This week and today, is your American Thanksgiving, The time to give thanks to our families and to the Native Americans before taking their land and herding them onto small strips, just like we did with the Inuit. Ouch! I felt those knocks on top of my head. What better way to think about Thanksgiving than look at tv and the way earth crumbles after a major cataclysm....yeah, it doesn’t fit but that’s ok. I don’t like these types of shows but I did scrape the barrel and found 3 that, I think, fit. Check out Wandering Through The Shelves and find out which ones they chose. Sorry for being so late, nuts at work, internet problems and general mayhem. Here are my 3...
1. BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA-1978-1979
This is not the good tv remake but the Gallacticashit that I watched because I loved Lorne Greene who played the “father” of the show, Adama. After their planet is destroyed, the last 13 colonies , headed by Ben Cartwright, oops wrong show, tries to keep the last surviving humans including his son, daughter Athena and the good looking guy with feathered hair, Dirk Benedict, alive and make it to Earth. The evil guys have their minions, the Ceylons who look similar to the soldier guys from Star Wars except they have cool looking red lights that flick back and forth. Actually, it reminded me of Pong( yes, I am dating myself). I liked the show, believe it or not, but it’s dumb as shit.
2. V-1983-1984
I watched the original miniseries which was really quite good and then they decided to do the tv series which I watched and just sighed. The 2 leads, who were the heroes, knew the nice aliens were anything but and the leader appears like she just stepped off the Dynasty set but she actually is a lizard in disguise..no, not Joan Collins, an actual lizard. They decide to take over earth but underestimate how much we can put on a show! Robert Englund, of Freddie Krueger fame, plays a nice lizard who falls in love with a human....so sweet. Typical fare of mean aliens destroying earth but can’t wipe out the intrepid few all while looking sinister with great 80’s hair.
3. MAX HEADROOM-1987-1988
Yeah, one show I really liked and didn’t last because it was quirky, funny and bit the hand that fed them...the networks. We are in the near future, where no tv can ever be shut off, the networks give free TVs to the homeless which is all to control us...hmmmm, in other words, today. Remember, this show was made when it was, basically, just the 3 networks and this show seems to hit a sensitive spot and created a huge furor when it came out. I remember when it was on the News and the computer program was famous, making Matt Fewer (now..who??)famous for his unique style. He plays a doctor whose mug is used for a computer program with a mind of its own. Soon Matt Fewer, his computer program and a few others band together to fight the evil that is network tv. A very unique take on something that is all too real and I watch tv. Today, we don’t even think about the 3 Networks when we have all the cable channels like HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Zulu, Hoohoo, booboo, m.o.u.s.e plus way too many more. If you can watch these original shows, it’s worth checking out.
Since it’s late, I am the walking dead:). On a brighter note, have a very Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy a good movie like Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Hi sis, I remember all of us watching Battlestar Gallactica. I think we were all hoping it would become the new Star Trek. Both V and Max Headroom (starring Matt Frewer) hit the airwaves when I was seemingly busy with school, partying, baseball, and work. One other show that did strike a chord with me was Logan's Run. Many of these types of shows referenced amazing ideas and concepts but few were well executed because the networks were still insisting on formulaic television. Ironically, all those networks have fallen by the wayside because they were unable to envision the future.
ReplyDeleteI feel dumb, I didn't realize there was a Battlestar Galatica from the 70's. I just know the more recent one lol.
ReplyDeleteAccurate way to describe Thanksgiving. lol
I never saw any of these, although after the "new" Battlestar Galactica came out, there was a big hub bub over Katee Sackoff playing Starbuck. That's when I learned there was an earlier series.
ReplyDeleteI saw the new V. I got tired of it, and didn't realize there was an original version. I thought Morena Baccarin was horrible in V, unlike her role in Firefly.
And I've never heard of Max Headroom. But I wouldn't miss your synopses for anything in the world.
Seen two of three. I've heard of the 3rd but never watched it. Sounds like it got it right and the poor networks had too much of an ego to let it go on back in the day. TV sure controls with all the ads and all the crap people believe from the fake.
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteIt was a busy turkey day for us, traveling to three different cities around the state and visiting family members. We didn't arrive home until late last night. I needed to sleep on your Thursday post. I hope I didn't get it wrinkled.
Remember Lorne Green's series of Alpo dog food commercials?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH7l56FC3xI
Like you I watched the original V miniseries. I didn't watch the series with Robt. Englund. I best remember Max headroom from his music videos which played often on our MTV style television station, including this one - "Paranoimia" by The Art of Noise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6epzmRZk6UU
My two picks for this theme would be Wayward Pines and American Horror Story: Apocalypse.
As I salivate T-giving down here I want you to know that I am thankful for your loyal friendship over these many years, dear friend BB. Have a safe and happy weekend!
Well, I never even heard of any of these shows. Guess I was too busy raising my boys and watching Mr. Rogers. I really enjoyed the Battlestar Gallactica remake though.
ReplyDeleteThis is a favorite genre of mine though I can't think of many TV shows fitting this theme. Though I'm familiar with all of your picks, the only one that I think I've seen is V, but of that I'm not even sure. That was a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteOne relatively recent show that I was following until it disappeared from the airwaves was Revolution which was on NBC from 2012 to 2014. It was a pretty good show with an interesting post-apocalyptic vision.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I loved Battlestar Galactica when I was a kid. I was too young to get the cheesiness factor.
ReplyDeleteNot good on this. I remember a tv series called The Changes in the early 70s (probably BBC). By the time I was working in children’s libraries in the 80s, dystopian fiction for young adults was a big thing because we were all terrified of a nuclear holocaust, but I can’t remember any of them being made for tv.
ReplyDeleteThe series was lucky it got a 2nd chance.
ReplyDeleteBattlestar was/is my bro's favorite series.
ReplyDeleteHope all is well in your corner of the world:)
For a long while, it seemed that every sci fi movie had a dystopian theme. Was it to get us all ready for trump?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Shots....Rustic and charming Good Luck for his future ahead! Maharaja Express
ReplyDeleteMax Headroom! Interesting choice and I never would have thought of it.
ReplyDeleteNot my genre but my daughter was really into post-apocalyptic stuff for a while. I think some of her own stories tend in that direction. Not that she lets anyone read them...
Didn't see V but now wishing I had.
ReplyDeleteLoved the comment at the blog that you watched, Trains, Planes, etc.:)
I've only seen V but not the original, the remake. It was ok.
ReplyDelete