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Probe / Search (1972-1973)
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Krel
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The photo of B.M. with two people in front of the screen is from the pilot, and was probably intended to be B.M.'s work station. Funny, but the other photos of him in front of the larger screen, the screen doesn't look as large as it does on the "Strange New World" set. I wonder if it's because his work station was a distance from the screen.

The dark set did have more of a mission control look with everyone working together. But the lighted set has everyone spread out, making it look like it is just a work room.

I read years ago, that it is thought that one reason why the show failed, was that the audience couldn't buy the technology as real. It was just too fantastic to them. Me? I loved the show.

I may have mentioned this before, but at the beginning of the Fox TV channel, they had a show like "Search", named "Fortune Hunter". It aired on Sunday nights and died a quick death because of being after football. Of the 13 episodes, only 5 aired on Fox. I remembered it being a pretty good show.

From Wikipedia:
The series was a high paced, action and adventure based show that followed the exploits of Carlton Dial (Mark Frankel). Dial is an ex-government agent whose high-risk assignments take him to exotic locales and into extreme danger, all in the name of recovering some of the world's most sought-after items – classified information, complex weapons systems, and the occasional endangered species, which have fallen into the wrong hands – for a handsome fee.

Dial is now working as a master agent for the Intercept Corporation, a high-tech global recovery organization based in San Francisco. Dial and his partner, the affable Harry Flack (John Robert Hoffman) execute incredibly complex plans to retrieve these valuable items, depending on split-second timing and an astounding array of sophisticated electronic gadgetry.

Dial is portrayed as a suave, charming and self-assured spy, similar in style, dressing and witty remarks to James Bond, who uses his quick wit and sense of humor to get him out of many precarious situations. Dial performs his high-risk assignments with deadly seriousness. Determined to keep his perfect success record intact, he depends upon split-second timing and an astounding array of sophisticated electronic gadgetry – not to mention his partner, Harry. Dial wears a special contact lens with a built-in camera and an electronic earpiece, so Harry can see and hear everything that Dial does. This also allows Harry to speak with Dial, relaying information to the agent immediately, from the safety of the home office.

As Dial travels the globe, Harry shares dangerous missions with Dial while linked to him by computer. He is in charge of the technological end, seeing and hearing everything Dial sees and hears, and providing the information not readily available to the average person. But much is left to Harry's imagination as the details of Dial's private life remain – well, private.

The humor in their pairing is that each man believes that he is the one in charge. Dial is the agent with "the perfect recovery record," the one who is always in danger, while Flack, the technological wizard, sees himself as "the brains," and lives vicariously through his partner, which often can get Dial into trouble.

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Hey, look what I found today! Very Happy

The episode called The Gold Machine is one of the best of the series, with Angel Tompkins teaming up with Huge O'Brien, with some very sexy scenes between the two, and several excellent action scenes as well.

And right at the end there's a shot of the control center from the front of the room, with the camera slowly pulling back to finally reveal . . . fanfare, please!

. . . one side of the giant screen! Cool






I wasn't sure it really was the big screen until I examined this other shot near the beginning of the episode and looked closely at the shape of the screen on the left side, specifically the rounded lower left corner.





Here's the same long shot with the edges of the screen highlighted in green.





However, I still can't help thinking that shots like the one above — which shows the "big" screen just beyond Mr. Meredith's console — is actually just two miniature props set up to look like the full sized props.

And notice how the long shot above which shows one edge of the big screen, does NOT have the screen positioned directly in front of the consoles! It's well off to the left so that the camera can view all the consoles without being blocked by the screen.

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


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sat Oct 24, 2020 9:13 am; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

I watched the first regular episode of this great series again today (I own the wonderful box set, the picture quality of which is excellent), and I was impressed anew by the delightful interplay between Hugh O'Brian and Angel Tompkins.



__________


Angel played the Probe Control technician in charge of monitoring the vital signs of Probe agents during their missions.

But she and Huge shared a strong physical attraction, and this luscious blue-eyed blond became deliciously jealous (and downright catty) whenever her instruments detected Hugh's elevated respiration and heart rate whenever he encountered an attractive lady! Wink

The great thing about this series is the way agents like Hugh were constantly receiving messages from Probe Control personnel through their ear plugs whenever they provided them with data they needed to accomplish his mission.

However, whenever Angel's super high-tech instruments detected that Hugh was aroused by a lady he was chatting with (purely in the line of duty . . . most of the time), she'd start delivering snide remarks right into his hidden earpiece!

It's delightful to watch Hugh struggle to remain calm with the woman he was flirting with while the gorgeous Miss Tompkins repeatedly chastised him for having "lecherous intentions" for the lady. Laughing

Meanwhile, the Probe Control Director — Burgess Meredith — would threaten to fire Angel if she didn't shut up and stop jeopardizing the mission with her distracting remarks! Shocked

Generally speaking, the series was skillfully written, produced, directed, and edited. The cast was top notch in every way. And the technology was presented so intelligently that it STILL seems ahead of what we have today . . . 47 years later!

