Sci Fi History: Blake 7 (1978)

Influenced by The Dirty Dozen and Star Trek, Blake 7 follows the exploits of criminals in space. They are banished from Earth and sent on a one-way mission. However, they commandeer a ship and escape. Despite a small budget, the show's strong stories and characters made the show a hit for the BBC.

Sci-Fi History: Battlestar Galactica (1978)

Battlestar Galactica was a sci-fi space opera set in a distant corner of the galaxy. The Cylons wiped out human civilization on the 12 colonies. The survivors left their homeworlds in search of the lost 13th colony, Earth. The show was pure seventies cheese incorporating themes that only Ancient Aliens fans could love. George Lucas actually considered suing because of the spaceship battles. The show lasted a year, but reappeared in 1980 as Galactica 1980. The second incarnation is considered the worst TV show of all time. In 2003, a reimaged version appeared and ran until 2009.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHD1uPVkyk0

Sci Fi History: Superman (1978)

Richard Donner's Superman launched the modern superhero film. It depicted Superman's life from Krypton to his first major challenge. The film starred many big names including Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Glenn Ford, and Ned Beatty. Unknown Christopher Reeve won the starring role and created a new Clark Kent. Every version of Superman since has been overshadowed by Reeve's performance. The wave of films Superman birthed ended with the Batman and Robin disaster in 1997. Bryan Singer's X-Men relaunched and reinvigorated the genre in 2000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk1aQx9hTaE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_izM3y2SE44

Sci Fi History: Black Manta kills Aqualad (1977)

Black Manta's hatred of Aquaman exceeded the normal super villain-hero rivalry. It became an all out blood feud. Manta kidnapped Aquaman's son, Arthur Jr., and murdered the child in cold blood. Eventually, Aquaman captured Black Manta and nearly executed the villain in revenge. However, the hero regained his composure and showed mercy. The story coincided with an era in which comics became grittier and more realistic. Despite this, the murder of a child seemed to step over the bounds and shocked readers.

Sci Fi History: The Incredible Hulk (1977)

A live action Hulk came to TV in the late 70s. Bill Bixby played Dr. David Banner who suffered an accidental overdose of gamma radiation. The OD led to his transformations into the Hulk when he became angry or injured. Banner fled to avoid notice, but always managed to get beat up every week under assumed names. Banner was chased by reporter Jack McGee. The show ended in 1982, but returned for three TV movies in the late 80s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqZuhrDM5vE

Sci-Fi History: Star Wars (1977)

George Lucas was inspired by Flash Gordon and the Japanese film The Hidden Fortress when he wrote Star Wars. The film became a pop culture sensation, perhaps the biggest one ever. Star Wars proved a watershed moment in film. It inspired everything that followed either in the use of special effects or in attempts to recreate its themes. Along with Jaws, Star Wars created the summer blockbuster. The film has spawned several sequels and prequels and its rights now belong to Disney...which means Star Wars will never die.

Sci Fi History: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Close Encounters postulates that mankind is ready to enter into the intergalactic community. They can even communicate with aliens via music. The film shows a moment where mankind evolves to its next stage as typified by Roy Neary's entry into the ship at the end. The film, along with Star Wars, helped reinvigorate Sci-Fi films.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Kgzn3tDQU

Sci-Fi History: The Bionic Woman (1976)

Jaime Summers was introduced in a 1975 episode of The Six Million Dollar Man. The character is nearly killed in a skydiving accident, but is saved with bionic implants. The series premiered as a mid-season replacement in January 1976. The show was amazingly popular and won Lindsay Wagner an Emmy. Despite this, ABC cancelled the show, but it was picked up by NBC. The network shift eliminated any possibility of crossover appearances by Lee Majors and may have hurt the show. It ended after the third year. Both Majors and Wagner reprised their roles in several TV movies from 1987-94. The show was an example of feminism's impact on pop culture in the seventies. Wagner portrayed a strong, independent woman.

Intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcba-ZgtsT4

Sci Fi History: Wonder Woman (1974)

In 1974, Cathy Lee Crosby starred in a movie entitled "Wonder Woman." However, the character and movie did not have any of the superpowers WW is known for. In 1975, Lynda Carter starred in the role based on the comic character. The series was initially in World War II and co-starred 70s superstar Lyle Waggoner. ABC dropped the show despite good ratings because of expense. CBS picked it up, reimaged it in the modern world, and it ran for two more seasons. Carter's Wonder Woman was a forerunner of the strong female heroine archetype prevelent in today's culture.

Intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhCnM-E5sl0

Sci Fi History: The Night Gwen Stacy Died (1973)

 
Norman Osborn suffers a mental breakdown when his son has to detox due to a drug addiction. He relapses as the Green Goblin, kidnaps Peter Parker's girlfriend Gwen Stacy, and obscons with her to a bridge. Spiderman and the Goblin brawl and Osborn tosses Stacy off the bridge. Spiderman uses his webshooters to break her fall, but snaps her neck. An enraged Spidey chases the Goblin to a warehouse where the Goblin tries to impale the hero with his glider. Spiderman dodges the glider, which kills Osborn. The story arc shocked comic fans and changed the game. Major characters could now die. No doubt this is the #1 moment in comic history. The Amazing Spiderman #121 and #122 are considered classics.

As seen in Amazing Spiderman 2 (2014):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaU9-QWslVI


As seen in Spiderman (2002):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DMkC6qMgWQ  

Sci Fi History: The Six Million Dollar Man (1973)

The price tag sounds ridiculously low by today's standards, but staggered the imagination in 1973. The TV series ran five years, 100 episodes, and became a phenomenon. It centered around Steve Austin, an astronaut, who received bionic implants following a crash. It was based on the novel Cyborg by Martin Caidin and evolved from an examination of what made human beings human into an action adventure sci-fi spy amalgamation. Austin's bionic implants enhanced his speed, strength, and sight. It also made him the perfect spy/problem solver for the U.S. government. Lee Majors starred as Austin and Richard Anderson as Oscar Goldman, a George H.W. Bush type administrator. Anderson narrates the now iconic opening sequence, "Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better....stronger...faster." The series featured slow motion action sequences along with distinctive sound effects. The Six Million Dollar Man led to spin offs, TV movies, and has been the subject of possible reboots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoLs0V8T5AA

Sci Fi History: Soylent Green (1973)

The world is dying. Overpopulation, pollution, industrialization, and poverty strangle humanity. People survive on a processed food called Soylent Green. Charlton Heston is a police officer investigating a murder. Assisted suicide is legal in this world. Heston's friend, played by Edward G. Robinson in his final role, decides to end his suffering and goes to a clinic. Upon his death, Robinson's body is shipped to be processed. At the end of the film, Heston discovers the truth...Soylent Green is people!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVpN312hYgU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edQNjJZFdLU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IKVj4l5GU4

Sci Fi History: Kolchak The Night Stalker (1974-75)

Kolchak began as two popular TV movies. Their success led ABC to commission a series starring Darren McGavin as the reporter, Carl Kolchak, who investigated paranormal incidents and crimes. Kolchak was a consummate reporter, a bit slovenly, and definitely Midwestern. The show featured the "monster of the week" formula, which might have been its downfall. Kolchak inspired the X-Files two decades later. That show featured both an overall mythological story arch AND monster of the week episodes. The X-Files tried to bring the Kolchak character aboard, but copyright issues prevented it. Instead, McGavin made two appearances as Arthur Dales, the FBI agent that created the X-Files.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfmK8YUdSpY

Sci Fi History: The Omega Man (1971)

Richard Matheson's novel, I am Legend,, had been adapted three times into motion pictures. Vincent Price starred in the first in 1964. The Omega Man with Charlton Heston came next. Will Smith starred in the third in 2007.

