Star Trek TOS S1 Ep3: Where No Man Has Gone Before

A classic Star Trek image.

It's incredibly difficult to pin down an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series to just one image. There is so much about the show that has been forever etched in my memory banks.

"The network told me to get rid of Number One, the woman first lieutenant, and also to get rid of 'that martian fellow'... meaning, of course, Spock.  I knew I couldn't keep both, so I gave the stoicism of the female officer to Spock, and married the actress who played Number One.  Thank God it wasn't the other way around.  I mean Leonard's cute, but..." -Gene Roddenberry recounting his decision to remove Majel Barret as Number One following the first pilot, The Cage, and standing by the character of Spock against NBC disapproval in William Shatner's Memories [1993] for his second pilot Where No Man Has Gone Before-

How about those new computer effects?

It was actually the second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before that won the day and landed ROddenberry the green light for the series that was Star Trek.  Following the immaculate first pilot, The Cage, NBC rejected the $686,000 classic dubbing it too cerebral in favor of something more "action"-packed.  Where No Man Has Gone Before actually does a splendid job of balancing te beam of both the physical action with the intellectual aspects of Roddenberry's vision.  His lovely girlfriend, Majel Barrett, was removed as Number One, while Spock was retained despite fighting the executives every step of the way.  Thank God and Roddenberry for Spock too, because Roddenberry was right.  He was a required as a dramatic component to the series.  Furthermore, as a young man and today, there is something rather calming, patient, soothing about the intellectual leader that is Spock that manages to place the relative chaos of my own life into some kind of decompressed evelope of tranqulity.  I'll take that.

Science fiction, pure and simple. Terrific characters. Amazing costumes. Honestly, I think I could watch these guys walk around the ship with those classic gold, blue and red starfleet uniforms doing absolutely nothing and I would be a happy man for 50 minutes. Star Trek even when it wasn't great was often very good. When it was bad... was it ever bad? There aren't many lemons in the bunch across three seasons, but I continue my journey of rediscovery revisiting Star Trek The Original Series with a new vigor in the form of the HD DVD effects-enhanced remasters. The Blu-Ray format will be forthcoming. I'll let you know when I've made the official switch. I quite expect HD DVD to be comparable to Blu-Ray.
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Hanging with the crew of the Enterprise is like hanging with family. It is a joyful experience even when the odds are bleak. I got your back Jim, Spock, Bones and Scotty. Hand me a tricorder and a phaser and let's do this. These are people that make you feel at home. There are so many reasons to love this show and so many that illustrate why it was so beloved.
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Captain's Log. Stardate 1312.4

William Shatner may be the greatest science fiction narrator to have ever lived. Shatner possesses a voice that is note perfect throughout the series. The Enterprise locks on to a device and Scotty makes his first appearance to date beaming it aboard the ship. The device beamed aboard places the ship on alert. The call letters are from a ship dubbed the S.S. Valiant missing for over two centuries. Seeing both Kirk and Spock walk along together in their yellow sweater shirts is so cool. They are such bad asses. I'm glad I can use this High Definition DVD [HD DVD] player at least a few times before putting it out to pasture. The detail, including the caked-on make-up for Spock, is tremendous. We are entering this wonderful series with one of its finest presentations to date. Behold Star Trek: The Original Series, Season One, Episode 3, Where No Man Has Gone Before.
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Where No Man Has Gone Before features Actor Gary Lockwood [2001: A Space Odyssey] as Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell and Sally Kellerman [the original Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan from the film MASH (1970)] as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner. The Valiant experienced a magnetic space storm. Spock is probing the device information. ESP [Extra Sensory Perception] or Espers is integral to the story. Spock believes the captain of the Valiant may have given orders to destroy his own ship.
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The Enterprise enters into a giant electrical cloud wreaking havoc on the ship. Dehner and Mitchell are zapped by the force within the storm. Their space warp ability is affected and unavailable. Many questions plague the crew. Dehner and Mitchell both register with high ESP ratings. Both Dehner and Mitchell feel fine with the exception of Mitchell's eyes which have now changed into balls of glowing light.
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Kirk visits Mitchell in medlab and Mitchell knows he enters without even having to look toward the door. Mitchell feels better and stronger than ever. There is an almost antagonistic repoire between the two men. Mitchell would like to go back on duty. Kirk wants him to be kept under observation by Dehner. As Kirk exits, Mitchell tells Kirk cryptically, "Didn't I say you'd better be good to me?" Mitchell begins mentally reading and storing ship data accessing its library at a feverish pace.
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There is a creepy, quiet quality to this entry of Star Trek, not unlike some others. It made me think about yet another reason why we all loved the show so much. There is always that sinister use of quietude. While the sound effects, every one of them, are perfectly placed and used sparingly with absolutely classic music, sometimes the show's use of silence is eerily penetrating and this episode is a great example of that.
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Dehner visits Mitchell and she notes his earlier reference to her as a walking "freezer unit." Mitchell messes with the medlab readings monitor and he is capable of mentally moving the arrows. He fakes his death and Dehner rushes to his side. He awakens and Dehner begins quizzing his intellectual capacity. There's a reason Kellerman was "Hot Lips" because she is very, very hot with very, hot lips. Lt. Lee Kelso [Paul Carr] visits his shipmate Mitchell in medlab where things get heated as he directs Lee to look into trouble areas on the ship because of course Mitchell is clearly an omniscient being.

