Good morning and Happy Friday, gentle readers! We've made it! We've made it yet again! It's Friday, and a good time should be had by all!
Well, well, well ...
Oh, it isn't like Friday finally getting here should come as any surprise to those of you following along. I think, culturally, we sometimes make too much of it; and maybe -- just maybe -- we should take a little bit of that special energy and put some into Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Who knows? Were we to do that, maybe the bulk of our weeks would be a bit more enjoyable ... don't you think?
Still, I will wish that each of you have something special on tap for the weekend. Yes, weekends are definitely for living; and here's hoping you've some event or happening that makes you giddy. Life is far too short to live it otherwise.
Well, well, well ...
Oh, it isn't like Friday finally getting here should come as any surprise to those of you following along. I think, culturally, we sometimes make too much of it; and maybe -- just maybe -- we should take a little bit of that special energy and put some into Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Who knows? Were we to do that, maybe the bulk of our weeks would be a bit more enjoyable ... don't you think?
Still, I will wish that each of you have something special on tap for the weekend. Yes, weekends are definitely for living; and here's hoping you've some event or happening that makes you giddy. Life is far too short to live it otherwise.
Sigh.
Oh, the trials and tribulations of our TV yesteryear ...
Irwin Allen certainly introduced a solid handful of genre properties to the wide, wide world of entertainment, but the one that's certainly endured far more than others remains Lost In Space. As the story goes (apologies if you haven't heard it), one television network had the opportunity to choose between this and Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek ... and, well, let's just say that they may not have chosen wisely. I don't mean that as a sleight in any regard because Lost In Space definitely holds some fond memories for those who experienced it back then and in syndication for years ... I just don't think its stories resonate as strongly as do the original Trek.
But I digress ...
Lost lasted for three fun-filled season on network television, and it even built up a roster of awards and nominations here and there. Hosted by an impressive cast, it still kinda/sorta because the show with that villainous doctor, the boy, and his robot; and that's largely how I remember it. Much like Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were Trek's 'trinity,' Dr. Smith and Will Robinson and the Robot functioned in the same capacity here, albeit with much more juvenile aspirations.
Also, I'd be remiss if I failed to point out that the I.P. has been rebooted on more than a single occasion, both on television and with a big screen adaptation ... so it arguably had the staying power to compete against the big league.
Happy Anniversary, Lost In Space! May you remain forever lost!
Oh, the trials and tribulations of our TV yesteryear ...
Irwin Allen certainly introduced a solid handful of genre properties to the wide, wide world of entertainment, but the one that's certainly endured far more than others remains Lost In Space. As the story goes (apologies if you haven't heard it), one television network had the opportunity to choose between this and Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek ... and, well, let's just say that they may not have chosen wisely. I don't mean that as a sleight in any regard because Lost In Space definitely holds some fond memories for those who experienced it back then and in syndication for years ... I just don't think its stories resonate as strongly as do the original Trek.
But I digress ...
Lost lasted for three fun-filled season on network television, and it even built up a roster of awards and nominations here and there. Hosted by an impressive cast, it still kinda/sorta because the show with that villainous doctor, the boy, and his robot; and that's largely how I remember it. Much like Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were Trek's 'trinity,' Dr. Smith and Will Robinson and the Robot functioned in the same capacity here, albeit with much more juvenile aspirations.
Also, I'd be remiss if I failed to point out that the I.P. has been rebooted on more than a single occasion, both on television and with a big screen adaptation ... so it arguably had the staying power to compete against the big league.
Happy Anniversary, Lost In Space! May you remain forever lost!
There are good episodes of the original Star Trek, and there are great episodes of Star Trek ... and one of the very, very, very best first aired on this day all the way back in 1967. "Amok Time" -- scripted by Gene Roddenberry and Theodore Sturgeon with direction from Joseph Pevney -- took audiences to Spock's homeworld of Vulcan where they learned that not only that Starfleet's best sciences officer was part of an arranged marriage but also that Vulcan biology really suffered from a great deal of down time.
It wasn't all that long back that some smaller television stations -- ones that would air the iconic show in syndication along with marathons on national holidays -- were smitten with the idea of polling audience members to vote for their favorite episodes: from what I can recall, "Amok" almost always scored in the Top 5, and I suspect this is because it's smartly written, features some solid world-building for the Trek universe, and showcases precisely why the Trek trinity of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were such a powerful trio. The script had meaty ideas and clever exchanges for each of them, and it's one of the franchise's highwater marks in mixing moral codes with personal drama.
Plus ... Kirk dies. And then he doesn't.
True story.
It wasn't all that long back that some smaller television stations -- ones that would air the iconic show in syndication along with marathons on national holidays -- were smitten with the idea of polling audience members to vote for their favorite episodes: from what I can recall, "Amok" almost always scored in the Top 5, and I suspect this is because it's smartly written, features some solid world-building for the Trek universe, and showcases precisely why the Trek trinity of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were such a powerful trio. The script had meaty ideas and clever exchanges for each of them, and it's one of the franchise's highwater marks in mixing moral codes with personal drama.
Plus ... Kirk dies. And then he doesn't.
True story.
That's all I have for the present, ladies and gentlemen and others. I am working diligently on a review for Star Trek: Picard's Third (and thankfully final) Season, but I'm not sure if I'll get it up today or not. Honestly, I've been tinkering on it for some time, and -- sigh -- the prose is just not cooperating as much as I'd like it to. Hopefully, I will have something hammered into place so that I can put that article to rest.
As always, thanks for reading ... thanks for sharing ... thanks for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
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