Honestly, I never caught The Transformers' bug the way many of my generation did. In my high school and college days, I wasn't much into the current animation craze, having moved on to foreign films and other influences. Still, I have nothing but respect for actors like Lionel Stander, who made a solid voice contribution to the 1980's franchise. Though he's no longer with us, Stander was born on this day in 1908. [Source: IMDB.com]
Well before William Shatner comfortably took flight aboard Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, the actor had the bejeezus scared out of him by a gremlin aboard a signature episode of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone. That gremlin? That was actor Nick Cravat. His work on the episode was uncredited (a crime, if you ask me) but definitely deserves a mention for its place in television history. Furthermore, the actor's last screen work was aboard The Island Of Dr. Moreau (1977). Though he's no longer with us, Cravat was born on this day in 1912. [Source: IMDB.com]
Though she found much greater success in far more mainstream fare, actress Kathleen Byron shown briefly in the realm of Science Fiction with a guest spot aboard the BBC's Blake's 7. Though she's no longer with us, Byron was born on this day in 1921. [Source: IMDB.com]
Scribe Jerome Bixby led a prolific life from behind the pen, turning in scripts for the classic Star Trek and even one for The Twilight Zone. His Star Trek script for "Mirror, Mirror" was nominated for a Hugo Award in 'Best Dramatic Presentation.' In 1966, he wrote the story upon which Fantastic Voyage was based, and this effort was nominated for the 1967 Hugo Award for 'Best Dramatic Presentation.' Additionally, the 2007 film titled The Man from Earth was also his creation, and that script won 'Best Screenplay' for both the 2007 Rhode Island International Film Festival and the 2008 Malaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema. Though he's no longer with us, Mr. Bixby was born on this day back in 1923. [Source: IMDB.com]
The venerable Wright King has made some solid contributions to the realm of Science Fiction. His resume boasts appearances aboard Captain Video and His Video Rangers, Johnny Jupiter, The Twilight Zone, The Invaders, Planet Of The Apes (1968), Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973), and Logan's Run. Though he's no longer with us, King was born on this day in 1923. [Source: IMDB.com]
Screen veteran Mitchell Ryan has been 'in the biz' since the late 1950's. A review of his resume from IMDB.com doesn't show a wealth of SciFi-related roles, but he did make an appearance aboard Star Trek: The Next Generation where he played Commander Riker's estranged father 'Kyle' for good measure. Ryan was born on this day in 1928. [Source: IMDB.com]
Actor Rod Taylor played H.G. Wells in George Pal's seminal The Time Machine (1960). But time began for Mr. Taylor on this day all the way back in 1930 when he was born in Australia. [Source: IMDB.com]
Melvyn Hayes has enjoyed over six decades in the entertainment business. He's had roles aboard Quartermass II, The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Galloping Galaxies, and provided voicework for Doctor Who: Shada. Hayes was born on this day in 1935. [Source: IMDB.com]
He may not have a face most of us know, but we should all know his mask. Felix Silla played 'Twiki' in the television favorite, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Spending two seasons as Buck's sidekick ain't a bad life ... or was Buck his sidekick? Happy birthday wishes go out to Mr. Silla, born on this day in 1937. [Source: IMDB.com]
The talented Anna Calder-Marshall provided the voice for Mathilda Pierce in the Doctor Who audio drama, Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka, in 2003. Calder-Marshall was born on this day in 1947. [Source: IMDB.com]
God bless us SciFi's gingers! The lovely Sondra Currie has moved in and out of Science Fiction appearing aboard The Incredible Hulk, Voyagers, Knight Rider, Airwolf, Misfits of Science, Probe, They Came From Outer Space, Robocop (TV), Alien Nation: Dark Horizon, and Supernova 45. Currie was born on this day in 1947. [Source: IMDB.com]
The lovely Nancy Harewood buried her beauty under a bit of latex for her appearance aboard Star Trek: The Next Generation. The actress also had a recurring role aboard Beyond Westworld. Harewood was born on this day in 1950. [Source: IMDB.com]
The venerable John Sessions has dabbled in Science Fiction with some voicework for Doctor Who: Death Comes To Time miniseries as well as the regular program ("Mummy on the Orient Express"). Though he's no longer with us, Sessions was born on this day in 1953. [Source: IMDB.com]
OMG, the name of Frank Lupo practically flashes in my memory. I can remember seeing his name in the opening credits of many shows I watched during some of my formative years, programs like Battlestar Galactica, Galatica 1980, The Greatest American Hero, and The A-Team, just to name a few. Though his writing may not have won awards or accolades, he certainly knew a thing or two about keeping audiences interested in some quality genre moments. Though he's no longer with us, Lupo was born on this day in 1955. [Source: IMDB.com]