Sally Kellerman is a striking female specimen.

At a crew meeting, Kelso informs Kirk that Mitchell's description of a burned out ship component was exactly as he described it when he found it. Dehner is extremely defensive of Mitchell. Spock points out Mitchell is no longer the Commander they once knew. He is changing and Spock is quite matter-of-fact concerning Mitchell's mutation. Dehner is clearly enamored with the concept of a superior human being. Kirk is less than pleased with these developments. Spock knows Mitchell will become too powerful to control and believes the crew will inevitably become an annoyance to him. Sulu is in a blue shirt and Scotty in brown. The colors are truly vibrant in these new Star Trek remasters. The sets are simple, sterile but truly absorbing.


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I loved Sulu's math as he described Mitchell's growing powers. "Mitchell's ability is increasing geometrically. That is like having a penny, doubling it every day, in a month you'll be a millionaire." Um, that's some penny Sulu. You might have enough to buy a candy bar after a month, but millionaire is a bit of a stretch my friend.



Spock tells Kirk, "In a month he'll have as much in common with us as as we'd have with a ship full of white mice." These nalogies are just terrific. Spock recommends two options. Recommendation 1: Repair the Enterprise at Delta Vega and essentially abandon Mitchell there. Recommendation 2: Kill Gary Mitchell "while you still can" [then make repairs]. The stoic Spock makes the right call. Kirk sets course for Delta Vega, but with reservation and human emotion as his guide. Kelso must repair the ship using the rich mineral resources and crystals from Delta Vega. Kirk must find a way to transport a man to the planet below that he has known as a friend for fifteen years and "maroon him there." The One To Be Pitied pokes fun at Shatner here, but this is what we love about him. His deadly serious dramatic turns are as delicious as they come.




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Mitchell can now deliver himself something to drink with a mere thought. It must have hurt to have those foil-like lenses in his eyes or at least uncomfortable. Science fiction in the '60s and '70s loved putting physical objects on actor's eyeballs. Mitchell reads Spock's thoughts and is fully aware some would like to see him dead. Kirk makes a play for Mitchell as does Spock, but he zaps them back with volts of power. Kirk and Spock subdue Mitchell while Dehner administers a sedative. Spock, Kirk, Dehner, Doctor Piper beam down to the planet below with Mitchell [Bones missed this particular intended pilot entry].
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Strangely, the planet is lifeless despite being populated with an entire city. The advanced technology would suggest otherwise. Where has this civilization gone? It is now desolate. [Having watched the episode again it is noted that Kirk refers to the planet as fully automated]. Mitchell is placed in a containment cell. There's not a soul on the planet. "Nobody but us chickens" says Kirk. The show is so effective in its simplicity. Matte paintings open the series up illustrating grand places to a splendid effect. The cell is blue where Mitchell resides, while the corridor to the room is adorned in brown. Set design is always simple, but stunning in its classic beauty.
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Mitchell reminds his friend Kirk how he once took a poisoned dart to save his life. Kirk knows this, but is also aware that Mitchell is now a different man. "Mr. Spock is right and you're a fool if you don't see it," referring to Kirk possibly doing away with him. The forcefield to the room drains Mitchell's powers, but for a mere fleeting moment. "I just keep getting stronger" he insists confidently.

Scotty informs all is in working order.

I love that little moment between Spock and Kirk. The button would destroy Delta Vega. Dehner indicates she will stay behind with Mitchell. Mitchell utilizes his mind to kill Kelso. Mitchell has grown so powerful he shuts down the force field and embraces Dehner who now has the same foil eyes. Kirk gives the doctor orders to take Spock back to the Enterprise. Kirk is going after Mitchell. The orders are to leave the orbit if they do not hear from him in 12 hours and strike the planet with a lethal dose of concentrated neutron radiation. Sounds all kinds of ugly there.

It's all very Adam & Eve.

