One of the things I admired about Star Trek: The Next Generation during its seven year run is that the show was usually very respectful to some of its secondary characters. In one respect, sure, I suppose it's nice to play a character with a name; but it's even more exciting to see some of those characters actually hang around and progress in an albeit fictional career on the program. If nothing else, it helps bring a sense of reality to the fantasy.
Such was the case with Patti Yasutake, better known to TNG fans as Nurse Ogawa ... then Doctor Ogawa. Yasutake was born on this day back in 1953, and she had the good fortune of serving the crew of the Enterprise-D and E all the way through 1996's Star Trek: First Contact.
Such was the case with Patti Yasutake, better known to TNG fans as Nurse Ogawa ... then Doctor Ogawa. Yasutake was born on this day back in 1953, and she had the good fortune of serving the crew of the Enterprise-D and E all the way through 1996's Star Trek: First Contact.
The venerable Swoosie Kurtz joined NBC's Heroes for a handful of episodes; otherwise her resume is far more mainstream dramas and comedies. Kurtz was born on this day in 1944.
Throughout her career, Katherine Cannon lit up both the big and the small screen playing strong women. Genre fans know her work from Future Cop, Battlestar Galactica, The Incredible Hulk, Airwolf, The Hidden (1987), and Seven Days. Cannon was born on this day in 1953.
There she is! The prettiest girl in all of the original Colonial Fleet! For those of you who don't know, that there is the lovely Anne Lockhart, better known to Battlestar Galactica fans as Lieutenant Sheba. After Battlestar's single season run, SciFi fans were fortunate enough to have her turn up with roles in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Voyagers!, Tales of the Gold Monkey, Airwolf, Automan, and Quantum Leap. She even had an uncredited part in E.T. - The Extraterrestrial. Lockhart was born on this day in 1953.
Everyone's favorite human noisemaker -- comedian Michael Winslow -- lent his vocal antics to the world of Mel Brooks in the spoof of the popular Star Wars saga better known as Spaceballs. Winslow was born on this day in 1958.
Here's today's public service announcement for all red-blooded males: Playboy Magazine isn't just for good articles, you know ... it's actually produced some very lovely ladies! And several of those lovely ladies have made the transition from print to the screen, including the statuesque Peggy McIntaggart, shown above in holographic form from Cyber-Tracker 2 (1995). McIntaggart was born on this day in 1961.
The lovely Betsy Russell got her humble start in an episode of The Powers of Matthew Star before moving on to a guest spot in Superboy as well as a prominent role in the Saw franchise. Russell was born on this day in 1963.
Wow. What a career! In a relatively short span of time, Chad Coleman has gone from fighting the Undead aboard AMC's signature horror The Walking Dead to probing the depths of outer space in Syfy's The Expanse. And -- in between? He managed to squeeze in a visit to the CW's Arrow program. Awesome. Coleman was born on this day in 1966.
I haven't seen Children of Dune, mostly because folks whom I know and trust have told me that the follow-up miniseries was a bit confusing after the original Dune. In any event, kudos to the lovely Barbora Kodetová for bringing her acting talent to the program, and I'm sure I'll see this as it's on my bucket list. Kodetová was born on this day in 1970.
Over the past few years, actor Idris Elba has really grown into somewhat of a critical favorite around the world. He captained the ship in Ridley Scott's Prometheus (2012), and hopefully we'll continue to see more of his sterling skills in the years ahead. Mr. Elba was born on this day back in 1972.
Sarah Danielle Madison faced dinosaurs in Jurassic Park III (2001) before moving on to other less fantastical fare, such as Savage Planet (2007) and Pig (2011). Though she's no longer with us, Madison was born on this day in 1974.
Sarah Strange has a name that just keeps on giving! This lovely lady possesses a resume rich in both real and voice-acting roles, but SciFi folks probably know her best from Stargate: SG-1. Strange was born on this day in 1974.
Justin Whalin (above right) filled in the shoes of the impressionable Jimmy Olsen for 66 episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Whalin was born on this day in 1974.
Back in the mid-1990's, a fetching Naomie Harris (center) embraced her budding stardom with a role in The Tomorrow People, a reboot that didn't quite stick. Still, she's moved on to bigger things, including joining Daniel Craig in the most recent string of James Bond films. Harris was born on this day in 1976.
Hailing from London, dreamy Tehmina Sunny has the kind of good looks that'll be embraced the world round. She's had roles in Children of Men (2006), Heroes, and CBS's Extant. Sunny was born on this day in 1980.
A veritable master of playing quirky females (but beautiful nonetheless), Lauren Lapkus helped round out the IT staff for the latest disaster to frighten the Bejezus out of the park-goers at Jurassic World (2015). Lapkus was born on this day in 1985.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I grew up in a little 'podunk' town in the middle of nowhere. I also grew up at a time when we didn't have a billion channels on the TV to choose from -- on a good day, we had six! One of the local small market channels would play these old black'n'white science fiction flicks on Friday night and/or Saturday morning; and, although I can't remember seeing Fire Maidens from Outer Space, this one sounds like something I probably watched (and loved) as a kid. Here's the summary from IMDB.com:
"A team of astronauts lands on a moon of Jupiter to find it populated with beautiful young women looking for mates. An old man explains to the explorers the group's story, as well as the moon's dangers."