Invasion: Earth was a television miniseries from 1998 that I'm certain I watched, only I don't much remember it. It starred Fred Ward, Vincent Regan, and Phyllis Logan, a lovely lady who continues to find quality roles today. Logan was born on this day in 1956. [Source: IMDB.com]
Alyson Reed -- shown above from High School Musical -- doesn't have a lot of SciFi to her name, but she has appeared on The X-Files (guest spot), provided voicework for the Battlestar Galactica video game, and guest-starred twice on the short-lived Journeyman for NBC. Reed was born on this day in 1958. [Source: IMDB.com]
Melanie Hill has a few genre credits to her name worth a mention: she appeared in Stardust (2007) as well as a guest spot aboard the BBC's Merlin. Hill was born on this day in 1962. [Source: IMDB.com]
David Benson played a role aboard the popular "Robot of Sherwood" episode from Doctor Who's eighth season. Benson was born on this day in 1962. [Source: IMDB.com]
According to IMDB.com, youngster Dawn Lyn's professional career stretched only eight years, but in that time she still managed to squeeze in roles aboard Ark II and Wonder Woman. Lyn was born on this day in 1963. [Source: IMDB.com]
You gotta hand it to Jason Connery. After all, following in the footsteps of dear ol' dad -- Sean Connery -- certainly couldn't have been an easy choice, but the man has certainly built an impressive career on the way up. SciFi fans might know him best from his work in Doctor Who, Smallville, and Alien Strain. Connery was born on this day in 1963. [Source: IMDB.com]
Olivia Barash found herself heavily dipped into the world of Cult/SciFi with a role aboard Alex Cox's Repo Man (1984). Barash was born on this day in 1965. [Source: IMDB.com]
Derek Riddell joined David Tennant for "Tooth and Claw," one of the earlier episodes from Doctor Who's second season. Riddell was born on this day in 1967. [Source: IMDB.com]
Though I'm certain more people know Kyle Richards from TV's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she did traffic in SciFi early in her career with roles aboard Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and Time Express. Richards was born on this day in 1969. [Source: IMDB.com]
Back in 2012, Tom Ward joined Matt Smith in the Doctor Who holiday offering, "The Snowman." The actor also starred as H.G. Wells himself in the TV-miniseries, The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells. Ward was born on this day in 1971. [Source: IMDB.com]
When the Apocalypse arrives, shouldn't we all be so lucky as to be holding actress Amanda Peet's hand? Those were the sentiments at play in Roland Emmerich's 2012, the big screen flick that postulated that all of those Mayan prophecies about the end of the world were accurate. As far as Science Fiction goes, she's also done some voicework for something called Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey. Peet was born on this day in 1972. [Source: IMDB.com]
To be fair, Marc Blucas really hasn't done much in the way of Science Fiction and/or Fantasy. Outside of multiple appearances in the realm of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, he's enjoyed a guest spot aboard the TV-spinoff for Limitless back in 2015. Blucas was born on this day in 1972. [Source: IMDB.com]
One of Rockmond Dunbar's earliest professional gigs was a little something SciFi fans know as Earth 2. Though he's gone on to far more conventional pastures, the actor remains someone to watch. Dunbar was born on this day in 1973. [Source: IMDB.com]
The eclectic Devin Ratray saw the other side of life and death aboard the poorly-received R.I.P.D. (2013). As far as genre projects go, he's also been a part of Little Monsters (1989), Surrogates (2009), Supernatural, Person of Interest, Agent Carter, and The Tick. Ratray was born on this day in 1977. [Source: IMDB.com]
Thomas Blake Jr. continues to explore roles in some of the biggest properties. He's been seen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015) and Allegiant (2016). Blake Jr. was born on this day in 1982. [Source: IMDB.com]
Blake Heron enjoyed a recurring role aboard USA Network's under-appreciated Good Vs. Evil during the show's run. Though he's no longer with us, Heron was born on this day in 1982. [Source: IMDB.com]
The lovely Aja Naomi King dipped her toes into the realm of Science Fiction with a role aboard Reversion (2015), a SciFi/Thriller exploring the manipulation of memories. King was born on this day in 1985. [Source: IMDB.com]
I've read reviews online for many critics -- professional and not-so-much-so -- pretty much trashing the 2020 streaming adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand ... which is sad, as I'm quite fond of the book and the earlier TV version from the 1990's. In any event, young Odessa Young stars in the project, and Young was born on this day in 1998. [Source: IMDB.com]
On this day in 1952 (in Australia), When Worlds Collide collided on the silver screen. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"As a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home."
