Review: ‘Strange New World’
Gene Roddenberry spent the 1970s attempting to create new series and while many got as far the pilot film, none ever went to series. By the end of the decade he was frustrated and gave up, tying himself to [[[Star Trek]]], riding that cash cow to the end of his life.
His first attempt was 1973’s [[[Genesis II]]], a take on post-apocalyptic life on Earth, starring Alex Cord as Dylan Hunt (a name that got recycled). The CBS movie of the week looked good and almost made the schedule when the network opted instead for [[[Planet of the Apes]]]. Roddenberry continued to rework the notion, revising it into[[[Planet Earth]]], and switching from CBS and Cord to ABC and then rising action star John Saxon. After that aired and failed, Roddenberry wisely walked away from the idea in favor of [[[Questor]]] and [[[Spectre]]].
Others, though, didn’t give up and tried with Saxon one final time in [[[Strange New World]]]. While the earlier attempts were released as a part of the Warner Brothers Archive program in October, only this week did this final act become available.
The common denominators are that the PAX organization sent astronauts into space in a state of suspended animation. Meantime, Earth was devastated and when the explorers awoke, they had to survive in a world they no longer recognized.
Airing March 23, 1975, we get an info dump narration to open the story of Strange New World, clearly lifted from the opening lines of Star Trek. Similarly, the [[[Enterprise]]] Bridge sound effects that open the telefilm make you think there’s still a Roddenberry connection which there most certainly is not.
Say what you will about him, but when he envisioned the future, he did his homework and researched where we were and where the experts thought we were headed. You see a lot of that especially in Genesis II. Writers Ranald Graham, Walon Green, and Al Ramrus did none of that and as a result the state of the Earth makes little sense after a series of meteors destroyed civilization as the astronauts knew it 180 years earlier.
Saxon, this time, is called Captain Anthony Vico and is accompanied by Dr. Allison Crowley (Kathleen Miller) and Dr. William Scott (Keene Curtis). The movie is actually two stories, neither of which is very good. In the first half, they encounter a utopia only to discover that there comes a price – with the ability to reproduce eradicated, the eternally youthful-looking people have resorted to cloning themselves for an endless supply of body parts. Of course, for some bizarre reason, each swab for more genetic material weakens the donor and eventually, the problems of aging become apparent. The hope is to refresh the supply by capturing our intrepid heroes.
There’s something to be said for immersing yourself in a new world, letting yourself discover new life forms and new civilizations. Going where no man has gone before is one reason we pay out bucks and attend big screen presentation. James Cameron delivers on that expectation with [[[Avatar]]], the lushly-produced science fiction film that recently was released on Blu-ray by 20th Century Home Entertainment.
As a storyteller, Garry Marshall’s credentials include some of the finest character-driver television of the 1960s. This success with [[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]] and [[[I Spy]]], among others, led to his chance to produce and direct sitcoms and then feature films. Along the way, he built a reputation as a great person to work for, earning him endless loyalty. His films grew in sophistication without losing the heart and soul, as seen when he turned $3000 into [[[Pretty Woman]]].
We call this to the attention of those living on the west coast because it sounds kind of neat:
While we eagerly await next week’s upfront announcements to see which of our favorite genre shows survive or vanish, one series has figured out their next step. During production of Starz Network’s Spartacus: Blood and Sand, its title star Andy Whitfield was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. As he undergoes treatment in New Zealand, there remained question as to how long it would be before the second season could begin production.
With the upfront announcements for the major networks rolling out starting Monday, pick-ups and renewal notes have been arriving all week. This morning, it appears Fox has given a green light to a second season of Human Target.
Now that the Robin Hood legend has been mined once more for the screen, attention has pivoted from England to France as director Paul W.S. Anderson has begun casting for The Three Musketeers, a 3-D extravaganza.
The idea of Jennifer Garner playing Elektra to Ben Affleck’s Daredevil may have seemed a great idea at the time, given her athletic prowess in [[[Alias]]]. And unlike so many supporting characters who get eyed for spinoff movies (Jinx from the [[[Bond]]] series, [[[Silver Surfer]]], etc.), she actually got featured in a 2005 feature from director Rob Bowman.
Shout! Factory has announced a June 22 release for the third volume of the Swamp Thing television series on DVD. The set was being offered as part of their Shout! Select online exclusive line of product.
Marvel’s super-heroes continue to dominate the headlines as 