The film premiered on this day in 1956.
"A team of astronauts lands on a moon of Jupiter to find it populated with beautiful young women looking for mates. An old man explains to the explorers the group's story, as well as the moon's dangers."
The film premiered on this day in 1956.
On this day in 1957 (in West Germany), 20 Million Miles To Earth premiered theatrically. The feature starred William Hopper and Joan Taylor, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"The first U.S. spaceship to Venus crash-lands off the coast of Sicily on its return trip. A dangerous, lizard-like creature comes with it and quickly grows gigantic."
"The first U.S. spaceship to Venus crash-lands off the coast of Sicily on its return trip. A dangerous, lizard-like creature comes with it and quickly grows gigantic."
On this day in 1985 (in Italy), the Fantasy/Western hybrid Tex and the Lord of the Deep opened to unsuspecting audiences. The feature starred Giuliano Gemma and William Berger, and here's the plot summary as detailed on IMDB.com:
"Based on the adventures of the hero Tex from the comic strip by Bonelli. An interesting spaghetti-western/fantasy movie that blends magic and mythology with six-guns and stagecoaches."
"Based on the adventures of the hero Tex from the comic strip by Bonelli. An interesting spaghetti-western/fantasy movie that blends magic and mythology with six-guns and stagecoaches."
On this day in 2003, the SciFi/Telefilm Bugs gave the lovely Angie Everhart and Antonio Sabato Jr. something a bit different to investigate. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"An entomologist accompanies a team of commandos to prevent prehistoric insects from escaping from a subway system."
"An entomologist accompanies a team of commandos to prevent prehistoric insects from escaping from a subway system."
On this day in 2013, the Apocalypse/Thriller Bounty Killer shot 'em up at the box office. The feature starred Matthew Marsden and Christian Pitre, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Bounty killers compete for body count, fame and a fat stack of cash. They're ending the plague of corporate greed and providing the survivors of the apocalypse with retribution. This is the age of the BOUNTY KILLER."
"Bounty killers compete for body count, fame and a fat stack of cash. They're ending the plague of corporate greed and providing the survivors of the apocalypse with retribution. This is the age of the BOUNTY KILLER."
I don't want to say that I was disappointed with Riddick -- which premiered theatrically on this day in 2013 -- but, to put it bluntly, I was disappointed with Riddick. Don't get me wrong: I'm all for giving a guy a dog (I have a few of them myself), but so much of the film felt like it was two different motion pictures trying to compete with one another. The end result? It was all a bit messy and derivative, though it did give the loner a conjugal visit with no less than Katee Sackhoff.
On this day in 1967, Irwin Allen's Lost In Space premiered its third (and final) season with an hour titled "Condemned Of Space." According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"The Robinsons leave their planet to escape a collision with a comet and find a ship full of frozen convicts."
"The Robinsons leave their planet to escape a collision with a comet and find a ship full of frozen convicts."
On this day in 1986, Doctor Who returned to the airwaves with the premiere of its twenty-third season. The adventure was titled "Trial of a Timelord: Part 1," and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"The Doctor is put on trail by the Time Lords again. The first of two events from his resent past is presented as evidence of his interference in the affairs of other worlds. In particular, his actions on planet Ravalox."
"The Doctor is put on trail by the Time Lords again. The first of two events from his resent past is presented as evidence of his interference in the affairs of other worlds. In particular, his actions on planet Ravalox."
On this day in 1989, Doctor Who premiered what would be its twenty-sixth and final season (of the original run) for the BBC. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary for "Battlefield: Part 1":
"Knights from a parallel universe arrive on Earth to find the legendary sword Excalibur. And only the Doctor and Ace with the assistance of Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart and save the Earth from total catastrophe."
"Knights from a parallel universe arrive on Earth to find the legendary sword Excalibur. And only the Doctor and Ace with the assistance of Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart and save the Earth from total catastrophe."
On this day in 2003, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed aired "The Nightmare's Return." This served as the forty-seventh episode of the program's only season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A war is under way between genetically enhanced Coordinators and unmodified Naturals."
"A war is under way between genetically enhanced Coordinators and unmodified Naturals."
On this day in 2003, the cult series Starhunter aired "Spaceman." This served as the fifth episode of the program's second season, and here's the plot summary as provided by TV.com:
"Travis and his crew salvage a sarcophagus floating in space, only to find that the life form inside has bioengineered powers that contaminate everyone he touches."
"Travis and his crew salvage a sarcophagus floating in space, only to find that the life form inside has bioengineered powers that contaminate everyone he touches."
On this day in 2014, Doctor Who aired "Robot of Sherwood." This served as the third episode of the program's eighth season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"In Sherwood forest, the Doctor finds an evil plan from outer space and makes an alliance with Robin Hood. With Nottingham at stake, the Doctor must decide who is real and who is fake."
"In Sherwood forest, the Doctor finds an evil plan from outer space and makes an alliance with Robin Hood. With Nottingham at stake, the Doctor must decide who is real and who is fake."
