1976 UFO series article

Those of you that also read "My Star Trek Scrapbook" blog, will know I have scanned some material from the excellent British publication "TV Sci-Fi Monthly." From issue #7 comes this two page layout on the first Gerry Anderson live-action series (vesus his marionnette programs) UFO. I enjoyed the show whenever I could catch it on TV as a young teen, and I taped the intro theme song onto cassette along with others I liked and played it endlessly. I also really dug the purple-wigged, mini-skirted hotties occupying the moonbase! What were the program administrators thinking? It's a wonder any work ever got done!

First, the cover of the magazine, which opened up similar to the "Star Trek Poster" magazine, except with more pages.

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Project Questor: Discontinued

Since there has been some news lately about Gene Roddenberry's failed pilot "The Questor Tapes" being remade, I thought it was time to scan some of the articles about it in my collection. This one was found in the June 1977 issue of the magazine TV's Dynamic Heroes. More from different sources will be forthcoming in the future.

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I enjoyed the TV-movie when it came out, (the theme music was good also) and wished at the time that it had become a series. But in light of the fact that Roddenberry adapted the character to become Data in "ST:TNG," (even to the "I am fully functional" bit about being sexually capable) it seems a bit redundant now to revisit the concept. But, we'll see how it turns out.

Charlon Heston Talks About Sci-Fi

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From the February 1980 edition of "Fantastic Films" magazine, comes this interview with Heston about his science fiction film roles and the genre in general. I've mined this issue for several other articles on my other blog "My Star Trek Scrapbook" since it partially focused on that movie, and I thought this article would be a treat for readers of "Fantastic Flashbacks."

Planet of the Apes teaching aid booklet

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Back around 1971, I was in the 5th grade and living near Parkersburg WV at the time. The English class of the school I was in (one of over 20 I attended while growing up, thanks to my itenerant construction worked stepdad) had these booklets which they handed out to the class for study, and it was the earliest exposure to the Apes phenomenon I had up to that time. It intrigued me greatly, and I was fan for many years before I ever saw any of the movies.

We weren't allowed to keep the booklet after class; I suppose they re-used them for the other students. Well, I hope they ordered some extra copies, 'cause when I left the class that day, the booklet I had went out the door with me, hidden in my binder notebook. I still have it to this day, in the same condition. I have scanned it in its entirety for your education and enjoyment. Bet you didn't know the Apes could teach you something!

And, to counteract the dry academic tone of this post, a hot image of a young Dr. Zira, posing au naturale during one of her and boyfriend Cornelius' archeological expeditions. Everyone does crazy stuff when they're younger.

"Now, Zira... you're getting that look in your eyes again. Remember, the last time you kissed a human the freakin' planet blew up!"

Superboy TV show

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Above, a full-page ad for "Superboy" in a cable-TV trade magazine.

In 1988, the "Superboy" series premiered, to my enthusiastic welcome. Although low-budget, it was an enjoyable show, which is in my opinion more enjoyable than the current "Smallville" series. John Haymes Newton, who, although a bit wooden, carried himself well in the suit and made a both a good Clark and Superboy. The flying wirework was equal to the movies, but the greenscreen flying effects were less convincing. Still, it was good to see a live-action Super-series of any kind, and was the next best thing to a Superman series.

Below, another cable trade magazine ad for the show.

And lastly, an article from Electronic Media magazine about the movie from the Disney studio to Universal. Sadly, I don't have the rest of the article.

1989 Family Channel Batman ad

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This full-page ad, published in a fall 1989 cable trade magazine, is a very nice rendition of Adam West's campy Caped Crusader.

1978 "The Time Machine" TV remake

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Clipped from the November 4-10 1978 TV Guide. I was always a fan of George Pal's "The Time Machine," so it was with a skeptical eye that I watched this new made-for-tv version that Sunday. I even taped the audio, which I still have in a drawer somewhere with hundreds of old cassettes I can't bring myself to throw away. I shouldn't have bothered taping it, though, because it lived down to my low expectations and more.

These clippings still made it into my scrapbook, however, and they exist as proof that this telefilm did indeed exist. Did you ever see it, and if so, what memories do you have of it? My love for the Pal version probably colored my perception of this movie. For those that saw it when young, not influenced by the earlier film, it could have been something they really liked, I'm sure.

Wiki entry on the 1978 TV movie:
A low-quality TV version was made in 1978, with very unconvincing time-lapse images of building walls being de-constructed, and inexplicable geographic shifting from Los Angeles to Plymouth, Mass., and inland California. John Beck starred as Neil Perry, with Whit Bissell (from the original 1960 movie and also one of the stars of the 1966 television series The Time Tunnel) appearing as one of Perry's superiors. Though only going a few thousand years into the future, Perry finds the world of the Eloi and Morlocks, and learns the world he left will be destroyed by another of his own inventions. The character Weena was played by Priscilla Barnes of Three's Company fame.