Laura Vandervoort first stole hearts as Kara (aka Supergirl) for several seasons on the WB's pretty solid Smallville, but then she played a 'Visitor' from afar of another variety ... erm ... species? ... when she joined the short-lived reboot of V. Currently, she's wooing fandom by way of headlining her own horror/fantasy program Bitten where she plays a female werewolf. Anyone want to volunteer to be her next victim? The line starts with me, my friends! Plus, she also turned up in a few hours of CBS's Supergirl as the villainous (and blue!) Indigo! This lovely SciFi Veteran was born on this day in 1984.
Well, well, well. It isn't every day that Science Fiction gets an acting veteran the level of screen curmudgeon John Houseman to walk our hallowed halls, so when we do we have to give out a shout. The man only dabbled in our various universes, appearing as Dr. Franklin in both The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman in the 1970's, as well as posting a role in 1975's version of Rollerball. Though he's no longer with us, Houseman was born on this day in 1902.
Martha Scott (above left) left behind a legacy of almost one hundred different screen credits. Clearly, Science Fiction wasn't her first choice for projects, but she did put in time aboard The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman for good measure. Though she's no longer with us, Scott was born on this day in 1912.
With nearly 150 different screen credits to his name, the late Eugene Roche was definitely a staple in entertainment for a certain generation of viewers. As far as SciFi goes, he enjoyed time aboard Slaughterhouse-Five (1972), Tales of the Unexpected, Airwolf, Roswell (1994), and Star Trek: Voyager. Though he's no longer with us, Roche was born on this day in 1928. [Source: IMDB.com]
The great Paul Le Mat enjoyed leading man status aboard Strange Invaders (1983), one of the stranger SciFi/Cult films to come out of the 1980's. Le Mat was born on this day in 1945. [Source: IMDB.com]
Musician and actor Jim Byrnes has had his hand in a few substantial genre projects, including screen time aboard Sliders, Starlight (1996), Highlander, Robocop: Alpha Commando (animated), Highlander: The Raven, Beast Wars: Transformers (animated), War Planets (animated), First Wave, The Outer Limits, The Dead Zone, The Twilight Zone, Alienators (animated), Taken, Stargate: Infinity, Jake 2.0, Andromeda, and Sanctuary. Byrnes was born on this day in 1948. [Source: IMDB.com]
Shari Belafonte enjoyed a role as 'Elizabeth Trent' in Thirdspace, one of the Babylon 5 telefilms aired after that program's finale. Belafonte was born on this day in 1954. [Source: IMDB.com]
The delicious Catherine Oxenberg (above right) tried SciFi camp on for size with a role aboard Sharktopus Vs. Whalewolf (2015). She's also contributed voice work to some various Starship Troopers projects. Oxenberg was born on this day in 1961. [Source: IMDB.com]
Ruth Jones enjoyed a guest spot aboard the BBC's Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood early during that program's run. Jones was born on this day in 1966. [Source: IMDB.com]
I'll simply agree with whatever critic wrote that FX Network's The Strain was one of the sillier genre shows to come out in recent times, but the program did have a few interesting characters: in the guise of 'Quinlan,' the talented Rupert Penry-Jones portrayed the not-quite-terrifying vampire slayer to perfection. Penry-Jones was born on this day in 1970. [Source: IMDB.com]
Oh, we know how you feel, Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.! He braved the zombie apocalypse at the heart of AMC's entertaining juggernaut The Walking Dead for only so long. Gilliard, Jr. was born on this day in 1971. [Source: IMDB.com]
Athlete turned actor Bob Sapp tried Fantasy on for size with a prominent role aboard Conan The Barbarian (2011). Sapp was born on this day in 1973. [Source: IMDB.com]
Mireille Enos first came to my attention when she played a very mousy sister wife on HBO's under-appreciated Big Love drama. I was excited to hear she was cast in World War Z, but the movie largely bypassed the sheer greatness of the book, instead choosing to focus on Brad Pitt's 'world savior' character in lieu of so many vastly more interesting ideas. Perhaps she'll get better if she's brought back for the follow-up if it materializes. Enos was born on this day in 1975.
