Hosts – Fusion Patrol: Recent Episodes
Lone Locust Productions
Simon and Eugene mark the 800th episode of Fusion Patrol where they discuss the classic 1931 Frankenstein, the extent of the impact of this film across other media, the differences between the film and the book, and whether the film or Mary Shelley are responsible for the perception of the mad scientist.
00:01:00 Anniversary Opening
00:02:29 Frankenstein’s Obsession
00:04:51 The Monster Escapes
00:06:47 First Impressions
00:10:51 Boris Karloff’s Performance
00:15:26 Film Versus Novel
00:18:52 The Beast’s Short Life
00:22:33 Morality and Responsibility
00:26:18 Script Differences
00:30:41 Deleted Dialogue
00:36:10 Body-Snatching Ethics
00:39:35 The Stage Play
00:43:00 Mad Scientist Trope
00:50:24 Never Alive
00:53:54 Why Not Start Small?
00:59:04 Waldman’s Dilemma
01:00:37 Mary Shelley Revisited
01:03:07 Science and Fear
01:08:35 Final Thoughts
John and Eugene dicsuss the return of sad Buck, the daughter of America’s mom, the ridiculous plot contrivance of this episode, and how the name New New Orleans just trips over the tongue.
Simon and Eugene discuss Swedish electric wiring, hubots and eggs as baby substitutes, and how a baby upgrade programme could work.
Kenneth and Eugene discuss David Vincent’s need to have someone else believe him, the double-bluff of having an obvious main Invader guest star who isn’t, and ask the all-important question: If the cylinder contains the masterplan for invading the Earth, does that mean the Invaders have been working without a plan so far?
John and Eugene look at the 2492 Olympic games on the planet Mykos.
They discuss the in-built advantages/disadvantages of having aliens with different physical capabilities competing against one another, ponder how small of an area you could hold the games in if there were no pesky audiences, ask if the writers were unable to come up with two imaginary drug names, look at the fascinating history of the branding of this episode vis-a-vis the disastrous 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and come up with a new tag line for this podcast: “We’re from the future, and we’ve got some script notes.”
Kenneth and Eugene look at Andrei Tarkovsky’s famous, and ponderously slow, 1972 film, Solaris. They discuss why 40 minutes of the film is set amongst wet greenery, Tarkovsky’s daddy issues, they ask “What the hell was the point of the horse?” and “Why did we sit through 10+ minutes of silent driving through Osaka?”
This cursed episode of Fusion Patrol was over four years in the making.
00:00:35 Introduction to Solaris
00:01:39 The Lost Recording
00:02:02 Revisiting Solaris
00:02:48 Watching at 1.5 Speed
00:03:42 Synopsis of Solaris
00:05:37 Part Two of the Film
00:07:58 The Nature of Guests
00:08:36 Dissecting the Film’s Themes
00:12:09 The Nature of Identity
00:12:26 Different Versions of Hari
00:18:25 Film Length and Pacing
00:21:03 Cultural Context
00:30:43 The Purpose of Characters
00:32:40 Understanding the Guests
00:34:34 Questions of Existence
00:39:10 The Climax of the Story
00:45:22 Communication with the Unknown
00:54:00 Tarkovsky’s Personal Influence
00:55:46 Visual and Aesthetic Choices
00:58:02 Final Thoughts on Solaris
01:11:21 Critique of Adaptations
Next week: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Olympiad
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Simon and Eugene discuss upgrading the babysitter, the theme of children abandoned by mothers, and Eugene grapples with his unresolved cyber security issues.
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Eugene and Kenneth delve into The Invaders Season 1, Episode 8, “Doomsday Minus One,” where Major Graves faces a nuclear test threat while Spence’s paranoia leads to tragic consequences from alien forces. They discuss Vincent’s quest for truth, the episode’s tension, and the moral nuances of its characters, as well as frustrations with its reset button mechanics.
Next Week: Real Humans, Season 2, Episode 5
Next Invaders Episode: Quantity Unknown
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Eugene and John dive into Season 1, Episode 18 of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, “Twiki is Missing.” They humorously critique a high-stakes mission involving a spaceberg, a miners’ revolt, and a kidnapping plot against Twiki. Amid absurd twists, they discuss scientific credibility, casting choices, and themes of loyalty and free will, teasing the next episode, “Olympiad,” for more adventures.
Next Week: The Invaders, Doomsday Minus One
Next on Buck Rogers: Olympiad
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Ben and Eugene discuss Irwin Allen’s second attempt to get City Beneath the Sea going with this TV movie and seeming back door pilot. They discuss the survivability of an asteroid strike in the Pacific Ocean, Robert Wagner’s evil ‘tache, the fact that the unsuspecting people of Pacifica were always going to get saddled with the H128, and wonder if the US President’s name is Nelsonson.
00:00:34 Introduction to City Beneath the Sea
00:07:18 Erwin Allen’s Recycling Tactics
00:24:53 The H-128 Dilemma
00:28:08 Asteroid Impact and Its Consequences
00:29:50 The Science of Destruction
00:33:52 Matthews’ Desperate Decision
00:47:45 Behind the Scenes: Writers and Directors
01:03:07 Final Thoughts on City Beneath the Sea
Next Week: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Twiki is Missing
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Simon and Eugene look at Season 2, Episode 4 of Real Humans when they discuss far-right mentalities and arguments around migration and exceptionalism, we ask, if you create free will and yet still embed an override, is it still free will? Possible allusions to the Matrix and Frosty the Snowman, and Eugene reveals why he walked out of E.T. The Extraterrestrial.
Next Week: World Beyond Movie Night
Next on Real Humans: S02E05
In this episode of Fusion Patrol, Kenneth and Eugene be looking at Season 1, Episode 7 of The Invaders. With the episode entitled “Nightmare” where they discuss how the Invaders are like the Wild Wild West’s Dr. Loveless, ask, “why mutate butterflies when locusts are readily available?”, and why small towns immediately distrust outsider David Vincent but welcome a gaggle of invaders from another world with open arms.
Next Week: Real Humans, Season 2, Episode 4
Next on the Invaders: Doomsday Minus One
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In this episode of Fusion Patrol, John and Eugene analyze two contrasting episodes from Season 1 of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: “A Blast for Buck” and “Ardala Returns.” They explore the quirky narrative of “A Blast for Buck,” a clip show that offers a humorous spin on nostalgia while critiquing the logic behind its past villains. They examine the use of limericks and the challenges of tension-building in traditional clip shows. Transitioning to “Ardala Returns,” they delve into character dynamics with Princess Ardala and Killer Kane, discussing how their interactions deepen viewer engagement while highlighting the absurdity of the sci-fi genre. Through a lively dialogue about humor, character development, and narrative structure, and they reflect on the show’s evolution.
Next Week: The Invaders – Nightmare
Next on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Twiki us Missing
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Simon and Eugene look at the Dalek Master Plan, including the newly-recovered episodes 1 and 3, and they discuss companion deaths, the traditional Christmas Dalek, whether Douglas Adams watched this serial, and whether Mavic Chen could have been blue.
This week Simon and Eugene look at Real Humans, Season 2, Episode 3, and discuss whether coincidence in television is a product of convenience or pleasing the audience, whether the Hubot virus is mining Bitcoin, which characters might benefit from an external battery pack, and how on earth you would retrieve a retractable cord from a Hubitron 400 once the plug is cut.
Next Time on Real Humans: Season 2, Episode 4
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In this episode of Fusion Patrol, Kenneth and Eugene analyze Season 1, Episode 6 of The Invaders, titled “Vicar.” The story follows an electrical lineman who dies after witnessing aliens regenerate, prompting David Vincent to investigate Vikor Enterprises’ dark ties to the invaders. We examine the moral complexities of George Vikor, who prioritizes personal gain over ethics, and the troubled relationship with his wife, Sherry. Their discussion touches on the psychological toll of war, social commentary on veteran treatment, and the Cold War context, offering insights into the episode’s deeper themes.
Next Week: Real Humans Season 2, Episode 3
Next on the Invaders: Nightmare
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In this episode of Fusion Patrol, John and Eugene analyze Season 1, Episode 15 of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, titled “Happy Birthday, Buck.” The narrative explores Buck’s existential crisis as he confronts his 534th birthday and feels a sense of nostalgia for 20th century Chicago.
Next episode: The Invaders – Vikor
Next on Buck Rogers: A Blast for Buck & Ardala Returns
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Kenneth and Eugene explore the 1955 classic “This Island Earth.” Their discussion highlights Cal’s research, mysterious technology, and ethical dilemmas posed by the Metalunans. They reflect on the film’s pacing, special effects, and its commentary on Cold War politics, examining how its themes resonate with contemporary issues. They also discuss the film’s charm and its legacy in sci-fi cinema.
This week, Simon and Eugene look at the second episode of the second series of Real Humans. They discuss Chekhov’s robot grandfather, the Swedish electoral system, whether induction hobs are better than gas, and whether they would switch on digital replicas of their deceased loved ones.
Next week: This Island Earth (1955)
In this episode Kenneth and Eugene analyze Season 1, Episode 5 of The Invaders, titled “Genesis.” A police officers encounter with an Invader loosing his human form leads David Vincent to discover a desperate Invader plan to save the life of a scientist key to their invasion plans.
Next Week: Real Humans Season 2, Episode 2
Next time on the Invaders: Vikor
It’s the episode everyone has been waiting for! John and Eugene review Space Vampire!
They discuss the surprisingly effective direction of Buck Rogers’ take on the horror genre, the curious omission of the named “Dracula,” and they welcome the return of “Sexy Wilma.”
Next time on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Happy Birthday, Buck
Next Week on Fusion Patrol: The Invaders, Genesis
Not a movie, but a follow-up to our discussion of the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea feature, as we look at this television episode remake of the movie.
Ben and Eugene examine the moral dilemmas faced by Admiral Nelson and Dr. Weber as they propose differing solutions to a catastrophic scenario. The discussion highlights key themes of mind control, ethical responsibilities, and the implications of leadership during crises. We draw connections to the original film, contrasting its existential threat with the episode’s localized crisis.
Next Week: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century – Space Vampire
This week, Simon and Eugene look at the second episode of Real Humans, season 2, where they discuss the changes between the last season and this, or lack thereof, the loss of some of the interesting ambiguities, and whether there is a Swedish TV body count limit.
Next Week: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: The Sky’s on Fire.
Dr. Markham escapes the Invaders, leading to a chaotic pursuit involving David Vincent and Warren Donaghan, who fears alien abductions linked to missing scientists.
Kenneth and Eugene explore themes of friendship, skepticism, and belief in the face of the mysterious alien threat, dissecting the episode’s character dynamics and storytelling elements.
Dr. Markham escapes the Invaders, leading to a chaotic pursuit involving David Vincent and Warren Donaghan, who fears alien abductions linked to missing scientists.
Kenneth and Eugene explore themes of friendship, skepticism, and belief in the face of the mysterious alien threat, dissecting the episode’s character dynamics and storytelling elements.
Next week: Real Humans, Season 2, Episode 1
This week, Eugene and John explore Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Season 1, Episode 13, “Cruise Ship to the Stars.” They call out the awkward attraction between the 500+ year old Buck and the 19 year old Ms. Cosmos, critique the episode’s convoluted plot, humorously discuss Twiki’s romance, and ponder 2491’s beauty standards.
Next time on Buck Rogers: Space Vampire
Next week on Fusion Patrol: The Invaders – The Leeches
In this episode of Fusion Patrol, Ben and Eugene delve into the 1961 Irwin Allen film “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” starring Walter Pidgeon and Joan Fontaine. The discussion centers on the USOS Seaview and Admiral Nelson’s desperate mission to extinguish a catastrophic burning of the Van Allen Belt, which threatens all life on Earth.
They explore the film’s key themes, including the clash between reason and fanaticism, as well as character dynamics, particularly between Nelson and his crew. We also reflect on our personal experiences with the film, critique its scientific elements, and analyze the portrayal of authority during the Cold War.
Next Week: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century – Cruise Ship to the Stars
In this week’s episode of Fusion Patrol, Simon and Eugene dissect the series finale of Bugs, focusing on the two-part episode “Money Spiders” and “The Enemy Within.”
They argue over which of the many things Alex should have been fired for, they discuss whether the G5 is the chip Apple released five years after the show and why they didn’t use a Pentium chip to run a Windows program, and they talk about how Bugs went out with a whimper, not a bang, not even a single bang.
Join the conversation and revisit the thrilling conclusion of Bugs with them this week!
