# Name those B-Movie-esque TV Shows!



## Mark (Jun 23, 2003)

How many of the shows that get turned out for syndication or smaller networks each year in the fantasy genre qualify more as B-Movie type shows?  I'm thinking along the lines of _Relic Hunter_, the short-lived _Conan_ series from a few years back, _Beastmaster_ or even _The Legendary Journeys of Hercules_ (at least at the start of its run.)

Whether you liked them or consider them a waste of air space, they probably make up the majority of offerings for our favorite subject matter.  So what are they?  How far back can you name them?  Should we include ST in the mix?


----------



## Dagger75 (Jun 23, 2003)

Since you said fantasy and added Relic Hunter, and mentioned Star Trek I to will add sci fi shows to your list.

 There was Wizards and Warriors, Manimal, Automan, Legend, Dark Knight (which is a series on Showtime now), that show with the kid and the guy with the pocket watch who would travel threw time fixng the timeline.

 Thats all I can think of.


----------



## Cthulhu's Librarian (Jun 23, 2003)

Dagger75 said:
			
		

> *that show with the kid and the guy with the pocket watch who would travel threw time fixng the timeline.
> *




That would be _VOYAGERS!_. Used to be my favorite show, for the whole season it ran. Sadly, nobody remembers it, and it was pretty good. I did find a couple tapes of the show at a Con a few years ago, but had already spent my $ on other stuff, so I didn't pick them up.  

I'll add M.A.N.T.I.S. to the list, even though it was an SF/Superhero show, not fantasy. 

What about _Amazing Stories_? Some of those were very good, but a few were pretty bad. Would you consider that "B-Movie" quality?


----------



## Dagger75 (Jun 23, 2003)

Cthulhu's Librarian said:
			
		

> *
> 
> That would be VOYAGERS!. Used to be my favorite show, for the whole season it ran. Sadly, nobody remembers it, and it was pretty good. I did find a couple tapes of the show at a Con a few years ago, but had already spent my $ on other stuff, so I didn't pick them up.
> 
> *




 I don't know why I couldn't remember the name.  And every "gamer" geek I work with knows about this show.


----------



## emergent (Jun 23, 2003)

I loved Voyagers as well!  I remember it fondly.  You know, Quantum Leap and Voyagers sound really similar in basic plot, now that I think about it.

What was the show with the little person inventor/toymaker?  Was that Warrick Davis?  Does that count?

Does Young Indiana Jones count?  

Mark is officially the King of B-Movies at ENWorld.


----------



## Mark (Jun 23, 2003)

Dagger75 said:
			
		

> *Since you said fantasy and added Relic Hunter, and mentioned Star Trek I to will add sci fi shows to your list. *




We'll use the broadest definition of "our genre" as possible so that we don't miss any hidden gems. 



			
				Cthulhu's Librarian said:
			
		

> *What about Amazing Stories? Some of those were very good, but a few were pretty bad. Would you consider that "B-Movie" quality? *




It's not up to me.  However far you're willing to stretch the definition of "B-Movie-esque" to cite your example is all good by me. 



			
				emergent said:
			
		

> *Mark is officially the King of B-Movies at ENWorld. *




  I don't think I could claim that title.  I believe ColHardisson likely has a far more extensive knowledge of the subject than I.  I hope he stops by to toss a few titles into the thread.


----------



## Cthulhu's Librarian (Jun 23, 2003)

I'll add a few more:

The Adventures of Sinbad (late 1990s)
Black Scorpion: The Series (2000-2001?)
The Man From Atlantis (late 1970s)
The Invisible Man (mid 1970s)


----------



## Dismas (Jun 23, 2003)

The Gemini Man (1976)
Tales of the Golden Monkey


----------



## Hand of Evil (Jun 23, 2003)

NightMan 
Kung Fu and The Legend of Kung Fu
Wierd Science (Friday night show around 1983)
Land of the Lost (Saturday morning but)
Land of the Gaints
Sea Hunt
Sea View or was that the subs name?
Captian Scarlet (afternoon Puppet show)
Thunderbirds
Planet of the Apes (did not stay on very long)


----------



## kengar (Jun 23, 2003)

What was the name of the modern-day Captain Nemo series?


----------



## Cthulhu's Librarian (Jun 23, 2003)

kengar said:
			
		

> *What was the name of the modern-day Captain Nemo series? *




_The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne_


----------



## Mark (Jun 23, 2003)

I guess we can inclde _The Greatest American Hero_, _The Hulk_ (with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferigno), the live action _Spiderman_ series and perhaps _Xena: The Warrior Princess_


----------



## Viking Bastard (Jun 24, 2003)

LEXX.

THE epitome of B-shows.


----------



## Dimenhydrinate (Jun 24, 2003)

emergent said:
			
		

> *What was the show with the little person inventor/toymaker?  Was that Warrick Davis?  Does that count?*




The wizard I think. What was the one about the 2 oriental brothers? The young one was dead. Lots of fights. Dead younger brother jokes. I liked that one.