In the Heston version, biological warfare wipes out the planet in 1975. Robert Neville survives and creates a serum to cure survivors that were transformed into zombie-like albino nut jobs. These infected people, the Family, try to destroy technology because they feel that technology destroyed the world. In the end, Neville dies, but gives the serum to unaffected survivors who head for the hills.

On a side note, the film featured the first interracial kiss in movie history.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUkU18MrBzU

Sci-Fi History: A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Stanley Kubrik's film portrays a dystopian future in which Malcolm McDowell's character, Alex, displays no sense of morality or empathy. Alex loves classical music as much as rape and intense violence. The immoratlity portrayed is a reflection of the culture at large. The film mocks psychiatry and psychology while focusing on violent youth culture. Some believed the film critiqued communism, but instead examined the extremes from both the right and left.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faML0QvVb2A

Sci-Fi History: The Andromeda Strain (1969)

The Andromeda Strain made Michael Crichton a star. The book examines the effects of an extraterrestrial pathogen that clots human blood. The organism kills or renders its victims insane. In the end, the organism evolves into a benign entity that migrates to the upper atmosphere, but a manned spacecraft burns up in reentry when it eats the heat shield on the space craft. As a result, mankind is trapped on Earth. The book predates many bio disaster works and taps into our worst fears about space travel. One reviewer said it was a horrifying story because of its plausibility.

Sci-Fi History: Harry Osborn's drug problem (1971)

Stan Lee decided to include social commentary into Marvel Comic storylines. In 1971, Peter Parker's best friend, Harry Osborn, developed a drug problem. The problem persisted for the rest of the character's life. Harry had to bear the burden of being the Green Goblin's son, the breakup of his relationship with Mary Jane Watson, and eventually becomes the New Goblin. Lee decided to get around the comic code by printing "Not approved by the Comic Code Authority" on the issue. This opened up unlimited potential for comic writers.
http://www.thegreengoblinshideout.com/harry-overdoses

Sci-Fi History: Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Night of the Living Dead became the first major zombie movie. It cost $114,000 to make and eventually took in $30 million. The film heavily influenced the zombie movie genre. Every film since has either borrowed from or been a response to Night of the Living Dead. The film debuted before the movie rating system went into place. As a result, the violence shocked audiences and led to controversy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gUKvmOEGCU

Sci Fi History: Planet of the Apes (1968)

Planet of the Apes might be the most disturbing post apocalyptic film ever. Humanity devolved to little more than cattle. Meanwhile, apes became the planet's dominant species. The apes hunt people for sport and enslave them. The dominant species developed speech and advanced intelligence. On top of this, the film's star, Charlton Heston, was an A-list actor and hero. Despite this, not even Heston could not overcome this threat to humanity, which is part of the film's appeal. Moses could not escape the Planet of the Apes, so who could? In addition to Heston's helplessness, the end was particularly disturbing when his character discovers he is on Earth after a long space voyage. Lastly, the film dealt with racial tensions by focusing on three types of apes. Gorillas were the enforcers, chimps the intellectuals, and orangatans ruled. Each type of ape held their own prejudices against the other reflecting modern America.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJT2vJMsYc4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb4eZ7Z5yk8

Sci Fi History: 2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick directed this amazing sci-fi masterpiece. The film is split into four acts that follows man's evolution, which is aided by mysterious monoliths. It begins with "The Dawn of Man" featuring a bunch of protohumans learning to kill. In the second act, 21st century man discovers a monolith on the moon. Act III sends the cast to Jupiter where 2001 transforms into a horror film. The ship's computer, HAL, systematically murders the crew. One man survives into Act IV where he seemingly evolves into a higher being after an encounter with the monolith.

2001 was revolutionary. It did not feature humanoid aliens. A conspiracy on Earth program HAL to kill the astronauts 25 years before The X-Files. The special effects were cutting edge. The film influenced George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Additionally, elements of 2001 can be seen in Blade Runner, Close Encounters, Alien, Contact, and other films and television programs.


Dawn of Man:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypEaGQb6dJk




Trailer:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6ywMnbef6Y




Theme Song:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxLacN2Dp6A