Next Week: World Beyond Movie Night looks at Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)
In this episode of Fusion Patrol, Kenneth and Eugene analyze Season 1, Episode 3 of The Invaders, titled “The Mutation.” The story follows David Vincent as he investigates mysterious phenomena along the Texas-Mexico border, leading to a life-threatening encounter with locals and ultimately, alien forces. Despite being undermined by those he encounters, including the deceptive Evans and Vicky, Vincent’s quest for the truth about the invaders drives the narrative.
They discuss the missed opportunities for deeper explorations of alien culture and the complexities of Vincent’s interactions with Vicky, who reveals her own mutation. They raise critical questions about identity and emotional depth, while critiquing its execution, noting continuity issues and the lack of logical consistency. They dissect the themes of rationality versus emotionality reflected in the series.
Peso notes: There was lots of confusion in this episode about peso->dollar exchange rates, so let me clarify some of the confusion.
in 1967, when this episode aired, the Mexican Peso (MXP) existed at a fixed exchange rate of 12.5 MXP for 1 USD. That means Vincent gave the men $24 USD.
Since then (in 1993) the Peso (MXP) has been replaced by the New Peso (MXN). The New Peso’s exchange rate floats freely on the market.
For additional context, $24 USD in 1967 money is roughly the equivalent of $230-$235 USD today.
Calculating what the money was worth in Mexico in 1967 is more difficult, but in the 1960s there were different minimum wages, which could vary depending on type of job and region. In some places, a laborer’s minimum wage could have been as low as 8 pesos per day. So for the laborers that took Vincent’s 300 pesos, that could have been a significant portion of a year’s salary for them.
Suffice to say, he gave them a lot of their money, and not too terribly much of his own.
Next Week: The Bugs two-part finale, Money Spiders & The Enemy Within
Next time on the Invaders: The Leeches
In this episode of Fusion Patrol, we explore “Escape from Wedded Bliss,” the twelfth episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. The plot unfolds as a menacing space probe prompts the Federation to act, while Princess Ardala plots to capture Buck as leverage against them. Amidst a chaotic reception, Buck navigates Ardala’s royal wedding challenges, ultimately facing off against Tiger Man. We critique the episode’s pacing and examine Ardala’s character, blending humor with serious themes.
Next week: The Invaders, The Mutation
Next on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Cruise Ship to The Stars
TranscriptEugene: Hello and welcome to another episode of Fusion Patrol. I’m Eugene.
John: And I’m John.
Eugene: And tonight we’re looking at Season 1, Episode 12 of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Escape from Wedded Bliss. Episode Synopsis. An unmanned space probe enters Earth’s orbit and adopts a threatening posture. Heuer orders it destroyed. However, the Starfighter’s pulsars are ineffective against it. It fires off a massive beam weapon, strikes outside New Chicago. Clearly, it was a warning shot. Aboard a draconian flagship, Cain and Ardala discuss Emperor Drago’s orders to destroy the Earth with the weapon. Ardala, over Cain’s protestations, is making some alterations to her daddy’s plan. She contacts Hewer and demands a meeting with the heads of the Federation and Captain Buck Rogers. At the reception, Buck’s contamination of 25th century culture continues unabated as a roller disco performance tortures the guests. Addressing the delegates, Ardala makes her plans known. Soon, she will replace her father as Draconian Empress. To secure that throne, she must marry the most genetically perfect man in the galaxy. That man is Buck Rogers. If the Earth does not turn over Buck Rogers to her to be her husband, their weapon will destroy all the cities on Earth. Later, to Wilma’s surprise, Buck appears to be running away. She assures him that the Federation Council will not sacrifice him, and they’re working on a plan to get her aboard the Draconia, destroy the weapons. Buck explains that it is hopeless without knowing the interior layout of the Triconia and the location of the weapon’s controls. He continues his preparations. The deadline arrives and Dr. Hewer delivers Earth’s answer. We’re not going to give you Buck Rogers. Ardala leaves, vowing reprisals in an hour. Buck is ready to head out on his trip, but Tweaky also does not believe he’s running. Buck admits to him that it’s a plan and eventually gives in to Tweaky’s emotional blackmail and takes him along. As Buck and Tweaky travel across the atomic wastelands outside New Chicago, Ardala blasts a few empty buildings in New Chicago and then gives Dr. Hewer two more hours to hand over Buck. The Federation Council buckles and agrees to hand over Buck. On the Draconia, Cain is still upset that Ardala is defying the Emperor’s direct orders. Ardala explains that once she has Buck and they’re safely returned to Draconian’s base, she will send the weapon back to destroy the Earth. Buck has reached his destination, a cave where Garadon, a former Draconian engineer, hides. He was tired of the fighting, and Buck saved him and gave him a place to live. Now, Buck wants a favor from him. Technical layouts of the Draconia. Both Earth forces and Draconian forces have tracked Buck here, and a fight begins, which the Earth forces win. Buck and Garadon are taken back to New Chicago, where Garadon’s brain is scanned for details on the Draconia. It will take time to analyze. More time than they have. Buck leaves for the draconia and the waiting princess. Ardala, alone with Buck, explains the three phases of a draconian royal wedding. In phase one, they get to know each other and get frisky. In phase two, Buck must prove his worth in combat against Tiger Man. And in phase three, they are married, and Buck is given an irremovable neck collar that can kill him instantly if he ever displeases Ardala. Phase 1 begins, and as things get frisky, Buck pulls out a concealed device which puts Ardala to sleep. He escapes into the ship, where it is revealed that he has a secret transmitter on him. He contacts Huer and Wilma, and they give him the probable location of the weapon’s controls. Ardala is too light of a sleeper, though, and she awakens before Buck can get to the weapon. Alerting security, Cain soon has Buck subdued and returned to the princess. So much for Phase 1. Thinking Buck was just trying to escape, they proceed to phase two. Buck learns that he doesn’t just have to fight Tiger Man, he must either kill or be killed by Tiger Man. The fight goes precisely as expected with Buck defeating, but refusing to kill Tiger Man. When Buck puts down his weapon, Tiger Man pounces and tries to kill Buck. Again defeats Tigerman and holds a sword to his throat, still refusing to kill him until Ardala declares Buck the winner. As a show of good faith, Cain withdraws the weapon from Earth’s orbit and puts it in a defensive posture around the Draconia. Buck tries to rattle his cage, knowing that Cain, also an Earthman, harbors ambitions of marrying Ardala, taking over the Draconian Empire. Buck suggests he turn the weapon on Emperor Draco and seize power now. Cain simply replies that he only need to wait until Ardala inevitably kills Rogers. The wedding begins, and moments before Buck is fitted with the collar, he drops a concealed blacklight bomb, steals a weapon, and makes a break for the weapon control. Inside the control booth, which is impenetrable to Draconian’s gun blasts, Buck puts the weapon on overload, destroying it. The overload blast stuns Buck and throws him to the floor. Ardala orders Tigerman to grab Buck and bring him to her. Tigerman refuses and takes Ardala hostage instead until she agrees to let Buck go. Tigerman, his life debt repaid to Buck, stays behind to face punishment. Back on Earth, Buck shows that there are no hard feelings about Earth betraying him to the princess by preparing some soybean derivative split pea soup for his friends. The end. Okay. Escape from Wedded Bliss. What do you think?
John: I like the bit about the split pea soup.
Eugene: That was a long time coming in the episode. Like 45 minutes before we got to that.
John: It was well worth it. That was some fine looking soup.
Eugene: It was at least green.
John: Yeah, it was.
Eugene: It was green. I wish they had gone there with Twiki, you know, trying to see if, you know, he can’t digest food. He can taste. And then, you know, it’s like, how? I don’t want to know. Maybe I don’t want to know.
John: Yeah. Who knows?
Eugene: Maybe they pour it over the top of his helmet.
John: Maybe they just stick his finger in it or something like that.
Eugene: There’s a straw there yeah there.
John: You go it was it felt like a filler episode kind of ambitious for a filler episode but a filler episode nevertheless the uh yeah.
Eugene: I don’t disagree i i don’t disagree you know it’s the funny thing is i remember all episodes of buck rogers some more than others space vampire for for example but and i remember this one i remember buck having to fight tiger men and i remember but i remember the weapon and i remember princess ardala you know hot and heavy for buck as usual, but the rest of the episode i was watching this going i don’t remember any of this i don’t remember buck going out into the wastelands which are not very wastelandy and finding you know when i watched the opening credits and it said alfred rider was in it i’m like professor crater you know from star trek uh and a million other things nexus from the invaders and it’s just you know a guy you see all the time a very distinctive face i’m like i don’t remember him ever being in buck rogers yeah and barely in it he’s barely in it and yet he got no credit at the opening part and And then just a few, yeah, it’s really weird. Yes, it it it’s not just that it feels like a filler episode. It feels like they had to put in a lot of filler to make the episode into an episode. And I think that’s probably why it kind of rambles on. Do you know, there was a one minute and 44 seconds of roller disco.
John: I was kind of hoping that you would time that because I definitely want to.
Eugene: I didn’t want to either but i use the video beauty of video files and marking the time stamps at the beginning and end i didn’t watch it twice so i had to do that i you know scroll back there it is start from the end stop subtract this time you know it’s one minute and 45 seconds of roller disco and drooling looks between buck and ardala particularly yeah not.
John: Not anybody else who’s in the the room with the roller skaters every all the humans in there look like they are absolutely bored.
Eugene: Bored senseless yes the guy next to you are over there is just like yeah yeah you.
John: Woke me up for this.
Eugene: You had to you had to collect me to come to this meeting i exactly.
John: This could have been an email if we.
Eugene: Had email in the future yeah it’s like just give him buck oh he brought this roller disco stuff and and i might as well go right there to the roller disco stuff in the movie music was i mean it was still music but obviously it was very not funky right we have that whole sequence where everyone’s dancing in this sort of formal ballroom kind of performance and then we have suddenly buck going up and like come on guys you know get some funky You get some, you know, down and a thing. And then only Buck and R-Doll are the ones that can actually sort of move around. And then suddenly, roller disco? Oh. just pops it where it must be bucks doing either.
John: That or maybe it’s there a touring troupe of roller disco the dancers from another colony someplace i don’t know.
Eugene: I swear i thought one of them was owen wilson oh.
John: That’s entirely possible.
Eugene: It’s not it’s not it’s not yeah yeah i did finally find their names of the the roller yeah it’s not owen wilson but and he’s boy to be too old or too young yeah yeah because i was looking at the i was looking at the uh stuff and i’m like pamela hensley was 29 years old when this episode aired and she is 73 years old now, feel old now because i sure do.
John: Yeah okay that.
Eugene: That is i mean i didn’t i didn’t exactly hate the episode but at the same time there wasn’t much to it.
John: No you could.
Eugene: Put pamela hensley on screen and.
John: Um you.
Eugene: Know okay all right yeah it’s like i can watch this.
John: You know i in my notes i have hensley is cute but hardly worth it uh it’s you know oh she’s way too high maintenance clearly, nobody’s that cute oh i mean there’s a lot of makeup involved i’m sure but, it’s just that not a very it did not deliver a very captivating performance and none of them did really well i mean like buck and the the regulars the usuals of the the crew were doing what they normally do then you know it was a normal episode for them a lot less acting required by a wilma and huer because they weren’t in it that much not much no but yeah it just, the the pacing the episode was just uh faltering not that it was really trying too hard, it’s yeah it’s ambling along yeah and and i have in my notes here ardala might be able to become a little bit more two-dimensional if she tried a little harder yeah well yeah, Yeah, it’s just like, oh, yeah, she wants a shiny thing. Oh, great. Whatever. Emperor’s daughter. She has to get the shiny thing. So bring the shiny thing over.
Eugene: I want the shiny thing.
John: Okay, fine. Whatever. She’ll find another one tomorrow.
Eugene: I do. And I’m sure I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it probably every time we see Pamela Hensley. How can she walk through narrow doorways? You know, she’s always coming through a double wide door because if she came through a regular sized door, she would bruise her hips. as a swing through on either side she has got one hell of a hip swing when she’s walking i mean it’s intentional obviously because she’s the princess but yeah it’s like that is but i remember her on um it’s not matlock it’s matt houston i think she walked the same way in matt houston, so i did not watch the show very often but my dad did and you know if you’re walking through the room and you see panel hensley banging your hips on a doorway like oh panel hensley there’s that distinctive sound yeah i’m just gonna swing go ahead i.
John: Was gonna say i didn’t realize she was in rollerball.