Daniella Alonso had a wonderful guest-starring role aboard Syfy's Stargate: Atlantis. She also turned up in a whole slew of genre projects, including TV's apocalypse drama Revolution. Alonso was born on this day in 1978.
Lovely MyAnna Buring (above center) has the right stuff to face both the end of the world (as she did in 2008's Doomsday) and bloodsucking vampires (as she did in 2009's Vampire Killers). Buring was born on this day in 1979.
What's not to love about the blonde bombshell herself, Ashley Eckstein? During Star Wars: The Clone Wars' (animated) six season run, she brought to life the Jedi Padawan, Ahsoka Tano! Plus, she's been so inspired by so many franchises of science fiction, she's went and launched a line of exclusive sci-fi themed clothing and jewelry for the ladies. Check out HerUniverse.com, if you're so inclined. Eckstein was born on this day in 1981.
Oh, tell me you've heard of Rose, haven't you? Rose? Rose Tyler? The Doctor's favorite companion? Perhaps, even, the only one he's truly loved? The lovely Billie Piper brought Rose to life throughout several seasons of Doctor Who. While I'd have to say she isn't exactly my favorite, I certainly thought the writers gave her ample things to do in winning over fans as well as the heart -- erm, hearts, that is -- of everyone's favorite time traveller. Piper was born on this day in 1982.
Kid you not: my favorite acting discovery in the last few years was stumbling across the work of the absolutely unbelievably gifted Tatiana Maslany. Headlining the BBC's pretty admirable SciFi drama Orphan Black, the actress has had to bring to life a virtual calvary of varying female clones ... all with her lovely, lovely face. If she isn't on your radar yet, then get cranking, people! She deserves your attention. Maslany was born (or was she cloned?) on this day back in 1985.
Young Tom Felton helped rile up the apes in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, so much so he actually served as a catalyst to set things into motion for mankind's inevitably demise. Nice, dude. Real nice. Felton was born on this day in 1987.
Saddle up, partner! On this day in 1995, the SciFi/Horror hybrid better known as Puppet Master 5 toyed with our collective imagination. The feature starred Gordon Currie and Chandra West, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"The puppets battle their most powerful enemy yet as they protect their new master from the demon God that created the Secret of Life."
"The puppets battle their most powerful enemy yet as they protect their new master from the demon God that created the Secret of Life."
The end of life as we know it can cinematically come in several different perspectives, and on this day in 2011 a film regarding faith was released under the name of The Apocalypse. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"In this epic disaster film of faith, a mother and father search for their only child as a giant asteroid headed for Earth triggers a series of apocalyptic events."
"In this epic disaster film of faith, a mother and father search for their only child as a giant asteroid headed for Earth triggers a series of apocalyptic events."
On this day in 1965, LOST IN SPACE aired its second official episode, "The Derelict." Here's the summary from IMDB.com: "The Jupiter 2 is pulled into a giant ship occupied by bubble like creatures."
Talk about giving somebody the stink eye! Star Trek's first season episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," made terrific use of guest stars Sally Kellerman and Gary Lockwood as they were made all-powerful beings with a newfound desire to run the universe. The adventure first aired on this day back in 1966.
Trivia: Incidentally, IDW Publishing gave long-time scribe John Byrne the chance to follow-up on the events of "Where No Man Has Gone Before." In late 2013, Byrne used state-of-the-art desktop publishing technology to produce a double-sized comic book 'photonovel' titled "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." The plot had Kirk and the Enterprise detecting a deep space signal from planet Delta Vega -- that's where his friend Gary Mitchell (played by Lockwood) was buried under a ton of rock. Needless to say, the Enterprise returns, and it would seem that the even more God-like Mitchell is waiting to extract his own brand of vengeance on Kirk. If you're interested in knowing more, click here to see my review of the book over at Amazon.com.
