Welshrogue

An orbiting space station named Babylon 5 is a meeting place for races from all over the universe, a buffer zone for those in conflict and a general trading station. Orbiting the planet Epsilon Eridani III Babylon 5 is the last remaining station left and will become the only hope for peace in the universe.

Starting in 1994, Babylon 5 was a sci fi show that had a plan, a 5 year arc with a main story with a lot of smaller stories keeping the action going. It had several different races that mixed with the humans, Narn, Minbari and Centauri being the main ones. While each race were biped and human shaped, each were distinctive. The Narn were lizard like, the Minbari had a head piece that looked like bone, and the Centauri had very strange hair.

Babylon 5 was notable for its effects, which were created to begin with three Amiga computers. The computer graphics were very distinctive as were the designs of ships and stations. The battle scenes were probably some of the best seen on television.

The music for the series was created by Christopher Franke from Tangerine Dream fame. Again, it was distinctive and instantly recognizable.

Babylon 5 had a large number of main cast members which gave the show a feel similar to Hill Street Blues, with several different stories weaving around each other with different shows hilighting different characters and explaining characters histories and back stories.

Among the actors who featured in the show were Stephen Furst (Flounder from Animal House), Bill Mumy (Will Robinson from Lost In Space), and Bruce Boxleitner (TRON, Bring Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs King).

Babylon 5 was different to any show in the past because rather than a week to week series, it had a longer aim, a 5 year aim. The combination of this with state of the art (at the time) graphics and ships, and  solid plots as well as the interaction between the characters made Babylon 5 very watchable and addictive.

The moon, along with Moon Base Alpha and its occupants, is blown out of Earths orbit when a nuclear explosion occurs on the moon. The crew of Moon Base Alpha try to survive as the moon travels through space. This happens September 13th, 1999, hence the title.

Space 1999 was a live action show from the makers of such classic marionette sci fi series such as Stingray, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90 and Fireball XL5, as well as the great live action show U.F.O. Gerry and Sylvia Anderson created these shows and inspired future shows with their style and ideas.

With the basic premise out of the way, the series featured the survivors of the explosion exploring planets they passed near-by, or dealing with unknown phenomenon. Rather than having just a few main characters, Space 1999 had several characters who could lead an episode.

There is various opinions of the science of Space 1999, and as to what was, and was not possible, starting from the breakaway in the first episode itself. Regardless of the validity of the science, it worked for
the show.

As with other Anderson productions, the fashions were futuristic but functional. The Moon Base itself was bright and white, not unlike the Enterprise from Star Trek. You never see dirt, nor anyone cleaning but the base is always spotless. As with U.F.O., one of the most recognisable elements of Space 1999 were the Eagle space craft. Designed to be either cargo or crew transporters, they were designed to look and be functional rather than sleek and glamorous like craft in other science fiction shows of the time.

The opening credits of Space 1999 featured clips of the episode, giving the viewer hints as to what would be happening. This has been also used by the latest version of Battlestar Galactica.

Starring in Space 1999 were the real life husband and wife team of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain, both of who had been in Mission Impossible as well. While both leads were American, most of the cast were British, as were the guest stars.

Space 1999 ran in the mid 1970′s for two series, the first acclaimed, the second panned, yet the show is still widely referenced and liked.

Having seen the amazing job that Ronald Moore has achieved with Battlestar Galactica, surely it is time for someone, perhaps Moore himself, to look at re-inventing Space 1999. Rather than having a clean, antiseptic base, it could show how things are being worn down. Having seen BSG, there is so much potential with Space 1999, with their struggle to find food, energy, oxygen, while back on Earth, people are desperately trying to find them.

Red Dwarf. I do not know of a funnier, wittier, more quotable television show full stop, let alone science fiction show. There are so many classic quotes from the eight series, not including the classic out-takes of Smeg Ups and Smeg Outs!

Red Dwarf is the story of the last surviving human, Lister, aboard the deep space mining ship, Red Dwarf, who has been in stasis for the last 4 million years. When released from stasis, Holly the ships computer brings back his dead bunkmate and most annoying person in the universe, Rimmer, as a hologram to keep Lister company. They also discover a life form that has evolved from Lister’s cat, which was the reason Lister was in stasis in the first place. In the second series they are joined by a mechanoid named Kryton. And there you have it, a classic in the making.