Eugene: Oh, yeah, she was one of the prozies, I think.
John: Yeah, one of the women procured for Karn. Yeah, and getting it mixed up with Slannick Green, unfortunately.
Eugene: Not as much rollerblading in this.
John: Exactly, yeah. Still dystopian.
Eugene: More eating, less rollerblading.
John: Yes. Yeah.
Eugene: All right, I’m just going to run through my notes in no logical order, and some of them are picky, and some of them we’ve already covered. So, opening sequence. The ship flies over Earth, it’s in orbit over New Chicago, and who is out there? It’s Wilma and Buck. And why are Wilma and Buck out there? Well, presumably Wilma’s out there because they don’t have anybody else in Earth Defense Force whose job it is to be on duty when something happens and fly up. You know, someone is on scramble, scramble. It’s like, oh, it’s Wilma today. No, I don’t think it is. I do not think it’s going to be Wilma. I think it’s going to be a grunt. But OK. And then this thing, this obviously advanced thing. It’s like, oh, we brought Buck along just in case it happened to be a 20th century space probe. Really?
John: Something ancient.
Eugene: Something ancient. It’s like, really? I think it was just an excuse to have the two of you in the opening sequence. Other than that. Yeah. One of those things. So this weapon is not really a weapon. It’s a mining device. And it’s kind of funny. It’s a it’s an interesting little line that our dollar says that is more interesting than the rest of the episode to me. And that is, we found it on one of our two-year expeditions to the Galactic Center.
John: Yes. I’d like to hear more about that, please.
Eugene: Yes, I would, too.
John: What other things did you find? And what is at the Galactic Center? Is it chewy or crunchy?
Eugene: Maybe at some point, Buck will manage to get himself on a starship, and they can go exploring space, the final frontier, and go on missions. It would be horrible. It would be horrible. it would definitely be a mistake yeah yeah so but if this thing is such an incredibly powerful weapon you can’t destroy it with your guns uh how did the draconians get it.
John: Oh i’m gonna guess what they did is they went to the people who are running it killed them and then took the control equipment there you go problem solved except.
Eugene: That they have this massive weapon.
John: Yes that they use as a mining device and they’re terribly short-sighted didn’t realize it could be used as a weapon it’s like every science fiction book and movie where you have a spacecraft with a fusion drive or something like that fusion drives are great for moving a spaceship really fast but you turn it around and it is an awesome weapon, You could probably flatten an entire planet, given a short amount of time.
Eugene: Yeah, I suppose. So I’m going to say, I think I’ve said this before, I like Buck Rogers in the 25th century. I like Gil Gerard as Buck Rogers in the 25th century. He comes off as a really amiable guy, likable person, who can be a bit of a jerk, obviously.
John: Oh, yeah.
Eugene: So he’s got a little bit of a thing. So I have no complaints about his portrayal or the casting of him. But you have really got to sell me a bill of goods to convince me that Buck Rogers is the most genetically perfect man in the galaxy.
John: Well, I would say that his genetic material is probably fresher. Yeah, fresher.
Eugene: Less worn down. yes.
John: I would say that it’s because he comes from a time before the atomic holocaust and he doesn’t have that higher background radiation degradation of his dna that everybody else on earth would have and all the colonies and stuff.
Eugene: Ignoring the.
John: Whole if you’re asleep in a spaceship for 500 years you’re still absorbing radiation so you would have well whatever uh science technical stuff i will dispel it with a modicum of hand wavium there done.
Eugene: Would you have thought that our dolla was the universe’s biggest optimist because you’ve got you’ve got a situation here of half glass full half glass empty uh half full most genetically perfect man in the galaxy half empty least degenically compromised man in the galaxy yeah and then that doesn’t take into account all the draconians who i are they men does it have to be a human from earth i mean that part’s a little i mean we know why ardala wants him ardala wants him because, yeah exactly wants him but exactly but you know somebody else has got to be convinced that he’s the most genetically perfect guy in the galaxy like the emperor and like the people of draconia.
John: So, yeah, I believe there is an episode that actually is about having genetic perfection.
Eugene: I believe you’re correct.
John: Don’t want to skip into the future, but I’m sure we can revisit this soon.
Eugene: We are going to violate the temporal prime directive a little bit later here in this episode. But apart from that, we’ll we’ll try to. Yeah, we’ll try to generally sort of. I didn’t mention that there’s going to be a rock and roll band later on. So that was, despite the roller disco.
John: I had forgotten that. Thanks.
Eugene: You’re welcome. Wait till you hear 20 minutes of that same song. The only tune they play. But we’ll come to that. Your seems to have been demoted. Did you get that feeling?
John: No. From what little I saw of him in the episode, he seemed to be.
Eugene: He wasn’t the guy that made the decision to send Buck back it was the Federation Council well.
John: Maybe there’s been a push for more oversight.
Eugene: Yeah that’s what I mean in previous episodes going back say you know like to the first few of the season he was pretty much the word, even though he was just in charge of quote unquote the defense director He seemed to be the boss man in absence of the computer council. But in this, he’s he’s maybe the head chairman of the council. I’m not sure. But he certainly didn’t feel like he was calling the shots at times. And I thought it was kind of odd But then if he had been calling the shots Then he definitely would have been the guy Who had to crumble And go, I’m sorry, Buck, I’m going to have to send you to Ardala I know that that’s against our principles And I said I wouldn’t do it, But, you know, they blew up a, you know, a thing and they could kill us all. And the, and the weird part is I know they’ve got the whole ploy about Buck going out into the atomic, the green lush atomic waste.
John: Yes.
Eugene: But anybody who knows Buck would go, Buck would just turn himself in. He would just go, you know, you have no choice. I’ll, I’ll go do it. I’m going to win it here, you know? but he didn’t he did that whole subterfuge thing yeah it’s kind of odd yeah also the federation council i love the fact that heuer is like all right well theo i’m gonna need your help rounding up the federation council what are they cattle it’s like there’s an odd turn of phrase it’s like and you think you can figure it out he’s like i’m thinking earth’s been attacked the federation council probably should have tuned in on the tv yeah i’ve been notified that there’s been yeah some developments but it sounds like they’re off doing you know whatever and see if you can find them i think some are at the spa yeah go go check the local.
John: Bars and the jail.
Eugene: So here’s the other thing we briefly touched on it, but this is an odd episode because of how, what a wonderfully principled stand they take. You know, we will not turn somebody over for blackmail. Oh yeah. Yeah, we will. We will turn somebody over for blackmail because like I say, you know, presumably they’re supposed to stand for something. and you don’t the threat didn’t change right our dollar showed what the weapon could do, and they’re like she can blow a hole in the ground outside new chicago well we have principles no you can’t have buck rogers and we’ll stand up to him and say no you can’t have buck rogers and then she blows up a couple ample buildings a little closer to town and they’re all like okay oh oh, she could actually shoot us it’s like turn that guy over right now get over that guy right now yeah do we really.
John: Need this gentleman in our society no we don’t.
Eugene: And it really is goofy because in any other episode buck would have assessed that situation on the ground at the beginning and said you guys have no choice i have to go oh yeah and he could have said, Let’s get the plans to the Draconian. But he didn’t. He pretended like he’s running off. And I don’t know. It was.
John: My guess is that I would have been very interested to actually find out how he did this. But maybe he smuggled. What’s the guy’s name?
Eugene: Garridan.
John: Garridan.
Eugene: Sounds like a monster from Ultra Q.
John: Yeah, it does, actually.
Eugene: Yeah.
John: Smuggle the kaiju egg back From the draconian ship And incubate it Oh wait no, Yeah Maybe he smuggled them to Earth, because i mean.
Eugene: Why wouldn’t earth give him asylum but okay you.
John: Have a draconian who’s sitting out living in a cave uh.
Eugene: Yeah yeah why okay are there any.
John: Other draconian sitting out there.
Eugene: Other well we’ve come back to that in a few minutes won’t we but yeah so here’s my question so buck does go to the guy buck convinces him to help but the only way they’re going to get that information in sufficient detail is to take him back to new chicago and scan his brain how exactly was he going to do that i don’t know actually out there going hey could you just draw me a hand map of the draconian yeah exactly put an x on the spot where you think they might have installed a new secret secret weapon that you’ve never heard of before right.
John: You know what’s the most logical place to put it yeah.
Eugene: What was he gonna do he had to be taken back and have his brain scan. It’s the only way this would have worked.
John: Yeah. I’m guessing that his idea was, he was, he was going to talk to him and appeal to his sense of right and wrong and all that kind of fun stuff.
Eugene: Then you have to come back and get scanned.
John: Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Eugene: Would have been so much easier if he just gone out there right away and you know, but why did he have to have a motorcycle? Why couldn’t he just take one of the ground cars?
John: Well, you know, cause motorcycles were in back then.
Eugene: With sidecars with yes with sidecars that was convenient for tweak yeah yeah well so i i do want to say this though you know turning buck over was a betrayal by the spineless council that is that was a you know we sacrifice your life for ours hi we’re craven but dot somebody putting a tracker on tweaky seems like you were all the way Ha ha. Right. I mean, that’s even more of a, that that’s a, Oh heck.
John: It was just a little air tag they found.
Eugene: That feels a little more, I don’t know, calculating. The council is just like, Ooh, quaking in their boots. Fine. We’ll turn him over. But here had to go ahead and do something to make sure I can catch Buck in the event that the council decides to turn him over.
John: Right.
Eugene: So that’s some… Yeah, that’s just odd.
John: Well, I think also that Hewer understands that Buck may have other plans and may not be very forthcoming with that information to the council. And yeah, let’s keep tabs on that.
Eugene: That truly is Dr. Hewer betraying Buck.
John: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Eugene: I mean, that definitely he he needs to eat that split pea soup.
John: Yes, he does. Yes, he does.
Eugene: You will eat this soup, and I don’t care how bad it is.
John: Yeah.
Eugene: You will deal with it.
John: I’m pretty sure that the food that Buck makes and offers and tries to get everybody to eat is his form of retribution and passive aggressiveness towards these people. Because he really can’t do anything else to them. I mean, they give him a place to live and something to do, and he’s helping out and stuff.
Eugene: But still, here’s something we do not know about Buck Rogers. And in a way, it makes a difference. Is Buck Rogers a good cook back in the 20th century? Or is Buck Rogers not a good cook? And so, see, it makes a difference if he was good and here he is in the future. He can’t make good because of the ingredients. or he is good and they can’t stand it because they don’t like his food. We don’t know which it is. We really don’t know.
John: I’m thinking because he goes out and he tries to recreate things from his past and stuff that he liked to eat that he might have, I wouldn’t say he’d be an excellent cook, but I think he was passable. You know, he, and he figures, yeah, this is a way for me to, you know, spend some time working on stuff and, you know, passing the time period and also to kind of recreate a little bit of home with what he’s got. And he’s good enough in the kitchen that he knows that that those, that’s the tool set that he can use to do this.
Eugene: So let’s face it if you if you were a bad cook and i can honestly say i’ve never had any food you’ve cooked i don’t know whether you’re a good cook or bad cook but it’s like if you were a bad cook and you were displaced 500 years right in the future and you were like oh i really really I really wish I had pizza. You might be inclined to try it. Good cook or not. Right. I mean, that’s, as you say, it’s that nostalgia factor. It’s like, you know, there is no other way. I’m just going to have to do this. I don’t know. I just feel like I wish I knew that about Buck because he does not come off like James Bond. James Bond, you know, is an excellent cook. He probably studied the Cordon Bleu, right? It doesn’t matter. He knows all the right wines. He knows exactly the food. He could cook anything he wants, but he doesn’t. He eats in fine restaurants, but he could. Buck? Don’t know. The guy might be able to burn a hamburger every time. we just don’t know and i don’t know i feel like i wish i did because i think they could make the jokes funnier about his food well.
John: Hieronymus fox seemed to like his cooking didn’t he.
Eugene: Yes now remember hieronymus fox though had given him a pointer the chili to make with the reptile so actually buck may have been doing better because hieronymus gave him a way to make it Because it sounds like Hieronymus Fox is a lot smarter than Buck, and Hieronymus Fox has spent more time trying to figure out how to get what he wants. And he has the resources of a whole planet that are willing to do anything for him. So, yeah. You know, we asked about, are there any other draconians living on the planet? I want to know is, A, sure, okay, Hura put a tracker on Tweaky, and they tracked Tweaky, which led them to Buck.
John: Right.