Mitchell creates a garden, fruit, plants, running water with a simple thought and a swoosh of his hand. Kirk is after them, but they know he is there. Mitchell tells Dehner to go to him and talk to him and see "how unimportant they are." They now believe themselves to be gods. Kirk fires upon Mitchell, but it has no effect. "I've been contemplating the death of an old friend." Mitchell has created a grave for Kirk. The stone registers James R. Kirk rather than the proper James T. Kirk.
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Dehner begins having reservations regarding these new found powers and Mitchell's treatment of Kirk and turns on Mitchell. She decides to fight Mitchell. The two electrify one another. They are both weak. She tells Kirk he hasn't much time and Mitchell beats the tar out of him. It becomes a good, old-fashioned bare knuckle brawl. Kirk nearly crushes his head with a rock, but Mitchell's strength returns. Kirk fires a weapon into the styrofoam stone and it crumbles down upon the grave, which Mitchell intended for Kirk, but has fallen into. Dehner too passes on. Once again, Roddenberry and the creative team give us yet another insightful tale about what it means to be human, to have compassion, to be mortal. It's the first daliance into the idea of gods and humans.

With some of the minor change-ups in casting one could easily feel out of sorts. All of this is easily explainable. This third episode of ST: TOS, Season One, Where No Man Has Gone Before, was originally filmed to be the series' second pilot. It served to introduce Captain James T. Kirk as the replacement for Captain Pike. We get a host of oddities from uniform colors to missing crew members. Scotty and Sulu are on board, yet there is no Bones or Uhura. Roddenberry was clearly still finding his way.

Where No Man Has Gone Before

: B

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Writer: Samuel A. Peeples

Director: James Goldstone

Dead Crewman: 3 [Kelso, Dehner & Mitchell]

Dead Crewman Total To Date: 7

Babe Alert: 2

Babe Alert Total To Date: 4

Special Guest: Gary Lockwood [1937-present]. American born. Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell. His greatest role would come in 2001: A Space Odyssey [1968] by Director Stanley Kubrick.

Special Guest: Paul Carr (1934-2006). American born. Carr had a pretty varied career in sci-fi. While not wearing a red shirt, Carr was the first yellow shirt to go in this second filmed pilot episode. Carr also appeared in Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea [1964], The Bionic Woman [1975] and Buck Rogers In The 21st Century [1981]. He provided voiceover in anime for Blood: The Last Vampire and Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Sadly, Paul Carr passed away of cancer.

Babe Alert: Sally Kellerman (1937-present). American born. She is well known for her role in MASH (1970) as Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan. She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her turn. She turned down reprising the role for the TV Series that followed. She also appeared in two episodes of The Outer Limits [1963-1964] including The Human Factor and The Bellero Shield. Her film career has been varied and she appeared opposite Rodney Dangerfield in Back To School [1986].

Babe Alert: Andrea Dromm [1941-present]. American born. Yeoman Smith. She is clearly Commander Mitchell's girl in this one before it all goes bad for him as they hold hands on the bridge in the early minutes of the entry. Not much to report other than she was a hot babe.

Sexy Beast

My quest to get inside the mind of Actor Ian McShane continues... a Sexy Beast indeed. It's okay, I'm confident in my manhood.

The British crime gangster genre - a niche unto itself - served up a gem in 2001. The film Sexy Beast [2001] [often cited as one of the 25 best British films ever made] was delivered by Director Jonathan Glazer. The crime thriller, with alot on its mind, was packaged like a little indie-styled picture, but it packs a wallop of a punch and feels much bigger than its tense, tautly-scripted Louis Mellis and David Scinto [44 Inch Chest] story would have you believe. The sharp and vicious dialogue is complemented by Glazer's clever, flashy, fun direction that is also wholly British. This wit in his filming style is evident thanks in part to his work in the world of music video with the likes of Blur, Radiohead and Massive Attack.

Sexy Beast was a veritable dream for fans who relish the art of performance. Three big time British actors, Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley and Ian McShane, serve up huge, powerhouse performances. They are flawless and a joy to watch. Each performance is perfect in its own right and the film, with its quirky indie style, delivers a simple narrative that is razor sharp and deliciously entertaining thanks to these three enormous talents. Even the minor characters contribute stunning little turns throughout the film including Amanda Redman, James Fox, Cavan Kendall and Julianne White.

There is no doubt Ben Kingsley as Don Logan takes the cake for the juiciest of the three roles in Sexy Beast. Kingsley was nominated as Best Supporting Actor by the Academy in 2001. Logan, a savage, pit bull of a gangster, is a frothing, venomous, nasty, rabid, miserable, electrifying animal so tightly wound he could explode at any moment and often does. He is a crucible of evil and the very mention of his name strikes fear into the hearts of women and men who have come within his sphere of influence.

