Jason of Star Command
Encyclopedia
Jason of Star Command was a live action television series
by Filmation
which ran between 1978 and 1979. The show revolved around the exploits of space adventurer Jason (Craig Littler) and his colleagues, including Professor E.J. Parsafoot (Charlie Dell) and the pocket robot "Wiki" (formally W1K1). The show also starred Sid Haig
as the evil Dragos, and, in the first season, James Doohan
of Star Trek
fame. Jason was a spin-off
of another Filmation live action show called Space Academy
, which starred another former sci-fi luminary, Jonathan Harris
of Lost in Space
fame.
, was done in the style of the movie serials of the past, telling a single overall story with sixteen "chapters" of approximately fifteen minutes' length, each ending in a cliffhanger
. The second season was a stand-alone, half-hour series. Filmation would later revisit the serial format with their rendition of Flash Gordon
.
Jason flew a Starfire. This fast spaceship had a star pod that could separate from the ship in an emergency. Dragos commanded the vast Dragonship, similar to the Space Academy in that it was built on a large asteroid. Dragos's fightercraft were unmanned drones. (This was a choice made by the show's producers, so that the destruction of these craft would not involve killing a pilot. The show aired on Saturday mornings, and deadly violence had to be kept to a minimum.)
cast in reprising their roles in Star Trek: The Motion Picture
. He was replaced by John Russell
, who played the blue-skinned "by the book" Commander Stone. Originally, Jonathan Harris
was to have reprised his role as Commander Gampu from Space Academy
, but according to the DVD booklet, he "had a falling out" with Filmation, thus the creation of Doohan's character.
The asteroid prop used for Space Academy was re-used for Jason, where Star Command was stated to be "in a secret part of the Space Academy". Other than the appearance of the robot Peepo and the appearance of a Seeker shuttle piloted by Lt. Matt Prentiss (John Berwick), no references were made to the characters or situations in Space Academy.
Season Two (30 minute episodes aired as Jason of Star Command):
) released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 on May 8, 2007. The three-disc set contains all 28 episodes from seasons one and two, as well as an array of special features including commentary tracks and photo & art galleries. The galleries also contain characters sheets for the proposed but never produced animated version of the show.
As of 2011, this release has been discontinued and is out of print as BCI Eclipse has ceased operations.
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
by Filmation
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
which ran between 1978 and 1979. The show revolved around the exploits of space adventurer Jason (Craig Littler) and his colleagues, including Professor E.J. Parsafoot (Charlie Dell) and the pocket robot "Wiki" (formally W1K1). The show also starred Sid Haig
Sid Haig
Sid Haig is a American actor. His roles have included acting in Jack Hill's blaxploitation films of the 1970s as well as his role as Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's horror films House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects...
as the evil Dragos, and, in the first season, James Doohan
James Doohan
James Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...
of Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
fame. Jason was a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of another Filmation live action show called Space Academy
Space Academy
Space Academy was a live-action sci-fi children's television program produced by Filmation that originally aired Saturday mornings on the CBS television network, from September 10, 1977, to December 17, 1977. A total of fifteen half-hour episodes were made.-Cast:The program starred veteran actor...
, which starred another former sci-fi luminary, Jonathan Harris
Jonathan Harris
Jonathan Harris was an American stage and film character actor. Two of his best-known roles were as the timid accountant Bradford Webster in the TV version of The Third Man, and the comic villain Dr. Zachary Smith, in the 1960s sci-fi television series, Lost in Space...
of Lost in Space
Lost in Space
Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968...
fame.
Season 1
Its first season, which was a segment of Tarzan and the Super 7Tarzan and the Super 7
Tarzan and the Super 7, was a Saturday morning cartoon series, produced by Filmation and originally airing from 1978–1980 on CBS.The show consisted of separate installments featuring seven groups of adventurers;* Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle...