----------



## Darrin Drader (Jun 24, 2003)

Dismas said:
			
		

> *Tales of the Golden Monkey *




OMG, I remember that show. It was such a long time ago, but I seem to remember it not being half bad. It ran for one season, right?


----------



## S'mon (Jun 24, 2003)

'Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's the Lost World', they show it a lot on the sci-fi channel here.

What genre shows aspire to be more than B-movie esque?
I think Star Trek, Babylon-5, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and probably Highlander, are some good candidates for A-list.

By contrast Hercules & Xena have a strong B-movie feel.


----------



## emergent (Jun 24, 2003)

Dismas said:
			
		

> *Tales of the Golden Monkey *




I remember this show!  Well, sort of.  I remember a sea plane and Indiana Jones type fights/plots.  Someone should have a "B TV show" room at GenCon.


----------



## Dismas (Jun 24, 2003)

emergent said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I remember this show!  Well, sort of.  I remember a sea plane and Indiana Jones type fights/plots.  Someone should have a "B TV show" room at GenCon. *




Goto http://www.goldmonkey.com and feel very old.


----------



## Heretic Apostate (Jun 24, 2003)

Brisco County, Jr., anyone?

Cool show, except for the whole sci-fi aspect.  Really ruined the concept.


----------



## WayneLigon (Jun 25, 2003)

Cthulhu's Librarian said:
			
		

> *
> 
> That would be VOYAGERS!. Used to be my favorite show, for the whole season it ran. Sadly, nobody remembers it, and it was pretty good.*




_I_ remember it  I doubt I still have any taped. Poor guy, dying like that 

Mmm, B-level sci-fi/Fantasy shows?

Let's go to the database. 

Logan's Run

Sinbad was pretty good; the second season was suppossed to be quite good, but I never saw any of it.

The Crow: Stiarway to Heaven was watchable, but then I've always liked Marc Dacascos. Catch _Crying Freeman_ sometime. 

I'd mention Kolchak, but that was pure A-level 

Wild. Wild, West. Ah, Dr. Loveless. I never saw the modern movie, but I have fond memories of the original series.

The Superboy series was pretty darn good at times.

7 Days was very cool; very interesting concept.

Quark! Man, how could I forget Quark.

Does anyone rememer Fantastic Journey? Man, that was a freaky show. It didn't last too long, but it was one of the first I ever saw that had main characters leave, new ones come in, etc. 

-----
A scientific expedition in the Atlantic Ocean headed by Dr Paul Jordan becomes lost in the Bermuda Triangle and washes up on an uncharted island. In the pilot episode they meet Varian, a man from the 23rd century who tells them about a place to the East called Evailand where they can find a door way back to there own time. Most of the group either died or made it home leaving Varian, Fred Walters and Paul's 13 yr. old son Scott to make there way east. Along the way they meet up with travelers from other times, planets and dimensions who have also become trapped. Liana, a woman with an alien mother and an Atlantium father with her cat Sil-l, is the first to join them. Then Jonathan Willoway, a scientist from the 60s is invited to join. Together they travel through portals from one dimension to the next hoping to find the one that leads home. 
=====

Basically, the further you walked, the greater chance you'd just fuzz out in a blur of light and reappear in the next dimension. 

This Link has an episode guide with some synopsis for it. 

----


----------



## AuroraGyps (Jun 25, 2003)

> quote:
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Originally posted by emergent
> What was the show with the little person inventor/toymaker? Was that Warrick Davis? Does that count?
> ...




Yeah, The Wizard was about a magician little person.  I liked that show.  It had the guy that played Howie from The Fall Guy.  The wizard wasn't Warrick Davis though... I can't remember that actor's name, but I do know he commited suicide years ago.


----------



## Hand of Evil (Jun 25, 2003)

Time Tunnel


----------



## Fyrie (Jun 25, 2003)

I got one for you all - 

The Phoenix


----------



## Harlequin_1998 (Jun 25, 2003)

The Burning Zone - great show - had a major cast overhaul and died.


----------



## Mark (Jun 25, 2003)

AuroraGyps said:
			
		

> *Yeah, The Wizard was about a magician little person.  I liked that show.  It had the guy that played Howie from The Fall Guy.  The wizard wasn't Warrick Davis though... I can't remember that actor's name, but I do know he commited suicide years ago. *




Ah, yes.  David Rappaport was the titular wizard.  Sad story.  Loved him in _Time Bandits_


----------



## emergent (Jun 26, 2003)

Dismas said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Goto http://www.goldmonkey.com and feel very old. *




Yep.  I am old.  Not as old as Morrus, but old.

Anyone ordered those DVD's?


----------



## Rugger (Jun 26, 2003)

Fyrie said:
			
		

> *I got one for you all -
> 
> The Phoenix *




Good lord.

I have ALWAYS remembered that show!!

And now I find out it ran for ONE month when I was 7 years old?

What the heck is a matter with me?

-Rugger
"I want to forget!"


----------



## Silver Moon (Jun 27, 2003)

Well *Hand of Evil* got two of them, but for the full effect you have to go with the whole Irwin Allen collection:

Time Tunnel, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, and Land of the Giants.    Several years back the Sci-Fi channel actually ran the four series in order!  Great Fun!


