The Starlost
Encyclopedia
The Starlost is a Canadian
-produced science fiction
television series devised by writer Harlan Ellison
and broadcast in 1973 on CTV
in Canada and syndicated to local stations in the United States
. The show's setting is a huge generational colony spacecraft
called The Ark, which has gone off-course. Many of the descendants of the original crew and colonists are unaware, however, that they are aboard a ship. The series experienced a number of production difficulties, and Ellison ended up disowning it before the first episode even aired.
will happen in the future, humanity builds a multi-generational starship
called "The ARK" which was around 50 miles (80.5 km) wide and 200 miles (321.9 km) long. The ship contains dozens of isolated, self-contained biosphere
s, each kilometres across and housing people of different cultures. Early in the voyage, however, an unexplained disaster struck with the ARK suffering damage and the command crew killed. The ARK had some kind of automatic damage control and disaster systems which sealed off each biosphere and kept the inhabitants alive, even though the command crew had died off.
Centuries later, a young man, Devon (Keir Dullea
), a resident of Cypress Corners (a biosphere with an Amish
-like culture), discovers that his world is far larger and more mysterious than he had realized. Considered an outcast because of his continual questioning of the way things are, especially his refusal to accept the pre-arranged marriage of Rachel (Gay Rowan), the girl Devon loves and who loves him, and his friend Garth (Robin Ward) to whom Rachel was promised in marriage, Devon inadvertently finds his way into the service areas of the ship and uncovers its fate by accessing a computer data station that explains the purpose of the ARK and hints at its problems. Devon then returns to Cypress Corners to tell his fellow biosphere-dwellers about what he has learned, but is put on trial for heresy and condemned to death. Helped to escape on the night before his execution by Garth, Devon convinces Rachel and Garth to come with him and after making their way to the bridge they have found that it had been damaged and its control systems made in-operative, the crew killed (a few skeletal bodies are lying there), and the ARK is on a collision course with a Class G star similar to the Sun
. Devon, Rachel, and Garth realize the only hope to save The ARK (and the colonists onboard) is to find the backup bridge and reactivate the navigation and propulsion systems. Occasionally, they are aided by the ARK's partially functioning computer systems portrayed by William Osler
.
The scenario drew on themes common to science fiction. It also had obvious potential for an interesting, developing story arc
as the trio made more discoveries about the ship and contacted cultures previously isolated in other biospheres.
20th Century Fox
was involved in the project with Douglas Trumbull
as executive producer. Science fiction writer and editor Ben Bova
was brought in as science advisor.
was approached by Robert Kline, a 20th Century Fox
television producer, to come up with an idea for a science fiction TV series consisting of eight episodes, to pitch to the BBC
as a co-production
in February 1973. The BBC rejected the idea. Unable to sell "The Starlost" for prime time, Kline decided to pursue a low budget approach and produce it for syndication. By May, Kline had sold the idea to 48 NBC
stations and the Canadian CTV network
.
To get Canadian government subsidies the production was shot in Canada, and Canadian writers produced the scripts from story outlines by Ellison.
Before Ellison could begin work on the show's production bible, a writers strike began, running from March 6 to June 24. Kline negotiated an exception with the Writer's Guild
, on the grounds that the production was wholly Canadian — and Ellison went to work on a bible for the series.
Originally, the show was to be filmed with a special effects camera system developed by Doug Trumbull called Magicam. The system comprised two cameras whose motion was servo controlled. One camera would film actors against a blue screen, while the other would shoot a model background. The motion of both cameras was synchronized and scaled appropriately, allowing both the camera and the actors to move through model sets. The technology did not work reliably. In the end a simple blue screen
effects were used forcing static camera shots.
The failure of the Magicam system was a major blow — as the Canadian studio space that had been rented was too small to build the required sets. In the end partial sets were built, but the lack of space hampered production.
As the filming went on, Ellison grew disenchanted with the budget cuts, details that were changed, and what he characterized as the progressive dumbing down
of the story. Ellison's dissatisfaction extended to the new title of the pilot episode; he had called it "Phoenix Without Ashes" but it was changed to "Voyage of Discovery".
