# Obscure/forgotten Sci-Fi series



## Slater

Anyone remember any short-lived or obscure sci-fi TV series that were actually good shows? I remember one fron the late 1980's called "Something is Out There" that featured Miriam (sp?) D'Abo as an alien assisting a cop. There was a short-lived "Starman" series, and the old "Project UFO" series from 1978.


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## imported_Asgard

No never heard of it but it think thats becaus I'm 14.


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## Mellian

I remember the Starman series. Actually liked it and was disappointed when it was taken off the air.

I know there where others but can't think of them right now.


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## Dave

*Re: Obscure & forgotten shows.*



> _Originally posted by Mellian _
> *I know there where others but can't think of them right now. *



Don't worry if you watch the SciFi channel you'll see them all eventually.


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## FOX_UK

Blakes 7 is always forgotton, What a great series.
They should bring that back

Fox


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## Akula

*Re: Re: Obscure & forgotten shows.*



> _Originally posted by Dave _
> *
> 
> Don't worry if you watch the SciFi channel you'll see them all eventually. *



Too bad they have a bad habit of only showing the bad ones.


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## little star

A while back there was a series called *Time Trax*.  I mainly remember it because I thought the guy who played the lead role, Dale Midkiff (that name may or may not be spelled corectly) was really good-looking.

Also, the computer system he used was given an image (Selma) in such a way that reminds me a little of Rommie on *Andromeda* (not meaning that the actresses looked anything alike).

little star :star:


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## little star

*P.S.*

I have no recollection of *Blake's 7*.  What was it about?

Does anyone remember *Alien Nation*?

little star :star:


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## Mellian

Never saw or heard of Blake 7 until I hit the webboards.  What was it about?  
I saw Time Trax when it was on the SciFi show.  Didn't think it was that bad a show.

Only ever saw a few episodes of Alien Nation.  My sister-in-law really loved that show though.


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## Neo

Blakes seven was a class sci fi programme....

I have all the episodes on VHS.  Still watch it now... Servelan was such a bitch.... LOL

Anyone remember  Saffire and steal


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## kelsi

One of my favourite TV series, which was on Ch 3 (or 1) ages ago, was Spellbinders.  I bought both the books.  But it was probly only bout 10 years ago, not decades or anything...


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## Neo

Not heard of that one ???


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## Dave

I was going to say 'Saphire and Steel', but you beat me to it Neo. I only vaguely remember it though, and couldn't tell you what it was all about.

As for the SciFi channel, I think they just get whatever is cheap, and that they can get the rights to. It's not all bad and it is getting better all the time. In the UK now they are showing 'The Prisoner' and 'UFO'. They sometimes show 'Alien Nation' too. 

Unfortunately, they still insist on showing 'The Six Million Dollar man' and the 'Bionic Woman' every day though, and have now begun showing 'Wonder Woman' :disgust: They call it 'Pulp SciFi'. I would call it something else. 

'Blakes Seven' is a BBC programme so it is on UK Gold, along with 'Dr Who'. If you haven't seen it before it is a bit old (late 70's/ early 80's), and done on a shoestring with wobbly cardboard sets, but the stories and concepts were very good. I think only Neo and I are old enough to remember these shows. Quite a few people have mentioned it in the 'Top Five TV shows' thread. As I said there already, it was written to begin with by Terry Nation, and is very like his usual work - Totalitarian society stuff. A group of rebels go off in a strange ship called 'Liberator' and have adventures. I liked it better when they started to have this sort of space-pirate lifestyle, and Terry Nation stopped writing it. However, the leader Blake disappeared, most of the crew then got killed at the end of one season, and I think it lost it's way. Some of the characters were excellent - Avon, who took over from Blake as leader was a great anti-hero; Villa, the cowardly thief; and Servalan, the villain. Neo is obviously a big fan, so he can tell you more.   

I can't see them bringing 'Blakes Seven' back, and it would never be the same without the original cast. They are really starting to age now, if you see them on TV in other things.


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## FOX_UK

*Blakes 7*

If you want to know more about Blakes 7 check out this link http://www.horizon.org.uk/ 







 FOX


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## Slater

Anyone remember "Space 1999" or "Automan"?


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## Dave

I have heard of 'Automan' but never seen it, what was it about?

In the 'Top 5 TV shows' thread lots of people have been remembering 'Space 1999'.

I used to like 'The Champions', 'Department S' and 'The Tomorrow People' (the original versions).


