DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH! Appreciation AND Continuity Order

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Oh yes, Earl Hammond’s voice for the character was spot on, no question. Of course he’s no longer with us, and Peter Renaday would have been my first choice to play him in the remake!

I can’t say I have ever heard of Beth Nielsen Chapman.

I was listening to Bob Harris Country, an episode that was focusing on Suzy Bogguss, although not exclusively, it played a few songs by other artists too, and in particular, “How We Love” by Beth Nielsen Chapman, and my ears just FELL in love. Last time my ears did that was about 5-6yrs ago!

There’s a live version up on youtube, although it’s not a patch on the studio version.

It’s annoying when they mix up orders. I remember several years back I bought a 4" Dai-X robot from Star Fleet and I waited over 6 weeks then contacted the seller who said he was sorry and that he thought he had posted it.

Did you get it in the end?

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I seen Peter Renaday was in a couple Studio Ghibli movies. I have been having a marathon of them lately, just ‘‘Pom Poko’’ and ‘‘Tales From Earth Sea’’ to watch and that’s all of them watched.

Yes I got the small Dai-X although looking back now I wish I hadn’t as it would have saved me wasting £40+.

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I saw the last two regular episodes on my continuity list last night, “Street Smarts” and “Flesh And Blood”.

The former was one I was particularly interested in watching again for the “Root Of Evil” connection. Rather awkwardly, at the end of the episode, we see the Defenders in Monitor communicating with Morlag back on Mongo, but that aside, I think we probably can gloss over that and say “Root Of Evil” does indeed come next after “Street Smarts”.

As for the episode itself, yes, it’s all right. Probably the weakest of Mel Gilden’s three, but still perfectly watchable.

Then “Flesh And Blood” - the reason I put this last before the Prince Kro-Tan “finale” is simple, to give Flash the maximum time to get over the loss of his wife before meeting Kayla here. Apart from the complete lack of subtlety regarding Flash’s interest in her, it’s actually a damn good episode, exploring prejudice. My only problem with it, like I said, the love angle could have been introduced a lot better. I remember when I first saw the episode as a kid, thinking “eww, they’re going to kiss!” and screwing my eyes tight shut. When I saw it again as an adult, I assumed that I wouldn’t have the same problem as I was much more mature. Unfortunately, I still felt a little nauseous. Because it has all the subtlety of a brick.

Oh well, that’s 60 - tonight, it’s treat time, “Prince Kro-Tan” - yippee!

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I wasn’t too keen on that episode where they went back in time. Mostly I just thought it was one of Ming’s stupidest plans. I did really like the scenes with Prince Valiant though, that was really cool.
I just have a dislike for time travel stories. Usually it is always a case of lazy writing and an easy way out. There are very few good episodes, films or comics that use time travel in a good way. For example, one of the most popular story arcs in the Transformers UK comic, ‘‘Target 2006’’, had a very good time travel story until the last couple issues which had a rather massive plot hole which doesn’t make sense and really spoiled the story.

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That’s where we disagree - having been a Star Trek fan since the age of ten, I find time travel stories fascinating. Back To The Future has always been a favourite with me too, and I’ve recently been reading the Time-Riders books, about an organisation that exists to stop people changing history.

Another one I love is Sliding Doors - not technically time travel in itself, but illustrating a similar thing, of how a seemingly trivial choice can start a chain of events that has massive repercussions down the line. Indeed, I recently found myself tracing some recent major events in my life right back to one such seemingly inconsequential decision I made back in the spring of 1995! So I have an even more healthy appreciation of how these things can pan out!

Back on the DotE front, I watched “Prince Kro-Tan” last night, wonderful as ever. That’s my continuity order fully tested, and yes, one or two glitches to fix, but for the most part it’s OK.

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What were the glitches?

Well BTTF is an odd example as it is an absolute classic movie. But there is no big plot holes with it as such unlike a lot of other movies. Although having said that it has been years since I watched that film the full way through…or the squeals. Bill and Ted is one I never understood the point of at all. In the future they were great figures and their music changed the world etc, but the people in the future had to send someone back to the past to make it happen? It already happened so why would they have to send someone back?:confused:
I can’t recall seeing much time traveling in any of the Star Trek episodes I watched years ago.
An exception though was an anime movie ‘‘The Girl Who Leapt Through Time’’ which I thought was quit enjoyable.
Another exception I thought was very good was the Thundercats episode ‘‘Return To Thundera’’.

I might try and watch both parts of the ‘‘Mind Warriors’’ later.