----------



## Black Omega (Jun 27, 2003)

Oh yes, I remember Quark.  I had to fight my parents every week just to watch it.  I think it might have even made it to a second season, but would not swear to it.

Now, the series I always forget the name of.   Early 80's, maybe late 70's, fantasy with a strong comedy element.  Once had the hero fight an invisible dragon to save on special effects.


----------



## Hand of Evil (Jun 27, 2003)

Silver Moon said:
			
		

> *Well Hand of Evil got two of them, but for the full effect you have to go with the whole Irwin Allen collection:
> 
> Time Tunnel, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, and Land of the Giants.    Several years back the Sci-Fi channel actually ran the four series in order!  Great Fun! *




It is my age


----------



## Mark (Jun 28, 2003)

The folks at the WB might have produced more shows for this list than any other...


----------



## Agamon (Jun 30, 2003)

_The Flash_ was one of the best superhero shows this side of _Smallville_.  And let's not forget England's finest export since The Beatles, _Red Dwarf_.


----------



## Barendd Nobeard (Jul 1, 2003)

There was also the latest *Tarzan* series starring Casper van Diem.

But the show that beats them all is *Dark Shadows*. While not on a small network, DS was just too bad (on a technical level) not to be considered.

On a technical level, DS almost makes *Plan 9 from Outer Space* look like *Star Wars*.


From a review by Joe Dante (Gremlins, etc.) in _Castle of Frankenstein_ magazine:


> The show itself has become a compendium of horror movie cliches, brought to a boil by concentrating all the action, mostly culled from old Universal pictures, upon one family.  DS's characters have suffered moreshocks and horrors than three generations of Universal contract players; yet whenever they supernatural rears its shaggy head, they react as if it were intruding on an uneventful existence in Scarsdale.  Thus we have Barnabas, himself a reformed vampire who has been killed and revived at least a number of times, participating in various magical and monster-making experiments, shifting back and forth in time innumerable occasions, watched a friend turn into a werewolf, and seen Mrs. Stoddard return alive and unharmed from entombment alive after six weeks, greeting every occult plot twist with puzzlement and the inevitable "...it can't be possible!"
> 
> . . .
> 
> The budget apparently doesn't allow for re-taping, so every fluff, camera misdirection, visible crew-member and production error is left in, endowing the show with some of the excitement and human interest which made live TV so much fun back in the dear, dead Fifties.  Nothing arouses audience empathy more than the sight of a harried actor groping for forgotten lines while trying to steal a discreet glimpse of the cue card.




And from Kate Jackson:


> Kate Jackson described an on-set mishap to People magazine in 1991: "I had to say this long speech explaining why I was back from the dead," she said. "I was standing in an 1800s dress, with candles all around, and the back of the dress caught fire. I was already messing up the lines and all I could think was, "Why is David Henesy dancing around back there?' He kept me from having to scream, 'Aaaaaaah! My dress is on fire!'"




And, finally, from Joe Dante's blurb for a DS book:


> "This book is for all of us who stared in hypnotic fascination for nearly five years at TV's only vampire soap opera, ever anxious lest its Gothic splendor be undercut by the sets falling apart on camera. A real insider's look at a show whose endurance has amazed even its creators."


----------



## Mark (Jul 3, 2003)

I've got to add the mid-70s When Things Were Rotten to the campy side of the equation...


----------



## Aeolius (Jul 3, 2003)

Salvage One

Lucan

Man From Atlantis


----------



## Villano (Jul 3, 2003)

I don't think anyone's mentioned these, yet, but:

6 Million Dollar Man

Bionic Woman

Buck Rodgers

Dracula: The Series

Knight Rider

And wasn't there a Kight Rider rip-off series in the early/mid '90s?  I think it was called Viper or something like that.

Also, there were two comedies from the late '80s/early '90s about aliens.  I can't remember the names of either, but, the first was actually pretty good and was about a teenage girl who was the daughter of an alien.  She could stop time by touching her fingers together.  Also, she could talk to her father through some clear, plastic cube-thing.

And Troy McClure starred as her non-alien uncle.  Er, I mean, _Doug_ McClure. 

The 2nd series was about two goofy alien guys who are sent to Earth by their parents to go to college here.  However, they instead decide to "see the world" and bum around.  The military finds out about them, and a general and his aide were always trying to capture them.

Overall, it was pretty stupid, but I do remember that the girl from ALF was on an episode as a sexy nerd.  

It also gave me one of my best tv moments.  There was an episode where another race of aliens, all women, were trying to take over the world (on a side note, any man that has sex with them turns into green dust). 

At one point, the guys were captured by the women (who were going to have sex with them to kill them), when the general bursts in, brandishing his gun.

An alien women says something like, "Your puny Earth weapons are powerless against us."

To which, one of the alien guys responds, "Actually, that's a common misconception among alien races.  You see, the general's gun there can blow a hole in you the size of a grapefruit."

I don't know why I consider that funny.