Don Logan is synonymous with the boogie man. He's even represented by a hideous, monstrous jack rabbit creature, a symbol of death for Winstone's character, a symbol of his past he cannot outrun. This is juxtaposed by a scene earlier when the men are unable to kill a live jack rabbit in the Spanish desert. It is symbolic of their fortunes or lack thereof to come.

While Kingsley certainly lands a glory role which even led to the Best Supporting Actor nod, the film is anchored by Winstone's tremendous, sincere performance as Gary "Gal" Dove, which is absolutely note perfect. As a near over the hill retiree gangster from the heist life, Winstone is beautiful. Overweight, tired, and finding happiness and love in the warmth of Spain's hot, summer sun, Gal lures the audience into his sympathetic conundrum. Despite a dark, distasteful and obviously unsavory past, we're rooting for Gal. He's a reformed man. He's changed. We understand his plight. Due to an unforeseen dilemma, and despite Gal's ovation to Logan to insist to him that he is a retired man, Gal is forced to carry out yet another dangerous mission back in London since Logan just won't take NO for an answer. The final act is thrilling. Gal may be the only one of the three men with a conscience. Ian McShane rounds out the film like the proverbial icing on the cake. Some of the scenes to follow feature the work of both McShane and Winstone.

McShane as psychopathic criminal mastermind Teddy Bass, is easily as menacing as the tightly wound Logan, but far more sophisticated and smooth as the crime boss in charge of the operation. McShane delivers. He carries himself as the head cheese and barely needs to say a thing to know that his Teddy Bass is a cold-blooded killer.

He will utilize sex and violence to attain his goals, but is far more polished than the snarling Logan in pulling off his heists. When he discovers Logan is missing he calmly approaches Gal for answers to certain questions. These scenes are pure heaven for fans of McShane.

McShane is delectably brilliant in his small, but potent supporting role. I've seen the film a few times and it is a classic worthy of your time if you enjoy films with strong character writing. Sexy Beast is a sexy piece of work with a deep exploration of character study, especially the heart of the film's lead.

In keeping with my ongoing love letter to the works of Ian McShane I'm pleased to bring you one of McShane's finest performances a la Sexy Beast. As for which character Sexy Beast refers, that is left to the viewer to decide in my humble opinion. It could be any one of these men. The smart money is on Ray Winstone for the sexy, Kingsley for the beast, but McShane is a lethally vital part of this sexy little film and gives us the whole enchilada. Behold the immense talents and sheer awesome sexiness of Kingsley, McShane and Winstone with this beast of a film when time permits. Sexy Beast is a classic that ranks with the original Get Carter [1971] starring Michael Caine and The Limey [1999] with Terence Stamp.

Sexy Beast: A-

Thunderbirds S1 Ep5: The Uninvited

It's fan-freakin'-tastic FAB FRIDAY people!

It's all things Gerry & Sylvia Anderson!

As I prepare to launch into entry five of our puppet heroes, known globally as International Rescue, there was an interesting quote from Chris Bentley's The Complete Book Of Classic Thunderbirds to share with you. I found the comparison to my efforts at filming short clips here for the blog entries to be quite appropriate. Doing anything like this with a steady hand is no easy task. I certainly fail when compared to the sheer talent of the crew behind Thunderbirds' models and make no comparisons in that capacity. "Flying a model convincingly on wires was a devil of a job. You're standing on the edge of a plank, hovering over the edge of a set, holding something out at arm's length. There was quite a sense of balance that you had to have and it was a case of shifting your weight from one foot to another without going up and down, while keeping your hand and body on the same plane. If you got a slight twitch in the hand, it was accentuated in the model." Amen brother, don't I know it. A twitch, a scratch, an itch, a tired arm and you are doomed! I feel their pain and I'm doing this for free, which may explain away my clipping imperfections. I give my best, but I don't dawdle or linger on it too much.

This could easily have been shot in my backyard sandbox with my own diecasts, but it wasn't! So thank you Gerry!

Thunderbirds is always a fun review and far less taxing on the mind. Space:1999 is a trip in entertainment, but it's also challenging. There's a lot to analyze in that program. A puppet program generated for children is a little less demanding. Nevertheless, Thunderbirds is as exciting as they come and certainly recommended for the young at heart. We continue with Thunderbirds, Series One, Episode 5, The Univited. Thunderbirds are go!

The first thing that hits me about the opening theme music and the introduction is how it always ends with Filmed In Videocolor And Supermarionation. This is superimposed over a model that literally ignites with an ongoing series of explosions. That's quite funny really. It's a signal to kids at home that things are going to blow up on this show. Things are going to blow up, blow up often and blow up real good. I laugh.

