By GFR
| Revealed
The Fifties have been the Golden Age of Tv. With the medium making its manner into increasingly properties, this was when tv reveals started to make their large influence on popular culture. Tv manufacturing was a booming market and broadcasters have been trying to conquer that market with as a lot programming as potential.
As such, the number of programming meant loads of style sequence made their mark on a technology. Science fiction was no completely different. In reality, it gained an enormous quantity of cultural momentum in post-war America because the development of know-how ushered in new visions of the longer term.
There are necessary sci-fi reveals from that pivotal period that also should discover a trendy viewers, so the nice human beings right here at Big Freakin Robotic obtained in our time machine and introduced again the Fifties sci-fi TV reveals which are nonetheless value watching.
Flash Gordon
The DNA for Star Wars stretches again many years earlier than that first opening crawl.
George Lucas was impressed by the unique Flash Gordon serial episodes of the Thirties. These led to the event of the trendsetting Fifties present of the identical identify.
Flash Gordon and his allies roam the thirty third century of their slick spaceship trying to protect the galaxy, consistently threatened by the insanity and machinations of a mustache-twirling villain with the oh-so-threatening moniker, Paul Richards.
Whereas we love this present as a star-spanning precursor to Star Trek, the very best factor about Flash Gordon is Irene Champlin’s efficiency as Dale Arden, whose fearless feminine scientist confirmed viewers–to not point out the galaxy–that she’s no one’s damsel in misery.
Flash Gordon is an early sci-fi icon whose affect remains to be felt to this present day. He walked so Captain Kirk may run…or warp.
The Twilight Zone
Starting in 1959 and altering style tv eternally, The Twilight Zone is an anthology sequence created by grasp dreamweaver plus actor, Rod Serling. Every episode delivers a brand new story and new terrors, exploring not solely science-fiction however fantasy, horror, and pleasant blends of these genres and others.
Narratively, the Twilight Zone is supposed to be a distinct dimension, a actuality we acknowledge simply sufficient as our personal till the nightmare begins.
There are quite a few standout sci-fi episodes such because the eerie and darkly comedian alien story “To Serve Man”, the apocalyptic private tragedy of “Time Sufficient at Final”, the dystopian parable of “The Out of date Man”, we may spend all day itemizing our favourite episodes – tell us should you wanna see that video within the feedback – however everybody ought to watch this whole present and discover the episodes that talk to them.
After we discuss an important tv reveals within the historical past of humanity, The Twilight Zone will at all times be within the dialog. Virtually seventy years later, it’s nonetheless discovering a manner to attract in new viewers. Open the door with the important thing of creativeness and step into the Twilight Zone.
Tom Corbett, Area Cadet
Would you imagine somebody beat Paramount to the Starfleet Academy present nearly 80 years in the past?
Tom Corbett, Area Cadet is a present about futuristic teenagers coaching to be members of the Photo voltaic Guard. They journey the galaxy having charming misadventures as a part of their on-the-job coaching. Slightly than the standard sci-fi Massive Bads, these starry area knights principally encounter pure disasters and should use a mix of their collective brainpower and cutting-edge know-how to avoid wasting the day.
What we love most about this sequence is its relentless optimism and perception within the energy of science, qualities which we discover much more interesting now that even idealistic franchises like Star Trek are turning into schlocky slop that appear extra keen on stupidity than science.
Youthful idealism meets ageless optimism on this slice of area life that represents the golden age positivity of sci-fi at its finest.
Science Fiction Theatre
Years earlier than The Twilight Zone helped outline science fiction, anthology sequence have been already a well-liked type of programming, together with Science Fiction Theatre.
The hook for the present was utilizing legitimately introduced science to inform tales about aliens, time journey, environmental disasters, and why man shouldn’t be messing round with Mom Nature. Pamela Isley would have one thing to say about that.
Debuting in 1955, the sequence did additionally use pseudoscience and quackery. An instance could be the episode “The Flicker” the place a flashing TV compels a younger man to commit homicide by hypnosis.
A lot of the episodes have been straight pulled from problems with Scientific American, making it an interesting time capsule of how popular culture seen science in the course of the Atomic Age.
With loads of episodes concerning the risks of know-how, together with an episode about people became employee drones by an enzyme, this was the Fifties model of Black Mirror.
Captain Video
The unique science fiction sequence, Captain Video and the Video Rangers aired an astonishing 1500 episodes from 1949 by 1954, however there’s solely a handful of episodes which have survived to right now.
Set within the distant future, Captain Video led a workforce of Rangers devoted to defending fact and justice on each Earth and throughout the galaxy.