Eugene: Buck says, how did the DeCronians find me? They said, oh, they honed in on the same signal. One, how did they know that that signal was intended to be able to track Buck Rogers? And two, how did they get armed troops with vehicles on the surface of the earth?
John: Yeah, I guess that dome or sphere of protection that they had earlier is no longer working. Perhaps the warranty expired.
Eugene: They still know when ships are coming. You’d think they’d know if Draconia had launched a shuttle with, you know, armored ground troops on it.
John: Yeah, I know.
Eugene: That part was weird. And was that the Logan’s Run vehicle just repurposed?
John: No, I think those might have been from Battlestar Galactica. well.
Eugene: The the ones for earth defense but the one for the draconians was very similar.
John: I don’t i don’t think so i think if they would have i think they would have had a lot to do a lot of work cutting the top off from that the car didn’t have a top off the draconians one didn’t, sure i thought they were standing open you know with their guns ready to blaze the.
Eugene: Humans were but the Triconians were kind of hanging out the side. I think they may have put a turret on the top.
John: Oh, maybe that’s what it was. Now, I don’t think it was a solar car. I could be wrong. I think it was one of the, oh, not the snow rams. No.
Eugene: Well, they had the snow rams and the land rams on Galactica.
John: Maybe? I’d have to go find one of those episodes and look.
Eugene: Yeah. Why is it not a barren wasteland?
John: I don’t know. Oh, because Southern California isn’t like that, especially in the TMZ.
Eugene: Ah, okay. It seems to me like Earth is kind of a pleasant place you could go actually start living in again.
John: I know, it wasn’t that bad, except for the, you know, fleshy-headed mutants, which we don’t see much of.
Eugene: No, no, in fact, they probably got blown up in that first blast.
John: Yeah, exactly, they’re gone.
Eugene: Whoops, old Chicago, boom, there you go. So, Buck gets on board the Draconia, and he gets in a little frisky time, a little phase one frisky with the Princess. I think it’s very interesting the way this show is structured. clearly buck is banging everything he can get except for wilma and ardala, right i mean even wilma says i mean the maintenance bot this is i’m not the first person that you snuck in here you know yeah but buck will not do ardala, he won’t even take one for the team he always gets out of sleeping with her, I think his deception would be a lot more convincing if he actually did. Right. It would be a lot more convincing if he slept with her and then put her to sleep. With his little device.
John: Oh, that would be more, more James Bond-ish.
Eugene: Yes, I know. I know. And it’s, it is, Buck is clearly adhering to this sort of, I don’t like Ardala, therefore, I will not, I will not sleep with her. No matter how hard she tries.
John: Yeah, I think that’s pretty much just it. Yeah.
Eugene: I think that’s it. I think it’s just a television thing for the kids. We’re just not going to, we’re just not going to allow that, but it is kind of, and then who was the idiot who decided the thing would only keep her unconscious for 15 minutes?
John: Yeah, that’s unfortunate.
Eugene: That was really short or it felt really short. Maybe he was wandering around the ship for hours, but it doesn’t feel like that. No, it feels like he, you know, kind of went more or less to the right to the place and maybe within half an hour. and then so she wakes up so the device is not very useful, Another thing I am used by on this and several other episodes, it’s the time that this show was made. All the henchmen. What do most of the henchmen draconians have that really is out of place? Very 70s. That’s exactly it. Horrible mustaches. I know, you know, it’s not the United States military and they’ve got hair requirements. and things but the jaconians do look pretty weird just getting a bunch of disco bros with their. Their brush mustaches and sticking a helmet on them going you’re a soldier now boy yeah exactly, does not does not work kane has a great line i think it’s a great line i think it’s it’s one of the it’s one of the he has a couple of pretty decent lines in this episode one of which was that one i mentioned earlier in the recap about i only have to wait until the princess kills you because yeah you know that will happen he knows that buck rogers will do something that will cause her to and then kill him so you know he’s right there rogers is a temporary problem but when he shoots him which thank you rogers beats up a couple of mustached guards and then cane shoots him because yeah that’s what guns are for you’re a stubborn man rogers maybe that’s what the princess sees in you right that is that is pretty insightful because i think that’s part of it i mean i think she thinks rogers is pretty but i also think that it is because he is so stubbornly dead set against her right yeah she it’s like this is the kind of guy i need in my life right.
John: Pardon the analogy but she’s found a mountain that she must climb.
Eugene: Oh, you said pardon the analogy. I thought you said harden the analogy.
John: Whoa. That went so quick, didn’t it?
Eugene: Oh, yeah, it did. It did. It’s like, oh, yeah, got it.
John: Yeah.
Eugene: Speaking of breaking the temporal prime directive.
John: Yes.
Eugene: Here we go. this is the first appearance of michael ansara as cane placing henry silva in the the movie right the movie and you know he’s a different character he plays it differently but i i like this cane so i’m fine with that but there are some weird things about this episode not just including Cain, there is a later episode of the series called Ardala Returns. And looking at what it’s about and what I recall about it, more logically, that should have come before this one. Right. It it’s more about the old hat replacing the hatchet fighters and Tiger man is still in it as her guard. And, you know, you watch this episode and you would think at the end of it, who is not going to have a job head or life after this? Tiger man.
John: Exactly.
Eugene: He should be gone. And in fact, in our dollars, then subsequent return, he has been replaced by Panther man, different actor, same role, but different guy. As if, if you had swapped these two around, our dollar returns, she does this thing, Buck defeats her again. I think, I think that’s not spoilery enough that we can go there. And then she comes in She goes wow he beat me twice I really want that guy for my husband Comes back Tries to get him Can’t do it. So then kills Tiger man because obviously Kills tiger man and then she comes back again With panther man As far as I can tell though that it’s not It’s not borne out by the production Order, But it really feels to me Like they thought, you know because you could have just called this one our dollar returns because that’s what you need to know our dollar is back but yeah but by the time it’s the third appearance of our dollar i don’t think our dollar returns is the right name i think at the very least it’s our dollar returns yet again so i don’t know it it feels it feels like this is confused and they are being shown not in production order order but if the production numbers in Wikipedia are to be believed, this did come before unless the production numbers don’t mean the order they were made in either so I don’t know, but just kind of just kind of weird, I thought we weren’t going to you know looking at the list I thought we were going to see her again until our dollar returns but no here we go, Hats off to Buck trying to get Cain to double-cross the Emperor.
John: Yeah, that was a nice little, I want to say trick, but.
Eugene: Didn’t go anywhere.
John: No, well, it learned something about Cain, and that was important.
Eugene: Yeah, he’s smarter. He’s smarter than the rest of the Draconians.
John: Yes, the ones that we see anyways, yes.
Eugene: Yeah you know all our dolla needs is is buck the appearance of a wedding the crown on her head perhaps an offspring or two and then put that collar on buck and zap it into non-existence yep um it’s an interesting it’s an interesting idea it feels like i’ve seen it somewhere else but i can’t for the life of me think where the neck collar thing for oh that um keeping, matrimonial fidelity i.
John: Don’t know about matrimonial fidelity but wasn’t there something like that in the star trek animated series so one of the characters is was wearing something that he kept constricting around their neck yeah i don’t know i might be confusing that with a book i read i don’t know.
Eugene: Yeah and sign of the times if only opec could see me now oh.
John: Yes that was a nice little dig there.
Eugene: But it’s still gasoline oh yeah that’s the future we don’t he can just make gasoline and put i hope nothing else uses it ness just he had to get dr what’s his name to down at the archives to find him something to do as a gas substitute but, yeah i think they solved that better in babylon 5 when lanier put the uh mimbari clean energy device in garibaldi’s motorcycle for him there’s no way he could get gas for it so just put a different power source in there.
John: Oh yeah that makes sense.
Eugene: I don’t know that I have anything else on this episode.
John: I did notice that when they were watching the video screen initially in Hewer’s office and our doll is on it, if you look to the right of the screen, you can clearly see folded up gray duct tape covering some holes in the panel. It’s like, okay, why not?
Eugene: Well, wait a minute. That’s after the explosion knocked a bunch of stuff around, though.
John: No no no i.
Eugene: Think it was duct tape or gaffer’s tape.
John: It was shiny and gray it was definitely okay okay yeah okay or some sort of gaffer’s cape no well you know it might have been gray gaffer’s tape come to think of it but it wouldn’t well they might have hit it with gloss coat who knows didn’t have that fibrous look that duct tape has yeah but it was clearly tape.
Eugene: Hmm yeah i think if ardala was on screen i probably did not notice the tape.
John: Hey you know you watch the episode enough and it’s like okay i’m gonna look at other things now fair.
Eugene: Enough wilma for for starters and you know she only has two off-duty dresses in this or one off-duty dress in this episode.
John: Oh yeah interesting outfit i think that was probably reused in heart beeps.
Eugene: For bernadette peters.
John: Yes character.
Eugene: There’s there’s one for you heart.
John: Beeps please nobody nobody go out and look for that nobody needs to endure that, I own the DVD. I’m not very proud of that, but I do.
Eugene: Yeah, I’ve seen bits of it. Let’s see. That was enough.
John: Yeah, that’s about it.
Eugene: Well, I think that’s probably more than enough.
John: Mm-hmm.
Eugene: We have successfully escaped from wedded bliss. Yes. And the next episode of Fuck Rogers is Cruise Ship to the Stars or something like that.
John: That is correct. Cruise Ship to the Stars.
Eugene: Oh, it really is that. Wow. That is.
John: From December of 1979.
Eugene: That is more cliche than I thought. I knew it was about a cruise ship, but I did not realize it was literally Cruise Ship to the Stars.
John: I think this was when Love Boat was pretty popular, wasn’t it? Probably. Did that come later? I don’t know. Boy, I really don’t want to look that up.
Eugene: No, I don’t think I want to look that up either, but I will. Because now you’ve made me…
John: Yeah, 76 is when the first episode aired.
Eugene: Well, there you go. So yes, cruise ships. Well, cruise ships, I think, were popular back then.
John: Yeah.
Eugene: Anyway. So everybody loved a good cruise ship. They’re exciting and exotic.
John: And new.
Eugene: Before everybody found it, before they found out that it was nothing but a disease fest to sell you.
John: Yes.
Eugene: Tell you stuff and take your money at the casino. Yeah. No, but I’m not bitter. I’m not bitter. John, thank you for joining me.
John: You’re welcome.
Eugene: And listeners, I hope you’ll join us all again next time on Fusion Patrol.
This week Simon and Eugene look at the Bugs episode Twin Geeks, and discuss their disappointment at the size of this episodes’s explosions, whether lawyers are as scarce as police in Bugs Land, and they lament the lack of eccentric British gauge collectors in this episode.
Next week: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Escape from Wedded Bliss
Next time when we look at Bugs, it’s the 2-part series finale Money Spiders & The Enemy Within
In this episode of Fusion Patrol, the Kenneth and Eugene review The Invaders episode “The Experiment,” which features guest star Roddy McDowall as the son of an astrophysicist targeted by alien brainwashing. The discussion highlights the story’s strong Cold War influences, noting how the plot mirrors spy thrillers like The Manchurian Candidate by effectively substituting aliens for Soviet agents.
Transcript
This week Simon and Eugene look at the last nugget of the Disney-BBC Doctor Who deal, the War Between the Land and the Sea where they discuss parallels between the modern UNIT and Torchwood, whether Kate Lethbridge-Stewart is the true heir to the Brigadier, and Eugene explains why the naming of Homo Aqua is as inappropriate as the naming of the Silurians.
This week Fusion Patrol looks at Buck Rogers in the 25th Century – Season 1, Episode 11, Cosmic Whiz Kid as John and Eugene discuss—
- Buck sidelined while Wilma saves the day
- Cross-promotion stunt casting with Gary Coleman
- Ray Walston as an unconvincing villain
- The timeline and age math that do not work
- Aldebaran 2 as a lawless world with municipal androids and no police
Cosmic Whiz Kid Airdate: November 15, 1979 Runtime: 60 minutes Starring: Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Tim O’Connor Guest Stars: Gary Coleman, Ray Walston Director: Leslie H. Martinson Writer: Alan Brennert (teleplay), Anne Collins (story) Synopsis: When child genius and President of the planet Genesia Hieronymous Fox is kidnapped by criminal Roderick Zale, his bodyguard seeks help from Earth’s Defense Directorate. Buck Rogers is pulled from a planned vacation and teams up with Lieutenant Dia Cyrton to rescue Fox from Aldebaran II before Zale can use him as leverage for political gain.