Scott is en route back to Tracy Island following a rescue mission. He is in Thunderbird 1 when he is suddenly shot down from the sky by three unidentified aircraft. He is taking "evasive action." He takes a major hit and plummets toward the ground plunging into a desert sand crash down. Several explosions ensue following the crash. T1 takes some major hits. The foreign pilots are speaking a foreign language and look slightly alien. Scott is bleeding and badly hurt as his head is crouched into his steering mechanism.

I've always said, there's nothing like a great crash landing. I love them! The radio is smashed and Tracy Island can't reach Scott and Scott can't reach them. Scott peers outside the ship at the vast desert. Scott is suffering from blurred vision and head trauma then passes out. Thunderbird 2 preps for action with Pod 6. Virgil and Brains are en route. Tin Tin smokes a fag, but is really eager to go with the boys. Jeff Tracy relents allowing Tin Tin to join the rescue fun. Alan tells his father perhaps Scott was considered a spy when he was shot down.

In the desert, Scott still hangs unconscious out an exit window in T1. Two desert explorers, Wilson and Lindsey, on expedition, have been traversing the desert for fifteen days and looking to get out of it. The two are piloting a nifty little desert jeep rig with tank-like treads on the back end. Gerry Anderson, Derek Meddings and friends love tank treads. Me too. The two men spot T1, but suspect it's a mirage at first. The two men realize it's International Rescue. It's worth noting the detail put into the modelling and look of this particular desert episode. It really looks splendid. Scott snaps to life regaining consciousness. The two men approach Scott. They swap stories of what happened. The two men indicate they are on an expedition to locate the lost pyramid of Khamandides. Scott notes the locals don't appear to be "all that friendly." You could say that. I'm surprised Scott isn't squawking about the two men being in proximity to his precious T1. They are obviously exposed to high level top secret gadgetry. Scott does ask the men to contact International Rescue to let them know he is okay. The men ask what frequency they should use. Scott indicates any frequency will do. You have to love Thunderbird 5. It picks up anything from anywhere.

Note where the arm is bent. By God, Jeff's arm is missing!

John reports in from T5. Jeff reports the coordinates of Scott's location to Virgil. Brains looks dressed in attire comparable to some kind of safari expedition. I suppose the desert is close enough. You gotta love Brains. I really never fully appreciated Brains as a child. Who ever wanted to be like Brains? T2 lands at Scott's location. The effects applied to the landing of the Thunderbirds throughout the series are simply ingenious. They are remarkable to watch. Not only does the billowing white, hot smoke look cool coming out of the engines and thrusters, but they also serve a second purpose - masking the puppet strings attached to the Thunderbirds.

The episode is shaping up to be a good dramatic effort on the part of the Anderson crew. It does a nice job of shaking things up from the normal rescue structure of the series. The story is slightly less predictable and more entertaining as a result. Jeff wonders who assailed T1 and Scott. I reckon a nice International Rescue Assault Team might be in order. Actually, that's a touch to aggressive in the world of Thunderbirds, but wouldn't a T6 strike craft have been brilliant with a vast array of weaponry. Brains fixes up the radio on T1. Tin Tin serves up a campfire for the night. Scott's appetite is returning. He would like more of Tin Tin's Apple pie after already having three helpings. I am so with Scott. I love pie! I love them! I even make a few of my own because I was tired of eating pies that tasted fake or store bought or like plastic garbage. I love Blueberry, Apple, Pumpkin and Banana Cream pies. I make a mean hot baked Apple and Blueberry pie, but Blueberry is definitely easier. I'm hungry. Brains makes a great point to the group, because I was thinking the same thing. "Considering the brutality of the attack I think you got off quite lucky Scott." Scott suspects International Rescue will be more prepared if those bozos attack again. I'm not sure why Scott would think that with a bandage clear around his head and no weaponry. He's clearly not right. Tin Tin is a babe. She and Lady Penelope are a real toss up for hottest, wooden super-babe. They are both babe-o-matic on those strings. The group retires into tents for the evening. Given the hostilities encountered by Scott, I would think the confines of T2 would have been a safer choice for a resting place.

Later, Scott returns with his family and friends to the safety of Tracy Island. Grandma Tracy makes her first official appearance on the series. She's fattening Scott up good. This guy can put down the desserts. Meanwhile, Wilson and Lindsey are still searching for the lost pyramid. Wilson and Lindsey are really at each other's throats after being together for so long. The men are driving too fast and lose their trailer hitch as it cascades down the side of a massive sand slope. The crashed unit includes gasoline and water and the men need it desperately. Suddenly, the entire trailer explodes. The men are on their own. The men have just three gallons of "juice" left. The plan to radio for help is foiled too when the men realize that device was destroyed in the explosion with the rest of the trailer. The men are mistaken and they spot their radio down the sand slope. The radio is inoperative after retrieving it. They will need it repaired.