I swear, guys, this series is more fun than a barrel a' horny monkeys . . . cooped up with all their girlfriends! Cool

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


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sun Feb 23, 2020 9:30 am; edited 1 time in total
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Krel
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 11:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've wondered if the movie, "The Chairman" (1969), was an inspiration for the show.

The movie is about a scientist (Gregory Peck) who is sent into China to try and acquire the formula for an enzyme the Chinese developed that allows crops to be grown in any environment. He has a transmitter implanted in his mastoid, that allow his conversations to be listened to, and his movements tracked. What the scientist isn't told, is that the transmitter has a powerful explosive, that it can be remotely detonated if the Chinese discovered what his mission was, and he can't escape.

David.
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Krel
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 23, 2020 9:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud, I found this on the Facebook "Search" TV show page. It is a small article on why they changed the look of Probe Control. I thought that you might find it interesting.

(This article originally appeared in The Rock Hill Herald of February 10, 1973.)

Veteran television and motion picture art director Fred Harpman reveals that sometimes the less he has to do, the tougher the job is.

That is sort of the curious situation Harpman finds himself in as the result of a “new look” now being woven into the “SEARCH” television series starring Hugh O’Brian, Tony Franciosa, Doug McClure and Burgess Meredith.

“What it really amounts to,” Fred explains, “is toning down much of the exotic, space-age atmosphere of previous episodes. Actually, what we must do is de-emphasized our stage dressings.”

The primary requirement for his new sets on “SEARCH” is to eliminate what best could be termed the almost-fantasy type of lighting and stage techniques of earlier episodes while still maintaining the sophisticated, ultra-modern look that the original format of the series intended to impart.

“For instance,” says Fred, “we are doing away with the black backgrounds used in Probe Control that gave the visual effect literally of a limbo or infinity. We are giving it a less eerie dimension by utilizing concrete walls to at least enable us to ‘contain’ this particular room but still allow it to be identified as a secret, modern operational center.”

Lighting is an especially effective tool for the art director, according to Harpman, who has been in the business since 1950. He is using less striking colors which tend to give the fantasy or, as he calls it, “playtime” effect. By more use of simple lighting, a better color balance is achieved, he says.

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 24, 2020 9:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Thanks, Krel! Very interesting. Very Happy

When the series first aired, I was very disappointed when I saw the changes in Probe Control's lighting, going from the dark background and red lighting to the well-lit background and bluish colors.

But I managed to accept it eventually and enjoy the stories. However, the article you quoted did help me understand what the produces were trying to do, even though I don't agree with it. 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)
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Pow
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 24, 2020 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some "SEARCH" facts.

The show was on NBC and originally broadcast from September of 1972 to August of 1973.

The 2-hour pilot the series was titled "Probe," then it was altered to "Search" for the weekly show because the PBS network already had a series named Probe.

"Search Control" was the name of the show in the UK on the BBC 1 network.

Search was created by Leslie Stevens who earlier had created the s-f classic TV show "The Outer Limits."

Robert H. Justman was a producer on Search and had also been a producer on "Star Trek: TOS."

The show was marketed as "Science Fiction in today's world.''

Hugh O'Brian played Hugh Lockwood and was designated as Probe One — Lead Operator. Hugh was in the pilot and 8 episodes of the show.

Tony Franciosa played Nick Bianco: Head of Omega Division and also appeared in 8 episodes.

Doug McClure played C.R. Grover and was designated as a standby Probe emergency backup agent. Doug was in 7 episodes.

The miniature scanner was able to be magnetically attached to cuff links, tie clips, rings, or pendants.

A subcutaneous ear piece known as an ''earjack'' was implanted in an agent's mastoid process.

This allowed the agent to be in two-way communication with Probe Control via a mic scanner or tapping out code via a dental implant.

I did like the original set for Probe Control, especially the consoles.

Angel Tompkins! Be still my heart.
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Krel
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 25, 2020 1:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Agents also had a contact in their back teeth, that allowed them to silently answer Probe Control by Morse Code.

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 11:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Angel Tompkins wasn't just sexy because she was pretty — it was also because she made catty remarks about Hugh O'Brien's bio-readings when he encountered a women to whom he was attracted.

And Burgess Meredith would chide her about making personal and unprofessional comments that could be heard by Hugh! Shocked

In other words, Angel could "whisper" into Hugh's ear when she made sultry "jealous lover" remarks about his own physical arousal and make him even more horny than he already was because of the lady he was actually near and suavely flirting with! Laughing

It was a unique way to virtually "surround" our Bond-like hero with gorgeous ladies, one of whom (Angel) was actually competing for his attention, thousands of miles away! Cool

Note to Krel: I don't remember the tooth implant ever being used to send Morse Code. I think it was just "one beep" for yes, and "two beeps" for no.

Perhaps sending Morse Code was the series original plan, but I don't think it was ever used.

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


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:54 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Krel
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
Note to Krel: I don't remember the tooth implant ever being used to send Morse Code. I think it was just "one beep" for yes, and "two beeps" for no.