----------



## Mark (Jul 3, 2003)

Oh, yeah!  What about the series based on the movie _Alien Nation_?  I think that was fairly low budget...


----------



## Heretic Apostate (Jul 4, 2003)

Villano said:
			
		

> *Also, there were two comedies from the late '80s/early '90s about aliens.  I can't remember the names of either, but, the first was actually pretty good and was about a teenage girl who was the daughter of an alien.  She could stop time by touching her fingers together.  Also, she could talk to her father through some clear, plastic cube-thing.*




"Would you like to swing on a star,
Carry moonbeams home in a jar,
...."

That television show?


----------



## Barendd Nobeard (Jul 4, 2003)

And let's not forget that the show *Cliffhangers* had a "The Curse of Dracula" segment starring Michael Nouri (*Flashdance*) as our favorite vampire.


----------



## Villano (Jul 4, 2003)

Heretic Apostate said:
			
		

> *
> 
> "Would you like to swing on a star,
> Carry moonbeams home in a jar,
> ...




Yeah, that's the one!  Do you kow its name?

And, now that I think about it, the one with the 2 alien brothers was called They Came From Outer Space.

And, speaking of aliens, there are 2 more I just remembered:

The first starred one began as a mini-series and starred one of the D'abo sisters as a telepathic alien who gets drunk on caffine.  She was a doctor, I think, on a prison ship carrying a shapechanging monster.  It escapes, causing them to crash on Earth, where everyone but D'abo is killed.  

The mini-series had her teaming with a cop to track it down and kill it.  When it went to a full series, it was a mixed bag.  It had a few sci-fi aspects, but it was mostly a cop drama, as I recall.

It did have a cool episode with a killer ventriloquist dummy, though.

I *think* it was called Something Is Out There.

The 2nd series was about an alien (who looked like a robotic version of Predator) who gets in trouble on his homeworld and is turned nto a human and banished to Earth, with a floating orb, or something, which monitored him.  

It was action series and kind of reminded me of the Hulk.  Y'know, a guy with superstrength versus mobsters and such, although it did have some sci-fi stuff happening.  I think the woman who played the Rosanne's sister on her show was on an episode or two as an evil alien.

I want to say it was Doing Time On Planet Earth, but I don't think that's it.  

On a completely unrelated note, how cool would it have been for the Hulk to have had a crossover with 6 Million Dollar Man?  The Hulk vs the Bionic Bigfoot!


----------



## Mark (Jul 4, 2003)

Space: 1999  ran a few years in the mid-seventies.


----------



## William Ronald (Jul 5, 2003)

Here are some shows with some comments on them.  I am also going to include some Saturday morning shows which had an appropriate theme.  I should warn you my memory is quite sharp.

V: The Series -- Many bad movie cliches, and one wishes that they had someone who was partially competent leading the human resistance.  Some inadvertent humor and very bad names.

The Powers of Mathew Starr -- Just because Louis Gossett, Jr. was in an Officer and a Gentleman did not save him from this series.  Matthew Starr was an alien prince from Tau Ceti  (a real sun-like star about 11 light years away) with psychic abilities.  Helping him in his exile on Earth after a hostile invasion by another alien race was an advisor played by Gossett.  The government on learning about  the aliens did not ask about advanced alien technologies or how psychic powers work but uses them like FBI agents on special cases.  (Judson Scott, the actor who starred as Bennu on the Phoenix, played an assassin in the first episode.  Initially, I thought he was playing his character from the Phoenix before he went bad.)

Galactica 1980:  This show used as much stock footage from Battlestar Galactica as possible.   Except for Lorne Greene, was there an actor on the show.  There was also a teenager who was so brilliant, he glowed with a soft light.  Naturally, they hardly had him do anything.

Jason of Star Command: (1970s)  Even James Doohan in a minor role could not save this show, which used stock footage from an earlier Saturday morning show.

Land of the Lost:  Very low production values, but not too bad for its time.  (Mid 1970s)  Of course, I might be remembering it through the foggy lens of nostalgia.  One of the cheapest effects was an alien who was harmed by powerful emotions who looked like a man-shaped collection of round plastic or quartz.

Shazam! -- Not only bad live action, but horrible animation of Solomon, Hercules, Achilles, Zeus, Atlas and Mercury advising Billy Batson. (1970s)

Isis:  Connected to Shazam, an archeologist gains powers from an Egyptian goddess.  There was a raven on the show named Thoth.

I am uncertain of the title, but there was a 1970s or early 1980s kids show on CBS that I think was called "The Ark."  Set in a post apocalyptic future, a team of people and a talking chimp explored a ruined world.  

My Secret Identity (1980s? 1990s?) A teen is accidentally zapped by a ray from a device built by an inventor.

She-Wolf of London -- This was shown briefly on the Sci Fi channel as part of their rarities.  An American woman cursed with lycanthropy travels to London and has adventures.  This was a Glen Larson production.  I am uncertain of the year, but I think probably sometime in the 1980s.

Timecop -- TV version of the movie. Briefly on ABC during the 1990s.