Meanwhile, Tin Tin and Gordon are frolicking about the pool. Virgil is resting. Alan and Scott head out to T5. Thunderbird 3 is go! Back in the desert, the two men are in pretty dire straits. They have mapped out a watering hole and head in that direction. Everything in life is male-female connectors. Here's T3 docking inside T5.

Alan relieves John on T5 for the next month. John informs Alan he's sensing some kind of signal from the Sahara area and to keep an eye on on that ban. Back in the desert, Wilson and Lindsey find their watering hole complete with a couple of palm trees. Unfortunately, the watering hole is dry as a bone. The men manage to call for help. "We need water. Dying." Alan contacts Tracy Island where T3 has returned. Alan contacts his father. He believes the call for help is coming from the Sahara. Alan plays back the transmission and Virgil recognizes the voice. Jeff tells Scott to get down to T1 and prep for lift off. Boy, they sure fixed up T1 in a hurry after that jarring crash in the desert. It looked in a bad way. How did they get it back home and up and running so fast? Scott is off.

It wouldn't be Gerry Anderson if there wasn't a vehicle with tank treads.

What began with a unique turn of events for some of our primary characters is beginning to evolve into a standard rescue mission after all. Nevertheless, things could get interesting. Wilson and Lindsey pray they got through to International Rescue before the radio quit. With a stroke of shocking luck, the men have found the lost pyramid. Now, how exactly is it their map has the markings for a watering hole, but no one has ever been able to find the massive pyramid right next to it? That's a slightly large plot hole to drive their desert jeep through I'd say. The men make their way to the pyramid. The men arrive at the pyramid overcome with joy. Too bad they may die and not live to tell the tale.

As the men begin looking over the pyramid, Lindsey reads hieroglyphics and indicates it is the great tomb of "the god of the eternal fountain." Wilson laughs, because he doesn't see fountains of any kind. A door opens. The men hear running water and enter without a thought. Heck, they're explorers, why not? The door seals behind them. Oh, never a good sign. The men note the classic you're-in-trouble-moment when they spot a skeleton leaning next to the door that just closed. That's always a bad. It's also a tradition. The skeleton scene can be seen in just about any pyramid or lost city story ever recorded including Lost In Space, Season One, Episode 4, There Were Giants In The Earth.

Scott comes whipping in at high speed in T1. Inside the tomb, the men find the eternal fountain. Scott finds their jeep and the tomb. Yeah, I'm sure no one ever spotted that pyramid, the watering hole yes, but not the pyramid. Lindsey and Wilson lap up the sweet water. Scott arrives and the entrance opens to lure him to his fate like the others. He doesn't think twice and goes inside. Hey Scott, you may want to peak over your shoulder at that skeletonized dead man behind you. What is up with these people walking into open pyramids? Have these people ever a lost tomb before?

Scott reports to Dad that he is trapped inside the pyramid. Wilson and Lindsey find a room filled to the rim with treasure. They are excited by these prospects, which aren't good for much since they are trapped inside a tomb with skeletons. Wilson exclaims, "We could buy the world!" It isn't long before he realizes their trapped. He's not the quickest rich guy in a sealed tomb. Wilson and Lindsey are sadly not the brightest of fellows. "We can't be, we're too rich to be trapped." I'm afraid so Lindsey. Scott finds the men and proclaims "International Rescue at your service." I'm not sure how much service they'll get with Scott trapped inside too. Lindsey has apparently gone off the deep end as he doesn't seem to recognize the man they just saved mere days ago. He suspects Scott is there to steal "our treasure." Yes, the treasure they were stealing that became THEIR treasure just moments ago. Lindsey has lost his mind. Maybe there was something in the water. He begins shooting at Scott and then Wilson. Lindsey and Scott proceed with a shootout. "You'll have to kill me before I let you have my treasure." What a moon bat! Lindsey is a helluva shot though for a crazy man. He shoots the gun straight out of Scott's hand. Lunatic Lindsey keeps shooting away and blows out the ankle of a statue. Scott is exposed with his hands up. "NOW YOU WILL DIE!," laughs Lindsey. He's a nutter.

Without warning a door opens and two men with strange gear and odd helmets with the letter Z enter the room with guns of their own. They shoot the gun from Lindsey's hand and he falls to the ground. They speak in a bizarre foreign tongue. Yes, these men are definitely uninvited by the Z-men. Wilson is back among the living. Scott and Wilson go with the two Z heads. Elsewhere, T2 is en route to the pyramid.

