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Stardate 01.22.2020.A: TV's "Cleopatra 2525" Looks Good At Twenty Years Young!

1/22/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture
Audiences today are spoiled.  They have a billion channels and what seems like a half-billion different streaming options.  In many respects, whenever any one of these outlets has a new program to push, they flood their particular airwave with adverts a'plenty; and this definitely gives those programs a greater chance to reach fans and/or develop a following.

Well, back in the days of truly syndicated programming on television, we had a little something called Cleopatra 2525.  If I remember correctly, it was one of the programs was Universal Television developed in an attempt to create a greater identity around the syndicated partners.  The upside to that?  Springing from some of the creative folks who delivered Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, Cleo promised much of the same dynamic but transported to the world of a dystopian future.  The downside to that?  Well, syndicated stations were likely contracted to air local sport events as well, and this made having a consistent broadcast slot difficult to guarantee the fledgling SciFi/Drama.

In any event, I caught it when I could find it; and I loved it.  Yes, it was a bit cheezy ... but weren't many of the best genre entries?  No other show on television had the triple threat of Gina Torres, Jennifer Sky, and Victoria Pratt, three of the loveliest heroines to grace a single show of the time.  Their adventures ranged from low-camp to high-camp, but it was all delivered with restrained nods and winks to audiences willing to suspend their disbelief and, quite simply, cheer for the ladies.  Let's hear it for the girls!

I know that the program is out there in the marketplace available on DVD.  If you like your Earthbound SciFi a bit sweet at times, then you'd do well to pick it up or investigate it on whatever streaming platform you can find.  Torres was a great leader; Sky had an occasionally manic yet Marilyn Monroe vibe; and Pratt?  Oh, my goodness!  The abs!  Those lovely, lovely abs!

As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
2 Comments
Paul
4/28/2020 08:16:27 am

Loved this series, very underrated in my opinion but unfortunately the DVD version is notorious for having playback issues. About half the episodes ( the latter half of the series if I remember correctly ) have problems with freezing and jumping around. I never figured out if it was a encoding problem or mastering problem or just low quality control. So buyer beware and watch the show before your return window runs out, otherwise you may not be able to get your money back and be stuck wondering what happend on all those episodes you couldn't watch.

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Ed link
4/28/2020 10:20:17 am

Paul, thanks for sharing. I, too, thought Cleo was a pretty solid series. Great campy fun, a throwback to the likes of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. Also thanks for sharing on the DVD issues: I think I rewatched the series (years back) when it came out on DVD, but I rented them from the corner DVD store (which had a HUGE library). Don't recall any issues specifically with them, but it could've happened to me as well. I just don't remember.

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