Before the production of the pilot episode was completed, Ellison invoked a clause in his contract to force the producers to use his alternate registered writer's name of "Cordwainer Bird" on the end credits. This was a signal to anyone who knew him to show how disgusted he was with the whole business (see Alan Smithee
for the motion picture industry equivalent).
Sixteen episodes were made. Fox decided not to pick up the options for the remainder of the series after seeing how badly it was doing in the ratings. Bova, frustrated that his advice was ignored, saw the first show when it was broadcast and quit. He asked the producers to take his name off the credits of all the shows, but he did not have a clause like Ellison's in his contract, so he remained credited.
TV scriptwriter Norman Klenman stated that he was called in to work on The Starlost because the production team were unable to deal with Ellison. Klenman claims he rewrote the pilot script, hired the writers for the series, chose the themes of the episodes and wrote four and heavily rewrote eight more episodes.
for Best Original Screenplay for the original script (the pilot script as originally written, not the version that was eventually filmed). A novelization of this script by Edward Bryant
, Phoenix Without Ashes, was published in 1975; this contained a lengthy foreword by Ellison describing what had gone on in production. In 2010 the novel was adapted in comic book
form by IDW Publishing
.
Bova, in an editorial in Analog Science Fiction (June 1974) and in interviews in fanzines, made it clear how disgruntled he had been as science adviser. In 1975, he published a novel entitled The Starcrossed, depicting a scientist taken on as a science adviser for a terrible science fiction series.
Episodes of the original series were rebroadcast in 1978 and further in the 1982. A number of episodes were also edited together to create movie-length instalments that were sold to cable television
broadcasters in the late 1980s.
boxed set.
The first DVD release was limited to the five feature-length edited versions.
In Fall 2008 the full series was released on DVD
by VCI Entertainment. Aside from the digitally remastered episodes, a "presentation reel" created for potential broadcasters is also included. Hosted by Dullea and Trumbull, and predating Ellison's departure as he is credited under his own name with creating the series, the short feature includes sample footage using the later-abandoned Magicam technology, some filmed special effects footage taken from other productions along with model footage from the film Silent Running
to represent the "Earthship Ark" concept, and a different series logo. Dullea's character is also referred to by a different name than that used in the final production.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-produced science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series devised by writer Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
and broadcast in 1973 on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
in Canada and syndicated to local stations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The show's setting is a huge generational colony spacecraft
Generation ship
A generation ship is a hypothetical type of interstellar ark starship that travels across great distances between stars at a speed much slower than the speed of light...
called The Ark, which has gone off-course. Many of the descendants of the original crew and colonists are unaware, however, that they are aboard a ship. The series experienced a number of production difficulties, and Ellison ended up disowning it before the first episode even aired.
Premise
Discovering that an destruction of EarthExtinction event
An extinction event is a sharp decrease in the diversity and abundance of macroscopic life. They occur when the rate of extinction increases with respect to the rate of speciation...
will happen in the future, humanity builds a multi-generational starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
called "The ARK" which was around 50 miles (80.5 km) wide and 200 miles (321.9 km) long. The ship contains dozens of isolated, self-contained biosphere
Biosphere
The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. It can also be called the zone of life on Earth, a closed and self-regulating system...
s, each kilometres across and housing people of different cultures. Early in the voyage, however, an unexplained disaster struck with the ARK suffering damage and the command crew killed. The ARK had some kind of automatic damage control and disaster systems which sealed off each biosphere and kept the inhabitants alive, even though the command crew had died off.
Centuries later, a young man, Devon (Keir Dullea
Keir Dullea
Keir Dullea is an American actor best known for the character of astronaut David Bowman, whom he portrayed in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey and in 1984's 2010: The Year We Make Contact...