How can I explain what makes it so good? Lister is a slob, complete and utter. Rimmer is so anal as to be unbelievable and probably one of the most annoying characters ever seen on television. The Cat is stylish, cool and self centered. Holly is brilliant, well not brilliant as intelligent, more like thick as a short plank but there you are! Late joiner Kryton is funny, sarcastic and different to any mechanoid/robot ever seen.

Let me quote you some quotes to give you some idea of what this show is about.

From Marooned:

Rimmer: He told me that, in a previous incarnation, I was Alexander the Great’s chief eunuch.
Lister: You know what, I believe you.

From Camille:

Kryten: Oh, spin my nipple nuts and send me to Alaska!

From Justice:

Kryten: I ask the court one key question: would the Space Corps have allowed this man (Points at Rimmer) ever to be in a position where he might endanger the ship? A man so petty and small-minded he would while away his evenings sewing name labels on to his ship-issue condoms? A man of such awsome stupidity…
Rimmer: Objection.
Justice: Objection overruled.
Kryten: A man of such awsome stupidity, he even objects to his own defence counsel.

They invented words, the most famous of which is Smeg. What Smeg stands for, well, look online and work it out. This word can be combined for commonly used phrases such as Smeg Head, What The Smeg, Better Dead Than Smeg, and the always useful, Smeg.

Did I mention that the creators of the show decided that a cat evolved 4 million years would be the sharpest dressed, coolest dancing, vainest creature that ever licked its bits! Even as his alter ego, Duane Dibbley, The Cat rules!

Some more quotes:

From White Hole:

Cat: I’ve got it. We laser our way through.
Kryten: An excellent plan, with just two drawbacks: One, we don’t have a power source for lasers and two, we don’t have any lasers.

Kryten: The Space Corps Directive #195 clearly states that in an emergency power situation, a hologramatic crew member must lay down his life in order that the living crew members might survive.
Rimmer: Ah yes, but Rimmer directive #193 states just as clearly: No chance you metal bastard.

From Ace:

Ace: Smoke me a kipper, I’ll be back for breakfast.

From Holoship:

Cat: What are we waiting for, why don’t we drop the defensive shields?
Kryten: An excellent plan, sir, with only two minor drawbacks: One, we don’t have any defensive shields and two, we don’t have any defensive shields. Now I know technically speaking that’s only one drawback, but I thought it was such a big one, it was worth mentioning twice.

Not only does Red Dwarf deliver some of the funniest lines ever shown on British television, it deals with serious issues such as loss (of the rest of the human race), alternate universes (where Rimmer isn’t hated by everyone), space time continunummumnum thingy (where future selves try to kill present day selves), insanity (Rimmer wearing wearing a red and white checked gingham dress and army boots) and even reality. This was a serious show, seriously funny!

More quotes:

From Quarantine:

Rimmer: So… let me get this straight. You want to fly on a magic carpet, to see the king of the potato people and plead with him for your freedom, and you’re telling me you’re completely sane?

From Stoke Me A Clipper:

Ace: All the better for seeing you, Cat old friend. Is that a new suit you’re wearing? Why, it’s sharper than a page of Oscar Wilde witticisms that have been rolled up into a point, sprinkled with lemon juice and jabbed into someone’s eye.
Cat: Wow, that’s sharp. Thanks buddy!

And the final proof that Red Dwarf is truly a classic for all time. Its theme tune…

Its cold outside,
There’s no kind of atmosphere,
I’m all alone,
More or less.
Let me fly,
Far away from here,
Fun, fun, fun,
In the sun, sun, sun.

I want to lie,
Shipwrecked and comatose,
Drinking fresh,
Mango juice,
Goldfish shoals,
Nibbling at my toes,
Fun, fun, fun,
In the sun, sun, sun,
Fun, fun, fun,
In the sun, sun, sun.

8 series of the best science fiction television comedy EVER!

U.F.O.

Set in futuristic 1980, S.H.A.D.O. (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organistation) battles an invasion of flying saucers and green men. Keeping the truth hidden from everyday folk like you and me.