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## Slater

"Automan" was an admittedly cheesy early '80's series about a person that could change himself into various gadgets, one of which was (I believe) a car. He was followed around by an electronic entity called "Cursor".


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## kelsi

> _Originally posted by Dave _
> *I used to like 'The Tomorrow People' (the original versions). *


Ooohh, I used ta like that!  But which is the original series?  Got any web linx?


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## summershake

I can remember Time Trax! But I can't remember a good-looking actor...LOL  :rolly2: 
He was not my man...
It's not been very long since alien nation was on the air here in austria.
Can anybody remember the series "Strange Luck"?
I guess it's not too old.


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## Neo

> _Originally posted by Dave _
> *I have heard of 'Automan' but never seen it, what was it about?
> 
> In the 'Top 5 TV shows' thread lots of people have been remembering 'Space 1999'.
> 
> I used to like 'The Champions', 'Department S' and 'The Tomorrow People' (the original versions). *



Space 1999 was the best ... Loved the women that could change into anything...  cant remember her name..

WAS the champions the one thatthey all wore suits and had perfect haircuts / styles


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## Krystal

> _Originally posted by summershake _
> *I can remember Time Trax! But I can't remember a good-looking actor...LOL  :rolly2:
> He was not my man...
> It's not been very long since alien nation was on the air here in austria.
> Can anybody remember the series "Strange Luck"?
> I guess it's not too old. *



I remember Time Trax, I enjoy it.  Also remember Strange Luck, find it a very good series.
So bad it was a short one.  Do any one remember Nowhere Man? I think that is the name but
I'm not sure.  Is a story alike First Wave and I think it wasn't bad.  Another one I enjoy that have
a short life was Kindred: The Embrace . 

Krystal


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## Slater

There was also "Earth 2", "Space: Above and Beyond", and the old "Battlestar Galactica" series. Thought the Cylon fighter was pretty cool.


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## Dave

Some of these shows aren't that obscure.

Kelsi- I meant the 1970's version of the 'Tomorrow People' rather than a 1990's remake that I caught. Don't have any links but I bet that their are some - I'll look. This one looks good:

http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~davej/ttp/index.htm

Neo- 'The Champions' did have neat haistyles and suits- they were in an aircrash in Tibet and taken to some Shangi-La like place where monks fixed up there bodies, better than they had been before. Wanting to put their new skills to good use they went to work for a secret organisation devoted to world peace, as you do!

I liked the humor in it. Especially the way their boss knew there was something going on, but just couldn't quite work it out.

Anyone like "The Time Tunnel", "The Adams Family" or "The Invaders"?


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## Dave

Another one---" V ". 

I've just read that it may be coming back to our TV screens:

V the Next Generation.

<<Kenneth Johnson, creator of TV series V,is talking with about reviving the show. "It's come up over and over again, and I'm talking to a couple of guys at Warners," Johnson reportedly said. "I have a notion of a way to do the second generation."

Johnson added, "I think the way the story would have to play out is that, at the end of the original miniseries, we send a signal for help out to another alien race that is supposedly the Visitors' enemies. This story would pick up from there. The sea levels have dropped 50 feet, and Faye Grant and Marc Singer are the matriarch and patriarch of the resistance. There's a whole generation of young people who have grown up not knowing anything except occupation. Suddenly there is a new group of people who are saying, 'Hey, we got your message and we're here to help.' But are they here to help? That's the question: are we trading Hitler for Mussolini or vice versa?">>

I liked it when they ate live hamsters and mice!!! It was very unrealistic and too campy, but fun stuff.


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## Krystal

> _Originally posted by Slater _
> *There was also "Earth 2", "Space: Above and Beyond", and the old "Battlestar Galactica" series. *



Love that three.  Also enjoy "V", I forgot that one.
My brother and I was totally into it. 

Krystal


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## tokyogirl

did anyone use to watch 'Eerie, Indiana'?  i loved that show.


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## DarkCity545

Time Trax was great! Tracker starring Adrian Paul (Highlander) has a show with the SAME plot (but it sucks).

Mann & Machine was a great show it starred Yancy Butler who nows plays The Witchblade.

Starman has been brought back by Scifi, it plays early in the afternoon in the States.

Eerrie Indiana was great but short lived!! So was American Gothic! 

Sliders is back on Scifi!!!