Inside the pyramid, Scott, Wilson and a disabled Lindsey are travelling inside a monorail-like car. From their high position, Scott discovers these beings are mining some kind of mineral that also emits a lethal, explosive gas. Scott deduces quite alot here. Hmmm. Scott sees the fighters that shot down his T1. The monorail system looks strikingly similar to the one found years later in The Spy Who Loved Me [1977]. The Z people speak very sternly and severely to one another. They all look like they are applying for the role of Flash Gordon's Ming The Merciless. The Z People spot T2 incoming and fire off their self-defense missiles. Seconds before, Scott and Wilson take action against the Z men and knock out their unsuspecting guard. They fire off a few rounds, but the missiles take flight.

Fortunately, the missiles explode just shy of T2 and Gordon and Virgil deduct Scott is behind their good fortunes. This is precisely why defense mechanisms should be in place on these Thunderbirds, if offensive measures are not an option. A real firefight is in play inside the Z-Men's base. Wilson gets the monorail tram moving and Scott and Wilson escape. Scott fires on a gas masked man inside the large mineral chamber and takes him out. Sirens sound. The man falls on a lever, which releases a potent gas. Things are getting dicey with the fumes. Hopefully Scott and Wilson will make it out of there or International Rescue may need some help of their own from ordinary rescue. Explosions begin igniting all over the place.

Elsewhere the strange sounding and strange looking Z men pass out from the fumes. I suppose they will die. I love this moment from Scott to Lindsey. It's just funny.

One of the Z-men falls on another lever and the door to the pyramid reopens. What a stroke of good luck. How convenient kids. T2 comes in for a landing. Scott is yelling at Virgil to keep away from the pyramid because it's going to blow at any moment. It's so amusing, because it's obvious Scott, Wilson and Lindsey appear to be hanging around to die. Why aren't they running for their lives like Scott mentioned? Strange little puppet logic.

I love how formal Scott is with Virgil initially. He identifies himself as "Scott Tracy". Is there any other Scott who might call out here in the middle of the desert operation? Then he tells him to "BEAT IT!" That's rich. T1 takes off and not a moment too soon. The lost pyramid is lost and now it's lost forever. I love the temperature gauge. They are so simple. Green good, CRAZY RED bad! The tomb goes sky high. Well, so ends another death-defying Thunderbirds' adventure. The Uninvited offered some different scenarios, which were refreshing. The original title for the episode was slated to have one of those snazzy rescue-styled titles, Desert Of Danger, but it was not to be. The Z-Men, as I've dubbed them are actually called Zombites, but you wouldn't know that because they don't speak English and they never mention that they are Zombites throughout the entire episode. Who the hell were the Zombites? They were like a cross between aliens and Arabs. Bizarre. It was your standard, solid Thunderbirds outing, but it's time to shake things up again with a new vehicle. There has been no sign of our old friend Thunderbird 4. We invite you to join us.

The Uninvited: B

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Writer: Alan Fennell

Director: Desmond Saunders

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Notable Thunderbirds: T1/ T2/ T3/ T5.

Doug McClure [1935-1995]: The People That Time Forgot

One of the finest DVD double features money can buy.

I don't know if you were ever a fan of Actor Doug McClure [1935-1995] as a kid, but I loved Doug McClure. He was the ultimate B actor. He was also a man among men. McClure was a physical force unafraid to place acting secondary to action and adventure. Nobody did it better. He was in some devastatingly classic, bad, cheesy, terrific science fiction flicks including Humanoids From The Deep [1980], Warlords Of Atlantis [1978], The Land That Time Forgot [1974], At The Earth's Core [1976] and The People That Time Forgot [1977]. Film classics, of course, are in the eye of the beholder and these were wonderful pictures to see as a child. Unencumbered by poor special effects we were free to get lost in fantasy adventures. Avatar - eat your heart out. Okay, dinosaurs were made of rubber, but for their time the dinosaur special effects had motion and facial ticks that were good enough to completely hook my innocent little mind. We didn't sweat the small stuff back then. We simply enjoyed the promise of pure escape. Who better to guide us than Doug McClure?

Scripts were simple enough, but the submarine modelling and creature effects in films like The Land That Time Forgot, The People That Time Forgot and Warlords Of Atlantis simply left my mouth agape and my mind swirling lost in fully-realized, fictionalized worlds. For example, how about The People That Time Forgot's tagline, "They've found the missing link... To Mayhem!" Damn! It's not exactly hard science there. Yes, that about covers the film's intent. Now, you're talking! It may not be 2001: A Space Odyssey, but dang it's a great frolicking romp of a science fiction, fantasy, adventure like none you've ever graced your eyes upon.

