A Gary 7 series???
- Thread starter Warped9
- Start date
Expo67
Captain
It would have made for an intiguing series.
Assignment: Earth certainly hit the nail on the head with its storyline about the turbulent late Sixties. Specifically, the 'shock effects' of the year 1968. The most turbulent year in the most turbulent decade of the world, itself.
Honestly, its a small wonder how humanity survived that period, where the entire world went totally insane.
This link definately gives an accurate description on how insane the late Sixties really were. Granted it deals with another science fiction saga, but like Star Trek, Planet Of The Apes(1968)was also a morality play and social commentary/allegory disguised as science fiction.
http://www.mediacircus.net/pota.html
Assignment: Earth certainly hit the nail on the head with its storyline about the turbulent late Sixties. Specifically, the 'shock effects' of the year 1968. The most turbulent year in the most turbulent decade of the world, itself.
Honestly, its a small wonder how humanity survived that period, where the entire world went totally insane.
This link definately gives an accurate description on how insane the late Sixties really were. Granted it deals with another science fiction saga, but like Star Trek, Planet Of The Apes(1968)was also a morality play and social commentary/allegory disguised as science fiction.
http://www.mediacircus.net/pota.html
Uhhhhh.... Totally insane? Granted, it was a tough decade--assassination of one president, one senator, and a legendary civil rights leader. The cold war with Russia looming over us. A crazy senseless war in Vietnam. Today we have crazed religiously skewed terrorists all over the place, two major NYC buildings destroyed by terrorists, two senseless wars, the brink of financial collapse, global warming... I could go on. Feels like things are a bit more insane today.
It was a fine idea that was probably a couple of years too late. The spy craze was pretty much over, with no new series and precious few ongoing espionage shows running. Sci-fi was also starting to wane as the public's love affair with fantasy programming was slowly coming to an end. Land of the Giants was the only new SF series in the 1968-69 TV season. Irwin Allen had a similar series idea called Man from the 25th Century, which got as far as a presentation film (which was pretty lousy - even for Irwin). Relevant programming was just around the corner and after the cancellation of the 1970 series The Immortal (which downplayed the SF aspects of its premise to non-existence), it would be four more years before SF returned to network television.
It most definitley could have been a serviceable show, look, who thought that Forbidden Planet would make a feasible pilot for an hour long drama set on a Starship
I've always thought that "Assignment: Earth" is to The Day the Earth Stood Still as Star Trek is to Forbidden Planet.
Gary Seven is basically "Klaatu: The Series."
Works for me. I like to think that there's an alternate universe where Assignment: Earth ran for years--and maybe even got a big-budget reboot in 2009!
(Of course, I obviously feel there's a lot more mileage in Seven and Roberta and Isis. I've written three books about them!)
So Greg, have you read John Byrne's "Assignment: Earth" comic miniseries? And if so, what did you think?
I think the idea of an A:E series had potential. And I've certainly no issues with Lansing as Gary7 but Garr as Roberta wouldn't have worked for me. Whether it would have taken recasting or re-writing the character or both, or perhaps maturing over the first season or so, I can't say but Roberta as she was in the episode would have turned me off over the length of a series.
There's a REALLY good website in Canada that goes into great detail.
http://www.assignmentearth.ca/
Robert Lansing really stood out in anything he did-even crappy local market commercials-he really seemed to rise above whatever was on the page and make it seem special.
I loved him in Kung Fu: The Legend Continues and was sad when he passed away during the run of the show
So Greg, have you read John Byrne's "Assignment: Earth" comic miniseries? And if so, what did you think?[/QUOTE]
I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't read those yet. Ditto for most of the new Khan series. I'm hoping to maybe pick up the trade collections at Shore Leave this year.
Now this I'd watch.
Every day, another planet. Another veiled threat - don't be warmongering, or else!
Gort gets involved. Is dangerous.
I could even see a formula developing here.
Edit: in response to Greg Cox ^^
It's well done. Byrne is an excellent writer and artist. And being a spinoff series, it's a lot closer to the original than any of his Star Trek proper stuff.