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## Tabitha

> _Originally posted by tokyogirl _
> *did anyone use to watch 'Eerie, Indiana'?  i loved that show. *


So weird!  I was just thinking of coming in here and posting a thread about Eerie Indiana!  I loved the show, it was sooo strange.  I wonder what ever happened to the kids?   I always thought of it as a supernatural "Wonder Years".


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## tokyogirl

know which one i always remember?  the one with the girl that could draw things and then make them real.  i always thought that was so cool.


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## Lonewolf89

I've never caught a showing but I've read most of the episode synopsis at the Fan Sites:

Deepwater Black aka Mission Genesis.

Has anyone seen it?


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## DarkCity545

> _Originally posted by Tabitha _
> *supernatural "Wonder Years". *



ROFLMAO!!!


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## Dave

I've thought of a few more from my youth....

*The Tomorrow People*

I started a thread on this because it is still shown, and there was a recent re-imaging series.
http://www.ascifi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=14521

*The Ace of Wands*

I never really got to see it. I've just posted about why here:
http://www.ascifi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=14514

*Catweazle*

Even I'm a little too young for this one, but I've seen some repeats, and it was essential viewing for those a few years my senior.



> _from members.tripod.com/~eraust/fbabfactfile/catweazle.html _
> 
> Catweazle was a magician who lived in the eleventh century, but however hard he tried, his spells hardly ever worked.
> 
> Then one day was different. First of all he had two bad omens - a bad dream and an owl hooting in daylight. Then Norman soldiers tried to capture him, so in desperation he used some magic, and it worked! The only trouble was that it had worked in the wrong way: Catweazle flew through Time instead of Space, and ended up in a place Hexwood Farm, nine centuries later, where of course he thought everything he saw - motor cars, telephones, electric light ('Electrickery') - all happened by magic.
> 
> How Catweazle is befriended by the farmer's son, Carrot, and how he finds his feet in the twentieth century, while hiding from the world in a water tower, makes a riotously funny story, as anyone who has watched the London Weekend Television serial of Catweazle will know.



There is another review here: British Sixties Pop Culture


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## ray gower

I remember Catweazle!

Yes it was very funny. The production was good as well, not something that can always be said of childrens fantasy.

Unless one counts Worzel Gummidge and the Borrowers?


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## ray gower

Another forgotten series that would be worth reshowing:- *Tripods* a BBC series based upon the John Christopher books


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## Tabitha

I have very vague memories of that - and it is odd that it is another Wyndham story, as i immediately thought of the triffids when I read 'tripods' in your post...


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## ray gower

Gosh Yes! 
I remember The Day of the Triffids. That was back in the 70's


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## Tabitha

Yep, they used to scare the bejesus outta me 

I think they still might if I saw reruns...


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## Dave

The BBC 'Day of the Triffids' was more faithfull to the book, unlike the Hollywood movie! But I just saw it recently and they do change quite a bit.

I never saw the 'Tripods' series, though I read all the books at school and loved them.

I've thought of a few others people don't mention: 'Knight Rider', 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea', 'Time Tunnel', 'Land of the Giants', 'The Fantastic Journey', and 'Max Headroom'.


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## Tabitha

I remember Automan too - very vaguely.  And from the same era was "Manimal", not really scifi - it was about a bloke that could turn himself into whatever animal he wanted.  The two are connected somehow in my head, maybe they have the same leading man or something...


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## captainneelix

*Time Trax*  was a great series. I thought the idea of having someone come back from the future to capture criminals was unique. Normally when people thought of time travel, they associated it with going *to*  the future and not the other way around. Then again, having a computer that you could both see and hear was pretty cool, and the way Selma looked certainly did not hurt the ratings.


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## L. Arkwright

Awww Tabitha, I read all the posts thinking haha no ones mentioned Manimal and second to last Blam there it is.  Automan used to wear a suit like a guy from Tron and I remember his car only turned at 45 degree angles.
    Hmmm, would Streethawk count as a sci fi show?
There was a more modern remake of Quatermass made. It starred Sir John Mills played the lead and Simon McCorkindale of Manimal fame (See how crafty I am, can ya see the link)


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## ray gower

I remember Automan! 

It sits in the best forgotton pile with Land of the Giants and Lost in Space. 

He was supposed to have the deductive abilities of Sherlock Holmes, the Scientific abilities of Einstein and a lot of rubbish like that (like Doc Savage in a tin suit) but the intelligence came from his Penfold sidekick. It wasn't 45 degree turns, they were 90 degree, 'because that is how they do it in computer games.'