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I gave you a running commentary on them, and have made a few attempts at clearing them up for the next time:

Root Of Evil - I’ve decided it should come right after Street Smarts, because of the Morlag point (even though he is seen back on Mongo during the latter, we can gloss over that).

The Starboy - I originally had it after Audie And Tweak, but it should come before Kshin is seen making actual friends with someone of his own age.

Nothing else that really jumped out at me.

Well BTTF is an odd example as it is an absolute classic movie. But there is no big plot holes with it as such unlike a lot of other movies. Although having said that it has been years since I watched that film the full way through…or the squeals.

I do enjoy the sequels as well myself.

Actually, comedian Ed Byrne did a brilliant piece on one little problem with BTTF - when Marty gets to say, 13 or 14, surely his parents are going to recognise his resemblance to the guy who made them fall in love (at the very least, surely his father would feel justified in worrying about his wife’s fidelity!)

Bill and Ted is one I never understood the point of at all. In the future they were great figures and their music changed the world etc, but the people in the future had to send someone back to the past to make it happen? It already happened so why would they have to send someone back?:confused:

My problem with it is more the whole “they have a time machine, but they can’t just go anywhen” thing, when they’re told that they have to go to tomorrow lunchtime right away to give their presentation . . . eh?

I can’t recall seeing much time traveling in any of the Star Trek episodes I watched years ago.

Some of the most celebrated episodes concern time travel. Notably “The City On The Edge Of Forever” (TOS) and “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (TNG)

An exception though was an anime movie ‘‘The Girl Who Leapt Through Time’’ which I thought was quit enjoyable.

Not seen that.

Another exception I thought was very good was the Thundercats episode ‘‘Return To Thundera’’.

Hmm, I’ve always had a huge problem with the Sword unfreezing the others from statue form at the end of that episode. That said, the time-travel element is great.

I might try and watch both parts of the ‘‘Mind Warriors’’ later.

Part 1 is very good, part 2 is just silly. That said, part 2 is the closest we get to a formal identification of the location of Ice Station Earth (hence my bumping this story up to 5 and 6 in my continuity order).

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Also I came a cross this.

http://pixel-dan.com/golden-age-heroes-are-back-the-amazing-heroes-kickstarter-is-here/

A company is making Secret Wars style figures of lesser known comic characters. It would be great if they do Flash Gordon, Ming, Phantom, Mandrake and Lothar in a future series…if they get the funding for series one.

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Interesting. I don’t collect figures any more - wouldn’t have anywhere to put them for one thing!

I’m trying to remember what show(s?) I said I’d have a look at earlier. Now I’ve finished DotE, I can do just that. I seem to remember GI Joe was one, and was Inhumanoids another?

I dusted off another DVD box set earlier this evening, “Bugs” - a drama from the mid to late 1990s, I don’t know if you ever saw it. I remember getting the box set back in 2005, I’d been thinking about getting just the first couple of series on DVD, but it was £25 individually per series, whereas the whole box set of all four was just £40, and with my £10 off voucher in Silverscreen, just £30 in the end, so it was a no-brainer! I was particularly interested to have another look at the show (I haven’t seen it in about 4-5yrs), mainly because I’ve worked out that it was my decision to watch it originally back in 1995 that caused a chain reaction that culminated in events of april-may of this year, which are giving me the lyrical inspiration for the song I’m still working on (and got a few more lines to yesterday - for some reason inspiration is only hitting me on saturdays right now!).

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I don’t really collect anymore either. I probably would start again if the right line came along (Thundercats Classics, new Bravestarr or Galaxy Rangers etc) but at present I am collecting nothing.

Never heard of Bugs before.

I honestly think you should give Galaxy Rangers, Starcom and Inhumanoids a try. There are maybe about a dozen at the most really good episodes of G.I. Joe, the rest are not great.

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Haha - I know I’d be tempted if something I loved as a kid got a reissue, but I think I’d manage to resist.

Never heard of Bugs before.

It ran for four series from 1995-1999, just 40 episodes (for some reason, the last three episodes of the 1998 series were delayed by over a year). It starred Craig McLachlan, Jaye Griffiths and Jesse Birdsall. It’s been likened to cult 60s show The Avengers, and is also comparable to James Bond (especially with all the gadgetry). I was 12 when it first aired, I guess you may have been a fraction young for this on a saturday night. Fun show.

I honestly think you should give Galaxy Rangers, Starcom and Inhumanoids a try. There are maybe about a dozen at the most really good episodes of G.I. Joe, the rest are not great.

