"Weird 'Science'"
by Scott Mantz

"Science Fiction Television Series"
Written by Mark Phillips and Frank Garcia

There are those who still believe! Sci-fi classics like "Battlestar Galactica" are given the star treatment in "Science Fiction Television Series"

Science fiction movies may account for many of the top grossing films of all time, but on TV, it was a decidedly different story (at least, up until recently). Marred by tight production schedules, marginal budgets and penny-pinching network executives, many sci-fi shows never got a chance to realize their full potential, and many money-losing shows were banished to syndication hell, where they were shown a few times before disappearing into the vaults for good.

Or so it seemed. Not only did many of these shows flourish after finally being exposed to their intended audience, but with the advent of the Sci-Fi Channel a decade ago, the cerebral, thought-provoking genre finally got its due. After all, had it not been for syndication, it's highly unlikely that a show like "Star Trek" would have been able to amass such a huge following, leading the way for 10 films, 4 more spin-offs and a merchandising campaign that would collectively gross more than $5 billion worldwide.

It is that very same audience that authors Mark Phillips and Frank Garcia pay tribute to in "Science Fiction Television Series." Nearly 700 pages long, this entertaining, meticulously crafted, highly informative and relentlessly addictive tome documents the making-and, in many cases, the un-making-of 62 of the most influential and bizarre science fiction shows to hit the small screen between the years 1959 and 1989. But rather than bombard the reader with detailed techno-babble about the physical production of each series, Phillips and Garcia wisely focus on candid interviews with producers, writers, series regulars and occasional guest stars about some of the creative squabbles and hissy-fits that went on behind the scenes.

And Phillips and Garcia sure did their homework. Between groundbreaking classics that were light years ahead of their time ("Star Trek," "The Twilight Zone," "The Prisoner"), envelope-pushers that were canceled far short of their creative peak ("Battlestar Galactica," "V"), and overcooked turkeys that should never have been green-lit in the first place ("Galactica 1980," "Automan," "The Starlost"), Phillips and Garcia give each of the successes and the failures their balanced, fun and informative due.

They also uncover a slew of tidbits that even hard-core fans are sure to savor. Among them:

- Legendary sci-fi author Isaac Asimov was supposed to come on board "Battlestar Galactica" as a writer for the second season, but ABC pulled the plug before that could happen.

- NBC wanted to replace Erin Gray as Gil Gerard's spandex-wearing partner-in-crime on "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," but none of the actresses who were tested worked out (fortunately).

- Richard Kiel, the robust actor best known for playing Jaws in the James Bond films "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Moonraker," was originally cast as the not-so-jolly green giant in "The Incredible Hulk." After test footage revealed that the actor didn't look the part, body-builder Lou Ferrigno was called in to replace him.

- Richard Kiel, the robust actor best known for playing Jaws in the James Bond films "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Moonraker," was originally cast as the not-so-jolly green giant in "The Incredible Hulk." After test footage revealed that the actor didn't look the part, body-builder Lou Ferrigno was called in to replace him.

Speaking of "Star Trek," just when you thought you'd read (or heard) it all before, along comes an amusing anecdote to make reading about it again all the more worthwhile. For example, while filming the second season episode "A Private Little War," guest star Booker Bradshaw was instructed by Leonard Nimoy to strike him across the face to wake his logical character out of self-induced Vulcan coma. When Bradshaw adhered to his wishes, he slapped Nimoy so hard that his famous ears went flying across the set!

Although series creators, producers and writers like Glen Larson and Kenneth Johnson (who wrote the book's forward) are interviewed in great length, the book too often falls back on the recollections of some of the more obscure guest stars to a diminishing effect. For example, I could have used without some of the stories from one of the (many) doomed red shirts from "Star Trek" or the bridge officer who counted down the number of "microns" to the (many) Cylon attacks in "Battlestar Galactica." However, this is a minor complaint, since the book is such a good read.

If you grew up in the 70's and 80's, then you probably remember where you were when Diana gave new meaning to the words "deep throat" on "V." Or maybe you latched onto "Star Trek" when it was on every night during the week. Or maybe you remember the enormous hype when "Battlestar Galactica" took off in 1978 in the shadow of "Star Wars." Or maybe you just want to catch up on a show that meant a lot to you, but you thought nobody else cared about. Whatever the case, there's no doubt that "Science Fiction Television Series" is a book that no sci-fi buff should be without.

To order "Science Fiction Television Series,"
call 1-800-253-2187, or go online to www.mcfarlandpub.com

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