The Quatermass revival wasn't bad by any means, but a lot of the mystery of the originals seemed to have been lost.

Was Streethawk the one where the chap mumbled things like Power of the Bear or Eyes of an Eagle. Or am I thinking of something different?

Perhaps we ought to add the sixties Superman and Batman series too?


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## triffid

> _Originally posted by ray gower _
> *Was Streethawk the one where the chap mumbled things like Power of the Bear or Eyes of an Eagle. Or am I thinking of something different?*



I think that was maybe the old Phantom cartoon, he used to say things like that. Streethawk was about a guy called Jessie Mach who had a bike version of KITT from Knight rider, except it couldn't talk.  It always used to make me laugh the way the bike could take 90 degree corners at 800 miles an hour after activating turbo boost .

Does anyone remember the following TV series.....

*SKY* - An alien is stranded on Earth and hides in an old woodland area to escape his pursuers. The main characters eyes were completely black and he could affect the weather with his psychic abilities.

*NOAH'S CASTLE* - England, the near future. There is a food shortage of major proportions and a law is passed that anyone hording food will be shot. The show followed the fortunes of one family that had a massive secret stash of food in their basement, Mike Reid played the villan out to get his hands on their supply.

*KING OF THE CASTLE* - A boy takes a journey in an elevator in his tower block and he ends up in a strange twisted parallel universe. To get back to his own world he had to complete a number of quests.


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## L. Arkwright

I remember Sky. He was a time traveller or something like that. He had come to the wrong age and needed to get to somewhere so he could leave. (Lol, I know that seems vague but hey, im almost 35, the old memory isnt what it used to be)
     Got a couple here. I remember a tv show that went out on sunday afternoons. It was set in a future England where there had been a civil war (the same kinda thing as Cromwell) and the guy who played Blake from Blakes 7 was in it. He played the father of a young boy who for some reason needed to be protected. It turned out he was the young king of England and the powers that be where after him. At one point he got caught and was brainwashed and turned into a killing machine programmed to kill the king. You can see how the fun started when it turned out HE was the king.
     Another was a show called LUCAN. It was about a boy who had been raised in the wild and he got his name by trying to copy his teacher who would say to him, "You can, you can" The boy would repeat by saying "loo can" Maybe not classed directly as sci fi though. He would roam about the country getting into all sorts of scrapes and then we would have flashbacks of him as a child in the wild and how he got out of it.


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## Dave

*Lucan?*

Was LUCAN about the boy raised by wolves so he was a sort of wolf-boy (a modern-day Mowgli from 'Jungle Book') or I am I thinking of something else? That was good, but it didn't last very long at all.


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## L. Arkwright

Thats the one. I vaguely remember something happening to his eyes as well when he used wild upbringing skills. Wasnt he being chased by someone as well like a Mowgli type David Banner?


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## Dave

Yes, he was being chased by a reporter or something. I really can't remember more than that.


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## L. Arkwright

What about the TV program called Project Bluebook. I remember it used to be on thursday afternoons. My parents would go shopping at Brent Cross and it would be on when I got home.
     Just remembed another, it was about a guy who owned a scrapyard and dreamed of going to the moon. It was called skyjunk 1 or something like that.


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## Dave

Project Bluebook was actually called Project UFO I think.

If it is it has a very old thread of it's own here: http://www.ascifi.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2666

I never saw it originally, but I saw it repeated on SciFi Channel when the channel first started up. It was a little ahead of it's time maybe; a sort of Close Encounters/ X-Files/ Taken precursor I think. I thought it looked very dated.

The other one about the scrapyard I don't recall at all.


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## L. Arkwright

I had a good look, it took a while seeing as I couldnt remember the title, lol, but i finally found it. It was called SALVAGE 1 


What about FANTASTIC JOURNEY   It had Roddy McDowel in it and a guy who carried around a purple crystal tuning fork. Apparently he could tune his life force into the thing and use it as a weapon. 


You where right Dave, it was called Project UFO not Bluebook. They seemed to solve every sighting they came across in that show. Bit of propaganda by the powers that be eh?   (im not serious here )


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## Jake Speed

I use to watch Time Traxx and I never missed and episode.