), a resident of Cypress Corners (a biosphere with an Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
-like culture), discovers that his world is far larger and more mysterious than he had realized. Considered an outcast because of his continual questioning of the way things are, especially his refusal to accept the pre-arranged marriage of Rachel (Gay Rowan), the girl Devon loves and who loves him, and his friend Garth (Robin Ward) to whom Rachel was promised in marriage, Devon inadvertently finds his way into the service areas of the ship and uncovers its fate by accessing a computer data station that explains the purpose of the ARK and hints at its problems. Devon then returns to Cypress Corners to tell his fellow biosphere-dwellers about what he has learned, but is put on trial for heresy and condemned to death. Helped to escape on the night before his execution by Garth, Devon convinces Rachel and Garth to come with him and after making their way to the bridge they have found that it had been damaged and its control systems made in-operative, the crew killed (a few skeletal bodies are lying there), and the ARK is on a collision course with a Class G star similar to the Sun
Solar analog
Solar-type, solar analog, and solar twin stars are those stars that are particularly similar to the Sun. The classification is a hierarchy with solar twin being most like the Sun followed by solar analog and then solar-type...
. Devon, Rachel, and Garth realize the only hope to save The ARK (and the colonists onboard) is to find the backup bridge and reactivate the navigation and propulsion systems. Occasionally, they are aided by the ARK's partially functioning computer systems portrayed by William Osler
William Osler
Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet was a physician. He was one of the "Big Four" founding professors at Johns Hopkins Hospital as the first Professor of Medicine and founder of the Medical Service there. Sir William Osler, 1st Baronet (July 12, 1849 – December 29, 1919) was a physician. He was...
.
The scenario drew on themes common to science fiction. It also had obvious potential for an interesting, developing story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
as the trio made more discoveries about the ship and contacted cultures previously isolated in other biospheres.
20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
was involved in the project with Douglas Trumbull
Douglas Trumbull
Douglas Huntley Trumbull is an American film director, special effects supervisor, and inventor. He contributed to, or was responsible for, the special photographic effects of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Blade Runner and The Tree of...
as executive producer. Science fiction writer and editor Ben Bova
Ben Bova
Benjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:...
was brought in as science advisor.
Development and production
Harlan EllisonHarlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
was approached by Robert Kline, a 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
television producer, to come up with an idea for a science fiction TV series consisting of eight episodes, to pitch to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a co-production
International co-production
An international co-production is a production where two or more different production companies are working together, for example in a film production...
in February 1973. The BBC rejected the idea. Unable to sell "The Starlost" for prime time, Kline decided to pursue a low budget approach and produce it for syndication. By May, Kline had sold the idea to 48 NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
stations and the Canadian CTV network
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
.
To get Canadian government subsidies the production was shot in Canada, and Canadian writers produced the scripts from story outlines by Ellison.
Before Ellison could begin work on the show's production bible, a writers strike began, running from March 6 to June 24. Kline negotiated an exception with the Writer's Guild
Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
, on the grounds that the production was wholly Canadian — and Ellison went to work on a bible for the series.
Chroma key
Chroma key compositing is a technique for compositing two images together. A color range in the top layer is made transparent, revealing another image behind. The chroma keying technique is commonly used in video production and post-production...
effects were used forcing static camera shots.
The failure of the Magicam system was a major blow — as the Canadian studio space that had been rented was too small to build the required sets. In the end partial sets were built, but the lack of space hampered production.
As the filming went on, Ellison grew disenchanted with the budget cuts, details that were changed, and what he characterized as the progressive dumbing down
Dumbing down
Dumbing down is a pejorative term for a perceived trend to lower the intellectual content of literature, education, news, and other aspects of culture...
of the story. Ellison's dissatisfaction extended to the new title of the pilot episode; he had called it "Phoenix Without Ashes" but it was changed to "Voyage of Discovery".
Before the production of the pilot episode was completed, Ellison invoked a clause in his contract to force the producers to use his alternate registered writer's name of "Cordwainer Bird" on the end credits. This was a signal to anyone who knew him to show how disgusted he was with the whole business (see Alan Smithee
Alan Smithee
Alan Smithee was an official pseudonym used by film directors who wish to disown a project, coined in 1968. Until its use was formally discontinued in 2000, it was the sole pseudonym used by members of the Directors Guild of America when a director dissatisfied with the final product proved to...
for the motion picture industry equivalent).
