I mentioned just the other day in my review of Gene Roddenberry’s somewhat ill-fated Genesis II telefilm (available right here for readers) that it’s difficult to have a review of it without some discussion of this feature follow-up, Planet Earth.
For those who don’t know it, the two projects work very much like two sides of the same coin: Genesis II – as a pilot – didn’t quite have the interest of network suits, but – much like Roddenberry was given a second shot with his groundbreaking series Star Trek – Fate smiled on the Science Fiction and Fantasy creator by granting him another chance. Textually, Planet Earth kept a good deal of Genesis’s foundation – basically this was the future, our world had been decimated by global wars, and chief hero Dylan Hunt was tasked with bringing civilization back in style – but it plucked out a great deal of what made the original interesting. Instead of two organizations competing to control what’s left of our people and resources, Planet Earth basically starts with PAX – the peaceniks – pretty much in charge. They’ve put the future of mankind on their capable shoulders, and their ultimate goal would be to, essentially, put things in order once again. That’s what heroes do, after all, and that’s what we expect of them.
And why wouldn’t it work?
Planet Earth began with a feasible premise, but if this pilot film is any indication, then I’m not sure why anyone would have much faith in the project’s future. Mind you: quality was never the universal language of studio executives, and Roddenberry purists might even point out that they tried all of this yet again – under the moniker of Strange New World (1975) – but this time without Gene’s involvement. I’ve not seen that one (yet), so I can’t speak to its efficacy; yet I can assure you that – based entirely on what I’ve read – it undoubtedly dumbed down these concepts even further, possibly to the point wherein it had little in common with groundwork. This future was inevitably shelved after that third attempt but let me shine a little reflection on Earth so that it doesn’t entirely vanish from genre history.
(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 few last 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:
“A man awakens from suspended animation and finds himself in the 22nd century, where women rule the world and men are slaves called Dinks. He is captured and sold as a slave, but escapes and hooks up with a male rebel movement.”
For those who don’t know it, the two projects work very much like two sides of the same coin: Genesis II – as a pilot – didn’t quite have the interest of network suits, but – much like Roddenberry was given a second shot with his groundbreaking series Star Trek – Fate smiled on the Science Fiction and Fantasy creator by granting him another chance. Textually, Planet Earth kept a good deal of Genesis’s foundation – basically this was the future, our world had been decimated by global wars, and chief hero Dylan Hunt was tasked with bringing civilization back in style – but it plucked out a great deal of what made the original interesting. Instead of two organizations competing to control what’s left of our people and resources, Planet Earth basically starts with PAX – the peaceniks – pretty much in charge. They’ve put the future of mankind on their capable shoulders, and their ultimate goal would be to, essentially, put things in order once again. That’s what heroes do, after all, and that’s what we expect of them.
And why wouldn’t it work?
Planet Earth began with a feasible premise, but if this pilot film is any indication, then I’m not sure why anyone would have much faith in the project’s future. Mind you: quality was never the universal language of studio executives, and Roddenberry purists might even point out that they tried all of this yet again – under the moniker of Strange New World (1975) – but this time without Gene’s involvement. I’ve not seen that one (yet), so I can’t speak to its efficacy; yet I can assure you that – based entirely on what I’ve read – it undoubtedly dumbed down these concepts even further, possibly to the point wherein it had little in common with groundwork. This future was inevitably shelved after that third attempt but let me shine a little reflection on Earth so that it doesn’t entirely vanish from genre history.
(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 few last 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:
“A man awakens from suspended animation and finds himself in the 22nd century, where women rule the world and men are slaves called Dinks. He is captured and sold as a slave, but escapes and hooks up with a male rebel movement.”
Sigh.
I’ve mentioned before that IMDB.com’s synopses are sometimes more wrong than they are right, and that’s the case – to a degree – with Planet Earth. The truth is that there’s a much grander backstory to the action here than is the case; in fact, while viewing Genesis II – the previous attempt to introduce this myth into entertainment – isn’t exactly a requirement to understand all that’s happening here, I’d still suggest doing so as the scripted shorthand here just isn’t enough. There’s a good deal of exposition that sets everything in motion; Roddenberry and Juanita Bartlett’s script is more than a bit clunky, leaving the true substance of Hunt’s journey lost in transition.
