# Whither the great cheesy fantasy and SF shows of yesteryear? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034 "2005-01-16T17:13:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/101 "2005-01-20T02:57:07Z")
Anyone remember **The Powers of Matthew Star**? Aliens attack a planet and kill the king and queen so the prince escapes to earth with a gaurdian so that his natural powers can develop and he can return and claim his throne. The show starts off with him masquerading as a high school student then they revamp it so that he is a college student and working for the government. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/102 "2005-01-20T04:04:15Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > _Tales Of The Gold Monkey_ --very nifty Raider rip. I look on it fondly. Which reminds me of… **The Charmings** Snow White and Prince Charming, along with their two children, her stepmother (a witch) and one dwarf, take a magic nap by accident and wake up in modern-day suburbia. Both of which starred the hot-as-tar Caitlin O’Heaney, who managed to play Snow White as sweet, innocent, and sexy as hell. It’s almost scary how many of the shows in this thread I remember. I’d like to see some episodes of _UFO_ again. It was on when I was young enough to just watch anything with spaceships in it, and I’m very curious what I’d think of it these days. Did anybody else ever see [**Star Cops**](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0088613/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9U3RhciBDb3BzfGh0bWw9MXxubT1vbg__;fc=1;ft=4)? It was set in the near future (a couple orbiting space stations and mining colonies on the moon, has any other series ever tried that setting) and had a sort of gritty, police detective feel to it. (I’m sure there will eventually be a _Law & Order_ spinoff just like it.) Great dialog, good theme song, too. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/103 "2005-01-20T16:03:21Z")
For sheer cheesiness and obscurity it’s hard to beat a Canadian SF show called “Nebula Rangers.” Some of its sets consisted of translucent roles of acetate that just barely managed to cover the stage lights and so forth. And in one show there was a “torture” device that looked like … because it WAS … a dildo mounted on a CD player, held up by strings. (And no, it wasn’t an adult show). ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/104 "2005-01-20T19:52:05Z")
Here’s one I dredged up from dim memory: [Jason of Star Command](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078631/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9amFzb24gc3RhciBjb21tYW5kfGh0bWw9MXxubT1vbg__;fc=1;ft=21). I was thinking it was a spin-off from another show but apparently only the sets were spun off (from something even I can’t remember, Space Academy). ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/105 "2005-01-20T20:24:29Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > And in one show there was a “torture” device that looked like … because it WAS … a dildo mounted on a CD player, held up by strings. Perhaps I lack a fertile enough imagination, but I am having a really difficult time picturing this in my head. Did the dildo, like, thrust toward the victim when someone hit the “Eject” button? ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/106 "2005-01-21T17:52:56Z")
> [@Waenara](#): > > Did anyone besides me ever watch Space: Above and Beyond? None of my friends have ever seen it, but I remember it being very interesting, with some unique plots. > [@VampyChick](#): > > I did. Loved that show. I even owned the novelizations, up 'til they burned with the rest of my stuff. One of the first shows to get FOXed. Did they have a second season on the SciFi Network, or did I just make that up out of wishful thinking. the Sci-Fi Channel did re-broadcast the one (and only) season of **S:AAB** , and repeated it several times. unfortunately, despite many lobbying efforts by its devoted fan following, it was never taken up again by any network. FOX retained ownership rights, and SCI-FI only leased the re-broadcast rights IIRC. the ^%&^@#) suits at FOX killed it with neglect/constant timeslot shufflings, since they got into p!ss!ng bouts with the creators Morgan and Wong. M&W wanted a serious, character-driven series that explored some fairly deep issues. FOX jerks wanted something more like “Melrose Space”. bitter? who, me? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/107 "2005-01-21T18:30:19Z")