Trivia: Incidentally, IDW Publishing gave long-time scribe John Byrne the chance to follow-up on the events of "Where No Man Has Gone Before." In late 2013, Byrne used state-of-the-art desktop publishing technology to produce a double-sized comic book 'photonovel' titled "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." The plot had Kirk and the Enterprise detecting a deep space signal from planet Delta Vega -- that's where his friend Gary Mitchell (played by Lockwood) was buried under a ton of rock. Needless to say, the Enterprise returns, and it would seem that the even more God-like Mitchell is waiting to extract his own brand of vengeance on Kirk. If you're interested in knowing more, click here to see my review of the book over at Amazon.com.
Uh-oh. A giant claiming to be the Greek god Apollo captures the Enterprise on Star Trek, believing its crew should worship him. Sounds like somebody's got a God-complex bigger than Shatner's! "Who Mourns for Adonais?" first aired on this day back in 1967 as part of the program's second season.
It all began right here: on this day in 1968, Irwin Allen's Land of the Giants aired "The Crash." This served as the first episode of the program's first season, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"In this, the pilot episode, a sub-orbital aircraft named the Spindrift flying from New York (Los Angeles in later episodes) is pulled into a space warp which transports its crew and passengers into another dimension. The ship eventually lands on a planet where everything is 12 times larger than normal. In their first night on the planet they are attacked by a giant cat and two of their party , Captain Steve Burton and jet set heiress Valerie Scott, are captured by a pair of giant scientists but are eventually rescued by the rest of the castaways. Unfortunately, they soon realize that for the time being they are stuck on this strange world."
"In this, the pilot episode, a sub-orbital aircraft named the Spindrift flying from New York (Los Angeles in later episodes) is pulled into a space warp which transports its crew and passengers into another dimension. The ship eventually lands on a planet where everything is 12 times larger than normal. In their first night on the planet they are attacked by a giant cat and two of their party , Captain Steve Burton and jet set heiress Valerie Scott, are captured by a pair of giant scientists but are eventually rescued by the rest of the castaways. Unfortunately, they soon realize that for the time being they are stuck on this strange world."
TV PREMIERE EVENT: On this day in 1973, the Canadian-produced sci-fi series The Starlost aired its first episode. The program was originally conceived by sci-fi scribe Harlan Ellison who -- as fate would have it -- ended up discrediting the whole affair before even a single frame had ever aired. (Ellison? TV? No match? Go figure!) However, The Starlost was embraced by a small but loyal following who stuck with it throughout its first and only season.
Here's the episode summary condensed from a review over at IMDB.com:
"Devon, a pariah in his agrarian community Cypress Corners, has been denied the right to marry his beloved Rachel who is instead promised to village blacksmith Garth. Garth doesn't love Rachel, but he has been given her troth and resents Devon's claim to her. Devon doesn't understand why the computer/god the villagers worship would will Rachel to Garth instead of him. When he goes to confront the village elders he discovers they have been programming the computer to voice their own dictates. He runs to tell the others and try to claim Rachel as his. They don't believe him and chase after him to stone him to death. He escapes through a portal into a hi-tech labyrinth and via a very condescending and rude computer program learns that he is on the Ark - a 200 mile long spaceship. Cypress Corners - his whole world until moments earlier was merely a colony within a biosphere amongst the other biospheres which are remnants of a destroyed home world called Earth - a civilization which disintegrated in its 23rd century. Devon - written off as dead in Cypress Corners returns and escapes with Rachel. Garth follows setting the stage for their adventures aboard the Ark."
Here's the episode summary condensed from a review over at IMDB.com:
"Devon, a pariah in his agrarian community Cypress Corners, has been denied the right to marry his beloved Rachel who is instead promised to village blacksmith Garth. Garth doesn't love Rachel, but he has been given her troth and resents Devon's claim to her. Devon doesn't understand why the computer/god the villagers worship would will Rachel to Garth instead of him. When he goes to confront the village elders he discovers they have been programming the computer to voice their own dictates. He runs to tell the others and try to claim Rachel as his. They don't believe him and chase after him to stone him to death. He escapes through a portal into a hi-tech labyrinth and via a very condescending and rude computer program learns that he is on the Ark - a 200 mile long spaceship. Cypress Corners - his whole world until moments earlier was merely a colony within a biosphere amongst the other biospheres which are remnants of a destroyed home world called Earth - a civilization which disintegrated in its 23rd century. Devon - written off as dead in Cypress Corners returns and escapes with Rachel. Garth follows setting the stage for their adventures aboard the Ark."