In this second pilot adventure, Dylan Hunt (played by John Saxon) is nearly as big and bold as was Roddenberry’s previous central figure, Captain James T. Kirk (brought to life by William Shatner). As much as this was arguably necessary to transition Genesis II from a story about ideas in conflict, it’s pretty clear that the requirements of weekly and/or episodic narratives practically required it at the time. Alex Cord played Hunt in Genesis II – a man more of thought and principle than he was of action – but Saxon clearly sinks his teeth into the machismo required of the second coming; and – despite some reservations I had with the story as told here – the actor proved he was more than up to the task. In fact, that’s likely what I missed most from this not being picked up: it could’ve been glorious to watch Saxon lord over a program in the way that Shatner did as he’s always been a favorite of mine.
At 74 minutes, I suspect that Planet Earth was ‘tooled’ to work as a 90-minute television event – something longer than the usual hour-format but notable less than a full theatrical treatment – and that works against the whole affair as there’s just not enough material to make this work. In fact, it sometimes feels as if this story started out as two episodes that were crammed together into one; and the end result is that it’s moderately bottom heavy with a second half that gets a bit scattered and looney. About the time that Hunt must both get drunk and then seduce the villainous Marg (Diana Muldaur), I would imagine audiences were either groaning if not outright reaching to turn the channel to find something else worth watching.
But what about that story?
I’ve mentioned before that IMDB.com’s synopses are sometimes more wrong than they are right, and that’s the case – to a degree – with Planet Earth. The truth is that there’s a much grander backstory to the action here than is the case; in fact, while viewing Genesis II – the previous attempt to introduce this myth into entertainment – isn’t exactly a requirement to understand all that’s happening here, I’d still suggest doing so as the scripted shorthand here just isn’t enough. There’s a good deal of exposition that sets everything in motion; Roddenberry and Juanita Bartlett’s script is more than a bit clunky, leaving the true substance of Hunt’s journey lost in transition.
In this second pilot adventure, Dylan Hunt (played by John Saxon) is nearly as big and bold as was Roddenberry’s previous central figure, Captain James T. Kirk (brought to life by William Shatner). As much as this was arguably necessary to transition Genesis II from a story about ideas in conflict, it’s pretty clear that the requirements of weekly and/or episodic narratives practically required it at the time. Alex Cord played Hunt in Genesis II – a man more of thought and principle than he was of action – but Saxon clearly sinks his teeth into the machismo required of the second coming; and – despite some reservations I had with the story as told here – the actor proved he was more than up to the task. In fact, that’s likely what I missed most from this not being picked up: it could’ve been glorious to watch Saxon lord over a program in the way that Shatner did as he’s always been a favorite of mine.
At 74 minutes, I suspect that Planet Earth was ‘tooled’ to work as a 90-minute television event – something longer than the usual hour-format but notable less than a full theatrical treatment – and that works against the whole affair as there’s just not enough material to make this work. In fact, it sometimes feels as if this story started out as two episodes that were crammed together into one; and the end result is that it’s moderately bottom heavy with a second half that gets a bit scattered and looney. About the time that Hunt must both get drunk and then seduce the villainous Marg (Diana Muldaur), I would imagine audiences were either groaning if not outright reaching to turn the channel to find something else worth watching.
But what about that story?
Well, Hunt and his crack squad are essentially sent out into the wastelands to locate and bring back a Dr. Jonathan Connor (Jim Antonio), a noted specialist who disappeared a year previously but is now needed to save their critically injured leader Pater Kimbridge (Rai Tasco). Lo and behold, it thankfully turns out that Connor didn’t make it all that far away after all, and he’s been living out his days as a kinda/sorta male consort after being purchased at auction by Marg. In the guise of a more suitable mate, Hunt allows himself to sold into servitude, thus allowing him and his partner Harper-Smythe (Janet Margolin) the chance to get inside the compound, recapture Connor, and send him back home so that Kimbridge’s life can be saved. But all of this must happen before some very Klingon-like species known as the Kreeg show up with the purpose of – ahem – putting the patriarchy back in control and reducing the surviving warrior women to, basically, pets … or something a bit more lascivious.
