American space program at the time this TV movie aired. As with the pilot, Wine, Women And War is divided into two one-hour episodes for syndication, and it is that version which appears on DVD as well.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 1 Super Friends

Too Hot To Handle

Super FriendsRising temperatures wreak havoc around the world, and Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and superheroes-in-training Marvin and Wendy (and their faithful pet Wonder Dog) gather at the Hall of Justice to try to keep on top of all of unfolding ecological disasters. They deal with everything from melting glaciers and rising sea levels to farmland becoming parched desert, and nearly everywhere any of the Justice League members go, a mysterious figure dressed for cold weather is witnessed. Is his presence at almost every incident a mere coincidence? And if the astronomer at the Gotham City Observatory is correct about Earth plummeting out of its orbit and closer to the sun…can any of the members of the Justice League do anything to put Earth back in its place?

story by Fred Freiberger, Bernie Kahn, Ken Rotcop, Art Weiss, Willie Gilbert, Henry Sharp, and Marshall Williams
directed by Charles A. Nicholas
Super Friendsmusic by Hoyt Curtin

Cast: Sherry Alberoni (Wendy), Norman Alden (Aquaman), Danny Dark (Superman), Shannon Farnon (Wonder Woman), Casey Kasem (Robin / Prof. Von Noalot), Ted Knight (The Flash / Narrator), Olan Soule (Batman), John Stephenson (Kobar / Lupis / Dolphin 1 / Dolphin 2), Frank Welker (Marvin / Wonder Dog)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Original Series (Animated) Season 01 Star Trek

The Infinite Vulcan

Star Trek ClassicStardate 5554.4: A visit to a previously uncharted planet reveals an advanced laboratory, and a race of mobile plant life, the Phylosians. These beings prove to be friendly enough when they cure Sulu of the effects of a local poison. But when an a flock of airborne creatures aid in the abduction of Spock, a seemingly giant human being appears, claiming to be the long-lost Dr. Keniclius – a geneticist who was banished for his attempts to create a master race during the disastrous Eugenics Wars. Keniclius claims that he needs Spock to create a clone-army of beings to “enforce” peace upon the entire galaxy – but after seeing that the Phylosians have a hangar full of spacecraft, Kirk is suspicious of Keniclius’ goals.

Order the DVDswritten by Walter Koenig
directed by Hal Sutherland
music by Yvette Blais & Jeff Michael

Cast: William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), James Doohan (Mr. Scott / Lt. Arrex / Keniclius / Agmar), George Takei (Lt. Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura / Computer Voice), Majel Barrett (Nurse Chapel / Lt. M’ress)

Notes: By the late 24th century, the remains of the giant Spock clone will find their way into the hands of collector Kerner Hauze (Lower Decks: Kayshon, His Eyes Open, 2021).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Starlost, The

Children Of Methuselah

The StarlostDevon thinks he’s located the Ark’s backup bridge, the only hope of regaining control of the drifting ship. Garth manages to jimmy the lock keypad to get into the doors marked “Restricted Area,” but the first thing Devon and his friends see is a young girl wearing the uniform of an Ark crewmember. They follow her into a room filled with elaborate controls, and see more uniformed children. When they reach the actual bridge, however, a teenage boy who seems to be acting as the captain makes it clear that Devon and the others are not welcome – and the children demonstrate their ability to mentally send pain to anyone who displeases them. At a very quick, one-sided trial, the teenage captain declares Devon’s story of the Ark in imminent danger to be a lie, and decides to hold the adults prisoner. Rachel finds that she has a little more pull with the children, especially the girls, but Devon’s hope that he’s found a way to regain control of the Ark is fading fast – because for some reason, the sensors and systems the children are using to pilot the Ark don’t register any danger…and in fact, they aren’t piloting the Ark at all.

Get this season on DVDwritten by Jonah Royston and George Ghent
from a story by Jonah Royston
directed by Joseph L. Scanlan
music by Score Productions Ltd.