The fourth episode of Star Maidens single season existence is an adventure titled "The Proton Storm." This first aired on this day in 1976, and -- according to our friends at IMDB.com -- here's the plot summary:
"The proton storm forces the Nemesis to return to Medusa, with Liz and Rudi held hostage aboard. Fulvia tries to return to earth to find Adam, but the storm throws the ship off course. Will Adam help?"
"The proton storm forces the Nemesis to return to Medusa, with Liz and Rudi held hostage aboard. Fulvia tries to return to earth to find Adam, but the storm throws the ship off course. Will Adam help?"
On this day in 1979, Doctor Who aired "Destiny of the Daleks: Part 4." This served as the fourth episode to the program's seventeenth season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"To break the centuries-old stalemate in their war, the Movellans need the Doctor, as do the Daleks Davros. The solution is simple, but neither side can see it, nor would the Doctor upset this perfect and unplanned peace they've achieved. Davros, though, is another matter."
"To break the centuries-old stalemate in their war, the Movellans need the Doctor, as do the Daleks Davros. The solution is simple, but neither side can see it, nor would the Doctor upset this perfect and unplanned peace they've achieved. Davros, though, is another matter."
On this day in 1979, Jason of Star Command aired "Frozen in Space." This served as the second episode of the program's second season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A deadly Freeze Ray threatens Star Command. Jason and Samantha land on a remote planetoid and discover Dragos is behind the evil threat."
"A deadly Freeze Ray threatens Star Command. Jason and Samantha land on a remote planetoid and discover Dragos is behind the evil threat."
On this day in 1984, Airwolf aired "Sweet Britches." This served as the first episode of the popular program's second season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"String and Dom investigate a small town where a friend of theirs has disappeared. What they discover there is a little fiefdom controlled by an unfriendly sheriff named Bogan who doesn't like outsiders in his domain. When String starts poking around for his friend, Bogan arrests him and sets him loose on an 80,000 acre wildlife enclosure just outside the town. There, he becomes the game in a little hunt that just may cost him his life. As if that isn't enough, an attractive highway patrol deputy has also run afoul of the Sheriff and String and Dom must intervene before she becomes fodder for the sheriff's goons."
"String and Dom investigate a small town where a friend of theirs has disappeared. What they discover there is a little fiefdom controlled by an unfriendly sheriff named Bogan who doesn't like outsiders in his domain. When String starts poking around for his friend, Bogan arrests him and sets him loose on an 80,000 acre wildlife enclosure just outside the town. There, he becomes the game in a little hunt that just may cost him his life. As if that isn't enough, an attractive highway patrol deputy has also run afoul of the Sheriff and String and Dom must intervene before she becomes fodder for the sheriff's goons."
On this day in 1986, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers aired "Space Sorcerer." This (technically) served as the program's thirteenth episode (they were aired wildly out of order), and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"An old colleague sends Niko a distress signal. Their people are being enslaved by a Space Sorcerer and his minions. The Rangers come to free them from his rule."
"An old colleague sends Niko a distress signal. Their people are being enslaved by a Space Sorcerer and his minions. The Rangers come to free them from his rule."
Where were you on this day back in 1990? I can tell you where I was: I was sitting by the television waiting for the premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation's fourth season! Are you kidding me?! I -- like all other Trek enthusiasts -- had waited all summer to find out the fate of Captain Picard and the Federation after the third season finale, "The Best of Both Worlds," showed me what one of the best hours to television ever could look like. Sure, Part 2 probably didn't live up to the hype so far as most were concerned, but I thought it wrapped up quite nicely.
On this day back in 1996, Babylon 5 brought its third season to a climactic end when it aired "Z'ha'dum." Here's the summary from IMDB.com: "Sheridan goes to Z'Ha'Dum, to try and prevent the fall of Centauri Prime, and end the Shadow War. Secrets are revealed, and Kosh's warning haunts Sheridan."