, was done in the style of the movie serials of the past, telling a single overall story with sixteen "chapters" of approximately fifteen minutes' length, each ending in a cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
. The second season was a stand-alone, half-hour series. Filmation would later revisit the serial format with their rendition of Flash Gordon
The New Adventures of Flash Gordon
The New Adventures of Flash Gordon, also known as The Adventures of Flash Gordon, is an animated television series. The series is actually called Flash Gordon, but the expanded title is used in official records to distinguish it from previous versions.Filmation produced the series in 1979, partly...
.
Jason flew a Starfire. This fast spaceship had a star pod that could separate from the ship in an emergency. Dragos commanded the vast Dragonship, similar to the Space Academy in that it was built on a large asteroid. Dragos's fightercraft were unmanned drones. (This was a choice made by the show's producers, so that the destruction of these craft would not involve killing a pilot. The show aired on Saturday mornings, and deadly violence had to be kept to a minimum.)
Season 2
James Doohan left the show at the end of the first season to join the rest of the original Star TrekStar Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
cast in reprising their roles in Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the first film based on the Star Trek television series. The film is set in the twenty-third century, when a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud called V'Ger approaches the Earth,...
. He was replaced by John Russell
John Russell (actor)
John Lawrence Russell was an American actor, and World War II veteran, most noted for playing Marshal Dan Troop in the successful ABC western television series Lawman from 1958 to 1962....
, who played the blue-skinned "by the book" Commander Stone. Originally, Jonathan Harris
Jonathan Harris
Jonathan Harris was an American stage and film character actor. Two of his best-known roles were as the timid accountant Bradford Webster in the TV version of The Third Man, and the comic villain Dr. Zachary Smith, in the 1960s sci-fi television series, Lost in Space...
was to have reprised his role as Commander Gampu from Space Academy
Space Academy
Space Academy was a live-action sci-fi children's television program produced by Filmation that originally aired Saturday mornings on the CBS television network, from September 10, 1977, to December 17, 1977. A total of fifteen half-hour episodes were made.-Cast:The program starred veteran actor...
, but according to the DVD booklet, he "had a falling out" with Filmation, thus the creation of Doohan's character.
The asteroid prop used for Space Academy was re-used for Jason, where Star Command was stated to be "in a secret part of the Space Academy". Other than the appearance of the robot Peepo and the appearance of a Seeker shuttle piloted by Lt. Matt Prentiss (John Berwick), no references were made to the characters or situations in Space Academy.
Episode list
Season One (fifteen-minute segments from Tarzan and the Super 7):- "Attack of the Dragonship"
- "Prisoner of Dragos"
- "Escape from Dragos"
- "A Cry for Help"
- "Wiki to the Rescue"
- "Planet of the Lost"
- "Marooned in Time"
- "Attack of the Dragons"
- "Peepo's Last Chance"
- "The Disappearing Man"
- The Haunted Planet"
- "Escape from Kesh"
- "Return of the Creature"
- "Peepo on Trial"
- "The Trojan Horse"
- "The Victory of Star Command"
Season Two (30 minute episodes aired as Jason of Star Command):
- "Mission to the Stars"
- "Frozen in Space"
- "Web of the Star Witch"
- "Beyond the Stars!"
- "Secret of the Ancients"
- "The Power of the Star Disk"
- "Through the Stargate"
- "Face to Face"
- "Phantom Force"
- "Little Girl Lost"
- "Mimi's Secret"
- "Battle for Freedom"
DVD release
BCI Eclipse LLC (Under license from Entertainment RightsEntertainment Rights
Entertainment Rights Plc was a global media company. Its main role was in children and family television programming.The group was established in 1989 as Sleepykids. In 1999 it become entertainment rights and was focused on the creation and exploitation of major children's characters and brands...
) released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 on May 8, 2007. The three-disc set contains all 28 episodes from seasons one and two, as well as an array of special features including commentary tracks and photo & art galleries. The galleries also contain characters sheets for the proposed but never produced animated version of the show.
As of 2011, this release has been discontinued and is out of print as BCI Eclipse has ceased operations.