From the vast collection of failed television pilots, Earth II (1971) remains a project that likely intended to capitalize on both the budding popularity of Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek (once it was in television syndication, that is) and America’s interest in the burgeoning space program.
From what little I’ve been able to unearth about Earth II, the telefilm was first broadcast on November 28, 1971, to a bit of domestic fanfare, most of which seems tied to some positive print generated by an in-depth profile of the new property in TV Guide. Though I have read some indications online that it was one of the more expensive shoots for television fare at the time, I’ve been sadly unable to see that statistic confirmed anywhere (though I’ve no significant reason to doubt it, either). Directed by Tom Gries, the script shows attributed to Allan Balter (The Outer Limits, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Lost In Space, The Time Tunnel, 1977’s The Man With The Power, and The Powers Of Matthew Star) and William Read Woodfield (1960’s The Hypnotic Eye, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Lost In Space, The Time Tunnel, and 1975’s Satan’s Triangle). The production included such onscreen talent as Gary Lockwood, Scott Hylands, Hari Rhodes, Anthony Franciosa, Mariette Hartley, Gary Merrill, Inga Swenson, and Lew Ayres. Sadly, I’ve been unable to locate any TV broadcast ratings information; and yet given the fact that the pilot was never picked up one can safely assume that – as a prospect – this one likely fizzled noticeably.
Emerging from the period in which it did, Earth II bears a lot of similarity to its contemporary fodder. Like the aforementioned Star Trek, the story embraces inclusivity, featuring a complement of space station workers drawn from the great nations of the time, be they the United States, the Soviet Union, Japan, and more. There’s a political undercurrent to the tale which strongly suggests that the only way forward for the world as a whole is a commitment to transcend national boundaries and, instead, embrace being a ‘citizen of a new world’ wherein allegiance is to mankind instead of one’s favored homeland. Lastly, the future is depicted as a ‘Utopia’ wherein authentic democracy takes place – leaders only carry out the wishes of their constituents who literally vote on the major tasks of the day using technology – and this construct accounts for a good degree of the narrative’s conflict … well, aside for the threat of total nuclear annihilation that plays into the story when the politically neutral space colony runs up against some nasty attempts by some Earthlings to weaponize the Final Frontier.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“When Earth II, an orbiting research space station, is menaced by a Red Chinese nuclear weapon, its 2,000 inhabitants take action to disarm and dispose of the missile without resorting to violence.”
From what little I’ve been able to unearth about Earth II, the telefilm was first broadcast on November 28, 1971, to a bit of domestic fanfare, most of which seems tied to some positive print generated by an in-depth profile of the new property in TV Guide. Though I have read some indications online that it was one of the more expensive shoots for television fare at the time, I’ve been sadly unable to see that statistic confirmed anywhere (though I’ve no significant reason to doubt it, either). Directed by Tom Gries, the script shows attributed to Allan Balter (The Outer Limits, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Lost In Space, The Time Tunnel, 1977’s The Man With The Power, and The Powers Of Matthew Star) and William Read Woodfield (1960’s The Hypnotic Eye, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, Lost In Space, The Time Tunnel, and 1975’s Satan’s Triangle). The production included such onscreen talent as Gary Lockwood, Scott Hylands, Hari Rhodes, Anthony Franciosa, Mariette Hartley, Gary Merrill, Inga Swenson, and Lew Ayres. Sadly, I’ve been unable to locate any TV broadcast ratings information; and yet given the fact that the pilot was never picked up one can safely assume that – as a prospect – this one likely fizzled noticeably.
Emerging from the period in which it did, Earth II bears a lot of similarity to its contemporary fodder. Like the aforementioned Star Trek, the story embraces inclusivity, featuring a complement of space station workers drawn from the great nations of the time, be they the United States, the Soviet Union, Japan, and more. There’s a political undercurrent to the tale which strongly suggests that the only way forward for the world as a whole is a commitment to transcend national boundaries and, instead, embrace being a ‘citizen of a new world’ wherein allegiance is to mankind instead of one’s favored homeland. Lastly, the future is depicted as a ‘Utopia’ wherein authentic democracy takes place – leaders only carry out the wishes of their constituents who literally vote on the major tasks of the day using technology – and this construct accounts for a good degree of the narrative’s conflict … well, aside for the threat of total nuclear annihilation that plays into the story when the politically neutral space colony runs up against some nasty attempts by some Earthlings to weaponize the Final Frontier.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“When Earth II, an orbiting research space station, is menaced by a Red Chinese nuclear weapon, its 2,000 inhabitants take action to disarm and dispose of the missile without resorting to violence.”