I’ll have a look on youtube when I get a mo. I’ve just made two trips to the flat this morning to fetch stuff down, on top of four trips yesterday. In this weather! I’ve now got almost everything down that’s coming down, so soon I’ll be able to just start clearing out all the rubbish.

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Craig McLachlan sounds familiar…did he used to be in Neighbours or something like that. I used to be allowed to stay up quite late on a Saturday back then but I never saw it.

Starcom and Inhumanoids are both short series of only 13 episodes each like Visionaries.

Galaxy Rangers is a very enjoyable show of only 65 episodes. Personally I have to finish watching about 20 episodes to finish the series.

That’s great, I hope you get the flat sorted soon.

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Craig McLachlan was indeed in Neighbours. According to the back of the box, Jesse Birdsall was in El Dorado, and Jaye Griffiths was in The Bill.

I just went to watch episode 2, but a big scratch has appeared on the disc. No idea how that got there, it was fine last time I saw it.

Starcom and Inhumanoids are both short series of only 13 episodes each like Visionaries.

I remember you saying that about Inhumanoids, but I didn’t know it about Starcom. These two will be easier to check out.

Galaxy Rangers is a very enjoyable show of only 65 episodes. Personally I have to finish watching about 20 episodes to finish the series.

I’ll give it a whirl as well.

That’s great, I hope you get the flat sorted soon.

It’s getting there. Once I’ve got everything down that’s coming down, I can get rid of everything else, and then sort out getting the place done up and rented out.

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I watched another episode of Starcom. Episode 7 The Boys Who Cried Dark and it was a very good episode. Ideally there was no massive super power trick to save the day at the end or anything just the crew using their wits and skills.

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I’ll give it a whirl when I find the energy. Having just done my 15-mile walk in this blistering heat, it’s going to take me all my time to concentrate on storylines I know off by heart right now!

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For the first time in what must be 24 years I seen the full episode of ‘‘The Mind Warriors part 2’’. I had completely forget all of that stuff at the beginning up until what I had left on video, which is the bit where Mandrake ducks behind the computer for cover then Rick, LJ and Jedda are in the Terry going to Mongo onwards.

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It was only about 5yrs ago that I first saw the start of that same episode, I tuned in to see Kshin looking for Zuffy.

Notice of course that each of the Mind Warriors is voiced by the same actor who voices the Defender they’re designed to beat in combat (so a rare guest part for Lou Richards as Radiarm, and Bi-Ninja is voiced by Buster Jones AND Dion Williams).

Notice too that they don’t have the slightest idea as to the location of Ice Station Earth when they’re flying there, other than the fact that it’s in the Arctic. Hence my putting this one so early in the continuity order.

And yes, it’s Ice Station Earth they’re going to, not Mongo - I can see how the confusion arose though, as they encounter that humanoid Zuffoid character Ubor. It never was explained how he ended up on Earth though!

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Ubor would have been a good character they could have done more with. I just watched it back and I see how I was confused. He is a rebel ‘from’ Mongo. I never picked up on that LOL. I wonder how he ended up on earth. Maybe he was a prisoner on Ming’s throne room ship and escaped, or stowed away on one of Ming’s ships.

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No idea. But yes, Ubor should have appeared again. The obvious place would have been in “Ming Winter”.

I guess he’s just yet another on that list of characters who would have been seen again if the show had got a second season, along with Atascadero, Beastmaster, Kastra, Astra, Earl Sump (shudder), and of course Theron.

Got a bit more for that song yesterday, but I’m increasingly convinced that the melodies of the verse and chorus don’t fit together, the old square peg in a round hole situation. Fortunately, I might have another old unused melody in the back of my head that I can adapt for the chorus, but this will mean further reshaping of the chorus lyrics . . .

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I know if the show had had a better toy line it would have got a second season no problem but even though they were not perfect I still have very fond memories of the toys.

I can’t say I have come across Earl Sump yet.

I watched the Hall of Wisdom last night. I remember on my tape it cut off just as it showed Mandrake Lothar and Kshin on the asteroid after abandoning the ship. I remember it was on the tape I had Bits n Chips, Root of Evil. It was one of my favourite video tapes as I had Thundercats Berbils and Turmagar the Tuska on it, a Ewok episode of the Tottem Master, Chip n Dale and Gummi Bears and a few other cartoons. In fact I am 100% sure I still have that tape in the small collection of VHS tapes I kept.