Perhaps sending Morse Code was the series original plan, but I don't think it was ever used.

Bud, I don't ever remember them doing anything but the one beep, two beep reply. But I just couldn't think of another way to put it. I guess I didn't put enough thought into it. Laughing

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 1:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

While watching The Adonis File, episode 9, I was reminded just how wonderfully hi-tech the Probe agents and the control room which supported them were! Very Happy

In the first nine minutes of the episode Hugh O'Brien (Lockwood) used his scanner/camera ring and his hidden earplug to do the following:

~ Lockwood is told that Senate candidate Bill Bixby had a suspiciously "brief" public biography on file.

~ A bio-meteric reading provided by Burgess and the control room guys alerted Lockwood that a man he was talking to was experiencing "brainwave agitation and an adrenaline surge" when Lockwood asked a question about three influential men standing 30 feet away at a cocktail party.

~ Lockwood then received detail information from the database about the three men, based on the image of the men which Lockwood sent using his camera ring.

~ Using Lockwood's scanner, a blond in the control room reports to Burgess that Bixby's wife was aroused when he introduced her to the handsome Lockwood.

~ Lockwood is told by an attract blond that she saw a waiter put a substance in his cocktail. Lockwood scans the drink with his ring and is informed by Probe control that the drink contained a poison . . . for which there is no antidote! Shocked

~ When Lockwood chases the waiter into a storage area and fights with him, Burgess pleads with him to get a clear shot of the assailant’s face, but the struggle never provides one. But when Lockwood is knocked out, the control room personnel feverishly report on this physical condition and debate calling an ambulance! However, Lockwood recovers quickly.

These are all prime examples of why I love this show!

The agents were constantly (and secretly) getting information they needed from the control room guys. And whenever they got into serious trouble, the control room crew would call an ambulance for him or anyone injured, or even the police when the clueless bad guys held a gun on them and said, “You’ve uncovered our plot, but you’ll never live to tell anybody about it!”

Even if the agent is shot right there, the bad guy’s confession had been recorded on video, along with the murder of the agent!

How cool is that? Cool

It just occurred to me that this concept has a lot in common with Star Trek TOS, in which Kirk and company were constantly given hi-tech support by the orbiting Enterprise, through it's scanners and vast computer banks!

I've said it before and I'll say it agian; this show should NOT have been cancelled! Sad

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


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Nov 04, 2021 3:00 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Krel
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 26, 2021 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Probe Scanner on ring mount.



The photo of the Scanner was labeled as the hero scanner from the pilot.

There were also less detailed Scanners used for stunts and non closeup scenes. I would think that at least some of the non hero Scanners were just photos mounted on a disc.

The Scanners could be attached to different mounts. The two I remember were a necklace and a ring mount.

If the photo is too large, let me know and I will reduce the size

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 27, 2021 11:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Wonderful image of the scanner, David!

I like your clever idea of "cheap" scanners which just had small photos of the circuitry glued onto a disc.

By the way, the image is fine. The size is 640 pixels wide, which is actually smaller than the 700 pixels that many message boards request (this one included.)

Thanks! Cool

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 4:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

If ever there was a show which was not appreciated because it was ahead of its time — it's this one.

Then again, if ever there was a show which should be remade because it's time had come — it's also this one!

Ironically, the fact that it was so ahead of it's time means that a reboot wouldn't need to "update" the technology to any large degree. It would just need to take advantage of modern FX techniques to display the technology better than the original show was able to do. Very Happy

For example, the camera/sensor which was presented as a small disk which could be mounted as a pendant on a chain around the agent's neck — or as a ring on the agent's finger — could instead be presented as a stylish pair of glasses the agents wear — with somewhat different designs for each person.

And of course, he could also wear another camera/sensor on a ring when that was advantageous as well.

However, if hiding the technology was considered important, I suppose each agent could have one false eye that was bionic. Unfortunately, that seems a bit creepy. I mean, their actual eye was surgically replace? Shocked

And besides, if that was the case, we wouldn't get to actually see any hi-tech hardware, like we did with the camera/sensors Sad

Guys, I'm open for suggestions on this. If the technology is visible for all to see, the bad guys can take it from them! But if it's implanted, we're just asking the audience to assume the agents have it! Sad

That might be more hi-tech . . . but it's less glitzy and sexy! Shocked

It's sort of like a sci-fi Western in which a gunslinger doesn't need to wear a six-shooter in a fancy leather holster and gun belt — because his fingers shoot out the bullets!

I mean, dammit . . . where's the fun in that?! Confused

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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Krel
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 9:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Glasses make a lot of sense Bud. In addition to the camera(s), it could give the Agent visual displays on the lenses, night/thermogrphic vision from the camerass

I remember in one episode they used the scanner's X-ray function (or was it thermographic) to open a safe. With glasses, the Agent could see for themselves, along with additions from Probe Control.

The camera/scanner would have to be very well disguised to avoid discovery. Remember the Google Glass debacle a few years back? People were getting beat-up for wearing them in public.

The original scanner would be carried as a decoy, and to provide additional scanning abilities.

David.
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