Robocop the Series -- Not high on production values.  One of the characters was a hologram who was originally a woman whose mind was downloaded into a computer.

Birds of Prey  (2002) -- Cheap production values and a story line that did not do the DC Comic justice.

Sliders -- 1990s to early 2000s -- The series seemed to have pretty cheap production values, and plots that did not work out.  John Rhys Davies left the show because he thought it did not live up to its potential.  Some good episodes.

Cleopatra 2525 -- Other than woman wearing skimpy clothing, was there any justification for the Tribune Company producing this series.  (Circa late 1990s, early 2000s)?

Highlander: The Raven -- Spinoff of the Highlander TV shows about an Immortal who is an accomplished thief.

The Misfits of Science (1980s) -- A super hero show that had a young Courtney Cox as a member of a team of misfit superheroes.  Dean Martin, Jr. starred in it.


----------



## Mark (Jul 5, 2003)

William Ronald said:
			
		

> *Highlander: The Raven -- Spinoff of the Highlander TV shows about an Immortal who is an accomplished thief.*




I liked her! 

Lots of good ones there, WRon!


----------



## Aeolius (Jul 5, 2003)

William Ronald said:
			
		

> * I am uncertain of the title, but there was a 1970s or early 1980s kids show on CBS that I think was called "The Ark."  Set in a post apocalyptic future, a team of people and a talking chimp explored a ruined world.  *




Ark II. The ultimate SUV. It also had a cheesy jetpack that they overused.


----------



## Kesh (Jul 5, 2003)

Villano said:
			
		

> *The 2nd series was about an alien (who looked like a robotic version of Predator) who gets in trouble on his homeworld and is turned nto a human and banished to Earth, with a floating orb, or something, which monitored him.
> 
> It was action series and kind of reminded me of the Hulk.  Y'know, a guy with superstrength versus mobsters and such, although it did have some sci-fi stuff happening.  I think the woman who played the Rosanne's sister on her show was on an episode or two as an evil alien.
> 
> I want to say it was Doing Time On Planet Earth, but I don't think that's it.  *




That would be Hard Time on Planet Earth. The only good thing about it was the orb.


----------



## Villano (Jul 6, 2003)

Kesh said:
			
		

> *
> 
> That would be Hard Time on Planet Earth. The only good thing about it was the orb.  *




Yeah, that's it.  I'm actually surprised at how close I came to the name.  

As a kid, I really liked it.  Maybe Sci-Fi could pick it up like they did Something Is Out There.  It'd be nice seeing it again.

I really wish they'd rerun The Flash and pick up Sable, too.


----------



## Silver Moon (Jul 6, 2003)

Mark said:
			
		

> * Space 1999 ran a few years in the mid-seventies.  *



One of the best stories behind that show had to do with the Eagles (the name of the space crafts, which BTW, they seemed to crash one of each week.  Made you wonder how many they had on the station, given that they couldn't get replacements).   Prior to the show being filmed they negotiated rights with a toy company to mass market plastic models of the ships.   They gave the company drawings to use to create them, and required two dozen of the toy models to "check for authenticity".   They then just built the toy models and used those to film the show's special effects!


----------



## Qlippoth (Jul 6, 2003)

William Ronald said:
			
		

> *Land of the Lost:  Very low production values, but not too bad for its time.  (Mid 1970s)  Of course, I might be remembering it through the foggy lens of nostalgia.  One of the cheapest effects was an alien who was harmed by powerful emotions who looked like a man-shaped collection of round plastic or quartz.*



Don't forget the banjo-laden theme song!


----------



## William Ronald (Jul 6, 2003)

> Mark wrote:
> 
> 
> quote:
> ...




While the actress portraying the lead character had an intriguing look, the show did not work well.



> Qlippoth wrote:
> Don't forget the banjo-laden theme song!




Even with the banjo-laden theme song, it was still better than the a new version that was done some years back on ABC.  (199, 200?)  In that one, an SUV fell into a crevice, drives through something that looked like it was stolen from the Time Tunnel, and enter a modified version of the Land of the Lost.  Naturally, they found trees whose sap produced something which could be burned by an SUV's engine.

Of course, the question arises to the worst show of a given era.  For the period from 1979 through the early 1980s, I would argue that Buck Rogers was worse than Battlestar Galactica.  (Okay, it was better than Galactica: 1980, but what wasn't. )  The only semi-redeemable episode featured Mark Lenard (Sarek, Spock's father on Star Trek) in a guest role.  This was an example of a decent actor making the best of a poorly written script.  Even with this handicap, Lenard made Gil Gerard seem like a stiff.

There were some Saturday morning programs that were part of a series.  I forget the series, but here are some of the serials they ran in the 1970s.  I consider it a great pity that the television signals that carried these shows have spread out to some of the nearer stars.  (Heaven help us if anyone picks them up.)  I like to say that children's programming in the 1970s and 1980s were the dumping ground of ideas that even the people behind Buck Rogers and Galactica: 1980 said were too bad for prime time.

"Electro-Woman and Dyna Girl"-- a younger Deirdre Hall and someone else were part of a superhero team using technology to shock people.  Quite dreadful.