A real actor television series from the king of puppet science fiction, Gerry Anderson, who has created series such as Stingray, Thunderbirds, and Captain Scarlet, and who after U.F.O. went on to do Space 1999. U.F.O. is tremendously dated and yet still so enjoyable. It is the 1970′s version of the future and it is one with fantastic vehicles, questionable fashion and yet still brings something for the everyday geek. The whole idea about a secret organisation fighting aliens has been used so often in recent years in both movies and television but this was one of the first times it appeared on television.

The whole idea about having a secret base hidden underneath a movie studio is such a good one that I am surprised it hasn’t been used more often. It is such a creative way to disguise an obviously large base. Even having a moonbase is pretty mundane compared to the main base. The vehicles are instantly identifiable. The interceptors are a very unique design that stays in the memory long after the show ends. If that isn’t enough, when the pilots need to get into their vehicles, they have to slide down slides. Batman might have had a pole but going down the slide would be much more fun!

Did I mention that on moonbase, all the women wear shiny purple wigs? If that does say serious Science Fiction, I don’t know what does. Designing fashion for the future is always a hit or miss challenge and well, lets just say that U.F.O. isn’t so much a miss as a non starter. All the women seem to wear tight fitting clothes with the emphasis on certain parts of their body. Short skirts made of shiny metal is in vogue on the moon! And on the underwater craft, Skydiver, mesh is the most fashionable clothes they can wear. Nothing quite like seeing mens nipples through their clothes!

Not only is the fashion wildly futuristic but the manners are 1970′s all the way. Non-stop flirting is the style of the day.

The enemy, the UFO‘s are spinning tops, wobbling through the sky like a knuckleball. Perhaps not the most serious of all enemy vehicles but to balance out the silly UFO’s are the aliens, green skinned men who take humans to use as spare parts.

One of the fun parts of being a fan of science fiction is seeing something which actually becomes fact in the future. Star Trek communicators are obviously the most famous example but in UFO it has an early warning satellite that detects UFO intruders, who knows what might be secretly flying in the night sky?

One would be amiss not to mention the music which is organ based but makes extensive use of early electronic synthesizers. The music best described as groovy futuristic.

Acting wise, you had Ed Bishop as Ed Stryker, the head of S.H.A.D.O, and George Sewell as Col. Freeman, the ladies man. Guest stars included Steven Berkoff and Lois Maxwell.

If you have never watched an episode of U.F.O. you owe it to yourself to try it, but if you are a fan of Gerry Anderson, you most probably have already watched several episodes. Is it the perfect science fiction television show? No, it isn’t, its not close to being perfect but it is very entertaining. Gerry Andersons unique style along with the heavy use of miniatures make any of his shows watchable if not unmissable.

Space: Above and Beyond (1995) is the story of Earth‘s battle against a powerful alien race who declared war on the earthlings and their colonies. Even though it was made in 1995, it feels dated beyond its years.

The first episode introduces the main characters, which all appear to have been cut using a cookie cutter that’s been used many times before. You have a guy whose girlfriend may have been killed by the aliens or who may still be missing. The angry woman with a lot issues who wants to avoid responsibility. You have comic relief from the guy who just keeps asking about planes.

You have the usual crew members becoming a team, their struggles, their personal development. No one is worth caring about but I am sure the makers of the show were hoping. The aliens are pretty well designed but you never find out enough about them.

One of the ‘cool’ and I use that word sarcastically, things about Space: AB is that the elite squadron on the military base are called the Angry Angels and they all dress in black bomber jackets and wear reflective aviator sunglasses. Very ‘cool’ looking and made even more so by the fact that everyone acts scared of them.

Coming one year after Babylon 5 made its debut, Space: Above and Beyond has less convincing special effects and strangely, the Babylon 5 series seems more real. Obviously compared to the remake of Battlestar Galactica, the effects look worse than what you would find on a modern PC but for their time, it feels as if they were trying to rush the effects.

Its coincidence that two years later, Starship Troopers came out on the big screen with a similar plot and in the cinema, you can see how the format works with a shorter time to develop the plot and with better effects.

I can remember the show, actually watching it as there was nothing better on during its time slot but that was all. Space: Above and Beyond is not a bad show, it just isn’t a great show.