This week Fusion Patrol looks at The Andromeda Strain as Ben and Eugene discuss hard science fiction tension built from plausible medical and military technology; human errors, prejudice, and design flaws that nearly trigger nuclear catastrophe; Nostalgic enthusiasm for long‑forgotten light pen computer interfaces; and a strangely prominent topless corpse and its clash with the film’s G‑rated reputation.
THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN
Release Date: March 12, 1971
Runtime: 131 minutes
Starring: Arthur Hill, David Wayne, James Olson, Kate Reid
Director: Robert Wise
Writer: Nelson Gidding
Synopsis: After a government satellite crashes in a small New Mexico town, nearly all residents die instantly from a mysterious extraterrestrial organism. An elite team of scientists is assembled in a secret underground facility to isolate the virus and determine why an elderly man and an infant were the only survivors. They must race against time and a nuclear self-destruct mechanism to neutralize the threat before it causes a global pandemic.
This week we look at “Bugs: Jewel Control” as Simon and Eugene discuss electricity billing, Beckett’s impressive Chinese reading capabilities, and whether Bugs is part of the same universe as Torchwood and whether it shares some of the same strengths and flaws.
Jewel Control“Airdate: ” August 29, 1998
“Runtime:” 50
“Starring: ” Jaye Griffiths, Jesse Birdsall, Steven Houghton
“Guest Stars: ” Naoko Mori
“Director: “John Stroud
“Writer: “Colin Brake
“Synopsis: ” A Colombian emerald baron plans to use an ancient Continuation of Government facility to take control of the world’s jewel market. The team is alerted when Colombian gangster Diaz enters the country and has a connection to an old friend of Ros’.
This week Fusion Patrol looks at “The Invaders: Beachhead” as Kenneth and Eugene discuss—
- Every aspect of the David Vincent’s life being systematically destroyed,
- Uncertainty about who is alien and who is actually human,
- Unreliable pinky gestures and Creator Larry Cohen’s intended symbolism of the aliens’ extended pinky,
- and they posit whether anyone would notice the difference between Bud’s and Kelly’s Diner
Beachhead Airdate: January 10, 1967 Runtime: 51 minutes Starring: Roy Thinnes Guest Stars: Diane Baker, J.D. Cannon, James Daly Director: Joseph Sargent Writer: Anthony Wilson (teleplay), Larry Cohen (story & creator) Synopsis: Architect David Vincent, tired from a late-night drive, stumbles upon an alien landing in a remote town. Unable to convince anyone of what he’s seen, Vincent finds his life unraveling as he obsesses over the mysterious invaders hiding in plain sight.
This week Fusion Patrol looks at the 1973 movie Soylent Green as John and Eugene discuss if starving people even care if Soylent Green is people, Charlton Heston’s most human performance in a dystopian film, women treated as apartment “furniture” in a collapsing society, and Edward G. Robinson’s final acting role as his own death scene
Soylent Green Release Date: May 9, 1973 Runtime: 97 minutes Starring: Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Edward G. Robinson, Chuck Connors, Joseph Cotten, Brock Peters, Paula Kelly, Stephen Young, Mike Henry, Whit Bissell Director: Richard Fleischer Writer: Stanley R. Greenberg (screenplay), Harry Harrison (novel) Synopsis: In a polluted and overpopulated New York City in the year 2022, detective Robert Thorn uncovers the corporate murder linked to a popular food product called Soylent Green. As Thorn investigates, he discovers the disturbing secret behind the food that sustains the masses, while society teeters on the brink of environmental catastrophe.
This week Fusion Patrol looks at Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, “Planet of the Amazon Women” as John and Eugene discuss
- Looking “like leftover dinner” as an insult.
- The proper technique for making a grilled cheese sandwich, which doesn’t involve holding bread over an open flame.
- Twiki’s use of the phrase “Holy Toledo.”
Planet of the Amazon Women Airdate: 1 November 1979
Runtime: 49 minutes
Starring: Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Tim O’Connor
Guest Stars: Ann Dusenberry, Jay Robinson, Anne Jeffreys
Director: Philip Leacock
Writer: D.C. Fontana, Richard Fontana
Synopsis: Buck is tricked into landing on the planet Zantia, where he is made a prisoner before being sold as a slave to Ariela, the daughter of the planet’s Prime Minister. While living on the planet, Buck learns that all male members of Zantia’s population have become prisoners of war while battling the planet Ruathan.
Simon and Eugene look at Season 4, episode 6 of Bugs — Pandora’s Box.
They discuss why you can’t fix a sixth century plague with modern technology, Beckett’s annoying, sexy upstairs neighbor, and why blowing things up is a much better solution to a contagion than containment.
Pandora’s Box Airdate: April 8, 1995 Runtime: 50 minutes Starring: Jesse Birdsall, Craig McLachlan, Jaye Griffiths Guest Stars: Michael Jenn, Paul Brightwell, Michael Garland Director: Ken Grieve Writer: Stephen Gallagher Synopsis: The Bugs team investigates the theft of an ancient Arthurian sword from a high-security vault. Unbeknownst to the thieves, the blade carries a lethal, long-dormant biological contagion that threatens to devastate London if not contained. Ed, Ros, and Beckett face a race against time to recover the sword, stop its sale on the black market, and prevent an epidemic.
Kenneth and Eugene discuss the final two parts of Children of the Dog Star, with the episodes Kolob, and Alien Contact.
Kolob Airdate: October 6, 1984 Runtime: 24 minutes Starring: Sarah Dunn, Jason Wallace, Hamish Bartle Guest Stars: Roy Billing, Susan Wilson, Catherine Wilkin, Raymond Hawthorne Director: Chris Bailey Writer: Ken Catran Synopsis: Gretchen finally uncovers the source of the strange power emanating from the swamp and learns some of its secrets, with help from Ronny and Bevis. As the children piece together the remains of the alien probe Kolob, they discover its true purpose and must decide whether its abilities should be unleashed, all while local tensions and warnings intensify. Alien Contact Airdate: October 13, 1984 Runtime: 24 minutes Starring: Sarah Dunn, Jason Wallace, Hamish Bartle Guest Stars: Roy Billing, Susan Wilson, Catherine Wilkin, Raymond Hawthorne Director: Chris Bailey Writer: Ken Catran Synopsis: When the alien power behind Kolob grows unstable, Ronny and Gretchen must act before disaster strikes the community. The children establish direct communication with Sirius B, uncovering the probe’s true origins and the reason for its mission on Earth. In the end, they face a difficult decision that will determine the fate of the alien technology and those around them.
John and Eugene talk about the time Buck Rogers met the Scream Queen, Jamie Lee Curtis, and they discuss the Tennessee delicacy, sand squid, as they look at the episode Unchained Woman.
Unchained Woman Airdate: November 1, 1979 Runtime: 48 minutes Starring: Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Tim O’Connor, Pamela Hensley, Felix Silla, Mel Blanc Guest Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael DeLano, Walter Hunter Director: Dick Lowry Writer: Michael Bryant Synopsis: Buck Rogers infiltrates a desert prison colony on Zeta Minor to free Jen Burton, a young woman jailed for her boyfriend’s crimes and needed to testify against him. Their perilous escape from the colony is complicated by the relentless pursuit of ‘Hugo,’ a damaged yet unstoppable android. The journey exposes loyalties, betrayal, and the harsh realities of justice in the 25th century.
This week, Ben and Eugene look at the 1956 Japanese Kaiju classic, Rodan!
Or, as originally known, Sora no Daikaiju, Radon.
Rodan Release Date: December 26, 1956 (Japan), August 6, 1957 (US)
Runtime: 74 minutes
Starring: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Akihiko Hirata
Director: Ishirô Honda
Writer: Takeshi Kimura, Takeo Murata (screenplay), based on story by Ken Kuronuma
Synopsis: Mining engineer Shigeru Kawamura investigates the deaths of his colleagues and discovers prehistoric nymphs along with a gigantic flying creature called Rodan. After Rodan terrorizes several towns, authorities attempt to stop the devastating monster in its destructive path.
I’m dropping a little detour here into the show notes, not directly about Rodan, but just because you may be interested. “Rodan! The Flying Monster” (1957) as it was billed in the US was distributed in association with King Brothers Productions, who, among other things, went on to produce Gorgo (1961), which is a film we’ll look at soon here on Fusion Patrol.
Friend of the show Anthony McKay has done a history of the King Brothers as part of his coverage of Gorgo for the most recently released issue of Little Shoppe of Horrors (Issue #52.)
If you’re interested in reading more, in the US, you can purchase it here, and if you’re in the UK, you can find it at Hemlock Books here. (Issue 52 wasn’t yet available on the UK site as of this writing, but should be soon.)
(This is not a paid promotion. Anthony provides us with a lot of fascinating background information, and he has written some fascinating articles for LSoH.)
Simon and Eugene look Season 4, Episode 5 of Bugs, Hell and High Water. They discuss how this throws back to earlier Bugs episodes, whether Alex commits the most unethical act seen in the show so far, and if you work on defense contracts and give your computer to a museum, whether you should check what’s on it first.
Hell and High Water Airdate: August 8, 1998 Runtime: 48 minutes Starring: Jaye Griffiths, Jesse Birdsall, Steven Houghton, Jan Harvey, Paula Hunt Guest Stars: TBA Director: Brian Grant Writer: Brian Clemens, Colin Brake Synopsis: When a military satellite threatens to crash into Earth, the Bugs team races against time to reach a remote tracking station and prevent global disaster.
Hello and welcome to this not-actually-an-episode of Fusion Patrol. I’m Eugene, and I’m all alone here today.
Have you noticed that Fusion Patrol episode numbers just keep getting higher and higher? Here we are at over 750 episodes. Our first episode dropped in April of 2010. That’s over 15 years. That’s like 30 to 60 times longer than many of the TV series that we’ve discussed here on the podcast.
Some people would say our discussions are sometimes 30 to 60 times longer than the episodes too. But that’s a different story.
15 years is a long time. And a lot has changed in the world and also in podcasting itself.
Listening to what I just said, I realize this might sound like an announcement of something drastic, like the end of the podcast.
It is not that. Far from it.
I do the podcast for fun, and I have been very fortunate to have a series of great co-hosts who are also doing this for fun. The podcast is still fun for me, so it goes on. But 15 years ago, I was, shock and dismay, younger and also more naive. Podcasting was newer and represented this new non-corporate frontier for creative outlets.
And, you know, hindsight’s a wonderful thing. And I can look back and I can see that I was deliriously optimistic in my estimation of the potential audience. Let me give you my thinking.
- At that time, podcasting represented a vast potential audience devoid of the financial restrictions of commercial TV or radio.
- I would have worldwide access to people who are, well, let’s just say it, nerds, people who were technically savvy enough to understand and do the podcast thing. These were my people, so to speak.
- The idea behind Fusion Patrol was based on local meetings in Phoenix of TARDIS and the United Federation of Phoenix, both of which were and still are longstanding local fan clubs that during the 1990s spent a lot of time watching TV shows and then over pizza later on talking about them. But even in the nascent podcast space of the early 2010s, Doctor Who and Star Trek were overrepresented. And therefore, the idea of generally avoiding these shows and concentrating on other, less common shows came about.
- My thought was that better to be a big splash in a small pond rather than a small splash in a big pond. We’ll come back to that pond later on.
- But of course, this was also the heyday of old nostalgia programmings getting DVD release. Shows that had been rarely seen in decades were beginning to show up, and programs from international markets were becoming available. So it was fertile ground, I thought.
But we are coming to the point of this little dissertation. Slowly, but we’re getting there.
Anyway, I was thinking at the time that Fusion Patrol was going to inhabit a niche uncovered by other podcasts, and in retrospect, we have. I have seen so many other podcasts come and go that have tried to muscle into our milieu.
In our current structure, we are doing an episode each from three different series and a movie every month. And we’ve still lapped other podcasts. Podcasts dedicated to shows like Blakes 7, Kolchak the Night Stalker, Crime Traveller and others have come, and sometimes they even got there before we started, and then we still beat them to the finish, and sometimes they never even made it to the finish.
We at Fusion Patrol are reliable, or as my dad used to say, “Glovers are just damn stubborn.”
I do still keep an eye out for these other podcasts because I genuinely like hearing other considered viewpoints. I’ve seen a lot of them come and go, and there’s one seemingly universal constant. There just aren’t enough listeners to justify the expense of the effort. I’ve always assumed that, like me, they expected, and when I say like me, I mean originally, they expected that the audience would prove sufficient to ultimately turn some form of a profit.