The People That Time Forgot is a veritable smorgasbord of nifty sci-fi trivia by the way. The film, based on the writing of Edgar Rice Burroughs circa 1918, was directed by Englishman Kevin Connor. Connor directed a trilogy of these unforgettable films based on the work of Burroughs including The Land That Time Forgot [1974], followed by At The Earth's Core [1976] and finally The People That Time Forgot. Finally, he would also direct Warlords Of Atlantis [1978], a personal favorite of mine. My late father was a saint. Dad took me several times to our local drive-in theatre for Warlords Of Atlantis. I'm not sure what he got out of it, if anything at all, but I loved it and he was there for me. I remember that. I suppose it's a bit like seeing Transformers with my son today. My, how things have changed.

The People That Time Forgot was a direct sequel to The Land That Time Forgot, whereby the stars of The People That Time Forgot must find McClure's character, Bowen Tyler, stranded behind in a land that time forgot in The Land That Time Forgot. Whew! This can be confusing. You see, this was very complex stuff as a child. Hopefully you're still with me. Honestly, as a child, I remember being absolutely mortified that McClure's character, Tyler, was left behind in that lost world. I was scarred. How could they leave another human being behind with all of those dreadful, man-eating dinosaurs? What were those people thinking? I was marginally pleased as a young boy in my yellow terry cloth shorts [I wore them until I was well into my teens and took much ribbing for them] that Tyler was deserted with a hot babe to keep him company. So he wasn't completely alone. This was barely satisfying to my sensitive, fragile psyche. I think I appreciate the very un-Hollywood ending today more than ever.

An older Tyler Bowen returns, played once again by McClure, looking a bit like Dan Haggerty from The Life And Times Of Grizzly Adams [1974; 1977-1978] for The People That Time Forgot in a smaller guest-starring role. The People That Time Forgot stars none other than Patrick Wayne [Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger] [1977], son of the late and famous John Wayne. It also stars Sarah Douglas [see below] and Shane Rimmer [Warlords Of Atlantis] of Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds [1965-1966] acclaim of course.

After awhile you begin to see just how incestuous the film industry is in certain circles. This is certainly not necessarily a bad thing. It's just interesting.

The People That Time Forgot was nominated for Best Fantasy Film [1977] by the Academy of Science Fiction and Horror Films. It was also filmed partially at Pinewood Studios in England. That's right, THE Pinewood Studios, home of Space:1999 and the latter portion of UFO. You have to love the six degrees of separation or human web vibe found in classic science fiction like the Kevin Connor/ Doug McClure films. One more thing, did you know Kevin Connor directed two episodes of Space:1999, Year Two, Episode 9, Brian The Brain and Episode 13, Seed Of Destruction? It just blows the mind. The late, great Doug McClure passed away from cancer at the ripe young age of 59. McClure may be gone, but unlike the films in question here, he's among many of the people that have gone before, but are never to be forgotten especially by this fan. Here's a scene featuring the wonderful kid cool of Doug McClure. Honestly, does it get any better than this?



Yes, no CGI here friends only the finest in latex rubber. Doug McClure is not only an ACTION MAN, but a man of calculated and well-timed actions. He's McClure the PLANNING MAN.



Doug McClure was the man's man no doubt about it, a balls-to-the-wall, old school, bare knuckle brawler. He could get into a fisticuffs faster than you could pull a six shooter.



Here's a scene for fans of Shane Rimmer, who also starred in Kevin Connor's Warlords Of Atlantis. The sequence also features Richard Le Parmentier [Admiral Motti in Star Wars] and Sarah Douglas [see below].



Shane Rimmer wastes no time hitting on the primitive peoples time forgot either. I can't blame him here. Here's a little guide on how to pick up trashy, primitive, The People That Time Forgot babes should you need to know.



I've recorded the trailer for The People That Time Forgot for our final human web test question and your amusement. Can you tell me who provides the voice of the trailer narration? Clues are within this very post.



Actor Footnote: Sarah Douglas [1952-present]. English born. Douglas has had an intriguing resume including roles in Space:1999 [Year Two, Episode 12, The AB Chrysalis], Superman [1978], Superman II [1980], Falcon Crest [1983-1985], Conan The Destroyer [1984], V: The Final Battle [1984], Babylon 5 [1994] [Season One, Episode 9, Deathwalker], and Stargate SG-1 [Season Two, Episode 11 & 12, The Tok'ra]. For another interesting association check out the bottom of the entry on Richard Le Parmentier, formerly married to Sarah Douglas, for Space:1999, Year One, Episode 7, Missing Link.