Retrogram #7718: B.S.W.
The week of May 2, 1977: Before the Dark Times, before the Empire – well, approximately three weeks before the Dark Times and before the Empire – television sci-fi is just doing its thing on both sides of the Atlantic, unaware that audience expectations are about to change drastically. Retrogram examines five shows that were on the air during one of the last few weeks before a little movie called Star Wars took the world by storm. (1:06:06)
Retrogram #9060: What Did You Do During The Syndication Wars?
Oh No, It’s The ’90s!: Ah, the ’90s – a decade that turned the broadcast industry upside-down. You know, just like every previous decade since broadcasting was invented. But Retrogram is about to start going there, so it seemed like a good time to talk about why so much ’90s genre TV was syndicated. And why the ’90s syndication landscape looks an awful lot like the ’20s streaming landscape. Why aren’t your favorite ’90s shows out on Blu-Ray? How far into the ’90s will Retrogram go? The answers to these questions and probably two or three others are in this show. (53:12)
Special thanks to theLogBook.com’s Discord community for suggesting this topic and sending me down a real research rabbit hole.
Right-click here and “save as” to download the podcast to the listening gadget of your choice.
Retrogram #8347: The Day After The Day Of The Doctor
The week of November 20, 1983: A world on the brink of what would likely be its last war. Instead of fighting that war, let’s dramatize it! Let’s also thwart evil plans to take over Earth by everything from cubes to evil warlords, and try to figure out if Doctor Who’s 20th anniversary had more intrigue on screen or behind the scenes. Hopefully this massive trivia bomb is the only one you have to worry about today. (1:08:55)
Retrogram #7152: 72 @ 50, Part 1
The week of December 27, 1971: It’s been over 50 years since these episodes premiered. Was the world a better place? Was genre TV a better place? What color does a Dalek really need to be? And where’s Joe Corvin with my money? (55:23)
Retrogram #2214: The Little Black Bags
One story, three times: Meet Cyril Kornbluth and his amazing Little Black Bag from the future – one of the best short stories in the history of science fiction, and a story that merited being told three times across three decades. (47:36)
Right-click here and “save as” to download the podcast to your little black bag.
Retrogram #7342b: One More Survivor of the Saturday Night Massacre
The week of October 14th, 1973: Wait, isn’t this the road we came in on? In honor of the late, great Dean Stockwell, it’s time for this short episode (previously a Patreon-only bonus show from the end of 2020) to get a wide release, taking a look at a Stockwell performance that has gone unseen by many for over 40 years. (14:55)
Retrogram #8160: Blake’s 7 – A User’s Guide
1978-1981: With Britbox (and Forces TV in the UK) bringing Blake’s 7 back to everyone’s screens, Retrogram presents a unique, “focus episode” to provide the show’s historical context, its literary and pop culture inspirations, its influence on what came after it, and an even-handed look at the pros and cons of the show…all without spoiling all of the show’s big surprises (and they are legion). Also, find out which Babylon 5 regular cast member had a role in a Terry Nation project! (47:38)
Content warning: brief plot-relevant mention of sexual assault, assault on minors
Retrogram #2130: This & That Episode
The week of July 26th, 2021: Commander Koenig and Dr. Russell sound completely different. Travis sounds the same (but which one?). Kolchak is about to be clearer than ever. Moonbase Alpha’s Eagles and little color TVs are getting smaller. It’s a very different kind of Retrogram. (35:58)
Retrogram #7913: Three Shows, Three Mile Island
The week of March 26th, 1979: Wales is finally exporting the works of one of its finest storytellers to the small screen. Britain is exporting interconnected space operas, complete with space Vikings. And the U.S.? It’s exporting superheroes and a rare appearance by a genuine comics legend…but it’s keeping the nuclear fear to itself. (50:16)