Sixteen episodes were made. Fox decided not to pick up the options for the remainder of the series after seeing how badly it was doing in the ratings. Bova, frustrated that his advice was ignored, saw the first show when it was broadcast and quit. He asked the producers to take his name off the credits of all the shows, but he did not have a clause like Ellison's in his contract, so he remained credited.
TV scriptwriter Norman Klenman stated that he was called in to work on The Starlost because the production team were unable to deal with Ellison. Klenman claims he rewrote the pilot script, hired the writers for the series, chose the themes of the episodes and wrote four and heavily rewrote eight more episodes.
Afterwards
On March 31, 1974, Ellison received a Writers Guild of America AwardWriters Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
for Best Original Screenplay for the original script (the pilot script as originally written, not the version that was eventually filmed). A novelization of this script by Edward Bryant
Edward Bryant
Edward Winslow Bryant Jr. is a science fiction and horror writer sometimes associated with the Dangerous Visions series of anthologies that bolstered The New Wave....
, Phoenix Without Ashes, was published in 1975; this contained a lengthy foreword by Ellison describing what had gone on in production. In 2010 the novel was adapted in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
form by IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
.
Bova, in an editorial in Analog Science Fiction (June 1974) and in interviews in fanzines, made it clear how disgruntled he had been as science adviser. In 1975, he published a novel entitled The Starcrossed, depicting a scientist taken on as a science adviser for a terrible science fiction series.
Timeline
| Date A.D. and Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2285 | Earthship ARK leaves Earth prior to a catastrophe of galactic proportions |
| Dome wars | |
| 2381/01/01 | Spaceship Pisces leaves Earthship ARK to explore planets suitable for colonization |
| 2385 | Accident on Earthship ARK which is locked onto a collision course with a Class G star |
| 2390/02/19 06:00 | About when Spaceship Pisces crew initially believed they returned |
| 2790/04/03 03:20 | Oro's Xar 531 spacecraft crashes into Earthship ARK |
| 2790/05/02 12:30 | Garth, Devon, and Rachel break into Alpha Bridge Complex |
| 2790 | Aliens Oro and Idona depart for Planet Xar |
| 2790 | "Present" date |
Episodes
| Episode | Title | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Beginning" a.k.a. "Voyage of Discovery" | Forced to leave his village because of persecution, Devon discovers his people live on a huge spacecraft |
| 2 | "Lazarus from the Mist" | While Garth is held by "cavemen" descendants of the service crew, Devon and Rachel awaken a scientist from suspended animation to help repair the Ark |
| 3 | "The Goddess Calabra" | The trio visit a biosphere populated only by men, whose governor desires to marry Rachel, who resembles a goddess worshipped in the community |
| 4 | "The Pisces" (also titled "The Return") | An exploratory vessel returns after an apparent ten-year journey, but in reality has been hundreds of years. |
| 5 | "Children of Methuselah" | Thinking they've found the backup bridge of the Ark, they discover a module occupied by children who believe they've been piloting the Ark since it left Earth |
| 6 | "And Only Man Is Vile" | A scientist intent on breeding a hardier race of humans tries to prove man is too selfish |
| 7 | "Circuit of Death" | A disillusioned man triggers the self-destruction of the Ark but intends to escape; he and Devon must undergo miniaturization to stop the detonation |
| 8 | "Gallery of Fear" | A computer desires to become autonomous and tricks the trio into completing its programming |
| 9 | "Mr. Smith of Manchester" | The trio find their way past a mysterious high-security biosphere entrance and discover a distrusting, power-mad ruler who tries to assure them of his peaceful intents while he pollutes his city to produce armaments |
| 10 | "The Alien Oro" | An alien sent on a reconnaissance mission has crashed into the Ark and is now harvesting parts to repair his ship to return home; Garth falls for a woman who must leave with Oro in order to survive |
| 11 | "The Astro Medics" | After Devon is injured by radiation, a medical ship that orbits the Ark comes to his aid, but the doctor who can help him is too intrigued by the possibility of helping aliens who've signalled for help |
| 12 | "The Implant People" | The trio visit a biosphere where a despotic servant to the leader terrorizes the population with pain produced from mandatory implants |
| 13 | "The Return of Oro" | Oro returns... as commander of Earthship Ark. He tells the trio and their temporary companion that his home world can support the people from Earth, but Devon discovers otherwise when a robot is asked the correct questions |
| 14 | "Farthing's Comet" | A scientist alters the Ark's course to pass through a comet's tail so he can study it; Devon must make an EVA Extra-vehicular activity Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon... to rewire a panel so the service reactors can be fired again; cometary debris damages the biospheres |
| 15 | "The Beehive" | The trio visit a science installation where a scientist has bred giant mutant bees |
| 16 | "Space Precinct" | Garth decides to return to Cypress Corners, but he is recruited into the inter-ark police force by an officer intending to take a flight to assist in resolving an interplanetary conflict |
- According to "Starlog Photo Guidebook TV Episode Guides Volume 1" (1981), there are two other episodes: "God That Died" and "People In The Dark". It is not known if these are two un-aired episodes, unfinished episodes, or scripts that never got filmed.