"As a new star and planet hurtle toward a doomed Earth, a small group of survivalists frantically work to complete the rocket which will take them to their new home."
On this day in 1956 (in Mexico), Revenge Of The Creature made a splash on the silver screen. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Men capture the Creature from the Black Lagoon and make him an aquarium attraction, from which he escapes."
"Men capture the Creature from the Black Lagoon and make him an aquarium attraction, from which he escapes."
A star is born! On this day in 1982 (in West Germany), Wir enjoyed its initial airing on broadcast television. Directed by Vojtech Jasný, the feature starred Dieter Laser and Sabine von Maydell, and here's the plot summary as provided by Wikipedia.org:
"One thousand years after the One State's conquest of the entire world, the spaceship Integral is being built in order to invade and conquer extraterrestrial planets. Meanwhile, the project's chief engineer, D-503, begins a diary that he intends to be carried upon the completed spaceship."
"One thousand years after the One State's conquest of the entire world, the spaceship Integral is being built in order to invade and conquer extraterrestrial planets. Meanwhile, the project's chief engineer, D-503, begins a diary that he intends to be carried upon the completed spaceship."
On this day in 1985 (in the United Kingdom and Ireland), The Terminator traveled from the future to the past to take care of business. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation."
"A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation."
On this day in 1997 (in Japan), the lovely Pamela Anderson brought out the big guns with her work aboard the silver screen adaptation of the Dark Horse Comics' property Barb Wire. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"During the Second American Civil War in 2017, Barb Wire owns a nightclub called the Hammerhead. Things become complicated when her ex-lover Axel Hood, who is married to the fugitive Corrina Devonshire, re-enters her life."
"During the Second American Civil War in 2017, Barb Wire owns a nightclub called the Hammerhead. Things become complicated when her ex-lover Axel Hood, who is married to the fugitive Corrina Devonshire, re-enters her life."
A star is born! On this day in 2011 (in Germany), the SciFi/Drama 2030 - Aufstand Der Jungen (which translates to "Uprising Of The Boys") enjoyed its premiere on television. Written and directed by Jörg Lühdorff, the feature starred Javeh Asefdjah and Mila Böhning, and here's the plot summary as provided by Amazon.com:
"Journalist Lena Bach becomes aware of the case of 30-year-old Tim Burdenski. The life of the young man, a so-called "millennium child", has been documented by a television team since his birth. Now he's supposed to be dead, but Tim's girlfriend Sophie has doubts. Together, the two women go in search of Tim. Lena and Sophie find out that the long-term documentation was grossly falsified and Tim was in fact heavily in debt and living in poverty. In their research, they come across a kind of parallel society in the Berlin ghetto "Höllenberg", which has not been waiting for the support of the government for a long time and has set up its own rules."
"Journalist Lena Bach becomes aware of the case of 30-year-old Tim Burdenski. The life of the young man, a so-called "millennium child", has been documented by a television team since his birth. Now he's supposed to be dead, but Tim's girlfriend Sophie has doubts. Together, the two women go in search of Tim. Lena and Sophie find out that the long-term documentation was grossly falsified and Tim was in fact heavily in debt and living in poverty. In their research, they come across a kind of parallel society in the Berlin ghetto "Höllenberg", which has not been waiting for the support of the government for a long time and has set up its own rules."
A star is born! On this day in 2013, Survival Code brought a kinda/sorta vigilante spin to the world of the near future. The flick starred Ty Olsson and Patrick Gallagher, and here's the premise from IMDB.com:
"In 2045, a former MMA fighter turned government agent, runs a bar in the tiny town of Borealis - where a number of international interests are vying for control of the area."
"In 2045, a former MMA fighter turned government agent, runs a bar in the tiny town of Borealis - where a number of international interests are vying for control of the area."
On this day in 2015 (in Spain), Ridley Scott's original Science Fiction classic Alien enjoyed a limited theatrical re-release. Written by Dan O'Bannon, the film starred Sigourney Weaver and Tom Skerritt, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"In the distant future, the crew of the commercial spaceship Nostromo are on their way home when they pick up a distress call from a distant moon. The crew are under obligation to investigate and the spaceship descends on the moon afterwards. After a rough landing, three crew members leave the spaceship to explore the area on the moon. At the same time as they discover a hive colony of some unknown creature, the ship's computer deciphers the message to be a warning, not a distress call. When one of the eggs is disturbed, the crew realizes that they are not alone on the spaceship and they must deal with the consequences."