Guest Cast: David Tyrrell (1), Susan Stacey (5), Scott Fisher (4), Gina Dick (10), William Osler (Computer Voice), Ricky O’Neill (6), Michael Tough (2)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Season 1 Star Blazers

Yamato, Take Off: The Challenge of 296,000 Light Years

Star BlazersD minus 363 days: With the Menace Missile successfully evaded, Captain Avatar and the crew make ready for a hitherto unattempted (and incredibly dangerous) space warp. If the calculations for the jump across space are off by even the tiniest margin, the Argo and its crew – and the hopes of Earth – will be lost forever. As if there aren’t already hazards aplenty during this vital stage of the mission, a Gamilon gunship plunges deep into Earth’s solar system on a mission to destroy the Argo before her journey can even begin. Wildstar leads the Black Tiger Squadron into battle for the first time, and almost learns what it means to lose someone under *his* command.

Order the DVDswritten by Keisuke Fujikawa & Eiichi Yamamoto
directed by Leiji Matsumoto
music by Hiroshi Miyagawa

Season 1 Voice Cast: Kenneth Meseroll (Derek Wildstar), Tom Tweedy (Mark Venture), Amy Howard (Nova), Eddie Allen (Leader Desslok), Lydia Leeds (Starsha), other actors unknown

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Invisible Man

Sight Unseen

The Invisible ManA wealthy man’s blind daughter is kidnapped and held for ransom, all because he was on the verge of divulging all of his ties to organized crime. Believing this assignment to be particularly dangerous, Dan and Kate are instructed to simply find out where the girl is being held, but are ordered not to rescue her themselves. When the girl’s kidnappers grow suspicious, however, Dan and Kate are left with no choice but to get directly involved, and for once, Dan finds himself helping someone to whom his invisibility doesn’t matter.

teleplay by Brian Rehak
story by Brian & Kandy Rehak
directed by Sigmund Neufeld, Jr.
music by Pete Rugolo

The Invisible ManCast: David McCallum (Dr. Daniel Westin), Melinda Fee (Dr. Kate Westin), Craig Stevens (Walter Carlson), Jamie Smith Jackson (Laurie Capas), David Opatoshu (Mr. Capas), Richard X. Slattery (Griggs), Harry Davis (Jimmy James), Rod Colbin (Agent Wells), Al Ruscio (Mannie Hallman), Brett Hadley (1st Agent), Jack Garner (Pedestrian), Ken Del Conte (Gate Guard), Tom Geas (3rd Guard), Richard Reed (1st Guard)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Star Maidens

The Perfect Couple

Star MaidensTrying to educate the backward people of Earth, Fulvia makes a presentation about life on Medusa, but when it comes to the issue of how the planet’s male servants are disciplined for failing to obey, there’s just no way to spin it to look acceptable. But Fulvia’s presentation does spark the imagination of a group of radical feminists who become fixated on the idea of remaking Earth society in Medusa’s image, making men subservient to women. They plan to make Fulvia their leader, but the Medusan leader has other ideas: Adam offers to show Fulvia what he’s learned about middle-class life on Earth, and the “happy couple” moves into a suburban house. Their attempt to keep up appearances is very short-lived, and they fall back into their usual roles: Fulvia goes to work while Adam cleans house (and gossips with the local housewives) during the day. The feminist group invites Shem for a visit, but he then discovers their plan to turn Earth into a new Medusa. The Medusan slave men’s worst nightmare is coming true: their safe haven could become just like Medusa. But will Fulvia allow it to happen?

Star Maidenswritten by Ian Stuart Black
directed by Hans Heinrich
music by Berry Lipmann

Cast: Judy Geeson (Fulvia), Gareth Thomas (Shem), Pierre Brice (Adam), Derek Farr (Evans), Ronald Fraser (Kipple), Dorothea Kaiser (Garcia), Marianne Nebel (Freda), Jenny Hill (Mrs. Fraser)

Notes: Some of the multilingual signs seen at the feminist meeting give away the international nature of Star Maidens’ production backers. This episode also features one of the most absurdly sexist observations in a series that, generally speaking, is full of such observations, with Shem commenting that Fulvia’s weapons are “temperamental” because they’re “female.”

