h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

[Recovering from actually reading the backlog this time]

Prey was released on Jan 15th 1998 in the USA, and Feb. 10th 1999 on Channel 4, fyi... (Thanks again, IMDB! )

I own a prerecorded tape of the first four episodes of "Secret Service", which I'm pretty certain never aired in Scotland... Cunning, that, to have Stanley Unwin voicing a character called the Reverend Stanley Unwin...

'Prey' was really pretty dire, really, despite Ms. Messings obvious charms.
A bit like falling for Highlander: The Raven because of the female lead. But that was also pants.
I think Jim, you'll find that the green Eagle to which you refer is a transport Eagle, as opposed to the white ones which were the combat and scout model (or something similar). If its a die cast metal one, then it was released in three different versions; white, green and nuclear waste transporter. My brother has one of each, in mint condition, tucked away somewhere.

Jim, yes Butterflies may be a classic as far as some are concerned but some people think the same thing of Bread (Which was admittedly worse

Personally Carla Lane would have a one way ticket to Room 101 from me for all of her sitcoms.

For the long runners that should have been short lived thread click here F19585?thread=191805

What! You could get a white Eagle, and I didn't know?

Anyway, point me at the episode where they had green and red eagles, and I'll be happy. Otherwise, they were just making it up (like the unforgivable *red* thunderbird two that was produced at one point).

That's one thing that has radically changed from when I were a lad - tie-in toys these days are a lot more faithful to the original designs. But I suspect that's because they know they can sell them to people like me for a lot more than children can spend.

I *still* want an authentic comlock, but I've only ever seen fan-produced replicas, which are a little too expensive for me to justify. I always had to make do with one made with lego and cardboard.

I had a white Eagle toy when I were a lad

Oh Jim, I didn't say they were accurate. I just said what they were, according to the boxes they came in.

Fondly recall a story on "Newsround" about some kid's house being sealed off and people in moonsuits going in and removing several small objects which were labelled as nuclear waste... his Eagle transporter toy was no longer mint, clearly...

They actually changed the toy after that happened, to be slightly less "accurate"

I remember two Eagles... the transporter and the freighter. The transporter had a green detachable central module with opening stairs/doors, and the freighter had revolving holders for the little cans of "nuclear waste". There was also, I seem to recall, an Airfix kit of something called a "Hawk Fighter" or something similar, which I never saw on the series. Looked like the front of an Eagle, sort of, but different stuff behind it. Definitely marketed and a 1999 tie-in though.

What's a comlock?

H.

There were two model kits - the Eagle and the 'Mark 9 Hawk' (IIRC) which only ever appeared in one episode - 'The Bringers of Wonder'. I had both of them, and they were great. especially because you didn't have to paint the Eagle green.

And a comlock was the device they used on Moonbase Alpha to open doors and communicate. It had a small black & white TV tube at the top so you could see who you were talking to, and each one was unique, so it would only let authorised people through certain doors.

Plus it looked cool (like everything on Moonbase Alpha, frankly).

Except the flared jumpsuits and Paul's<?> moustache, anyway...

Comlocks may all have been unique, but there was only one that really had a picture on it, according to the fanzines at the time...

It was the viewfinder from a (Sony?) studio camera, with a long cable which fed up the sleeve and down the leg of the actor's uniform. I briefly considered making one when I had a dismantled Sinclair pocket TV lying around...

Back on the point of the thread ... One of the funniest series ever ... unfortunately only 6 episodes ever made ... "The Dave Gorman Collection" ... I guess by definition it might be hard to have had a 2nd series ... repeating currently on Thursday night BBC2 - 11:20pm ... meant to post a link yesterday to tell you all ... sorree

I'm not sure that counts as a "series" in this context; it's a six-part adaptation of a stage show he'd been doing at the Edinburgh festival and various other venues around the UK... More a multipart documentary...

still very funny though...

Now available as a book too.

Can't see it being made into a film though.

I can see it being made into a film, by DG's flatmate (on video), but I don't see it getting a wide release beyond their living room...

Excuse me chaps, for interrupting your chat about green Eagles, white Eagles and the boxes they came in.

I think you need to rush over here. http://www.dullmen.com
Well, not rush obviously. That wouldn't be in the spirit of things at all. Do take some time to look at their information about airport carousels and park benches.

I'll wear my anorak to the meet up specially for you coelacanth. That way you'll be sure to be able to avoid me.

If it's a bit too hot for an anorak, why not try one of their t-shirts. Grey on gray.

I already have a t-shirt picked out. so

Just as long as you don't wear it with ..... http://www.sandalandsoxer.co.uk/

Two weeks ago I thought 'I'll come back to this thread, too busy to post just now'...

280 posts later!!!

Right, just a few comments on the backlog:

Mina (Posting 79)
>> Anyone recall Kit Curren? Might not be the name of the prog, but he was a radio DJ. I think that was very short. I liked it though!

The bloke in it has been on loads of stuff, including Grange Hill, and now he's in Corrination Street as Gail's bit.<<

Someone else has already posted on this, but just to add that Dennis lawson was in Kit curran, while Brian Capron is the fella you're thinking of, Mina. One-time heartthrob (!) on Grange Hill, he's now Britain's first soap serial killer in Corrie .

Old Uncle Zarniwoop (Posting 99)
>>One show that I remember was a puppet show made with stop motion plastacine called Dick Spanner. It was a detective show made in the late 80s by Gerry Anderson of Thunderbirds fame. It was a highly interesting concept, about a robot detective in the style of Bogart style. However, it ran for TWO episodes.<<

I think you'll find that was two *series*, Zarniwoop. Each series was split into five-minute episodes and shown on Network 7. Only later were they compiled into two stories. It was SO corny, but very addictive.

Jim Lynn (Posting 194)
>>"Joking Apart" - superb sitcom by Steven Moffat (who writes Coupling).<<

Superb, award-winning sitcom that ran to two series. Steven also wrote every episode (all 43) of Press Gang and is about to break into the serious bigtime with his first feature film, Me Again, which stars Bruce Willis (not bad considering, when he wrote it, he was hoping for Steve Coogan!).


But here's a show that definitely meets the criteria for this thread and is possibly THE most short-lived show ever:

'Heil Honey, I'm Home' - a sitcom in which the Hitlers (Eva and her husband Adolf) live next to a nice Jewish copule - with hilarious consequences.

Clearly VERY offensive, it was pulled from transmission and its first episode was eventually shown a number of years later by BSB's Galaxy Channel. It was, sadly, not so much offensive as just painfully unfunny. Past the initial concept, it was just dire. Though seeing Hitler come in for the first time and say the name of the show was, admittedly, quite silly.

Jimster