ALL SCI-FI

[Pow]

This was an unfortunately abandoned 1976 project that was a collaboration between Gerry Anderson & Fred Freiberger.

A four-man crew of the multi~purpose Rescue 4 space craft patrol outer space ready to act in the event of disasters which requires their fantastic vessel.

The craft could operate in outer space as well as in a planet's atmosphere. Rescue 4 could also hover or sail on the surface of any body of water. If the body was deep enough the craft could submerge and move through the depths.

R4 could also hover over land formations and land if needed.

Rescue 4 aka Inter~Galactic Rescue was a blending of the concepts of Gerry Andeson's previous sf puppet television shows Supercar and Thunderbirds but set in outer space.

R4 was intended as a live-action series with a 30 minute format.

Sidebar: R4 appeared to me to have enormous story potential by placing the premise in outer space and having the spacecraft performing rescue operations in space or on other worlds inhabited by human colonies.

It would have offered excitement, adventure, danger and sf elements.

I would have dropped the '4' part of the title as it seems impossible that a crew of four people could possibly command such a complex and enormous vessel.

A larger crew would be more realistic with each having a specialized skill sets depending on a particular mission.

The producers could also broaden the mission statement of the rescue spaceship in order to offer a variety of different story lines.

Yes, the ship is primarily for disaster relief first and foremost.

However, there could be occasions where the crew is ordered to ferry groups to destinations, ferry supplies to habitats, investigate mysteries or spatial phenomena.

Obviously once engaged upon a rescue mission these other operations would have to cease and be delayed.

The other non-rescue missions that come up would allow for a change of pace plots for the ship and audience.

I'm basing this upon the fact that there would be other spaceships that would transport groups, equipment, and perform scientific explorations.

But I would also establish within the premise of the series that there are a limited number of space vessels in operation at any one time.

This fact would require vessels to occasionally have to accept missions that are normally out of their routine operations due to necessity.

If the rescue vessel was not engaged in a disaster operation and simply patrolling, it would make sense that should they come across any unusual spatial phenomena that they could take the time to scientifically examine it.

Then the show could also explore the situation of the rescue ship just happening to be the first Earth ship to come across a first contact event with an alien race. Assuming the show wished to introduce aliens at all.

Gerry & Fred's Rescue 4 would be an entertaining television show that could be updated and now have the enormous benefits of today's state of the art special & visual effects.

I would recommend that the space ship not remain as only being in tact at all times.

The craft should have separation capabilities as needed. The largest section would be the part that carries the vessel throughout outer space.

A different section could disengage from the space ship and make planet landfall in order to operate in the atmosphere or on land or beneath the ground.

Finally, another section of the space ship could be able to operate over and under the surface of water.

The series today would also require an hour format since a thirty minute format just would not allow enough time to tell complex plots or allow for serious character development.

[Gord Green]

Sounds like a fascinating premise .

It may have looked something like Anderson's SPACE PRECIENT.
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There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

[Bud Brewster]

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Wow, Mike, you certainly found a rare item this time. I can't find a single thing about it on the web, either under Rescue 4 of Inter-galactic Rescue!

And I absolutely love all the imaginative speculation you did concerning the series' potential! You should be in Hollywood working on a series like this. You've got The Right Stuff for that kind of job.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Thanks, Bruce. I'd work on such a series ONLY in collaboration with all of you guys 'cause I sure would need your creative talents and insights in order to pull it off.

[Bud Brewster]

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Hot damn, what a great idea!

We'd work in a small "writer's room" and brainstorm ideas for the show! We could put a dartboard on the wall to distract us a little when writer's block caused a problem. Occasionally the show's producer would come in to check on our progress — a nervous, bald-headed guy with a name like, ummm . . . "Mel".

And we'd all have little nicknames for each other like "Buddy" and "Rob" and . . . oh, I don't know . . . something silly like "Sally"!

Wait a minute. Why does all this sound familiar?
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pow]

Some More Rescue 4 Facts

The spaceship would have a swing wing configuration that would be deployed once in a planet's atmosphere.

The ship would make vertical landings upon a planet's surface.
Pulsed sonic vibrating equipment would be utilized to break up a planet's terrain.

Thrusters would clear debris on the planet enabling the craft to "submerge" into the planet.

A multi-purpose energy generator would be used to disintegrate a rock face.

Alpha & Zeta are two robots used by the crew. They are similar in appearance to the robots seen in the feature film "Silent Running."

Concept drawings of the Flight Deck were similar to the Eagles cockpit from "Space:1999."

An Equipment Room featured a futuristic periscope that operated an energy and laser beam.

The Living Quarters would have a nutrient dispenser.

The crew would possess a hand held energy generator.

[Pow]

Rescue 4 is still an intriguing premise and is worthy of being revived for a TV series. It actually would be more exciting to do today with the benefit of state-of-the-art CGI, than what could have been done back in 1976 using only models.