> [@lachesis](#): > > the Sci-Fi Channel did re-broadcast the one (and only) season of **S:AAB** , and repeated it several times. unfortunately, despite many lobbying efforts by its devoted fan following, it was never taken up again by any network. FOX retained ownership rights, and SCI-FI only leased the re-broadcast rights IIRC. the ^%&^@#) suits at FOX killed it with neglect/constant timeslot shufflings, since they got into p!ss!ng bouts with the creators Morgan and Wong. M&W wanted a serious, character-driven series that explored some fairly deep issues. FOX jerks wanted something more like “Melrose Space”. > > bitter? who, me? Ya know, Fox does a lot of that. What the hell is up with _that_. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/108 "2005-01-21T18:42:51Z")
> [@Robot Arm](#): > > Which reminds me of… > > **The Charmings** Snow White and Prince Charming, along with their two children, her stepmother (a witch) and one dwarf, take a magic nap by accident and wake up in modern-day suburbia. > > Both of which starred the hot-as-tar Caitlin O’Heaney, who managed to play Snow White as sweet, innocent, and sexy as hell. Which, for some reason reminds me of… _Scortch_, an _Alf_ ripoff, with a puppet dragon living with a family. Hillarity ensues. ---
**Author:** ![Sweetums](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/109 "2005-01-21T19:21:39Z")
> [@Dubious Weasle](#): > > That was the name! I was trying to remember and I somehow came up with the descriptive if misleading “Space Marines.” I loved that show. Oh, here’s one more to toss into the mix. > > Space Rangers > > [http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-2397/Space\_Rangers/](http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-2397/Space_Rangers/) > > First Aired January 1993 > Last Aired January 1993 > I think it lasted about 2 episodes. Imdb says that six episodes were made, but only four were ever show in the U.S. Too bad, I thought it had great fun potential. Cool looking spaceship too. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/110 "2005-01-21T20:00:22Z")
So many shows that I loved. Probe, Strange Luck, Wizards and Warriors, Forever Knight… _sob_ ---
**Author:** ![VampyChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5daacb/32.png) [@VampyChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VampyChick)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/111 "2005-01-21T22:50:53Z")
> [@lachesis](#): > > the Sci-Fi Channel did re-broadcast the one (and only) season of **S:AAB** , and repeated it several times. unfortunately, despite many lobbying efforts by its devoted fan following, it was never taken up again by any network. And of course, this was when I didn’t have cable. I was…er…something of a wee thing when the show first broadcast. Probably too young for it, really, but my parents figured I was too much of a sci-fi geek to keep away. Any chance it’ll be broadcast again any time in the future? Or, perhaps, for DVDS? (I hold the belief that eventually every series ever, including the ones that only ran for three episodes, will be on DVD) > [@](#): > > the ^%&^@#) suits at FOX killed it with neglect/constant timeslot shufflings, since they got into p!ss!ng bouts with the creators Morgan and Wong. M&W wanted a serious, character-driven series that explored some fairly deep issues. FOX jerks wanted something more like “Melrose Space”. And this, my friend, is what we call a classic case of ‘getting FOXed.’ As I said above, _S:AAB_ was one of the first. See also: _Firefly_, _Wonderfalls_, and many other deserving shows I can’t list off the top of my head. There was great fear for _Arrested Development_, but they appear to have beaten the curse. > [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Ya know, Fox does a lot of that. > > What the hell is up with that. It’s because FOX is run by monkeys. Look at what actually does stay on the air over there, and you’ll have to agree it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034/112 "2005-01-21T23:10:02Z")
> [@Waenara](#): > > Other people already beat me to mentioning _Viper_, _M.A.N.T.I.S._ and _Earth 2_… but what about _[Seaquest DSV](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106126/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9c2VhcXVlc3R8aHRtbD0xfG5tPW9u;fc=1;ft=16;fm=1)_? (aka _Seaquest 2020_) > > Aside from the talking/squeakin Dolphin (Darwin?), it seem to remember that it was pretty good in season one. Then the writers went insane or something. Season ONE? Dude. I liked the first 2 seasons. Season 3 was when it all went to pot. (I could be wrong, though – I’m severely insomniac at this point) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whither-the-great-cheesy-fantasy-and-sf-shows-of-yesteryear/285034.md?page=5)