ALL SCI-FI

Randy · Space Ranger Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 126 Location: Ohio

Darian Fawkes is a petty thief and conman who is bailed out of jail by his brother in return for undergoing an experiment that implants a "quicksilver" gland in his head that allows him to turn invisible. When his brother is killed, he ends up working for a top-secret government organization (disguised as the Department of Fish & Game) in return for injections of a counter-agent, which must be administered regularly to keep the gland from driving him insane.

I really, really liked this show!!!

Bud Brewster · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:48 pm Post subject:

Good grief! I just remembered that I haven't finished watching the DVDs of this show you sent me! I watched a bunch of episodes and decided to give them a rest -- then I forgot I had them!

You're right, it's extremely enjoyable. Very Happy

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Pow · Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 7:06 am Post subject:

Darn fun series with an engaging cast & plenty of humor mixed in with the action & drama.

Bud Brewster · Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2016 6:10 pm Post subject:

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Randy sent me DVD-Rs of this series, and I really enjoyed the ones I watched! But then I forgot about about the series for a while and didn't finish them! I need to pull 'em back out and watch the rest.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Bud Brewster · Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 2:16 pm Post subject:

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IMDB has 11 trivia items for this movie. Here’s a few of the ones I found the most interesting, in the blue text. Very Happy

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~ After the Invisible Man ended, Vincent Ventresca and Paul Ben Victor appeared together as gambling buddies in an episode of the NBC TV series Las Vegas. Their entertaining comedic chemistry was still intact and was acclaimed by fans.

Note from me: I enjoyed the interplay between Vincent and Paul as well. Very Happy

~ In the pilot episode, among Fawkes' doctors are Drs. "Baker, McGann, Hartnell, and Troughton." These are the names of various actors who have played the Doctor on the British TV series Doctor Who (1963). A later in-joke along similar lines has Fawkes using a business card with the name "I.M. Forman" on it; this was the name of the owner of the junkyard that appears in the pilot episode of Doctor Who.

Note from me: I admire a series that has such a high regard for a sci-fi legend and for the fans of that series.

~ In the episode "Exposed," Darian releases a crazed-looking man from a secret experimental prison, and comments "Do I know you?" The man he lets out was played by Adam Storke, who was the lead in an earlier series Prey (1998) - where Vincent Ventresca played a doctor.

Note from me: This is another example of sci-fi "in jokes" for the fans.

~ The end of season one was the two part episode "Money For Nothing". After part one was aired, the Sci-Fi Channel allowed viewers to vote on line to determine the outcome of the part two cliffhanger.

Note from me: I still keep putting off watching the
DVD-Rs that Randy sent me. I'll have to keep the item in mind when I watch the season 2 premiere.

~ A true cult favorite due to the neo-noir style plotlines, characters, humor, intrigue, and the entertaining chemistry of the lead actors, namely Vincent Ventresca and Paul Ben Victor.

Note from me: High praise indeed. Very Happy

~ Despite successful ratings in its time slots, this series lasted for two seasons before being cancelled due to cost issues and internal bickering between the Sci Fi Channel and its then-parent company, USA Networks. Despite its science fiction and action elements, the series' plot deals with a variety of adult themes such as freedom of choice, determinism, as well as state bureaucracy.

Note from me: More good reasons to watch this series.

~ Alex Munroe (Brandy Ledford) has numerous fight scenes in her appearances in Season 2. She only throws kicks in her fights. She never throws a punch.

Note from me: I've never bought the idea a woman who wasn't pretty well muscled could punch like a big strong hero.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Pow · Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2020 3:32 pm Post subject:

A shame that this fun series did not run much longer.

Some other "in jokes'' could have been having David McCallum and Ben Murphy as guest stars.

David was the lead in "The Invisible Man'' TV series from 1975~'76.

He played Dr. Daniel Westin who had discovered a formula for invisibility. He tested it out on himself and it worked.

However, once he found out that the government/military was going to weaponize his formula he immediately destroyed it.

This in turn rendered him invisible permanently because he needed the original formula to create a reverse effect.

Ben starred in "The Gemini Man" TV series in 1976 for 12 episodes.

Ben was a secret agent who had a special watch which could render him invisible for 15 minutes at a time.

Gloria Stuart, "Titanic," played the love interest in the Universal film of "The Invisible Man" with Claude Rains. She could have also made a guest star appearance.

Gord Green · Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2020 2:37 am Post subject:

Would it be ironic if I said "I never saw "The Invisible Man" ???
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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.

Pow · Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2020 1:58 pm Post subject:

I remember that the wonderful actor John Carradine was in one of those Invisible Man sequels.

He always chuckled because according to him he had the line "I've just seen the Invisible Man!''

Bud Brewster · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 3:46 pm Post subject:

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There are so many series like this one that should have gone on for several seasons! Damn, what is wrong with the viewing public these days? Rolling Eyes

________ Promo for 'The Invisible Man' on Sci-Fi

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___________ The Invisible man 2000 TV Promo

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Eadie · Galactic Ambassador Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 1670

Bud Brewster · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 4:45 pm Post subject:

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Yes, that's the problem in some cases. Confused

But that doesn't explain why audiences will sometimes ignore the merits of great movies and TV shows, thus causing them to fail! Shocked

The "suits" are businessmen, not artist. The artists are not business men. And a successful show or movie requires both — either in the form of a James Cameron or a Steven Spielberg, or perhaps in a partnership between individuals who embody these qualities.

Meanwhile, a large portion of the viewing public don't really have the ability to appreciate artistic endeavors, so the best productions which succeed in combining the talents described above tend to sail right over their poor mundane heads. Sad

Ah well. Such is life, eh? Rolling Eyes

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Krel · Guest

WadeVC · Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2024 4:12 am Post subject:

Pow · Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2024 1:15 pm Post subject:

Agreed, WadeVC. It is once in a Blue Moon that the network execs come up with an idea that will improve a television series. I've read that some of the suits really can see how well done a show is by the creators of it. But they feel they must come up with critiques about it simply to keep their jobs, even if they know the show is just fine as it is.

How sad is that statement about the TV industry and the way it operates?