Anyone remember this one?  I don't think it was on for long though:

Doin Hard Time on Planet Earth


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## roadster

*forgotten sci-fi series*

There was one a long time ago about these poeple on this incredibly huge spaceship. The ship was made up of various bio-spheres, each with a different stage of man's developement. Some were advanced and knew thet were in a ship others thought they were on their planet. Anyway the beings controlling the ship are all dead I think and this small group of people try to make it to the control center of the ship, but they have to go through these bio-spheres and encounter many different people some ok some not. Maybe someone here knows the name of this show. I think it was 70's or 80's fare.


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## Dave

Was it "The Starlost"?

I saw a few episodes on the UK SciFi channel about three years ago, it seemed like utter tripe to me then. I just read this site about it though, and it certainly didn't fail because of the writers involved:

http://users.snowcrest.net/fox/star.html


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## roadster

You got it, Starlost was definately it. I agree the finished product was garbage, but I always thought that it would be a great project for someone to re-make. The original plot is a very good story and with todays tech. it could be a winner.


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## irbster

How about "Quark" in '78 or UFO from '70. And from CBS on saturday mornings "Ark II" and "Jason Of Star Command". Anyone remember those?


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## Status

> _Originally posted by irbster _
> *How about "Quark" in '78 or UFO from '70. And from CBS on saturday mornings "Ark II" and "Jason Of Star Command". Anyone remember those? *




I had forgotten about those, only one I don't know is "Quark"


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## Dave

'UFO' I remember well, it has it's own thread within the Gerry Anderson Forum here.

Those others I've heard of but I can't remember seeing. I was just reading something about 'Quark' recently. It sounded good, but I'm certain that I've never seen it before. Maybe it didn't ever reach the UK?


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## ray gower

After chatting about Randell and Hopkirk (Deceased) with youngest grandson, was reminded of another ATV production- The Champions.

Of a team of three International spies given special powers after their plane crashed in the Himalaya's. Sort of British version of Man from UNCLE


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## Dave

> _Originally posted by ray gower _
> *(I) was reminded of another ATV production- The Champions.*



My brother and sister and I never missed that. We watched it every week. Terry Nation was a writer, and it was devised by Dennis Spooner and Monty Berman (who also devised 'Department S' and 'Randall and Hopkirk (deceased)'.)

I particularly liked the introductory bits just before or after the credits, like the runaway car and the paper cup throwing, and how Trevelyn knew something wasn't quite right, but couldn't actually put his finger on it.


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## Dave

Actually, I've been reading about the trend recently to put a sci-fi element into the plots of mainstream drama as if it is something new. Shows such as 'Alias' and 'Third Rock from the Sun' being quoted among others.

In the Sixties and early Seventies it was just the same, somehow during the eighties and ninieties this line got drawn between drama and sci-fi which is only just now being wiped out again. I think it is the success of shows such as 'The X-Files' that has made it possible. 

Shows such as 'The Avengers', 'The Invaders', 'The Champions', 'Department S', 'The Prisoner', 'Randall and Hopkirk (deceased)' all had a surreal, if not sci-fi or fantasy element on a weekly basis. I wish there was that kind of show on again now.


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## thanatossg9

While it's not strictly a scifi show, does anyone remember "Nightmare Cafe"?  Another great show cut down in its prime...*sigh*
  How about "Galactica 1980"?  I know it was crappy but hey, weren't those bikes cool? 
  And here's another one for ya....sometime in the early to mid-eighties there was a tv movie about a boy who got a crystal pyramid for his b-day(i think).  By holding it in his hand he was transported back to ancient Egypt.  Any one remember it?  The vague memories I have are just that...vague.
  And for my final thought...."The Girl, The Gold Watch, And Everything".


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## thanatossg9

Just thought of another one...."Voyagers".
Wasn't Jon Erik Hexum just the hottest thing on tv at the time?(too bad he was soooooooo completely stupid, maybe he'd still be alive  )


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## Dave

I was reading through the 'Boston Globe's' Top 50 Scifi TV shows list and there were a few I've never even heard of.

'That Was Then' (fall of 2002 on ABC)
'The Greatest American Hero' (1981 to 1983)
'The Hitchhiker' (HBO 1983 to 1991)

It's a good list, and fair I think (only a tiny little skewed towards newer shows.)

You'll find it at http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/gallery/topscifishows/


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## Status

> _Originally posted by Dave _
> *'The Greatest American Hero' (1981 to 1983)
> 'The Hitchhiker' (HBO 1983 to 1991)
> 
> *



Ahhh... I remember them well!


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