The sixth season opener for Star Trek: Voyager was "Equinox, Part 2," and that's one of those storylines I truly loved for the program. Specifically, what drew me to it was the fact that here were these two Starfleet crews that had suffered some of the same misfortune but, yet, when the chips were down the crews responded to everything entirely differently based on the dynamics of their respective command structures. It was interesting to see how two crew who were initially trained to handle these circumstances the same way evolved differently. Excellent writing and solid performances. It first aired on this day in 1999.
On this day in 2004, Smallville soared back onto the airwaves with its fourth season premiere, an hour aptly titled "Crusade." The episode summary (edited) as provided by IMDB.com is as follows:
"Lois Lane, the second cousin of Chloe Sullivan, arrives in Smallville trying to find the missing Clark Kent to help her to find Chloe's murderer. After being struck by a mysterious ray, she loses control of her car, and finds Clark naked with amnesia in a cornfield. She brings him to Smallville Medical Center, where Martha is with Jonathan Kent, who has been in an irreversible coma. Martha brings Clark back to the farm, expecting him to retrieve his memory. However, Clark is completely dehumanized, having been taken over by his alter-ego Kal-El, whose mission is to find three Kryptonian crystals to assemble into one."
"Lois Lane, the second cousin of Chloe Sullivan, arrives in Smallville trying to find the missing Clark Kent to help her to find Chloe's murderer. After being struck by a mysterious ray, she loses control of her car, and finds Clark naked with amnesia in a cornfield. She brings him to Smallville Medical Center, where Martha is with Jonathan Kent, who has been in an irreversible coma. Martha brings Clark back to the farm, expecting him to retrieve his memory. However, Clark is completely dehumanized, having been taken over by his alter-ego Kal-El, whose mission is to find three Kryptonian crystals to assemble into one."
On this day in 2006, Stargate: SG-1 aired "The Quest, Part 1." This served as the tenth episode to the program's tenth season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"During their Quest for the Sangraal SG-1 must join forces with their enemy and face a real-life dragon."
"During their Quest for the Sangraal SG-1 must join forces with their enemy and face a real-life dragon."
On this day in 2006, Stargate: Atlantis aired "The Return, Part 1" as the tenth episode of the program's third season. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"The Atlantis expedition must turn to an old friend for help as the Asurans prepare to invade the city."
"The Atlantis expedition must turn to an old friend for help as the Asurans prepare to invade the city."
On this day in 2012, Doctor Who aired "The Power of Three." This served as the fourth episode of the program's seventh season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Earth is suddenly visited by millions of small black cubes of unknown origin. The Doctor joins Amy, Rory and Rory's father, Brian, to help discover what these cubes bring for humanity."
"Earth is suddenly visited by millions of small black cubes of unknown origin. The Doctor joins Amy, Rory and Rory's father, Brian, to help discover what these cubes bring for humanity."
Who knew that SciFi biological warfare was such a top topic in bringing about the end of the world back in 1965? Well, the answer would be the folks behind The Satan Bug! On this day in 2015, Kino Lorber released an all-new Blu ray edition of the Apocalyptic-themed film, and here's the plot summary compliments of IMDB.com:
"A germ warfare lab has had an accident. The first theory is that one of the nasty germs has gotten free and killed several scientists. The big fear is that a more virulent strain, named The Satan Bug because all life can be killed off by it should it escape, may have been stolen."
"A germ warfare lab has had an accident. The first theory is that one of the nasty germs has gotten free and killed several scientists. The big fear is that a more virulent strain, named The Satan Bug because all life can be killed off by it should it escape, may have been stolen."
Ah, the venerable Dystopian flick! They certainly make for interesting Science Fiction, don't they? As it's now known, Turkey Shoot has several other names associated with its other releases (i.e. Escape 2000, Blood Camp Thatcher, etc.), but its story always remains the same: the future looks bleak for mankind! On this day in 2015, our friends at Severin Films went into the vault for a spiffy new Blu ray release of the film, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Deviants are held at a rehabilitation fortress until they're set into a deadly game of survival, in the hopes of returning to world society."
"Deviants are held at a rehabilitation fortress until they're set into a deadly game of survival, in the hopes of returning to world society."