"In the distant future, the crew of the commercial spaceship Nostromo are on their way home when they pick up a distress call from a distant moon. The crew are under obligation to investigate and the spaceship descends on the moon afterwards. After a rough landing, three crew members leave the spaceship to explore the area on the moon. At the same time as they discover a hive colony of some unknown creature, the ship's computer deciphers the message to be a warning, not a distress call. When one of the eggs is disturbed, the crew realizes that they are not alone on the spaceship and they must deal with the consequences."
On this day in 1957, Science Fiction Theatre aired "Gravity Zero." Officially, this served as the thirty-sixth episode in the program's second (and final) season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"An absent-minded physics professor and his loyal lab technician work on an anti-gravity device. Despite technical failures, they persist, hoping that the work will contribute to rocket launches, and someday to flying saucers."
"An absent-minded physics professor and his loyal lab technician work on an anti-gravity device. Despite technical failures, they persist, hoping that the work will contribute to rocket launches, and someday to flying saucers."
On this day in 1964 (in the United Kingdom), Doctor Who aired "The Ambush." Officially, this served as the eighth episode of the program's first season, and here's the summary from IMDB.com:
"The Doctor and his friends attempt to escape from the Dalek City. However, knowing that the Thals are walking into a trap, Ian decides to go and warn them."
"The Doctor and his friends attempt to escape from the Dalek City. However, knowing that the Thals are walking into a trap, Ian decides to go and warn them."
On this day in 1967, Lost In Space aired "The Questing Beast." Officially, this served as the seventeenth episode in the program's second season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A space knight is following the questing beast who Penny becomes friends with."
"A space knight is following the questing beast who Penny becomes friends with."
The Visitors kept their pressure on the Resistance when, on this day in 1985, the adventure titled "The Hero" aired. This served as the eleventh episode of the program's only season, and here's the summary from IMDB.com:
"A small group of resistance sympathizers (Robin included) are arrested by Bates' police, and a prisoner will be handed over to the Visitors to be executed every day until Donovan, Ham, and Julie surrender."
"A small group of resistance sympathizers (Robin included) are arrested by Bates' police, and a prisoner will be handed over to the Visitors to be executed every day until Donovan, Ham, and Julie surrender."
On this day in 1996, The Demon Headmaster aired the fourth episode of its first season. According to our friends at TV.com, here's the plot summary:
"Having won the 'Junior Computer Brain of the Year', Diana is through to the national final, but is it all a trap? And where has the Headmaster gone?"
"Having won the 'Junior Computer Brain of the Year', Diana is through to the national final, but is it all a trap? And where has the Headmaster gone?"
On this day in 1997, Dark Skies aired "The Enemy Within." This served as the eleventh episode of the program's only season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"As a spy is uncovered inside Majestic, John finds his brother being brought into the alien hive."
"As a spy is uncovered inside Majestic, John finds his brother being brought into the alien hive."
On this day in 1998, The X-Files aired "Schizogeny." Officially, this served as the ninth episode in the program's fifth season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A teenager becomes the prime suspect in his stepfather's odd murder. Mulder is not buying it since the man was literally swallowed by the ground. After another parent is killed, the suspicion falls on someone close to the kids."
"A teenager becomes the prime suspect in his stepfather's odd murder. Mulder is not buying it since the man was literally swallowed by the ground. After another parent is killed, the suspicion falls on someone close to the kids."
On this day in 2001 (in Canada), RoboCop: Meltdown aired as the second part of the Robocop: Prime Directives miniseries. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"After the death of John Cable, Alex Murphy is plagued by haunting memories and seeks answers. Meanwhile, a new Robocop is created and goes after Murphy for crimes he didn't commit."
"After the death of John Cable, Alex Murphy is plagued by haunting memories and seeks answers. Meanwhile, a new Robocop is created and goes after Murphy for crimes he didn't commit."
It all came down to this: on this day in 2002, Cybergirl aired its finale, the twenty-sixth installment of its only season on Australian television. According to ShareTV.com, here's the plot summary:
"Who will claim victory in the final showdown: Cybergirl, Rhyss or the Cyborgs?"
"Who will claim victory in the final showdown: Cybergirl, Rhyss or the Cyborgs?"
On this day in 2003, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed aired "The Respective Solitudes." This served as the fifteenth 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 2013, I don't think the stakes could've risen any higher in the build-up to Fringe's series finale. The eleventh episode of the program's fifth season set the stage for things to come. Here's the summary of "The Boy Must Live" from IMDB.com:
"Young Observer's origin is revealed. And his existence and an additional time travel are necessary to change the history of Observers' invasion."
"Young Observer's origin is revealed. And his existence and an additional time travel are necessary to change the history of Observers' invasion."