Retrogram #7725 – Actually, It’s All About Disappearances
The week of June 20th, 1977: We’ve had Watergate, we’ve the Pentagon Papers, we’ve had a whole decade of conspiratorial thinking. And here in the middle of the summer of 1977, we have a whole week full of inexplicable disappearances – at least until Mark Harris and the plucky crew from Science Report show up. (42:04)
Retrogram #7723/7724 – The Love Child of Darth Vader and the Kool-Aid Man
The weeks of June 6th & 13th, 1977: Star Wars is in, Elvis is on his way out, and so are the intrepid adventurers on The Fantastic Journey. But never fear, Exo-Man is here! This, surely, heralds the arrival of a hero for the future and for all time, a television icon whose exploits we’ll be following for years to come! (43:32)
Retrogram #8103: The Hawkman Cometh
The week of January 12th, 1981: Hitchhikers, Hulk, Hawk, and Who, oh my! Buck Rogers returns with a new feathered friend, the Doctor has a new furry friend, and the stories from behind the scenes reveal what a miracle it was that any of these shows made it to our screens. (1:02:19)
Retrogram #8350: Automanimal!: When Glen A. Larson Ruled The World
The week of December 11th, 1983: Every so often, a TV producer/creator comes along, so prolific that his output spans two studios, every network, and a sizeable chunk of the prime time schedule. But are they actually the same show? And what’s going on with this other thing with the puppets? (1:08:30)
Retrogram #7636: Things To Watch While Landing On Mars
The week of August 29th, 1976: Let’s say you’re heading for a landing on Mars, getting ready to do science stuff. You’re probably not thinking about the fact that you’re going to miss shows about alien men escaping the yoke of female oppression, treacherous shape-shifters, and big Helix energy. It’s a good thing Retrogram is here to help. (54:12)
You know, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Retrogram #6960: 2020 Gunn Salute
1969!?: An oft-unsung luminary of taking sci-fi seriously left us just before the end of 2020 – so Retrogram is turning back the clock further than usual to delve into the origins of one of his very few screen credits. The Immortal lives…again. (23:04)
[player id=7204]
Right-click here and “save as” to download this podcast.
Retrogram #7601: Beginning The Bicentennial With The Brits
The week of December 29th, 1975: A heavy metal giant is born, a future pro golf legend is born…and airports and airplanes are becoming unusually dangerous places to be. Sitting in front of the TV is much safer – but just because the U.S. is hurtling toward the big 2-0-0 doesn’t mean it has a lock on the fantastic. (39:45)
Retrogram #7060: The Case For Doctor Who Season 7
1970: The Doctor’s back. With a new face. In color! But his first story was being made by the last of the black & white era’s production team, and a new team would be taking over with an aim toward building social messages into their story. What were the expectations of the new Doctor and his new behind-the-scenes crew…and how were those expectations promptly defied? (1:19:10)
Retrogram #2033: Updates In Progress…
Where did Retrogram go? Into its chrysalis, to grow some sweet-ass butterfly wings. Please stand by. (7:19)
Right-click here and “save as” to download this podcast.
Links:
Retrogram #9039: Leap, Creep, Sleep, Data, Sleep
The week of September 24th, 1990: The nineties are here. The world’s getting complicated. Someone’s de-sliming Slimer. Sam’s finally made that leap hope… sort of. And the Borg have Captain Picard. It’s not lookin’ good…or is it? (37:23)
Right-click here and “save as” to download the podcast to Borg network. It’ll probably put ’em to sleep.
Retrogram #7348: Saturday Morning Spectacular
The week of November 25, 1973: It’s Saturday morning! Grab a bowl of cereal, curl up on the shag carpet in front of the TV, and get ready for a Saturday morning spectacular with Kirk, Spock, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Orson Welles, robots, extortionists, and…the guy from 2001, now with a moustache! (36:29)
Right-click here and “save as” to download the podcast to the robot of your choice.
Retrogram #8810: Writers On Strike!