"Sasquatch and Wildboy"  A young man raised by Bigfoot.  For some strange reason, Bigfoot was afraid to cross flowing water.

"Monster Squad" -- I believe this was an NBC program in the 1970s.  Essentially, an inventor revives Count Dracula, the Wolfman, and Frankenstein's monster and reforms them so they can fight crime.

Prime time series that I also recall:

Auto Man -- A computer specialist at a police department created a holographic virtual detective who was smart and quite smug.  I believe Desi Arnaz, Jr. portrayed the scientist in this 1980s series.

Manimal --  A 1980s series about a magician who could transform into different animals.  The same animals were used throughout the show.

Human Target -- A very short lived Rick Springfield drama based on a DC Comic character who was skilled in disguises.  1980s or very early 1990s, I believe.

Swamp Thing -- Very cheap production values.

Nightman -- Another production, possibly the last, from B-TV show king Glen Larson.  I want to say this ran in the late 1990s or early 2000s.  It centered on a musician who was the son of a retired cop.  The musician gains limited psychic abilities from a lightning bolt and a powered battle suit from an inventor. I believe this was based on a Marvel comic.

Other modern day clunkers --

Mutant X -- Not very good in my opinion.

Andromeda -- Shows the wisdom of NOT letting Kevin Sorbo take creative control of a show.  Good premise, but bad execution.  (Some attractive actresses for Mark to ... enjoy their acting talent.  Lexa Doig plays D&D, but I think she is dating Michael Shanks of Stargate: SG-1.  Sorry, Mark. )


----------



## Qlippoth (Jul 6, 2003)

William Ronald said:
			
		

> *There were some Saturday morning programs that were part of a series.  I forget the series, but here are some of the serials they ran in the 1970s.  I consider it a great pity that the television signals that carried these shows have spread out to some of the nearer stars.  (Heaven help us if anyone picks them up.)  I like to say that children's programming in the 1970s and 1980s were the dumping ground of ideas that even the people behind Buck Rogers and Galactica: 1980 said were too bad for prime time.*



I believe the name was "The Krofft SuperShow" or some such thing. They were the folks responsible for "Sigmund & the Sea Monsters," whose theme-song summons Azathoth.


----------



## Villano (Jul 6, 2003)

William Ronald said:
			
		

> *Even with the banjo-laden theme song, it was still better than the a new version that was done some years back on ABC.  (199, 200?)  In that one, an SUV fell into a crevice, drives through something that looked like it was stolen from the Time Tunnel, and enter a modified version of the Land of the Lost.  Naturally, they found trees whose sap produced something which could be burned by an SUV's engine.*





That's a classic case of "it seemed like a good idea at the time".  Even though the original was not exactly Masterpiece Theatre, the new one showcased how dumbed down kid's tv is nowadays.     



> Of course, the question arises to the worst show of a given era. For the period from 1979 through the early 1980s, I would argue that Buck Rogers was worse than Battlestar Galactica. (Okay, it was better than Galactica: 1980, but what wasn't. ) The only semi-redeemable episode featured Mark Lenard (Sarek, Spock's father on Star Trek) in a guest role. This was an example of a decent actor making the best of a poorly written script. Even with this handicap, Lenard made Gil Gerard seem like a stiff.




Actually, season 1 was actually pretty good.  That was the time it was set on Earth.

I totally agree with you on season 2 when they strangely decided to set it on a spaceship and get rid of Dr. Huer (sp?), Princess Ardala, Tiger Man, Kane, and Dr. Theopolis, and add the tall, arrogant robot and Mr. Spock, er, Hawk.  It was like a completely different series.  A completely different and *bad* series.  



> "Monster Squad" -- I believe this was an NBC program in the 1970s. Essentially, an inventor revives Count Dracula, the Wolfman, and Frankenstein's monster and reforms them so they can fight crime.




I never saw this and I wish I had.  As a kid, I was such a monster nut, I would have loved it.  I do have the board game, though.  Back in elementary school, they kept board games for recess in case it rained and you couldn't go outside.  At the end of the year, they were throwing away some the old ones and I asked the teacher if I could have it. 



> Nightman -- Another production, possibly the last, from B-TV show king Glen Larson. I want to say this ran in the late 1990s or early 2000s. It centered on a musician who was the son of a retired cop. The musician gains limited psychic abilities from a lightning bolt and a powered battle suit from an inventor. I believe this was based on a Marvel comic.




Close.  It was based on a Malibu comic, but then Marvel bought out Malibu, ironically enough, for their coloring processes (as far as I know, none of the dozens of characters Malibu owned are being published by Marvel).

Malibu also published Men In Black, giving Marvel its first good comic book movie adaption.  

And, IMO, it was one of the worst things to hit television.  Man, was it terrible!  It had the type of fx you couldn't see on tv since the early '80s and the lamest stories around.  "Oh, no!  Look, the villains are Al Capone and John Dillinger!  Apparently, they were in cryogenic statis the whole time!  And, look at that, they are adapting to the 21st century surprising well!"