Here’s the thing …
I have this long-standing debate with the both the stars and fans of Star Trek. They insist that – at the heart of the long-running franchise – the perfect future exists and is just waiting for mankind to catch up. By contrast, I say that’s bunk and keep pointing out that were that the case – that tomorrow is this idealistic paradise – then no iteration of the show would be necessary because storytelling is predicated on D-R-A-M-A not perfection. Drama doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Drama only happens when two perspectives collide in some way on screens big and small; and I challenge them to show me a single episode of any Trek series that operates without a central C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T. Practically every damn planet the Federation shows up needs a serious time-out in some way, shape, or form; and that sentiment – under current showrunner Alex Kurtzman – has even infected Starfleet itself with the central source of evil occasionally turning out to be our fellow men, women, and children.
Ah … to me the future has always looked like a sad state of affairs. This is precisely why it’s ripe for dramatization.
But imitators of the Roddenberry universe have continued to pop up over the decades since its inception, and one of the earliest was a failed TV property called Earth II. In this fanciful twist on the same galactic formula, the United States builds this new habitat in orbit and then – at the behest of the voting public – grants the expansive space station its own independence, essentially making it a nation state in space. Allegedly, this was done entirely in hopes of demonstrating that our best days ahead as a species would apparently be more of the same institutional thuggery of throwing good money after bad. After all, who keeps footing the bill for this boondoggle’s continued existence but the American taxpayer? There’s zero indication otherwise, so … how progressive, Hollywood! Even in the future, you look very much like the present!
Still, Earth II’s structure adhered to exactly my position on Trek: we aren’t but a few years into this great experiment’s existence when China (of all nations!?) decides it, too, wants a piece of the Space Race. In hopes of establishing a foothold up there, the Red Chinese launch a satellite with defensive capabilities – i.e. three nuclear warheads – into those same heavens and parks them about a stone’s throw from the independent space station. (See what I mean? C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T is a necessary component that derails all of that naive drivel about the future being a paradise.) After trying to hash things out diplomatically, the space king of Earth II – David Seville (played by Gary Lockwood of 2001: A Space Odyssey fame) – puts the issue up for a vote of his constituents, and the voters agree by a surprisingly slim margin that those missiles are a bridge too far, meaning the station’s technicians will be doing some serious repossession.
I have this long-standing debate with the both the stars and fans of Star Trek. They insist that – at the heart of the long-running franchise – the perfect future exists and is just waiting for mankind to catch up. By contrast, I say that’s bunk and keep pointing out that were that the case – that tomorrow is this idealistic paradise – then no iteration of the show would be necessary because storytelling is predicated on D-R-A-M-A not perfection. Drama doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Drama only happens when two perspectives collide in some way on screens big and small; and I challenge them to show me a single episode of any Trek series that operates without a central C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T. Practically every damn planet the Federation shows up needs a serious time-out in some way, shape, or form; and that sentiment – under current showrunner Alex Kurtzman – has even infected Starfleet itself with the central source of evil occasionally turning out to be our fellow men, women, and children.
Ah … to me the future has always looked like a sad state of affairs. This is precisely why it’s ripe for dramatization.
But imitators of the Roddenberry universe have continued to pop up over the decades since its inception, and one of the earliest was a failed TV property called Earth II. In this fanciful twist on the same galactic formula, the United States builds this new habitat in orbit and then – at the behest of the voting public – grants the expansive space station its own independence, essentially making it a nation state in space. Allegedly, this was done entirely in hopes of demonstrating that our best days ahead as a species would apparently be more of the same institutional thuggery of throwing good money after bad. After all, who keeps footing the bill for this boondoggle’s continued existence but the American taxpayer? There’s zero indication otherwise, so … how progressive, Hollywood! Even in the future, you look very much like the present!
