Not all that many people heard about so much as watched Roughnecks: The Starship Trooper Chronicles when it premiered in 1999. Its inspiration -- the theatrical Starship Troopers -- was kinda/sorta split in fandom (probably as many folks liked it as loathed it), so the series never had much of a chance. And that's a shame because quite a bit of it is actually vastly superior to the original movie. I've read that the show actually developed a respectable following once it came out on DVD, but, by then, there just wasn't enough interest for Sony to give producers the money to wrap it all up nice and neat. Instead, the show ended on a massive cliffhanger, with the alien bugs poised to invade the planet Earth.
I'm willing to lay odds that few folks recognize the face of the lovely lady above. That there is none of than Mary Shelley. Folks interested in SciFi should definitely know who she is as Shelley practically 'engineered' a whole sub-genre of horror tinkering on the fringes of science with her seminal Gothic horror novel Frankenstein. Though she's no longer with us, Shelley was born on this day in 1797.
A young Raymond Massey sat thinking about his future in the film adaptation of H.G. Wells Things To Come (1936). Despite serving up an impressively visual last sequence, the film tinkers with its political messages far too closely to really be memorable so far as this viewer is concerned, but Massey (in multiple roles, as are most in the cast) certainly did his best to elevate the production. Though he's no longer with us, Massey was born on this day in 1896.
The original Solaris (1972) is one of those films I've read plenty about yet never seen, mostly because what I've read hasn't much interested me in pursuing it. Still, kudos to Anatoliy Solonitsyn for making a key appearance in the flick. Though he's no longer with us, Solonitsyn was born on this day in 1934.
The still sexy Peggy Lipton (above center) had a role accepting mail from Kevin Costner in 1997's Apocalyptic drama The Postman. Lipton was born on this day in 1946.
Throughout his career, Timothy Bottoms has popped up in a handful of franchises which tickle the fancy of SciFi fans. The versatile actor has scored roles in such properties as Invaders From Mars (1986), The Twilight Zone (1988), The Ray Bradbury Theatre (1990), and Land of the Lost (1991-92). Bottoms was born on this day in 1951.
Ely Pouget (pictured above center) has enjoyed roles in such SciFi projects as Death Machine (1994), Lawnmover Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (1996), and Total Reality (1997). Pouget was born on this day in 1961.
That smiling astronaut is actor Michael Chiklis, tackling the role of Ben Grimm in Marvel's Fantastic Four (2005). (Though those of us who know the story know he won't be smiling for much longer!) The actor reprised the role in the sequel -- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) -- but that franchise is in the midst of a reboot. Chiklis was born on this day in 1963.
Kimberley Joseph was one of the many, many secondary characters given the chance to play out a small arc as part of ABC TV's long-running Lost. Joseph was born on this day in 1973.
Elden Henson got all up into Ashton Kutcher's business for manipulating time in 2004's cultish The Butterfly Effect. The actor has also scored roles in Amazing Stories, Evil Alien Conquerors, Deja Vu, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2. Henson was born on this day in 1977.
Angel Coulby played a role in the 2006 episode of the BBC's Doctor Who, "The Girl In The Fireplace." For the record, she's also the voice of Kayo in the current animated relaunch of Thunderbirds Are Go. Coulby was born on this day in 1980.
JJ Abrams' bland and unoriginal Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens gave a slew of otherwise colorful actors and actresses the chance to fill up some bland and unoriginal characters, including Jessica Henwick's turn as Rebel pilot Jess Pava. Henwick was born on this day in 1992.
On this day in 2003, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed aired "A Place For The Soul." This served as the forty-sixth episode of the program's only season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A war is under way between genetically enhanced Coordinators and unmodified Naturals."
"A war is under way between genetically enhanced Coordinators and unmodified Naturals."
On this day in 2003, Starhunter aired "Chasing Janus." This served as the fourth episode to the program's rebooted second season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"It is the year 2300. Bounty hunter Travis Montana, his female cousin Percy and his misfit crew patrol the galaxy hunting criminals. Travis searches for his lost father Dante while investigating the secrets of the mysterious Divinity Cluster."
"It is the year 2300. Bounty hunter Travis Montana, his female cousin Percy and his misfit crew patrol the galaxy hunting criminals. Travis searches for his lost father Dante while investigating the secrets of the mysterious Divinity Cluster."
On this day in 2014, Doctor Who aired "Into the Dalek." This served as the second episode to the popular program's eighth season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"The Doctor and Clara find themselves inside of a supposedly good Dalek."
"The Doctor and Clara find themselves inside of a supposedly good Dalek."
It all came down to this: on this day in 2015, TNT's Falling Skies aired its series finale. It was titled "Reborn," and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"The final standoff brings the Masons, 2nd Mass, and their new allies into the bowels of an American location, wrought with unpredictable obstacles."
"The final standoff brings the Masons, 2nd Mass, and their new allies into the bowels of an American location, wrought with unpredictable obstacles."