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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Amazing Stories Season 1

Alamo Jobe

Amazing StoriesThe Alamo, 1836: Jobe is a young volunteer, part of the besieged force attempting to hold the Mexican army at bay at the Alamo. One by one, Jobe watches as his leaders and heroes are felled by enemy fire. The Alamo is about to fall, and yet Jobe swears he sees unarmed civilians in strange clothes wandering through the fort as if nothing is happening. Jobe is sent on a last-ditch mission to deliver a handwritten note begging for reinforcements, but is stunned when he darts out of the fort into…

San Antonio: 1985: …where nothing is familiar, no one seems concerned about the fate of the great free state of Texas, and everyone is oblivious to the fighting. To them, Jobe is a wild-eyed youth running through the center of town, armed with a deadly weapon, still living a battle whose grim conclusion is burned into the pages of history.

Get this season on DVDteleplay by Joshua Brand & John Falsey
story by Steven Spielberg
directed by Michael Moore
music by James Horner

Amazing StoriesCast: Kelly Reno (Jobe), William Boyett (Colonel Travis), Lurene Tuttle (Harriet Wendse), Richard Young (Davy Crockett), Robert V. Barron (Curator), Michael Cavanaugh (Storekeeper), Benjie Gregory (Sam), Dick Yarmy (VCR / Man #2), Pattie Pierce (Tour Guide), Chip Lucia (Dad)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

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National Public Radio Star Wars

Pattern And Web

Return Of The Jedi NPR Radio DramaGathered near the planet Sullust, the Rebel fleet is preparing for an all-out, last-ditch attack against the Imperial forces. Lando, piloting the Falcon, will lead Rebel fighters in a direct assault on the new Death Star, while Han will lead a ground assault on the third moon of Endor to take out a shield generator protecting the space station. Chewie, Leia, Luke and the droids join Han’s team bound for Endor in a stolen Imperial shuttle. Once there, the Rebels find the Empire is guarding its installation more heavily than expected – Imperial scout troops on speeder bikes spot Han and Chewie and take off to sound the alarm. Luke and Leia give chase on a leftover speeder, and Luke “liberates” a speeder of his own from one of the Imperial troops in midair. But when Luke finishes off the last of the troops, he returns to Han, only to discover that Leia hasn’t returned.

Order this CDwritten by Brian Daley
additional material by John Whitman
based on the screenplay Return Of The Jedi by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas
directed by John Madden
music by John Williams

See the first episode for cast information.

Notes: As Mon Mothma, Natalija Nogulich is on familiar ground – in her previous recurring role as Admiral Nechayev, she had been directing Starfleet strategy in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.

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National Public Radio Star Wars

So Turns A Galaxy, So Turns A Wheel

Return Of The Jedi NPR Radio DramaHan, Luke, Chewie and the droids are captured by furry natives of the third moon of Endor while searching for Leia. The primitive creatures are quite impressed with Threepio, thinking that he’s a god – and Luke uses that opportunity to impress them even further with a demonstration of the Force. Threepio brokers an alliance between the Rebels and the furry Ewoks, and discovers that they’re no happier about the Imperial presence in their forests than the Rebels are. But even when the Ewoks offer their help, something troubles Luke – namely a revelation from Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi that Leia is his sister. Luke shares this with her, and then goes off to face his destiny, in the form of Darth Vader and the Emperor, alone.

Order this CDwritten by Brian Daley
additional material by John Whitman
based on the screenplay Return Of The Jedi by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas
directed by John Madden
music by John Williams

See the first episode for cast information.

Categories
National Public Radio Star Wars

The Blood Of A Jedi

Return Of The Jedi NPR Radio DramaWith the help of the Ewoks, the Rebels overrun the shield generator, but they’re too late to help their own fleet – the Millennium Falcon and its fighter wings emerge from hyperspace into the waiting arms of the Imperial Fleet, as part of an elaborate plan by Palpatine. But the Empire hasn’t counted on the presence of the Ewoks, and the shield generator is destroyed by Solo and his commando group. Lando makes some desperate alterations to the battle plan, and still manages to lead the Rebels into the heart of the Death Star – but aboard that station, Luke Skywalker is fighting his own battle against the power of the dark side of the Force. He may destroy the Empire, save the Rebellion, free the galaxy and become the last of the Jedi – but Luke still may not be able to save his father in the process.

