Anybody here remember the 1971 when Disney live action file "The Barefoot Executive"? it starred Kurt Russell as a mailroom clerk for a major TV network. He discovers his girlfriend's pet chimp (it was a different era) has the uncanny ability to predict if a TV show will be hit or a flop. Hi-jinks ensue when people want to abuse this uncanny ability. Early in the story when Russell's character, Steven Post, first starts to notice this "knack", the chimp gives a raspberry when Post switches the channel to a sci-fi show. A week or two later he learns this show was cancelled by the network, one called UBC, one which uses a pie wedge of several colors as part of its logo.
Just is it's somewhat reasonable to assume this mythical broadcasting company is a stand-in for NBC, I wonder if the canned sci-fi show was a riff upon Star Trek. Does anybody recall what was the name of this made up space opera? The slapstick comedy was released in March 1971 which suggests scripting and filming took place in late 1970. At that time, star trek had reached only a few syndicated markets, not yet saturating local affiliates where it would truly gain its popularity. In the eyes of casual viewers and "the industry" they probably and earnestly felt it was a "flop", or at least not a ratings slam dunk.
I thought this flick might be available upon Disney+ since it does offer the "Dexter Riley" films starring Kurt Russell. That way I would have checked myself. But it's not there, apparently dropped after initially being in the queue when the streaming service first launched.
Just is it's somewhat reasonable to assume this mythical broadcasting company is a stand-in for NBC, I wonder if the canned sci-fi show was a riff upon Star Trek. Does anybody recall what was the name of this made up space opera? The slapstick comedy was released in March 1971 which suggests scripting and filming took place in late 1970. At that time, star trek had reached only a few syndicated markets, not yet saturating local affiliates where it would truly gain its popularity. In the eyes of casual viewers and "the industry" they probably and earnestly felt it was a "flop", or at least not a ratings slam dunk.
I thought this flick might be available upon Disney+ since it does offer the "Dexter Riley" films starring Kurt Russell. That way I would have checked myself. But it's not there, apparently dropped after initially being in the queue when the streaming service first launched.