> Mutant X -- Not very good in my opinion.




The 1st season was okay from what I saw of it.  I can't even sit through a single episode of the new one.

And,if you look at the credits, you can see Marvel listed.  They sued after the series premiered because they felt having a title with both "Mutant" and "X" in it was too close to home.

Marvel's had the habit of suing people in the past that they thought were trying to leech off X-Men.  Usually, I think their claims are ridiculous (suing Dark Horse for their vigilante superhero "X" since you can't copyright a letter), but in this case, I have to agree.  Especially, since some of the actors bear more than a passing resemblance to the cast of the movie X-Men.



> Andromeda -- Shows the wisdom of NOT letting Kevin Sorbo take creative control of a show. Good premise, but bad execution. (Some attractive actresses for Mark to ... enjoy their acting talent.  Lexa Doig plays D&D, but I think she is dating Michael Shanks of Stargate: SG-1. Sorry, Mark.)




It's becoming more and more like Trek everyday, isn't it?  Sorbo seems to be channeling Kirk, making out with a new woman each week.

However, for some reason, I enjoy it.  I just put my brain on autopilot and go with it. 

Okay, I admit it!  I watch simply for Lexa Doig, the perfect woman!


----------



## William Ronald (Jul 7, 2003)

> Villano wrote:
> Okay, I admit it! I watch simply for Lexa Doig, the perfect woman!




No objection, Villano. (From what I have read about Lexa Doig, she also sounds like she would be great to have at the gaming table!)    I would like to say that Lexa Doig's character, who is an android, usually seems more interesting than Dylan Hunt.  The show has suffered since it lost many of its best writers.

One of the ironies about Andromeda is that Gene Rodenberry wrote the pilot in the 1970s as a future version of the Star Trek universe where the Federation had fallen.  The main character was Dylan Hunt.

This also brings to mind the very short-lived Rodenberry series from the 1970s, Genesis II.  It featured a man from the 20th Century, whose name I believe was Dylan Hunt, who was awakened from suspended animation in an post-apocalyptic world.  The show may have influenced the Gamma Word game as people with psychic abilities were called espers. The show may have been limited to a pilot.


----------



## Cthulhu's Librarian (Jul 7, 2003)

William Ronald said:
			
		

> *  "Monster Squad" -- I believe this was an NBC program in the 1970s.  Essentially, an inventor revives Count Dracula, the Wolfman, and Frankenstein's monster and reforms them so they can fight crime.
> *




Thanks!  

I've been trying to remember the name of this show for years, and gave up on ever finding it a long time ago. I vaguely remember watching it when I was 4 or 5 years old, and really only remember the opening sequence, but it is one of those things that got me started on my love of monster movies. 

Also, I seem to remember a show in the early/mid 70s that had the mummy on it as well. Maybe that was just an episode of this show?


----------



## William Ronald (Jul 8, 2003)

It was likely an episode of Monster Squad or Isis, in all likelihood.  Either or both may well have had a mummy episode.


----------



## drnuncheon (Jul 11, 2003)

I don't think I've seen this one mentioned:

*ROAR*

As I recall, it was a sort of Celticy show with Romans, done in a slightly more serious style than Xena or Hercules.

Ah, here's a site:
http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-1262/

J


----------



## Black Omega (Jul 11, 2003)

Hmm...how about Jack 'O Trades.  The only thing I can remember seeing Bruce Campbell in that so completely sucked it wasn't worth watching.  Right in the same class as Cleopatra 2525.

On the other hand, I remember enjoying Ark II when I was a little kid.


----------



## Villano (Jul 11, 2003)

Black Omega said:
			
		

> *Hmm...how about Jack 'O Trades.  The only thing I can remember seeing Bruce Campbell in that so completely sucked it wasn't worth watching.  Right in the same class as Cleopatra 2525. *




Yeah, Jack Of All Trade majorly sucked.   Everything about it was bad except the acting.  The concept of having the entire thing set on an island was just a cheap excuse to use all the Hercules sets.  And the "comedy" was horribly unfunny.

Cleo, OTOH, I thought was good for what it was;  eye candy and cheezy action.  Basically, it tried to put the Hercules formula into the future and it worked...for me, at least.


----------



## Barendd Nobeard (Jul 13, 2003)

William Ronald said:
			
		

> * "Electro-Woman and Dyna Girl"-- a younger Deirdre Hall and someone else were part of a superhero team using technology to shock people.  Quite dreadful.
> *



Why that was Judy Strangis as "Dyna Girl" and Deidre Hall played "Electra Woman."  Sadly, I did not have to look up this information, but it's permanently in my head for some reason.



			
				William Ronald said:
			
		

> *"Sasquatch and Wildboy"  A young man raised by Bigfoot.  For some strange reason, Bigfoot was afraid to cross flowing water.
> *



I believe the title actually was "Bigfoot and Wildboy" but this one I'm not 100% sure on.  I'm scaring myself with my useless Krofft trivia knowledge....