And I’m not going to lie, you know, when I started out, I really did kind of think, my gosh, There are so many thousands of us in the world that there must be something. And I thought, well, we’ll just build an audience and we’ll see what kind of revenue opportunities make sense.
But the sad reality is this is a small pond. There may be billions of potential people, but there aren’t billions of listeners.
So as you’ve guessed by now, this is actually about money. So let’s just talk brass tacks.
You are probably sick to death of the Patreon/Buy Me a Coffee spiel baked into the end credits. Or if you’re not sick to death, you’ve probably become so inured to it that you just don’t hear it anymore or you skip the end credits. Well, you know, whatever. It’s fine, and whereas you may be sick of it, do you know what I am? I’m embarrassed by it.
I am embarrassed to have to ask. And even in this most cursory fashion, every time I hear it, it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and I am embarrassed by it.
Nonetheless, let me say, if you are already a Patreon donor, or you’re someone who has donated to us through Buy Me A Coffee, whether one time or repeatedly, we can do this one of two ways. We can go With A Really Big Thank You. Or we can go with the effusive sort of thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
What the hell? We could go with both. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I honestly cannot express how much I appreciate it. I can only liken it to when you’re on a stage and you actually feel the applause from the audience. It is so much more than just money.
But I also get that you, many of you, most of you can’t support every podcast you listen to. I support some podcasts on Patreon, but I have to be very selective about it. And I try to send it where I think it will have the most impact with small podcasts.
Fusion Patrol had been running for five years before we even got a Patreon account. Over 200 episodes had been published. And I didn’t like the idea of asking then. I still don’t like it now. But at the time, I quipped, with your support, we could continue for another 200 episodes. And here we are, 500 episodes later.
In actual dollars, cold, hard, physical cash that I never see because it’s not cash, it’s electronic. But, you know, it’s money. The podcast costs me annually about 750 US dollars or sixty three dollars a month. And I’ve recently been notified of an eight percent increase on some of the hosting costs that’s coming in October. And those costs don’t include like the DVDs and Blu-rays that I purchased to discuss on the show.
So, if it’s financially within your means, and you find Fusion Patrol of value, I’m asking you, as sincerely and humbly as I can, if you would consider becoming a Patreon donor.
And if you’re one of those people who has a problem with Patreon, and there are plenty of legitimate reasons why you might, you can also donate either one time or monthly by way of Buy Me a Coffee.
But wait, there’s more. If you’ve listened this far, I imagine you’re a regular listener. So I would like to put a couple of other ideas out there.
We know, and when I say “we,” I mean the podcast industry, that for any population of listeners, there will only be a small percentage who can or will financially support a podcast. It’s a fact of life. We are a small podcast. This is a small pond. The revenue pool cannot be big.
It does depend on which shows we’re reviewing at the moment. But generally, generally, we get in the order of about a thousand listens a month, which is not a lot. However, 95% of those are considered impactful, which which just means that the listener listened to at least 75% of the podcast before they gave up. So that’s actually quite good. That means that the people who are listening are listening to the podcast all the way, more or less all the way through.
Now, if we had 2,000 listens a month that were 95% impact, that would make the pond bigger. And no, I’m not asking you to listen to each episode twice because that would actually defeat the purpose. But what you could do is to help spread the word. You could review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. You could share it with others. You could boost episodes that you like on social media or forums or wherever you get your nerd flag out.
And then finally, I’m going to throw this last one out to you because maybe you’ve got a great idea.
I consider Fusion Patrol to have the premiere back catalog of episodes on shows like this, right? Name me any other podcast that has all of Blake 7, Space 1999, Sapphire and Steel, Man from Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica, Doomwatch, Crime Traveller, The Night Stalker, The Fantastic Journey, Firefly, The Omega Factor, The Prisoner, Star Cops, Moonbase 3, so many other shows that we have done in their entirety. And they are all out there.
That’s a hell of a back catalog we’ve got out there. And it should be relatively evergreen because is there really that much of a difference between a review of a 50 year old show reviewed today or 10 years ago?
But the fact is, virtually no one listens to the old shows. That’s obviously largely due to the way podcasts syndicate and the way search engines searchicate and the fact that the podcast aggregators like Apple Podcasts will only list the last 300 episodes at absolute most.
So my question to you is this, can you think of anything that I can do to make them seen And more importantly, seen by the right people in the right context. Because when we’re looking at specific old shows, it’s no longer really about Fusion Patrol, the eclectic podcast on old sci-fi. But it’s something more like Fusion Patrol presents Space 1999 or some such. And I’d like to find a way to make those more seen, more listened to, because there’s somebody out there right now that’s probably thinking, hey, I should do a podcast on Doomwatch. It’s like been there, done that guy. But anyway, it’s a thought. And if you’ve got anything, let us know.
Anyway, thank you, everyone. Patrons, non-patrons, just listeners, thank you for making it this far listening to the podcast, for making it all the way through this plea for help. You will probably be hearing increased number of mentions of Patreon in the upcoming episodes through the rest of 2025 at least, but hopefully they won’t be too intrusive. But if you can help, it’s greatly appreciated.
Thanks again.
Kenneth and Eugene look at episodes 3 and 4 of Children of the Dog Star.
Swamp Light Airdate: April 16, 1984 Runtime: 24 minutes Starring: Sarah Dunn, Jeison Wallace, Hamish Bartle, Roy Billing, Susan Wilson, Catherine Wilkin, David McKenzie, Raymond Hawthorne, Anzac Wallace Guest Stars: John Mellor, Whatanui Skipwith, Jim Hickey, Rodney Newman, Dennis Gubb Director: Chris Bailey Writer: Ken Catran Synopsis: Power failures persist at the farm as the daisy rod continues to awaken, drawing Gretchen deeper into its strange lure. Gretchen confides in Ronny about her eerie experiences, while Bevis investigates suspicious activity in the swamp and witnesses mysterious lights—setting the stage for an extraordinary discovery that could unite Māori legend and extraterrestrial mystery. Alien Summons Airdate: April 23, 1984 Runtime: 24 minutes Starring: Sarah Dunn, Jeison Wallace, Hamish Bartle, Roy Billing, Susan Wilson, Catherine Wilkin, Raymond Hawthorne, David McKenzie, Anzac Wallace Guest Stars: John Mellor, Whatanui Skipwith, Jim Hickey, Rodney Newman, Dennis Gubb Director: Chris Bailey Writer: Ken Catran Synopsis: Bevis disappears while investigating the mysterious swamp, prompting a community search. As Gretchen and Ronny realize just how much danger he faces, the children’s discovery of the alien probe brings them closer to uncovering the secrets behind the otherworldly presence and the true purpose of the mysterious daisy rod.
Who’d have thunk it? Buck Rogers in the 25th Century decides to tackle issues of ageism, the mental anguish of disabilities, and questions of identity as related to the concept of “fixing” a disability. Or at least, it would have been if the production staff had given this episode much thought.
John and Eugene, on the other hand, give this episode way too much thought as they look at the Return of the Fighting 69th.
Return of the Fighting 69th Airdate: October 25, 1979 Runtime: 48 minutes Starring: Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Tim O’Connor, Felix Silla, Mel Blanc Guest Stars: Peter Graves, Elizabeth Allen, Robert Quarry, Woody Strode, Eddie Firestone, K.T. Stevens, Katherine Wiberg, Robert Hardy, Duncan McKenzie, Clifford Turknett, Dan Sturkie Director: Jack Arnold Writer: David Carren (teleplay), Robert C. Dille (characters) Synopsis: Buck and Wilma are forced to team up with a legendary squadron of veteran pilots brought out of retirement to stop gunrunners Commander Corliss and Roxanne Trent, who plan to use stolen nerve gas weapons against Earth. When Buck and Wilma are captured, the older aces must overcome their self-doubt and rally for one last daring rescue amid the dangers of an asteroid belt and a heavily-fortified enemy base.
This week Ben and Eugene look at the 1960 movie, Village of the Damned, inspired by the 1957 John Wyndham novel, the Midwich Cuckoos.
This week, Simon and Eugene discuss ultrasonic weapons and whether they are as effective at punching holes in concrete as they are at cleaning dental guards, Ross’s suddenly discovered sensitivity to sexism and Alex being patronized for her age, and Eugene introduces his groundbreaking conception of the three eras of Britain.
The Two Becketts Airdate: August 1, 1998 Runtime: 48 minutes Starring: Jaye Griffiths, Jesse Birdsall, Steven Houghton, Jan Harvey, Paula Hunt Guest Stars: Stephen Yardley (as Matt Beckett), Nick Brimble, Justine Francesca Glenton Director: Brian Grant Writer: Brian Clemens, Terry Borst, Frank De Palma Synopsis: Beckett’s estranged father turns up after ten years, seeking the team’s help against a powerful gangster. As the case unfolds, family secrets and unresolved anger come to the fore.
This week, Kenneth and Eugene begin their look at a new series here on Fusion Patrol — the 1984 New Zealand production, Children of the Dog Star.
This time, the first two installments, The Brass Daisy and Power Stop.
The Brass Daisy Airdate: April 2, 1984 Runtime: 24 minutes Starring: Sarah Dunn, Jeison Wallace, Hamish Bartle, Roy Billing, Susan Wilson, Catherine Wilkin, David McKenzie, Raymond Hawthorne, Anzac Wallace Guest Stars: John Mellor, Whatanui Skipwith, Jim Hickey, Jason Nathan, Dennis Gubb Director: Chris Bailey Writer: Ken Catran Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Gretchen arrives at her uncle’s farm for the holidays and quickly befriends local boy Ronny and birdwatcher Bevis. She is drawn to a peculiar brass weathervane atop the barn, but as odd events begin to unfold, the children discover the artifact holds a mysterious power—one that may be linked to legends of Sirius, the Dog Star. Power Stop Airdate: April 9, 1984 Runtime: 24 minutes Starring: Sarah Dunn, Jeison Wallace, Hamish Bartle, Roy Billing, Susan Wilson, Catherine Wilkin, Raymond Hawthorne, David McKenzie, Anzac Wallace Guest Stars: John Mellor, Whatanui Skipwith, Jim Hickey, Jason Nathan, Dennis Gubb Director: Chris Bailey Writer: Ken Catran Synopsis: Gretchen is troubled by strange events involving the brass daisy rod, which seems to cause mysterious power failures around the farm. While racing Ronny, she crashes into the swamp and the kids discover a curious brass artifact, deepening the enigma. Meanwhile, local tensions rise as surveyors plan to develop the tapu swamp, and Ronny’s people warn that the land harbors secrets best left undisturbed.
John and Eugene discuss the time Buck Rogers pits himself again the lamest group of assassins the galaxy can muster, and they ponder the riddle, “Why are they even a threat?”
It’s the two-part episode, The Plot to Kill a City.
The Plot to Kill a City Airdate: October 11–18, 1979 Runtime: 96 minutes (two-part episode) Starring: Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Tim O’Connor, Felix Silla, Mel Blanc Guest Stars: Frank Gorshin, John Quade, Anthony James, Robert Tessier, Nancy DeCarl, Markie Post, James Sloyan, Michael Delano, William Sanderson, Paul Koslo Director: Dick Lowry Writer: Alan Brennert (teleplay), Robert C. Dille (characters) Synopsis: Buck assumes the identity of a notorious assassin to infiltrate the Legion of Death, a group of super-powered criminals plotting the destruction of New Chicago. As Wilma goes undercover, Buck must outwit the deadly team—including their telekinetic, empath, and mutant members—while racing against time to save the city and expose the conspirators.
It’s hard to keep a good Phibes down. Would it be as hard to keep a bad Phibes down?
Ben and Eugene discuss the 1972 The Abominable Dr. Phibes sequel, Dr. Phibes Rises Again.
Dr. Phibes Rises Again Release Date: July 5, 1972 Runtime: 89 minutes Starring: Vincent Price, Robert Quarry, Valli Kemp, Peter Cushing, Beryl Reid, Terry-Thomas, Peter Jeffrey, Fiona Lewis, Hugh Griffith, John Cater, Gerald Sim, Lewis Fiander, John Thaw, Keith Buckley, Milton Reid Director: Robert Fuest Writer: Robert Fuest, Robert Blees, James Whiton, William Goldstein Synopsis: The sinister Dr. Phibes awakens from suspended animation and journeys to Egypt in search of the River of Life to revive his beloved wife. To succeed, he must reclaim ancient scrolls stolen by Darius Biederbeck, igniting a trail of murder and dark comedy. As Phibes and his mute assistant Vulnavia close in on their goal, rivals and investigators close in, culminating in a bizarre and deadly confrontation among the ruins.