The week of March 6th, 1988: Hollywood’s writers are about to hit the picket lines, leaving America’s couch potatoes with a much longer rerun season than usual. Just a page from the past, or a glimpse of our future? Ponder that as we revisit Alf, Captain Power, Probe, and The Highwayman, back in the spring of ’88 when these were going to be some of the last new shows we got for a while. (48:52)
Retrogram #7147: A Bunch Of Shows D.B. Cooper Missed
The week of November 22nd, 1971: Somewhere in the world, a media tycoon is turning murderous to cover his tracks, a teacher is learning one of her students has spectral needs, a man is dying to meet the woman of his dreams, and a whole new country is happening in orbit. But all of this might just take a back seat to a guy jumping out of an airplane in mid-flight with a lot of money and a parachute. (56:00)
Retrogram #7516: Going Viral
The week of April 14th, 1975: Pestilence, Cybermen, angry vegetation, and death – it was a week in 1975 that saw Doctor Who come up against a new show created by one of the writers most directly responsible for Doctor Who’s success, while a couple of genre shows for kids got pretty weird. Join us for a thoroughly British Retrogram…or avoid it like the plague. (63:14)
Retrogram #7001: Welcome To The 1970s
The week of December 28th, 1969: The last days of the 1960s. The first days of the 1970s. It’s been fifty years since these shows premiered. Did our sci-fi and our spy-fi predict the future? Was any of it actually ahead of its time, or was it still just amazing that all three of these shows were being broadcast in color? Let’s rewind half a century and find out. (47:30)
[player id=6826]
Right-click here and “save as” to download the podcast to something that won’t self-destruct in five seconds.
Retrogram #8644: Halloween LXXXVI
The week of October 26th, 1986: 1986 A.T. (after “Thriller”) is upon us again, with spooky foes and even spookier friends, unearthly threats and the unexplained, and so many shows no one could complain. Join us now to watch aliens on the run, a shrinking family, Ewoks not having fun, travel through time, though time’s standing still, it might be Halloween forever, so feel the chill! (65:18)
[player id=6799]
Right-click here and “save as” to download the podcast to your device, or any glowing blue spheres you have handy.
Retrogram #7130/7131: Apollo 15, Part 2
The weeks of July 25th and August 1st, 1971: As Apollo 15’s crew unfurls the first lunar rover on the surface of the moon, the opening story of the UK telefantasy series Ace Of Wands is being broadcast for the first – and maybe last – time. This Retrogram recaps and reviews these two “orphaned” episodes – the only genre shows that aired in their respective weeks – and completes the story whose first part was examined in Retrogram #7129. (25:08) This Retrogram first appeared in July 2019 as a patron exclusive. I had planned to keep it on hold until early 2020, but my recording schedule has been thrown off by some real-life demands, so consider it a taster of one of the show’s Patreon perks. Retrogram will be back on schedule soon!
Retrogram #7436: Canyon Jumping
The week of September 1st, 1974: A man prepares to fire himself across a quarter-mile-wide canyon in a rocket-powered motorcycle. A man and his children dodge dinosaurs. A man lies dying in sick bay, his only chance for survival hijacked by space pirates. A young man out joy-riding with friends in a stolen car could be driven to his death. One of these stories is true. The rest…are the stuff of Saturday morning TV legends. (46:00)
Right-click here and “save as” to download the podcast before rafting through a time portal.
Retrogram #8001: Welcome To The 1980s
The week of December 30th, 1979: For a podcast that covers genre TV from 1970-1990, this is the exact midpoint: the first week of 1980. A week of classic space heroes, mistaken identities, and people in tights wearing bull heads…and maybe a tip-of-the-iceberg sighting of Hollywood’s propensity for recycling. (71:16)
Retrogram #8828: Summer Scares
The week of July 10th, 1988: The shuttle’s still grounded, the climate is changing, the needles are washing up on the Jersey shore, and the scares are syndicated. Retrogram delivers a double dose of televised terror from the blistering summer of 1988. Just don’t make a sound. Or smoke. (38:28)
Retrogram 7250: Would The Last Man On The Moon Please Turn Out The Lights?
The week of December 10th, 1974: As the moon hangs over the horizon, and the crew of Apollo 17 hangs out at the moon – the last time humans would go there in the 20th century – gather around the TV campfire for three terrifying tales of levitating furniture, vicious dogs, and petrifying premonitions of things yet to come. As the final Apollo crew walked on the surface of the moon…this is what our imaginations fixated on. (53:10)
Right-click here and “save as”; there might also be a copy in Cousin Zachariah’s bookshelf.