Episodes of the original series were rebroadcast in 1978 and further in the 1982. A number of episodes were also edited together to create movie-length instalments that were sold to cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
broadcasters in the late 1980s.
| Movie | Episodes |
|---|---|
| The Starlost: The Beginning | "Voyage of Discovery" and "The Goddess Calabra" |
| The Starlost: The Return | "The Pisces" and "Farthing's Comet" |
| The Starlost: Deception | "Mr. Smith of Manchester" and "Gallery of Fear" |
| The Starlost: The Alien Oro | "The Alien Oro" and "The Return of Oro" |
| The Starlost: The Invasion | "The Astro Medics" and "The Implant People" |
Commercial releases
All 16 episodes were at one time available in a VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
boxed set.
The first DVD release was limited to the five feature-length edited versions.
In Fall 2008 the full series was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by VCI Entertainment. Aside from the digitally remastered episodes, a "presentation reel" created for potential broadcasters is also included. Hosted by Dullea and Trumbull, and predating Ellison's departure as he is credited under his own name with creating the series, the short feature includes sample footage using the later-abandoned Magicam technology, some filmed special effects footage taken from other productions along with model footage from the film Silent Running
Silent Running
Silent Running is a 1972 environmentally themed science fiction film starring Bruce Dern and directed by Douglas Trumbull, who had previously worked as a special effects supervisor on such science fiction films as 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Andromeda Strain.-Plot summary:Silent Running depicts a...
to represent the "Earthship Ark" concept, and a different series logo. Dullea's character is also referred to by a different name than that used in the final production.
Major characters
| Episode | Name | Actor | Character (in order of appearance) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremiah | Sterling Hayden Sterling Hayden Sterling Hayden was an American actor and author. For most of his career as a leading man, he specialized in westerns and film noir, such as Johnny Guitar, The Asphalt Jungle and The Killing. Later on he became noted as a character actor for such roles as Gen. Jack D. Ripper in Dr... |
Leader of Cypress Corners congregation |
| 1- | Devon | Keir Dullea Keir Dullea Keir Dullea is an American actor best known for the character of astronaut David Bowman, whom he portrayed in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey and in 1984's 2010: The Year We Make Contact... |
Adult outcast and orphan from Cypress Corners |
| 1- | Rachel | Gay Rowan | Devon's love interest, Garth's betrothed, "Goddess Calabra" |
| 1- | Garth | Robin Ward | Blacksmith from Cypress Corners |
| 1 | Abraham | Gillie Fenwick | Wise old 'fool' in Cypress Corners |
| 1- | Mu Lambda 165 | William Osler | Sphere Projector visualization programmed for general information; also computer voice and narrator |
| 1,5 | boy and 4 Prosecutor | Scott Fisher | short-straight red hair |
| 1,8 | Rachel's mother | Aileen Seaton | |
| 1,8,13 | Garth's father | Jim Barron | |
| 2 | Dr. Gerald W. Aaron | Frank Converse Frank Converse Frank Converse is an American actor. In 1962, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama at Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania... |