			
				William Ronald said:
			
		

> *Swamp Thing -- Very cheap production values.
> *



The evil doctor was played by Mark Lindsay Chapman, who once lost a t.v role as John Lennon since his real name closely matched that of Lennon's killer.  And the bimbo eye-candy was lovingly portrayed by Kari Wuhrer (of "Remote Control" and "Sliders"), at least for part of the run.






			
				Qlippoth said:
			
		

> *I believe the name was "The Krofft SuperShow" or some such thing. They were the folks responsible for "Sigmund & the Sea Monsters," whose theme-song summons Azathoth.*



And many other bad shows I watched in the 1970s.  They peaked with their first show, *H.R. Pufnstuf*, but also produced all those wonderful "Krofft Supershow" serials: *Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, Dr. Shrinker, Wonderbug, etc.  Other stand-alone series included The Bugaloos and Lidsville, the Land of Living Hats.  Yes, hats.  A show about living hats.  There were good hats, and bad hats, and an evil magician, and a good genie, and a kid just trying to get back to his own world.  Which is so very different from the plot of H.R. Pufnstuf, which had a good flute, and an evil witch, and a boy who was just trying to get back to his own world...*


----------



## Chris_Nightwing (Jul 14, 2003)

Well I thought I would post some interesting comments =)!

Firstly, that strangely liked but tacky as hell British show Blake's Seven! That was a laugh...

Sliders could have been really good... shame they entirely messed up the very concept, and with great potential in the actors. Disappointing beyond the first episode or so I feel. Andromeda... yes it would have been far better *as* a post ST world. Kevin sucks... I kinda like the guy with chainmail though. Lexa... what else can be said ! *Sigh*... Land of the Giants was incredible fun at lunchtimes when I was a kid (and that was the reruns about ten years ago). As was Time Tunnel. Don't forget Doctor Who (tackiest with Sylvester McCoy). And I think that the worst comic based show was a VERY bad pilot of live-action Justice League. Quantum leap... now that show ruled - I recently obtained the first series to watch... great fun for all the family, could be funny, touching, serious, and not quite sci-fi enough so that everybody could watch.

Recent shows are hard to rate at this stage. I don't think much of charmed. Nothing compared to the classics that were Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. Dark Angel is only worth watching for Ms. Alba. Going back to British shows: there were some good kids classics - Knightmare anyone? Aquila was more recent but very well done I thought. The Girl from Tomorrow (was that the title? it was an aussie show). Ahhhh I do like to reminisce (sp?).


----------



## Hand of Evil (Jul 14, 2003)

How about HR Puff-n-stuff.


----------



## Barendd Nobeard (Jul 14, 2003)

Hand of Evil said:
			
		

> *How about HR Puff-n-stuff.  *



It's *Pufnstuf*. 

H.R. Pufnstuf
Can't do a little 'cause he can't do enough!


----------



## Hand of Evil (Jul 14, 2003)

Barendd Nobeard said:
			
		

> *It's Pufnstuf.
> 
> H.R. Pufnstuf
> Can't do a little 'cause he can't do enough! *




 I'm old


----------



## Mark (Jul 14, 2003)

I guess we should add _Lidsville_ then...

("How's that for a topper?!")


----------



## Orius (Jul 14, 2003)

Mark said:
			
		

> *How many of the shows that get turned out for syndication or smaller networks each year in the fantasy genre qualify more as B-Movie type shows?  I'm thinking along the lines of Relic Hunter, the short-lived Conan series from a few years back, Beastmaster or even The Legendary Journeys of Hercules (at least at the start of its run.)
> 
> Whether you liked them or consider them a waste of air space, they probably make up the majority of offerings for our favorite subject matter.  So what are they?  How far back can you name them?  Should we include ST in the mix?  *




I saw all of those shows.

Conan wasn't even B-movie quality.  I remember an episode where the extras were using arrows with flourescent artificial fletchings that the prop department obviously picked up at the local sporting goods store.  It was that bad.  They didn't even make an effort to make anything look real.

Beastmaster was truly dissappointing.  The first season was actually pretty good, but it went downhill from there.  They got rid of some of the good characters, introduced lame ones in their place.  They show then got overly preachy on the environmentalism, and the third season was filled with episodes consisting of clips culled from earlier episodes.  I got sick of watching the damn thing. It was a real shame too, because it was actually a pretty good show before it got ruined.

Relic Hunter was pretty good, if a bit silly.

Hercules was always one of my favorites.  It was meant to be campy and cheesy anyway.


Two more I remember was The Lost World and Sinbad.


----------



## Orius (Jul 14, 2003)

Villano said:
			
		

> *
> 
> The 2nd series was about an alien (who looked like a robotic version of Predator) who gets in trouble on his homeworld and is turned nto a human and banished to Earth, with a floating orb, or something, which monitored him.
> 
> ...




Hard Time on Planet Earth, I believe.  I was just about to mention that one too.


----------



## Barendd Nobeard (Jul 15, 2003)

Mark said:
			
		

> *I guess we should add Lidsville then...
> 
> ("How's that for a topper?!")  *



Charles Nelson Reilly rocks!


----------

