SCI-FI SATURDAY: BUCK ROGERS

Saturday is the day where we embark upon that trip to galaxies far away and discover new worlds while doing battle against the evil forces and invaders from the luxury of our "Futuristic" Space Craft.. Welcome to SCI-Fi Saturdays..

The character of "Buck Rogers" was actually invented back in 1928 by writer PHILLIP FRANCES NOWLAN in a magazine entitled "Amazing Stories" (not to be confused with the STEVEN SPIELBERG directed TV series of the same name) as ANTHONY ROGERS.. "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th Century" was published in 1933 by NOWLAN in a long form novel which was co-written by comic strip writer LT. DICK CALKINS.. This novel told the origins of the character of BUCK ROGERS..

Around that same time, the tales of BUCK ROGERS were heard on radio across America as the first Sci-Fi Radio Show of All Time.. There was also a comic strip that was published in newspapers across America..

The episode that you are about to see is actually from the 2nd attempt at the "BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY" television show.. The first was done by ABC Television in the Early 1950's but was short lived.. The 1979 adaptation of the show was picked up by NBC and starred GIL GERARD as BUCK ROGERS, which actually went on to be his most successful role..

This tale of BUCK ROGERS focuses on a US Air Force Pilot who commands a Space shuttle called "Ranger 3" that was launched in 1987 (which at that time seemed almost a decade away), but becuase of a freak accident with gases, he is frozen until the 25th Century.. Upon waking, he learns that Planet Earth was now protected under the "Earth Defense Forces" and had been united after a major Nuclear War in 1988.. Those evil DRACONIAN SPACE ARMIES are planning an invasion..

The BUCK ROGERS TV Series lasted from 1979 to 1981, and although short lived, the series did inspire an ATARI and COMMODORE 64 game of the same name during the "video game boom" of the mid-80's.. The game was called "Buck Rogers and the Planet of Zoom"..

The episode that I am featuring this week comes from Season 2 and was the 5th episode of that season entitled "The Golden Man".. Season 2 sadly was delayed from airing due to a massive network writer's strike, similar to that of the 2007 writer's strike but this episode DID air in 1981 during the show's final days..

Enjoy! PEACE!


Season 2 Episode 5: "The Golden Man"

Mork Calling ORSON.. Mork Calling ORSON Come in ORSON..

Long before he played a heartwarming Doctor in "Patch Adams", or a devoted father who dressed up in old lady drag to see his kids in "Mrs. Doubtfire", or the creepy guy in "One Hour Photo", ROBIN WILLIAMS' humble beginnings were on the ABC Sitcom, "MORK & MINDY"..

I remember watching "MORK & MINDY" EVERY Thursday night which was followed by ANOTHER sitcom starring rising star, TOM HANKS, "BOSOM BUDDIES"..

The show begain in 1978 and starred then stand-up comedian ROBIN WILLIAMS as a space alien MORK who came from the Planet ORK and landed in Colorado in a large egg and settled in to live with college student, MINDY MCCONNELL, who was played by PAM DAWBER.. MORK met some colorful people during the years of the sitcom including MINDY's parents, who in the first couple of seasons ran a music shop.. MORK also befriended a whacked out guy named EXIDOR..

The show went on with MORK becomming pregnant with a baby who was played by JONATHAN WINTERS in the later years of the show..

I was surprised to discover that "MORK & MINDY" was actually a "HAPPY DAYS" spinoff.. The character of MORK appeared in the "My Favorite Orkan" episode on Season 5 of "Happy Days" which striked me as sort of confusing given that "Happy Days" was set in the 1950's and "Mork & Mindy" took place in the then-contemporary time of the late 70's and early 80's..

Sadly, "Mork & Mindy" was short lived and was cancelled in 1982, but we will always have the memories like this episode from Season 3.. "Nelson on TV".. NA NU NA NU!

PEACE!


PT 1: NELSON ON TV


PT 2: NELSON ON TV


PT 3: NELSON ON TV

9/11

.. And those that it affected.. Here's a montage of songs and clips about WAR and PEACE..

JOHN LENNON - "Imagine"




THE BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD - "For What it's Worth"



PINK FLOYD - "Dogs"



CHUMBAWAMBA - "Jacob's Ladder"



WHITE LION - "When the Children Cry"



BOB DYLAN - "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"





BLACK SABBATH - "War Pigs"

In 1983, THE POLICE released the "Synchronicity" album.. An album that was their 5th and final studio album as a band, (of course STING went solo and released "Dream of the Blue Turtles" in 1985), but "Synchronicity" was a turning point for THE POLICE..

It was sort of a tragedy that this was their last album as they had written one of the most beautiful pop songs of the 80's with "Every Breath you Take" which spent 8 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.. The album also contained the title track in "Synchronicity Part I" and "Part II"..

This album was definitely a departure from their earlier, more reggae influnced work but did still deal with serious topics "Murder by Numbers" was a tale of a serial killer and "Every Breath you Take" was about an obsessive relationship gone over the edge.. There was also "King of Pain" allegedly about STING's seperation from his wife and current tensions within the band..

There was also the chilling "Wrapped Around your Finger", which featured a reference to Greek mythology in the line "Caught between Scylla and Charibdes"..

THE POLICE reunited and performed in 2007 (with THE FRATELLIS opening at their Oakland Show)..





PEACE!

THAT RETRO BLOG!! WELCOME..

WELCOME TO THAT RETRO BLOG!!!

THIS BLOG IS NOW DEVOTED TO TELEVISION AND MUSIC NOSTALGA!!!

AS A CHILD OF THE '80s, I WILL FOREWARN YOU THAT MY BLOG WILL LEAN HEAVILY TOWARDS THE DECADE OF THE RUBIK'S CUBE, BIG HAIR, and RONALD REAGAN..

IF NEWS, POLITICS, AND CURRENT EVENTS ARE YOUR THING, CHECK OUT MY OTHER BLOG AT:

http://tobedawgsblog.blogspot.com/



HAVE A TOTALLY AWESOME GNARLY BITCHIN' DAY!!!

PEACE!