Still, Earth II’s structure adhered to exactly my position on Trek: we aren’t but a few years into this great experiment’s existence when China (of all nations!?) decides it, too, wants a piece of the Space Race. In hopes of establishing a foothold up there, the Red Chinese launch a satellite with defensive capabilities – i.e. three nuclear warheads – into those same heavens and parks them about a stone’s throw from the independent space station. (See what I mean? C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T is a necessary component that derails all of that naive drivel about the future being a paradise.) After trying to hash things out diplomatically, the space king of Earth II – David Seville (played by Gary Lockwood of 2001: A Space Odyssey fame) – puts the issue up for a vote of his constituents, and the voters agree by a surprisingly slim margin that those missiles are a bridge too far, meaning the station’s technicians will be doing some serious repossession.
As these events unfold, there’s more than a fair share of human drama inserted in for necessity’s sake.
New arrivals to the station – Frank (Anthony Franciosa) and Lisa Karger (Mariette Hartley) – find themselves at odds over the democratic decision to bring the missiles aboard Earth II; and – when her feminine emotions get the best of her – Lisa secretly chucks the weapons into space, nearly triggering a Star War with Earth in the process. Anton Kovalefskii (Edward Michael Bell) must set aside his fondness for Mother Russia once he learns that the Chinese missiles are, in fact, targeting the city of Moscow; as the resident electronics expert, it’s only he who can defuse these megaton bombs, but what risks must he accept while his pregnant wife Ilyana (Inga Swenson) is on the cusp of giving birth to the first baby to be born in space? These are the kind of subplot extras meant to give space stories greater human interest for the audience; and I suppose they work about as well as they were intended, though they feel more like tacked on melodrama to me.
Stylistically, the telefilm looks about as well as anything else from the same era does. Clearly, there’s a late 1960’s aesthetic to all of it, not unlike some of the more down-to-Earth designs present in Trek, 2001, and even Gerry Anderson’s Space:1999 which was a few years away yet. Most of the costumes are understandably dated – sport suits being what they were – but the astronaut uniforms were drawn from the best NASA had to offer. Also, the majority of the effects work and set design have a welcome feel, looking a bit similar to what the BBC was regularly doing with 1970’s Doctor Who than perhaps it should have for an American effort. Indeed, a few of the spacecraft designs are reminiscent of vehicles seen before. There’s a shuttlecraft that’s almost eerily similar to NASA’s Enterprise that was likely on the drawing board at the time; and the station’s worker-pod was quite possibly lifted as inspiration from the covers of any Science Fiction novels from the day.
Given that this was meant to be the foundation around which serialized television would flow, Earth II is at best modestly interesting. Sadly, it’s handled so poorly here that even the moments of high-tension wind up feeling a bit underwhelming. Even in the face of mutually assured destruction, no one involved so much as raises their voice at any time, and a good deal of the ‘action’ feels like it was underplayed deliberately, almost as if director Gries instructed the cast that speaking slowly and clearly exemplified the best human responses. The big climax sequence when the astronauts have no choice but to both beat the clock and the dangers of the rising sun to defuse the corralled nuclear missiles plays more like a NASA training video that it does a depiction to the potential end of life as we know. From what I recall, it took Starfleet’s fabled Captain James T. Kirk’s raising his voice a few times – with the necessary bluster and bravado – in order to muster his troops to face some dire circumstances. That’s missing here – missing hugely, in fact – and I suspect that’s ultimately why this franchise never really took flight to begin with.
New arrivals to the station – Frank (Anthony Franciosa) and Lisa Karger (Mariette Hartley) – find themselves at odds over the democratic decision to bring the missiles aboard Earth II; and – when her feminine emotions get the best of her – Lisa secretly chucks the weapons into space, nearly triggering a Star War with Earth in the process. Anton Kovalefskii (Edward Michael Bell) must set aside his fondness for Mother Russia once he learns that the Chinese missiles are, in fact, targeting the city of Moscow; as the resident electronics expert, it’s only he who can defuse these megaton bombs, but what risks must he accept while his pregnant wife Ilyana (Inga Swenson) is on the cusp of giving birth to the first baby to be born in space? These are the kind of subplot extras meant to give space stories greater human interest for the audience; and I suppose they work about as well as they were intended, though they feel more like tacked on melodrama to me.