This week, Simon and Eugene look at Bugs, Series 4, Episode 3, Girl Power.
When they discuss child geniuses being given the idiot ball, how convincingly Ed and Beckett are at getting duped, and when the Intel Pentium 7 chip came out.
Girl Power Airdate: July 25, 1998 Runtime: 48 minutes Starring: Jaye Griffiths, Jesse Birdsall, Steven Houghton, Jan Harvey, Paula Hunt Guest Stars: Joseph May, Milly Gregory, William Scott-Masson Director: Gwennan Sage Writer: Brian Clemens, Colin Brake, Stuart Doughty Synopsis: The team apprehends a young girl who broke into a secure government facility. Ros identifies with the girl, recalling her own youth, while a traitor within the center and a priceless mask become the focus of the investigation.
Kenneth and Eugene finally arrive at the final episode of Space Rangers with, the Trial.
This week, John and Eugene look at the Buck Rogers in the 25th century episode, Vegas in Space, where we ask the questions, do you see mirrors or a piano keyboard, and can Buck be a bigger SOB to Wilma than he was in the movie, we also reflect on Gil Gerard’s moment of acting.
Vegas in Space Airdate: October 4, 1979 Runtime: 48 minutes Starring: Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Tim O’Connor, Felix Silla, Mel Blanc Guest Stars: Juanin Clay, Ana Alicia, Richard Lynch, Pamela Susan Shoop, Cesar Romero, Joseph Wiseman, James Luisi, Alice Frost, Ted Chapman, William Conrad (voice), Eric Server (voice), Olan Soule (voice) Director: Sigmund Neufeld Jr. Writer: Anne Collins (teleplay), Robert C. Dille (characters) Synopsis: Buck and Major Marla Landers go undercover at the casino city of Sinaloa to rescue Felina Redding, a kidnapped employee carrying critical evidence. The mission puts them against the ruthless Morgan Velosi, forcing Buck to gamble with his life as they team up with unlikely allies to foil a deadly plot.
This week, on World Beyond movie Night, Ben and Eugene dip their toes into comedy/horror Diesel Punk with The Abominable Dr. Phibes.
The Abominable Dr. Phibes Release Date: May 18, 1971 Runtime: 94 minutes Starring: Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten, Virginia North, Hugh Griffith, Terry-Thomas, Peter Jeffrey, Aubrey Woods, Susan Travers, David Hutcheson, John Cater, Maurice Kaufmann, Edward Burnham, Peter Gilmore, Alex Scott, Norman Jones, Derek Godfrey, Sean Bury, Caroline Munro Director: Robert Fuest Writer: James Whiton, William Goldstein Synopsis: After losing his beloved wife during surgery, the mysterious and vengeful Dr. Anton Phibes unleashes a campaign of inventive murders on the medical team he blames for her death. Assisted by his enigmatic companion Vulnavia and inspired by the biblical plagues of Egypt, Phibes outwits Scotland Yard while conducting his macabre symphony of revenge. The film’s striking art deco design and dark wit have made it a cult classic of British horror-comedy.
This week, Simon and Eugene look at Season 4, Episode 2 of Bugs, Sacrifice to Science.
They discuss the naming of government security departments, the difference between boathouses and houseboats, and whether you could be excused for not trusting scientists if you only ever meet the mad ones.
Sacrifice to Science Airdate: July 18, 1998 Runtime: 48 minutes Starring: Jaye Griffiths, Jesse Birdsall, Steven Houghton, Jan Harvey, Paula Hunt Guest Stars: Robert Addie, Tom Butcher, John McGlynn Director: Brian Grant Writer: Colin Brake, Stuart Doughty Synopsis: Ros reveals the truth behind her disappearance as General Russell evicts the team from the bureau. When a deadly biological weapon threatens lives, the team must reunite to save the day.
A washed-up comedian, Buddy Hackett, arrives for a show, and there’s a disaster…
No, that description might just be a little too meta.
A washed-up comedian, Lenny Hacker, is en route for a show, and there’s a disaster. The Space Rangers team has to rescue him from a notorious prison planet.
Kenneth and Eugene discuss The Entertainer.
Investigating a mystery on the planet of the slave girls. Tough job, and only one man in the 25th century is up to it: Capt. Buck Rogers!
John and Eugene discuss Planet of the Slave Girls.
Planet of the Slave Girls Airdate: September 27–28, 1979 Runtime: ~95 minutes (as two-part episode) Starring: Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Tim O’Connor, Felix Silla, Mel Blanc Guest Stars: Jack Palance, David Groh, Roddy McDowall (as Roddy McDowell), Brianne Leary, Macdonald Carey, Karen Carlson, Michael Mullins, Buster Crabbe, Robert Dowdell, Sheila DeWindt (as Sheila Wills), Don Marshall, Diane Markoff, June Whitley Taylor Director: Michael Caffey Writer: Steve Greenberg, Aubrey Solomon, Anne Collins Synopsis: When Earth’s pilots are poisoned by contaminated food, Buck, Wilma, and Duke Danton travel to the farm planet Vistula to investigate. They uncover a web of slavery fueled by the sinister Kaleel, who plots to use the planet’s resources and people to launch an attack on Earth. With Governor Saroyan oblivious to the dark dealings on his planet, Buck must outwit both Kaleel and local factions to prevent disaster and liberate the oppressed.
Between seasons 1 and 2 of Space: 1999, Gerry Anderson took another stab at space opera, this time with an eye towards teachiing children about Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity.
How well did that plan go?
Find out as Ben and Eugene discuss The Day After Tomorrow. (AKA, Into Infinity)
The Day After Tomorrow (Into Infinity) Airdate: December 9, 1975 (US NBC); December 11, 1976 (UK BBC) Runtime: 52 minutes Starring: Brian Blessed, Joanna Dunham, Nick Tate, Katharine Levy, Martin Lev, Ed Bishop (Narrator) Guest Stars: Don Fellows Director: Charles Crichton Writer: Johnny Byrne Synopsis: In this Gerry Anderson sci-fi special, two families travel aboard the advanced spaceship Altares on a mission to Alpha Centauri. When the ship’s systems fail, the crew faces cosmic hazards including a meteor shower and a black hole, eventually venturing into an unknown universe and confronting the limits of human knowledge. Designed for young viewers, the story blends space adventure with educational insights about relativity and physics.
Simon and Eugene pick up where they left off on their coverage of bugs, this time with the opening episode of series 4, Absent Friends.
Where they rant… er… discuss recasting, retcons, recasting, cliffhangers, and recasting.
Absent Friends Airdate: July 11, 1998 Runtime: 48 minutes Starring: Jaye Griffiths, Jesse Birdsall, Steven Houghton, Jan Harvey, Paula Hunt Guest Stars: TBA Director: Brian Grant Writer: Colin Brake, Brian Clemens Synopsis: Ros has disappeared under mysterious circumstances, prompting Beckett, Alex, and Ed to search for her. Her car is found in a river and Beckett, desperate to find answers, comes into conflict with Jan.
This week, Kenneth and Eugene watch as Capt. Boon makes mistake after mistake after mistake as they muddle their way through the Space Rangers episode, Death Before Dishonor.
At long last, John and Eugene begin the much-requested coverage of the epitome of 1970s space opera: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century!
This week they look at the theatrical release and they spare some thoughts for the television re-edit.
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Release Date: March 30, 1979 Runtime: 89 minutes Starring: Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Pamela Hensley, Henry Silva, Tim O’Connor, Joseph Wiseman Director: Daniel Haller Writer: Glen A. Larson, Leslie Stevens (screenplay); Philip Francis Nowlan (original characters) Synopsis: 20th century astronaut Buck Rogers awakens 500 years in the future after a deep space accident. Trying to clear his name after being used as a pawn by the nefarious Draconians, Buck must adapt to a post-apocalyptic Earth and help defend it from imminent invasion. Along the way, he befriends Colonel Wilma Deering and uncovers a conspiracy that threatens humanity’s survival.
This week, Simon and Eugene finally come to the end of the 2025 season of Doctor Who and the end of the Gatwa era, when they look at the final two episodes, Wish World and The Reality War.
They discuss Ncuti Gatwa’s performance as the Doctor, compare the Deadly Assassin with the Reality War, whether it would have been more or less tasteless to joke about Ernest Borgnine’s death if he was still alive, if it makes Dimensions in Time canon, and oh, so many more things than this story actually deserves.
“Barbarella, pychodella, there’s a kind of cockleshell about you…”
It began as a scandalous comic book, then Dino De Laurentiis thought, “hey, they oughta make a movie about that.”
…and now, Ben and Eugene have to watch it and discuss it.
It’s the 1968 movie, Barbarella starring Jane Fonda.
This week on Fusion Patrol, Simon and Eugene look at the 2025 season of Doctor Who, episode number six, the Interstellar Song Contest.
They discuss parallels between the ice in the Doctor’s heart and the Time Lord Victorious, the influence of Diamonds Are Forever on this episode, why Eugene’s local sports team is the New Zealand national cricket team, and you can listen to us googling 1970s Eurovision winners.
[Go Black Caps!]
The Doctor lands in Lagos, and Simon and Eugene land on their thoughts about the Story & the Engine.
The consider which continents on Earth the Doctor tends to visit, barbershops in television culture, and give their Fusion Patrol literary recommendations.
Is it Simon and Eugene’s lucky day as they discuss Lucky Day?
They argue over the capability of this incarnation of UN.I.T., they discuss the history of the Think Tank organization and whether Kate Stewart sends the Doctor monthly reports.
Simon and Eugene discuss whether the Well is needed to be a sequel and which episode it should have been a sequel to, whether twice is too many times to play Britney Spears’ Toxic in two decades, and whether dialogue on TV used to be easier to hear.
Doctor Who 2025 barrels on with episode 2, Lux, as Simon and Eugene discuss whether animations have depth, the missing merchandise from this episode, whether they’re seeing a new season template emerging, and how the new TARDIS wardrobe works.
Simon and Eugene kick off the 2025 season of Doctor who looking at the episode, The Robot Revolution, where they discuss meta-paradoxes, RTD using Moffatisms, and how you count hyphenated words when you are missing every ninth word.
Simon and Eugene discuss different forms of mind transference, they rate Steven’s departure against other companions, and they discuss what aspects of animation take us out of a animated reconstructed story.
Come join the conversation as they look at the newly-released animated Doctor Who story, the Savages.
John and Eugene come to the end of Star Maidens with the final two episodes.
In Creatures of the Mind, where they discuss the implications of what happens if AI learned to move without the aid of wheels or legs.
In The Enemy, they ask the question, “was the whole point of this series leading to the revelation that the women of Medusa just needed to ‘man up’?”
They also wrap up their discussion of the series with far more analysis than this series probably warranted.
Join them and say, “farewell,” to Star Maidens.
Cheap Star Wars ripoff, or a more brilliant parody than Space Balls?
This week, Ben and Eugene look at the Roger Corman film, Starcrash!
This week, Simon and Eugene look at the final episode of the first series of Real Humans, episode 10, The Code.
They discuss the source of HuBot morality, how HuBot’s having an old USB-A port is at least better than a Lightning port, why HuBots don’t have laser eyes, and what the Swedish Actors Union might have to say about using digital clones to enable recasting.
Eugene and Kenneth look at the next episode of Space Rangers, in which Boon and the gang go on an expedition to capture their most deadly enemy, a race of aliens they know virtually nothing about and they discover along the way that they have deadly sonic powers.
Oh, so that’s why they’re called “banshees!”
It’s the episode Banshees.
John and Eugene explore two more episodes of Star Maidens.
First, the President of the planet Medusa dies and it is “The End of Time,” followed by Shem getting a girlfriend, who may just be cray cray in “Hideout.”
This week, it’s movie night, and Ben and Eugene take a serious look at a movie about a giant flying turtle. It’s 1995’s Gamera: Guardian of the Universe!
In this episode, Simon and Eugene look at Season 1, Episode 9 of Real Humans, Heritage. They discuss the Engman family melodrama, Hubot fire safety, and they reveal if they’d choose to be copied and put into a machine after they’re dead.
This Week, Kenneth and Eugene start a full-series look at Space Rangers with episode one, Fort Hope.
John and Eugene look at two more episodes of Star Maidens.
In The Perfect Couple, they find out what happens when bored surburan housewives get a load of the boys from Medusa, and in What Have the Done to the Rain? they ponder how stupid Rudy can be while at the same time being really smart.