Order this CDwritten by Brian Daley
additional material by John Whitman
based on the screenplay Return Of The Jedi by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas
directed by John Madden
music by John Williams

See the first episode for cast information.

Notes: Produced many years after the two original NPR Star Wars adaptations, Return Of The Jedi was funded by Highbridge Audio primarily to produce a set of shows to fill out a planned CD box set; it was later offered to NPR. But the project’s for-profit nature precluded Mark Hamill’s involvement (Hamill had volunteered his time to act in the first two Star Wars radio shows), and the original CD-buying audience of already-indoctrinated fans envisioned for the project meant a slimming down of the number of episodes, and an assumption that certain elements – such as Jabba’s Huttese language – could be left intact from the films with no explanation or translation. Sadly, writer Brian Daley died of pancreatic cancer during the recording sessions.

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Babylon 5 / Crusade Season 4

Rising Star

Babylon 5Having liberated Earth, Sheridan hands himself over to Earthforce authorities, now under the command of acting President Luchenko of the Russian Consortium. But the new President isn’t the only person wanting to have a word with him – Bester and more than a few right-wing generals are lined up to take Sheridan’s head off at the first opportunity, but Luchenko offers him the opportunity to resign his Earthforce commission and grant his allies amnesty from any further prosecution. On Babylon 5, Susan is out of danger from the injuries she suffered in the attack by the Shadow-based Earth destroyers, but suffers from a raging guilt that her recovery came at the expense of Marcus’ life. Delenn assembles the League on Non-Aligned Worlds one last time, to ask them to dissolve that entity in favor of a new Interstellar Alliance which would hold all of the involved worlds as equal. Her next task is to go to Earth to convince the new President to join the alliance, provided that the new Earth government is willing to grant independence to colonies such as Mars, where Garibaldi is trying to free Lise from the Martian Mafia. Also free is Sheridan’s father, who meets his future daughter-in-law when Delenn arrives on Earth. What remains to be seen, after the wedding of Sheridan and Delenn, is if Earth will accept him as the first president of the new Interstellar Alliance.

Order now!Download this episodewritten by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Tony Dow
music by Christopher Franke

Cast: Bruce Boxleitner (Captain Sheridan), Claudia Christian (Commander Ivanova), Jerry Doyle (Garibaldi), Mira Furlan (Delenn), Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin), Bill Mumy (Lennier), Jason Carter (Marcus Cole), Stephen Furst (Vir), Jeff Conaway (Zack Allan), Patricia Tallman (Lyta Alexander), Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar), Peter Jurasik (Londo), Joey Dente (Luko), Denise Gentile (Lise Hampton), Rance Howard (David Sheridan), Michael Potter (General Foote), Beata Pozniak (President Susanna Luchenko), Walter Koenig (Bester), Alex Coro (Max), Maggie Egan (ISN Anchor), Julie Ow (Med Tech)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Earth: Final Conflict Season 1

Miracle

Earth: Final ConflictBoone saves a girl who is attempting to commit suicide because of the death of her parents and the loss of her hands in a car crash. Da’an announces that the girl will become Earth’s first public recipient of Taelon bodily regeneration therapy – while Boone wonders why Da’an was so specific in mentioning a “public” recipient. A televangelist who has founded the First Church of the Companions jumps on the wagon when the girl publicly states that the new hands grown for her by the Taelons are a miracle, but eventually those new hands prove to be only temporary. However, alarmingly, Da’an is not at all reluctant to assume the role of a messenger from God.

written by D.C. Fontana
directed by David Warry-Smith
music by Micky Erbe & Maribeth Solomon

Earth: Final ConflictGuest Cast: John Evans (Morovsky), Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Dr. Belman), Sam Malkin (Reggie), Emily Hampshire (Julie), Janet Zenik (Ne’eg), Peter Krantz (Travis Murray)

LogBook entry by Earl Green