[Labor Day Retro SF] Otherworld
Here in the States, today is Labor Day, the traditional end of summer where we celebrate by imbibing vast quantities of beer (or the beverage of your choice) and and variety of meat you can think of, preferably grilled or BBQed. Mmmm, BBQ. So, for me, it’s an extended weekend, but I didn’t want our non-US readers to be left hanging for SF related posts, so I present to you the following red meat to chew on.
To wit: all 8 episodes of the mid 1980′s, ‘gone faster than Firefly‘ science fiction show, Otherworld. If you don’t know the show, and I have a very, very vague remembrance of seeing parts of the the first one, here is the opening blurb from Wikipedia:
Otherworld was a short-lived science fiction TV series that aired for only eight episodes in 1985 on CBS. It was created by Roderick Taylor as a sort of Lost in Space on Earth.
We’ll let you decide whether the premise is a good one or not. But first, a bonus! And who doesn’t like a bonus first? Here is the 1985 CBS ‘Saturday Night’ promo commercial that boasts not only Otherworld, but the awesome Airwolf! They don’t make ‘em like that anymore…
That should get you in the mood for some Otherworld!
More after the jump…
The first episode: “Rules of Attraction”
“The Zone Troopers Build Men”
“Paradise Lost” (poor Milton)
“Rock and Roll Suicide”
“Village of the Motorpigs”
“I am Woman, Hear Me Roar”
“Mansion of the Beast”
“Princess Metra”
Wow, can anyone else say Sliders totally ripped these guys off?
Related posts:
- Retro Hugos
- 1954 Retro Hugo Awards
- RETRO-REVIEW: The Man Who Fell To Earth by Walter Tevis
- RETRO-REVIEW: City by Clifford D. Simak
- RETRO-REVIEW: When Harlie Was One by David Gerrold
Filed under: TV
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We call it Labour Day here in Canada
Otherworld? Man, no recollection of that. Airwolf, I remember. And wasn’t there a short-lived Blue Thunder series as well (seeing that Airwolf sort of derived from the feature film, or was “inspired” by the feature film)?
It’s kind of amusing to look back at old attempts. Anybody remember the great Roddenberry revival? Spectre, The Questor Tapes and the downward spiral of Genesis II, Planet Earth and (blech) Strange New World?
I remember Airwolf…but I certainly don’t remember Otherworld.
It does look like the Sliders people did mine some ideas from the show though.
OH MY GOOOOODDDD!!!
I have wondered about this for decades! I thought I was dreaming it…with the crazy eye on the pyrami in the opening, and the purple food and the zone troopers…Awesome!
I don7t suppose yo uhave any old Blackstar cartoons around?
I actually, vaguely, remember this show. I caught it once, maybe twice, then couldn’t find it again.
I’m afraid to play these. I’ve got lectures to write.
Respects,
S. F. Murphy
God, I thought that I was was the only one who remembered this show! I remember the episode where a girl shows the son her soul, a glowing light in a wall of glowing lights. Or did my mind make that all up?
“Zone Troopers Build Men” FTW!! Probably the best episode for Trekkies as Mark Lenard (Sarek) plays the commandant of the boot camp featured in the episode.
I do vaguely remember that show. And it reminded me of another show that predates it: The Fantastic Journey. Anybody else remember that one? It had Roddy McDowall and the kid from Escape to Witch Mountain in it. A group of people is trapped in the Bermuda Triangle, and they keep hopping from dimension to dimension through some sort of portals.
And speaking of Witch Mountain, I noticed that they’re making “Race to Witch Mountain”, and the kids from the original movies (all grown up now, of course) will appear in it. I’m hoping that my own kids might like that one
Dougal, I believe only five people have ever seen Fantastic Journey, an early experience, for me, of something I liked being quickly cancelled. The key image for me was from the opening credits: Jared Martin pointing a tuning fork (it was kind of like Dr. Who’s sonic screwdriver; it was capable of doing . . . stuff). Good times, brother.