A Conversation for Talking Point: British Sci-fi vs American Sci-fi
False Dichotomy?
And Introducing... A Leg Started conversation Sep 16, 2003
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the original Star Trek was actually very tatty? Plastic rocks, obvious latex masks on the aliens and a starry background that was actually a black sheet with some pinholes in it and a desk lamp behind? It was also the best Star Trek for script quality, though, so... hmmm? What do other people think?
False Dichotomy?
Researcher 244522 Posted Sep 16, 2003
Well the trouble with the first Star Trek series was the need for the lead characters to go in and sort it out themselves. How often did the first two levels of command (Kirk and Spock) put their lives on the line leaving Scotty in comand of the Enterprise. Can you imagine the captain of a Wet Navy ship deseting his post to go and sort out the locals taking the First Lieutenant with him and leaving the Second lieutenant in charge? In the regulations if the ship went into action he would be charged with desertion of his post in the face of the enemy, certainly in the British navy and 90% sure in the US navy.
The effects were a bit naff. ST2 TNG was more realisic that way, Ryker and Picard never left the ship at the same time, although Ryker was almost unable to have a relationship with a human, only humanoids. Think on it, only that "Irish" gypsy type girl played by Rosalyn Landor. All the rest Betazoids, Bajorans, et al. Unlike Kirk who screwed anything with boobs.
False Dichotomy?
Bez (arguaby the finest figure of a man ever found wearing Bez's underwear) <underpants> Posted Sep 17, 2003
Don't forget the original Klingon makeup.
Hmmm, he's got a droopy moustache and some fake tan, must be an alien.
False Dichotomy?
Kerr_Avon - hunting stray apostrophes and gutting poorly parsed sentences Posted Sep 17, 2003
Chaps, we *are* talking about 1965 here. Effects and make-up in most other films and TV weren't much better. You're trying to judge by today's standards, when we're talking about a programme nearly 40 years old...
False Dichotomy?
Bez (arguaby the finest figure of a man ever found wearing Bez's underwear) <underpants> Posted Sep 18, 2003
True, but the klingon makeup was pretty bad even for 1965. All the othe aliens had blue skin, or antenna, or lizard faces, etc. Compared with them the moustache and a tan doesn't exacty seem like they were pushing things to the limit.
Even spock got pointy ears, at least.
False Dichotomy?
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Sep 18, 2003
Call me an old fuddy duddy but i grew up watching Kirk and co stick the size nine federation jack boot on the universe and I loved it. Being allowed to stay up on a friday night to watch St (which followed It's a knock out ofn British TV) was a huge treat.
It remains the only ST series which wasn't hidebound by continuity and where characters where actually allowed to do interesting things because well, Jim Kirk was a bit of a rebel and knew that the Federation was, like the pirates Code, more of a guideline than a reality and if confronted with a glowing time Guardian the only thing a right thinking man would do would be to jump through it.
Since then, the scriptwriters have become far too fascinated in the techno babble. Call me a heretic, but I neither know nor care whether warp engines are technically possible - they are a means to get the ship from one story to the next, not a story in themselves. All you really need to know is that the 'Engines cannae take it Cap'n'. Any thing else is redundant claptrap and takes away valuable air time from the characters.
Oh yeah, I forgot, the charcaters in every series since the original have been as dul as dirtchwater and nobody in their right mind would give a tinkers cuss about them anyway...
I had high hopes that Enterprise would be free from the nonsense of continuity and techno-bable, but if anything it's been even worse.
False Dichotomy?
Kerr_Avon - hunting stray apostrophes and gutting poorly parsed sentences Posted Sep 18, 2003
False Dichotomy?
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Sep 18, 2003
Oh thank God. I thought I was the only one who had spotted this small but important flaw in Enterprise.
False Dichotomy?
A Super Furry Animal Posted Sep 18, 2003
We have a phrase in our household which is apposite here: Enterprise is a pile of plop.
False Dichotomy?
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Sep 18, 2003
Oh thats alright then. We all can agree on something.
Probably a first for me and Kerr... At least on tv programmes.
False Dichotomy?
Agapanthus Posted Sep 18, 2003
My pals and I have taken to saying, of anything that does not live up to its advertising/packaging, 'It's a bit Enterprise'. And the main reason I watch Next Generation is because I quite fancy Patrick Stewart.
False Dichotomy?
Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like Posted Sep 18, 2003
Well, I'd be lying if I said that 'quite fancying a cast member' isn'rt a valid reason for watching something.
I mean, I've say through episodes of Andromeda and Alias... And I'm gonna see Underworld and God knows that looks awful...
False Dichotomy?
Kerr_Avon - hunting stray apostrophes and gutting poorly parsed sentences Posted Sep 18, 2003
Andromeda I've managed to sit through. Not Alias though. *How* does shxte like that and Mutant X keep their funding, while Firefly and Dark Angel go to the wall
Nope, even my dire-hard Trek fan mate admits that Enterprise resembles badly written-fan fiction. And that bloody song sounds like something Bruce Springsten would sing. *and* Gareth sodding Gates sang it at the closing ceromony of the Commonwealth Games
False Dichotomy?
NuclearConfusion -Not a lot of money in the revenge business Posted Sep 18, 2003
... you got something against The Boss?
The theme song did break with nearly 40 years of instrumental tradition, though. Not a good plan what with Trek being so heritage based. Got a lot of fans somewhat alienated.
False Dichotomy?
Kerr_Avon - hunting stray apostrophes and gutting poorly parsed sentences Posted Sep 18, 2003
Nah, the original ST theme music wasn't purely instrumental. The Enterprise theme is just crap, that's all.
Key: Complain about this post
False Dichotomy?
- 1: And Introducing... A Leg (Sep 16, 2003)
- 2: Researcher 244522 (Sep 16, 2003)
- 3: Bez (arguaby the finest figure of a man ever found wearing Bez's underwear) <underpants> (Sep 17, 2003)
- 4: Kerr_Avon - hunting stray apostrophes and gutting poorly parsed sentences (Sep 17, 2003)
- 5: Bez (arguaby the finest figure of a man ever found wearing Bez's underwear) <underpants> (Sep 18, 2003)
- 6: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Sep 18, 2003)
- 7: Kerr_Avon - hunting stray apostrophes and gutting poorly parsed sentences (Sep 18, 2003)
- 8: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Sep 18, 2003)
- 9: A Super Furry Animal (Sep 18, 2003)
- 10: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Sep 18, 2003)
- 11: Agapanthus (Sep 18, 2003)
- 12: Blues Shark - For people who like this sort of thing, then this is just the sort of thing they'll like (Sep 18, 2003)
- 13: Kerr_Avon - hunting stray apostrophes and gutting poorly parsed sentences (Sep 18, 2003)
- 14: NuclearConfusion -Not a lot of money in the revenge business (Sep 18, 2003)
- 15: Kerr_Avon - hunting stray apostrophes and gutting poorly parsed sentences (Sep 18, 2003)
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