Notably, the episode “I TOBOR” launched the primary Robotic character on tv, and a younger Ernest Borgnine performed the recurring villain Nargola.
Carried out stay 5 days per week in a studio above a division retailer, Captain Video had no finances, however the sequence turned a success and has influenced over 70 years of science fiction.
Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers
Within the ‘90s, followers would debate if Star Trek: Deep Area 9 was ripping off Babylon 5 or vice versa. Properly, historical past was repeating itself as an identical battle performed out within the ‘50s between followers of Tom Corbett, Area Cadet and a later sequence, Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers.
Rod Brown stood out from its friends due to its self-contained episodes and a solid of three predominant rangers, together with the upstanding Ranger Rod Brown, the anxious and simply irritated Ranger Frank, and the chubby comedian aid, Ranger Wilby “Wormsey” Wormser.
Carried out stay each Saturday morning, Rod Brown was the precursor to Saturday Morning Cartoons in the whole lot, from how the plot performed out in each episode, to the catchy theme track, and even tie-in merchandise.
Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers might have been thought of a knock-off on the time, however it’s additionally a live-action cartoon and not directly liable for many years of glad Saturday mornings.
Tales of Tomorrow
Rod Sterling cites Tales of Tomorrow as a significant inspiration for The Twilight Zone and it’s not tough to see why.
Tales of Tomorrow is a novel mix of pen and paper storytelling carried out on stay tv with the type of uncooked power that was solely beforehand seen on stage.
Showcasing the abilities of early science-fiction writers like Arthur C. Clarke, Fredric Brown, and C.M. Kornbluth, every standalone episode options tales about alien encounters, scientific experiments gone flawed, and dystopian futures meant for an grownup viewers.
Tales of Tomorrow’s magic comes from its unpredictability. Actors would neglect strains, mishandle props, and easily should roll with the punches as a result of there have been no second takes.
Don’t imagine us? Simply take a look at the “Frankenstein” episode, during which celebrated legacy actor Lon Chaney Jr. was allegedly so inebriated in the course of the taping that he thought he was nonetheless on the costume rehearsal.
Testing the boundaries of early tv broadcasts, Tales of Tomorrow is an interesting watch as a result of even when improvisation typically turned a necessity, the expertise and good storytelling concerned paved the way in which for future anthology sequence. With out Tales of Tomorrow, there might by no means have been The Twilight Zone.
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe is important viewing for anyone who longs for the times of sci-fi serials chock stuffed with alien invasions, jet packs, and interplanetary journey by way of toy airplane props which are repainted to appear like spaceships. Cute.
Appointed by the U.S. Authorities to analyze the catastrophic local weather points destroying planet Earth, Commando Cody is supplied with a rocket ship and his trusty jetpack to unravel what’s actually happening.
Having cause to imagine {that a} ruthless alien dictator is liable for Earth’s troubles, Cody units his sights to the sky, and spares no expense to maintain his planet secure from sure destruction.
Telling its total story throughout simply 12 episodes, Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe leaves you with fixed cliffhangers jam-packed with daring escapes, celestial confrontations, and a thriller that slowly unravels throughout its quick, serialized run. However the very best half must be Cody’s loud and unwieldy jetpack, which is wildly impractical and much from stealthy.
Reminding us of why we fell in love with sci-fi within the first place, Commando Cody’s apparent limitations solely add to its campy attraction, making it excellent for a fast weekend binge.
Males Into Area
Males Into Area wins some critical factors for taking area exploration severely in favor of the fantastical spectacle of alien invasions.
Colonel Ed McCauley leads numerous manned missions throughout the photo voltaic system, however there’s no extraterrestrial antagonist in Males Into Area. As a substitute, our hero finds himself coping with real-life catastrophe eventualities together with issues like oxygen shortages and gear failures. The sequence focuses on survival and problem-solving whereas exploring uncharted territory.
Sure, the particular results in Males Into Area are primitive by right now’s requirements, however its need to aim probably the most real looking of fictional risks meant it mirrored stable science as a rule. This included its depictions of pressurized fits, asteroid interception, and the development of advanced area telescopes earlier than real-life makes an attempt have been ever made to develop such know-how.
Many years forward of its time, Males Into Area is an absolute deal with to look at as a result of it not solely proved to audiences that area exploration is feasible, all of it however predicted the following inevitable steps towards human progress.
Do you may have any favourite sci-fi reveals from the Fifties? What are your favourite Twilight Zone episodes and wanna hear ours? We wanna hear from you within the feedback. Give the video on the high a like and subscribe to the channel to tell us we must always make extra lists like this.