Stylistically, the telefilm looks about as well as anything else from the same era does. Clearly, there’s a late 1960’s aesthetic to all of it, not unlike some of the more down-to-Earth designs present in Trek, 2001, and even Gerry Anderson’s Space:1999 which was a few years away yet. Most of the costumes are understandably dated – sport suits being what they were – but the astronaut uniforms were drawn from the best NASA had to offer. Also, the majority of the effects work and set design have a welcome feel, looking a bit similar to what the BBC was regularly doing with 1970’s Doctor Who than perhaps it should have for an American effort. Indeed, a few of the spacecraft designs are reminiscent of vehicles seen before. There’s a shuttlecraft that’s almost eerily similar to NASA’s Enterprise that was likely on the drawing board at the time; and the station’s worker-pod was quite possibly lifted as inspiration from the covers of any Science Fiction novels from the day.
Given that this was meant to be the foundation around which serialized television would flow, Earth II is at best modestly interesting. Sadly, it’s handled so poorly here that even the moments of high-tension wind up feeling a bit underwhelming. Even in the face of mutually assured destruction, no one involved so much as raises their voice at any time, and a good deal of the ‘action’ feels like it was underplayed deliberately, almost as if director Gries instructed the cast that speaking slowly and clearly exemplified the best human responses. The big climax sequence when the astronauts have no choice but to both beat the clock and the dangers of the rising sun to defuse the corralled nuclear missiles plays more like a NASA training video that it does a depiction to the potential end of life as we know. From what I recall, it took Starfleet’s fabled Captain James T. Kirk’s raising his voice a few times – with the necessary bluster and bravado – in order to muster his troops to face some dire circumstances. That’s missing here – missing hugely, in fact – and I suspect that’s ultimately why this franchise never really took flight to begin with.
Again, information online is exceptionally scarce on the history of the project beyond its U.S. airing. The Blu-ray does include an “international trailer” which makes me believe this one may’ve found life either via broadcast or theatrically outside of the 50 states. The slipcase does indicate that this release has been newly remastered and includes additional footage beyond what was apparently aired in America. Having not seen this one when it was first presented back in the day, I can’t speak to the efficacy of that claim, nor whether or not the inserted scenes might’ve improved its reception here at home.
Earth II (1971) was produced by WABE and MGM Television. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert … wow. I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be surprisingly good from start-to-finish. Granted, the TV grade of the special effects for the era are easily distinguishable here, but I thought it all still looked and sounded pretty damn spiffy. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas, all that’s available was a theatrical trailer.
Mildly Recommended.
Stewards of the bygone era of TV Science Fiction might be hard-pressed to find any reason to celebrate Earth II (1971). Its elaborately slow pacing truly sucked the life out of every sequence here, and no amount of respectable visuals could inject the dosage of adrenaline necessary to go boldly once more where audiences had kinda/sorta already been. While I would hope that something sustainable could’ve emerged and evolved as a format after the bare bones of a pilot/telefilm, it’s still hard to see where this cast and only ‘local Earth stories’ could’ve swung open the pod bay doors with much potential.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Earth II (1971) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Earth II (1971) was produced by WABE and MGM Television. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Warner Archive. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert … wow. I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be surprisingly good from start-to-finish. Granted, the TV grade of the special effects for the era are easily distinguishable here, but I thought it all still looked and sounded pretty damn spiffy. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas, all that’s available was a theatrical trailer.
Mildly Recommended.
Stewards of the bygone era of TV Science Fiction might be hard-pressed to find any reason to celebrate Earth II (1971). Its elaborately slow pacing truly sucked the life out of every sequence here, and no amount of respectable visuals could inject the dosage of adrenaline necessary to go boldly once more where audiences had kinda/sorta already been. While I would hope that something sustainable could’ve emerged and evolved as a format after the bare bones of a pilot/telefilm, it’s still hard to see where this cast and only ‘local Earth stories’ could’ve swung open the pod bay doors with much potential.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Warner Archive (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Earth II (1971) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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