PREVIOUS television

[Roy Hunter]

Nichelle Nichols wanted to quit her job on TOS, but she received a phone call one day asking her not to, because she was the only black woman on TV portrayed in a position of power. Seeing as the person who called her was Martin Luther King, she agreed and continued in her role, and went on to have the first ever interracial kiss on television.

It has been suggested that TOS was cancelled, not because Shatner was a raging egomaniac, but because it was too political and controversial for the networks. What if they started saying that Commies were just ordinary people like Murkins? How would we make them afraid of each other?

[gronank]

That's pretty much it, Gronank, but Gene Roddenberry wanted to be able to use TOS to openly discuss relevant issues on our planet without them seeming too obvious, hence the sci-fi medium. He tackled all forms of bigotry, even filming the first inter-ethnic kiss (Kirk/Uhura). Both actors also really wanted this to happen (I don't blame Shatner, as Nichelle Nichols was sexy back in the day), even to the point of sabotaging far tamer versions filmed afterwards (studio execs getting uppity). What other programme on TV at that time had a non-human, a Russian, a Japanese person, and a black woman in positions of authority? None. TOS set the bar, and it set it damn high.

The pilot had set the bar even higher. Majel Barrett who played nurse Chapel in the series was first officer in the pilot. Japanese, russian, black or alien, it all worked, the network only really fought having a woman second in command.

[Roland Deschain]

Indeed she was. I'd forgotten that. Another thing Gene Roddenberry fought the studio execs over was what the women would wear. He wanted them to wear trousers, as the men did, but they insisted on the mini-skirts, and wouldn't budge on it. This is why the mini-skirt is pretty ubiquitous throughout, and also one of the reasons Gene had a man in a mini-skirt appear briefly in Encounter at Farpoint in TNG.

[ChowMein]

Indeed she was. I'd forgotten that. Another thing Gene Roddenberry fought the studio execs over was what the women would wear. He wanted them to wear trousers, as the men did, but they insisted on the mini-skirts, and wouldn't budge on it. This is why the mini-skirt is pretty ubiquitous throughout, and also one of the reasons Gene had a man in a mini-skirt appear briefly in Encounter at Farpoint in TNG.

Yah

[Almighty Doer of Stuff]

Women were not highly regarded in TOS, definitely. Even Uhura was not a strong character like the first officer in the pilot was. I believe she beamed down once and got the landing party into trouble somehow, and needed Mr. Manly Man Kirk to save the day. I could be remembering incorrectly though, it's been a while.

Also, Yeoman Janice Rand (I forget the name of the actress who played her) disappeared without explanation partway through the first season. The true explanation was she was fired for not putting up with sexual harassment and advances from the producers (of course with some made-up excuse to hide the truth of the matter). I believe Leonard Nimoy was a source of support for her, himself subject to frequent bothering (of a different sort) from William Shatner. Unfortunately his support wasn't enough to put a stop to the harassment. It's a shame, though I believe she got a role in a later series (TNG?), her character having been promoted to a higher position. She lost the beehive though.

[ChowMein]

I think she was in the first movie as the transporter chief or some other officer .

[Roland Deschain]

Unfortunately, such were the ethics of the time. It's nice to see attitudes have changed...

[PKMKII]

After the Virginia trip, the girlfriend observed that the Civil War was a huge part of U.S. history that her high school education mostly skimmed over, so we watched Ken Burns' documentary on it. The part that stuck out in my mind the most is that the vast majority of the confederate soldiers had never owned slaves, and there was even an exception for slave owners from conscription. Yet they fought anyway. Guess it's an American tradition to get swindled into fighting against your own economic interest in the name of an ill-defined culture war.

Seriously, you see these southerners with their "Heritage, not hate" confederate flag bumper stickers, and it's like, "Yeah, what heritage?" The whole southern system was basically a carbon copy of the British aristocracy. You know, the people the confederate soldier's grandfathers fought a way against.

[black bart]

After the Virginia trip, the girlfriend observed that the Civil War was a huge part of U.S. history that her high school education mostly skimmed over, so we watched Ken Burns' documentary on it. The part that stuck out in my mind the most is that the vast majority of the confederate soldiers had never owned slaves, and there was even an exception for slave owners from conscription. Yet they fought anyway. Guess it's an American tradition to get swindled into fighting against your own economic interest in the name of an ill-defined culture war.

Seriously, you see these southerners with their "Heritage, not hate" confederate flag bumper stickers, and it's like, "Yeah, what heritage?" The whole southern system was basically a carbon copy of the British aristocracy. You know, the people the confederate soldier's grandfathers fought a way against.

Yes and the British came very close to supporting the Confederates militarily.

[gronank]

Then they decided they didn't really want to: they prefered getting cotton from India and they didn't want to risk loosing canada.

[black bart]

Then they decided they didn't really want to: they prefered getting cotton from India and they didn't want to risk loosing canada.

We still have Canada? Quebec here I come.

[Mad Willyum Bonney]

oi fink so ...... eny weigh Queenie still be on alla our coinage an some of our paper munny .

[PKMKII]

Popular Mechanics put out a list of their 50 greatest sci-fi shows. The placement of number 6 and 3 is going to anger some fanboys.

[daftbeaker]

Popular Mechanics put out a list of their 50 greatest sci-fi shows. The placement of number 6 and 3 is going to anger some fanboys.

I'd stick Firefly at 1 and Doctor Who at 2. The rest of it can get bent.

Having looked at it again, a image of Thunderbirds flashed across quickly. Thunderbirds get number 3 (or maybe 2.5).

[PKMKII]

I'd stick Firefly at 1 and Doctor Who at 2. The rest of it can get bent.

Firefly was good, damn good. If it had run for 5+ seasons, there'd be an argument for no. 1. But one truncated season, a movie, and some comic books is simply not enough material to justify no. 1.

EDIT: noticed a conspicuous absence from the list, no Flash Gordon. Odd to not include that, which was a pioneer of the genre, but some of those crappy 70's/80s shows.