This week, Ben and Eugene look at the 1972 British-American pilot movie Baffled!, a supernatural thriller starring Leonard Nimoy.
This week, Simon and Eugene tackle Episode 8 of Real Humans: Make Haste. They discuss Hubots in Love, Hubot Humor, and Hubot Voltage Standards.
Our coverage of Space: Above and Beyond concludes as Kenneth and Eugene discuss the final two-part season finale (and, as history records, also the series finale) episodes, “And If They Lay Us Down to Rest…” and “…Tell Ours Moms We Done Our Best.”
They discuss this week’s court-martial-able offenses, things that might have been if this series hadn’t been such an awkward mashup of space opera and Word War II melodrama, and not once, to their credit, do they complain about the horrible grammar in the episode title.
Join them as they bid farewell to Space: Above and Beyond.
This week, John and Eugene look at two more episodes of Star Maidens, The Trial, and Test for Love.
They marvel at everyone’s utter incompetence in these episodes.
This week, Simon and Eugene look at the 2024 Doctor Who Christmas special, Joy to the World, where they discuss whether Christmas episodes can break all the show’s usual rules, whether the TARDIS jukebox will be replaced by a chair, and how Doctor Who should treat the politics of the COVID lockdown rules.
Simon and Eugene look at the Real Humans episode, Blind Love. They discuss legal statutes in alternative universe Sweden, constructive dismissal by Hubot, and whether the video site glimpsed in this episode is an alternate Swedish version of YouTube because they didn’t dare to google whether Bigtubes is a real site.
This week, Kenneth and Eugene look at Season 1, Episode 21 of Space Above and Beyond, entitled Sugar Dirt. They look at bad historical analogies, check in on this week’s contestant on Wheel of Court Martial and ask the question, “What has the 58th been eating for three months?”
Want to know what a proton storm is, or how big it is? You won’t find out by watching the Star Maidens episode The Proton Storm, but you might by listening to John and Eugene discuss the episode.
For the double the fun, they then turn their eye towards the episode Kidnap.
John (suspicious name) and Eugene discuss that most 80’s of 1980’s cult films: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension.
This week, Simon and Eugene look at Season one, Episode six of Real Humans: Sly Leo. They discuss the current draw of parallel universe USB-A, the paradox of tolerance applied to free will for Hubots, translating smutty Hubot magazines, and downloading sex drives.
…and, of course, sex with robots.
This week, Kenneth and Eugene look at the Space: Above and Beyond episode “Stardust” in which they consider the deeply offensive use of Native Americans in television and this episode in particular, consider, once again, the absolutely illogical incompetence of the Earth Forces’ military strategies, and talk about the episode’s pretentious yet somehow still inadequate history lessons.
This week John and Eugene look at two episode of the Star Maidens.
They discuss the episodes Nemesis and the Nightmare Cannon, and contemplate if the Medusans are supposed to be so smart, how come they cannot read a room? And they marvel at lightning done on a really small budget.
On this week’s episode, Simon and Eugene examine season one, episode five of Real Humans, Power at Heart.
They discuss coincidences in the number of Hubot sex clubs in this Swedish city, computers programming computers, robots watching soap operas, and actually, finally, seeing some sex with robots.
This week, Kenneth and Eugene look at Episode 19 of Space Above and Beyond, R&R, where they ask, “Will people know Clint Eastwood in the year 2064?” “Do they save sex-ed class for the end of invitro school?” and “What power does W.C. Fields have over Colonel McQueen?”
Also, this week, exclusively for our patrons on Patreon, there will be two bonus minutes of totally unrelated conversation!
This week, John and Eugene begin looking at a new series: Star Maidens, a 1976 TV series co-produced by the United Kingdom and West Germany.
It’s a contemporary (for 1976) look at female equality through the lens of a planet run by women.
This week, Simon and Eugene look at season one, episode four of Real Humans: Semi-human rights.
They discuss non-human rights within the Swedish legal system, whether the uncanny valley is legally mandated, and whether HuBots are capable of actually lying or just crafty deception.
Oh, and maybe they also mention sex with robots.
John and Eugene look at the third “Shin” reimaging movie of classic Japanese science fiction/fantasy properties. This week, it’s 2023’s Shin Kamen Rider.
How well does a movie about human-grasshopper cyborg translate to the big screen?
This week, Fusion Patrol examines the 18th episode of Space Above and Beyond, entitled “Pearly,” where Kenneth and Eugene finally find out why Wang wasn’t court-martialed at the end of Episode 9, why the space jarheads are too stupid to realize that the Chigs talk, and when discretion is the better part of valor when discussing guest actors’ other roles.
This week, Fusion Patrol looks at the two-part Quark episode “All the Emperor’s Quasi-Norms.” John and Eugene ask if American television in the 1970s was ready for full-frontal pollination, why Jean didn’t get equal time with Gene, and if Ficus is the most alien character ever committed to the small screen.
This week, John and Eugene examine two more vintage 1978 space opera parody TV series Quark episodes.
First, it’s “The Old and the Beautiful,” where Quark contracts a fatal aging disease.
Will an extended romantic interlude with a young, beautiful, and voracious princess be the death of him?
And then, in “The Good, the Bad, and the Ficus,” Quark’s ship plummets through a black hole, releasing evil doppelgangers.
Will Quark be able to reason with his evil self, and why is that gauge in Ficus’ ear?
This week on Fusion Patrol, we begin our look at a new series, the 2012 Swedish sci-fi series Real Humans.
Simon and Eugene discuss whether androids make efficient robots; remakes, adaptations, and cultural differences; and, of course, sex with robots.
This week, Kenneth and Eugene look at the Space Above and Beyond, the two-part Chiggy von Richthofen saga with episodes 14 and 15, Never No More, and The Angriest Angel, where Killer tries to grab some action on the rebound, Winslow goes after Zero-G-Sex with the Colonel, and McQueen crosses the line into being a war criminal.
This week, John and Eugene kick off our coverage of the 1977 TV series Quark, which aired on NBC and starred Richard Benjamin as space garbage collector Adam Quark.
First, we look at the pilot episode, which introduces us to the eccentric group of characters under Quark’s command. Then, we watch May the Source Be With You, a send-up of a little film you might have heard of called Star Wars.
This week, Simon and Eugene discuss the two-part Doctor Who series finale, #TheLegendOfRubySunday & #EmpireOfDeath.
They discuss why the One Who Waits waited, wanting more Mel, the difference between an anagram and a homophone, and a new UNIT dating controversy.
Simon and Eugene look at the very recently released 3D animated re-creation of the missing 1966 Doctor Who story, #TheCelestialToymaker.
They discuss the new art style for 3D motion-captured animated Doctor Who, the consequences of budgetary constraints in both the original and animated productions of this story, and they finally agree on whether the animation should try to recreate the original or exploit the freedom that animation brings.
This week, Simon, Ben, and Eugene discuss the Doctor’s sexuality and changes in the representation of sexuality on Doctor Who, Gatwa singing the same pitch as Gene Wilder, and Checkov’s psychic earrings as we look at the #DoctorWho episode #Rogue.
This week, Simon and Eugene look at #DotAndBubble, the 5th episode of the 2024 Doctor Who series.
They discuss having sympathy for a homicidal AI, the influence of #BlackMirror on Doctor Who, and they talk about judgment with hindsight as they have a “fierce” argument over whether this episode is better than Kerblam!
Note This episode was originally intended to be released on May 27; however, quotas at my podcast host prevented it from releasing until June 1. This is re-release.
This week, Simon and Eugene look at the 2024 season Doctor Who episode #73Yards and discuss whether a reset makes an episode worthless, whether Doctor Who is really an anthology series, and they identify the influences of Nigel Kneale, Years and Years, 2001, An American Werewolf in London, and The Wild, Wild West.
This week, Simon and Eugene are looking at the 3rd episode of the 2024 series of Doctor Who with the episode Boom.
They discuss different approaches towards the writing of different writers, faith, and the logic of the landmine with the flashy lights.
This week’s second bonus episode looks at the Doctor Who episode, the Devil’s Chord.
Simon and Eugene discuss a missed opportunity for a respectful pastiche of the Beatles, whether bi-generation will be reversed, and whether Ruby is an abominable snowman.
DevilsChord
Bonus episode discussion this week is the first episode of the 2024 Doctor Who series, Space Babies, by Russell T. Davies.
Simon and Eugene discuss whether the best way to introduce the show to a new audience is a massive info dump, what Ron DeSantis would have thought of the episode, and whether it was written by ChatRTD.
DoctorWho #SpaceBabies
This week’s episode under review: Bugs S03E10 – Renegades.
Simon and Eugene discuss whether this episode was always intended to be the finale of season 3, whether it’s another sequel to the Cybernauts, and Eugene gives us his interpretation of Australian Eric Idle.
This week’s episode under discussion: the 13th episode of Space Above and Beyond, Level of Necessity.
In this episode, Damphousse gets psychic powers, and Kenneth and Eugene ask, “what good are psychic powers when you’re in the military?”
Level of Necessity originally aired on January 14th, 1996.
This week, John and Eugene take a look at the last two episodes of Neo Ultra Q: Episode 11, Argos Democracy, which first aired March 23, 2013, and Episode 12, Hominis Dignitati, which originally aired March 30, 2013.
In Argos Democracy, they discuss the sad third wheel that is Sohei, ponder pro-kaiju terrorists, and ask, “Is democracy just a trolley problem?”
In Hominis Dignitati, the final episode of Neo Ultra Q, they discuss what they’ve learned about Jin.
This week’s episode under review is Bugs S03E09, Identity Crisis, which first aired September 20, 1997.
Simon and Eugene discuss how a good episode can be diminished by the arc that sets it up, the emptiness of the Bugs universe, and they get nostalgic about Zip and Bernoulli Boxes.
This week’s episode under review: Space Above and Beyond, Who Monitors the Bird, which first aired January 7, 1996 and was written by Glen Morgan and James Wong.
Kenneth and Eugene try to make sense of Tank’s Big Adventure… once they get past his haircut.
John and Eugene take a trip back in time to post-war Japan: A time when the country was at it’s absolute lowest and then, as Steve Jobs used to say, “there is… just one more thing:”
Godzilla.
Next week we take a look at the Academy Award-winning sleeper International hit movie, 2023’s Godzilla Minus One.
This week features our look at two more episodes of Neo Ultra Q.
First, John and Eugene look at The Tokyo Protol and ponder the very pointed commentary about the hubris of mankind in the face of climate change and ask, “Did they manage to stick the landing on this story?”
Then, they look at Falmagan and Michiru and make comment on the shallowness of youth, and what happens when Neo Ultra Q tries telling a story with an actual ending.
This week’s episode under review is Bugs, Buried Treasure, which first aired September 13, 1997, and was written by Terry Borst and Frank De Palma.
Simon and Eugene discuss the similarities of the visuals in late ’90s SciFi, the aesthetics of prison signage, and whether enough explosions, helicopters and sexy villainesses make up for Bugs’ credibility deficit.
This week’s episode under review is the eleventh episode of Space Above and Beyond, The River of Stars.
The River of Stars was written by Marilyn Osborn, was directed by Tucker Gates and first aired on December 17th, 1995.
Kenneth and Eugene act as pedants on both sides of the religious content, ponder whether West has faith or just an self-destructive obsession, and did God compensate for Wang’s incompetence with a spilled can of soda.
John and Eugene take a lot at two more episodes of Neo Ultra Q.
This week, they look at The Iron Shell – a story of natural disasters and scientific hubris that first aired on February 23, 2013, and then they look at Memories are Crossing the Planet – the story of alien reincarnation that reminds people used to think parkour was cool. Memories are Crossing the Planet first aired on March 3, 2013.
This week, Simon and Eugene look at the Bugs episode Happy Ever After. John Stroud directed this Series Three episode, which first aired on August 30, 1997.
They discuss marrying for love and marrying for control, the implications of a water grid and why this wasn’t explored in a show ostensibly about technology, and whether passion for cricket is the best reason not to go live in the United States.
This week, we review episode 6 of the current series of Doctor Who; Vampires in Venice.
Continuing with our special “Doctor Who season”, we review Flesh and Stone. We’re still cleaning up some technical problems with microphones, sound levels and such, but we’re working on them. Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/fusionpatrol
In our inaugural episode, Ben and Eugene overview the first three episodes of the 2010 Doctor Who series and have a more in-depth discussion of episode four – The Time of Angels.