Kegg posted while I was writing.
It's well done. Byrne is an excellent writer and artist. And being a spinoff series, it's a lot closer to the original than any of his Star Trek proper stuff.
Kegg posted while I was writing.
Greg Cox's books are superb and highlight for me, in a way I couldn't imagine, just how good this series could have been.
I'd still love to see as modern series of Assignment Earth but set in the 60's. It would be like Dark Skies meets Star Trek. You could even have stories set in TOS universe with 'visiting' star ships or alien presences on Earth.
I'm really surprised no one has pitched this. They would be able to use the all-important moniker... "Gene Roddenberry's ASSIGNMENT: EARTH" in the title, which would immediately get an audience before anyone has even seen an episode.
I'd still love to see as modern series of Assignment Earth but set in the 60's. It would be like Dark Skies meets Star Trek. You could even have stories set in TOS universe with 'visiting' star ships or alien presences on Earth.
I'm really surprised no one has pitched this. They would be able to use the all-important moniker... "Gene Roddenberry's ASSIGNMENT: EARTH" in the title, which would immediately get an audience before anyone has even seen an episode.
I could see an Assignment: Earth series, but I would keep its connection to Star Trek and TOS tangental---perhaps an occasional and/or vague reference. You could still have time travel, but if you're venturing into the 22nd, 23rd or 24th centuries then keep it vague or distanced from the Trek universe otherwise you risk all sorts of continuity crap.
Let the show stand on its own.
I rather like the initial setting being 1968 and with some of the gadgets and that iconic looking Beta computer in Gary Seven's office.
But really he could be leaping all over the place (when necessary) into the past or up to the present day and beyond.
Of course, the real key, as with any good genre show are good engaging stories. Focus on the ideas and the drama and not so much on the gimmicks and eye candy (which admittedly can be nice at times). Rewrite the Roberta Lincoln character or replace her with one more suitable. Really think the idea of Isis through and rationalize her apparent changes in appearance. Is she some sort of changeling or does she project an illusion? Does that mean she can morph into or project other forms?
As for the hero I'd sidestep the twenty or early thirty something unshaven hunk-of-the-week and find someone somewhat like Robert Lansing. Good looking, sure, but not a conventional type who looks in his 40s and in good shape (it took a phaser stun to bring him down when five men couldn't do it). Someone who can project some experience and wisdom as well as being physically capable. And I'd rather stay away from the conventional overt sexual tension between the series' leads.
This could be cool and fun...if done right.
Let the show stand on its own.
I rather like the initial setting being 1968 and with some of the gadgets and that iconic looking Beta computer in Gary Seven's office.
But really he could be leaping all over the place (when necessary) into the past or up to the present day and beyond.Of course, the real key, as with any good genre show are good engaging stories. Focus on the ideas and the drama and not so much on the gimmicks and eye candy (which admittedly can be nice at times). Rewrite the Roberta Lincoln character or replace her with one more suitable. Really think the idea of Isis through and rationalize her apparent changes in appearance. Is she some sort of changeling or does she project an illusion? Does that mean she can morph into or project other forms?
As for the hero I'd sidestep the twenty or early thirty something unshaven hunk-of-the-week and find someone somewhat like Robert Lansing. Good looking, sure, but not a conventional type who looks in his 40s and in good shape (it took a phaser stun to bring him down when five men couldn't do it). Someone who can project some experience and wisdom as well as being physically capable. And I'd rather stay away from the conventional overt sexual tension between the series' leads.
This could be cool and fun...if done right.
After Andromeda and Earth: Final Conflict, I'm not sure stations would see his name being attached as a selling point.
Maybe we need a couple of decades to go by to get the perspective we now have on the sixties. People don't always recognize special times when they're living thru them.
OMG, that's PERFECT!
Seconded.
I thought those shows were successful and ran for more than one season?
They both did. But both ended with low ratings and being panned rather harshly by critics.