There’s a bit more to the whole shebang – Marg has been supplying a drug that turns adult males into whimpering fools (this is how womankind has been able to topple mankind) – but the point is simple: men are treated no better than livestock, and it’s meant to be a commentary on the social mores of the day (i.e. the 1970’s). Like Kirk would’ve done on Star Trek, Hunt aims to throw this society out of whack with his brazen bravado, ultimately reminding everyone that it takes two genders to tango – well, you know what I mean. Planet Earth was definitely the kind of thing TV audiences expected from SciFi and Fantasy shows of the era. Saxon delivers as does Muldaur but there’s no mistaking the fact that we’ve been here before, and I can’t help but imagine this is what doomed the pilot from any probable pick-up.
Still, Earth did bring along some other familiar faces in small roles who may or may not have been involved had it gone to series. Their contributions here were negligible, at best, and the Kreeg villains are mutants who look like they, too, could’ve been right at home in a weekly serial. Lastly, the telefilm benefits from some modest production design in that cars have been re-introduced on steam technology in lieu of the more traditional gas and oil. It even occasionally as a modest ‘Road Warrior’ feel to its apocalypse, and this was a few years before that Australian franchise would see life on the silver screen. Perhaps Roddenberry – always the technological prognosticator – even saw that world coming in his mind’s eye, eh?
Planet Earth (1974) was produced by Warner Bros. Television. The film is presently available on DVD via Warner Archive.
Alas … only mildly recommended.
It isn’t as if Planet Earth couldn’t have become something had this pilot telefilm – a kinda/sorta do-over of 1973’s Genesis II, which is a touch more thoughtful and interesting – been picked up and ushered to the airwaves, but it’s hard to see where Roddenberry and the creative crew could really have taken it that might’ve given it a measure of freshness it lacked here. Saxon is a capable talent, and I think his participation alone might’ve given an ongoing procedural a modicum of popularity amongst genre fans, but the end result here is some decidedly lowbrow antics that perhaps Science Fiction and Fantasy ought to leave behind.
-- EZ
There’s a bit more to the whole shebang – Marg has been supplying a drug that turns adult males into whimpering fools (this is how womankind has been able to topple mankind) – but the point is simple: men are treated no better than livestock, and it’s meant to be a commentary on the social mores of the day (i.e. the 1970’s). Like Kirk would’ve done on Star Trek, Hunt aims to throw this society out of whack with his brazen bravado, ultimately reminding everyone that it takes two genders to tango – well, you know what I mean. Planet Earth was definitely the kind of thing TV audiences expected from SciFi and Fantasy shows of the era. Saxon delivers as does Muldaur but there’s no mistaking the fact that we’ve been here before, and I can’t help but imagine this is what doomed the pilot from any probable pick-up.
Still, Earth did bring along some other familiar faces in small roles who may or may not have been involved had it gone to series. Their contributions here were negligible, at best, and the Kreeg villains are mutants who look like they, too, could’ve been right at home in a weekly serial. Lastly, the telefilm benefits from some modest production design in that cars have been re-introduced on steam technology in lieu of the more traditional gas and oil. It even occasionally as a modest ‘Road Warrior’ feel to its apocalypse, and this was a few years before that Australian franchise would see life on the silver screen. Perhaps Roddenberry – always the technological prognosticator – even saw that world coming in his mind’s eye, eh?
Planet Earth (1974) was produced by Warner Bros. Television. The film is presently available on DVD via Warner Archive.
Alas … only mildly recommended.
It isn’t as if Planet Earth couldn’t have become something had this pilot telefilm – a kinda/sorta do-over of 1973’s Genesis II, which is a touch more thoughtful and interesting – been picked up and ushered to the airwaves, but it’s hard to see where Roddenberry and the creative crew could really have taken it that might’ve given it a measure of freshness it lacked here. Saxon is a capable talent, and I think his participation alone might’ve given an ongoing procedural a modicum of popularity amongst genre fans, but the end result here is some decidedly lowbrow antics that perhaps Science Fiction and Fantasy ought to leave behind.
-- EZ
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