Enclosure 78 Row 54 Section C, 090-40-6930, age 40 years, Radiation virus terminal 2hrs. A-34S Communications electronic engineer |
| 2 | James T. Atkinson | 2nd of 17 Earthship ARK design and construction engineers suspended in cryonic vault | |
| 2 | Sergeant | Doug McGrath Doug McGrath Doug McGrath, born in Nova Scotia, Canada on Aug 21,1939 is a Canadian actor whose most notable role was of "Peter" in the acclaimed Canadian film Goin' Down the Road. He also played in acclaimed Canadian films Wedding in White, The Hard Part Begins and Black Christmas... |
Leader of degenerate vault security guard descendants |
| 2 | 1st Tube Dweller | Clive Endersby | |
| 2 | 2nd Tube Dweller | Mel Tuck | |
| 2 | Jane Gregory-Aaron | Vivian Reis | Nuclear engineer, Dr. Gerald W. Aaron's long-dead wife |
| 3 | Captain Brad | Michael Kirby | promoted to Colonel Government house guard |
| 3 | Governor | John Colicos John Colicos John Colicos was a Greek-Canadian actor. He was a distinguished stage actor in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.-Career:... |
Governor of State |
| 3 | Shaliff | Barry Morse Barry Morse Herbert "Barry" Morse was an Anglo-Canadian actor of stage, screen, and radio best known for his roles in the ABC television series The Fugitive and the British sci-fi drama Space: 1999... |
Head-priest of Temple, formerly Colonel in Guard |
| 4 | Colonel M. P. Garroway | Lloyd Bochner Lloyd Bochner Lloyd Wolfe Bochner was a Canadian actor, usually playing the role of suave, rich leading men.- Career :... |
Commander of ARK vessel Spaceship Pisces, age 44 years, 6', weight 173, health rating AAG3 |
| 4 | Captain Janice | Diana Barrington Diana Barrington Diana Barrington is a British actress, born May 6, 1939. She studied drama at RADA along with Ken Campbell and Larry Linville. She is married to the Canadian actor Ken Pogue.... |
Electronic technician field promoted to Captain of Spaceship Pisces |
| 4 | Navigator Teal | Carol Lazare | |
| 4 | Admiral Baines | unknown, only Gold Security Clearance rank crew | |
| 4 | Captain Rodgers | unknown | |
| 4 | Captain Armstrong | Former Captain of Spaceship Pisces, died while on away mission | |
| 4 | A. C. Garroway | long-dead relative of Colonel M. P. Garroway | |
| 4 | Milton Carnes, Mabel Carnes, and George Carnes | long-dead relatives of Captain Janice | |
| 4 | Rick Malloy | long-dead 32 year-old boyfriend of Navigator Teal | |
| 4 | Daisy Garroway | long-dead daughter of Colonel M. P. Garroway | |
| 5 | 1 | David Tyrell | Captain of Alpha (bridge) complex, boy, medium-curly blonde-red hair |
| 5 | Grand Council | ||
| 6 | Dr. Asgard | Simon Oakland Simon Oakland Simon Oakland was an American actor of stage, screen, and television.-Early life and career:Oakland was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He began his performing arts career as a musician . He began his acting career in the late 1940s... |
|
| 6 | Dr. Diana Tabor | Irena Mayeska | |
| 6 | Lethe | Trudy Young | woman |
| 6 | Village Elder | Tim Whelan | |
| 6 | Villager A | John Bethune | |
| 7 | I. A. Richards | Percy Rodriguez Percy Rodriguez Percy Rodriguez was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s... |
electronic technician, First Class, from Biosphere Alpha 5, Valerie's father, former leader of dissolved & defeated citizens' party administrative assembly (by control party) |
| 7 | Valerie Richards | Narene Virgin | epileptic daughter of I. A. Richards, from Biosphere Alpha 5 |
| 7 | Cort | Calvin Butler | Valerie Richards's friend, Biosphere Alpha 5 security |
| 8 | Daphne | Angel Tompkins Angel Tompkins Angel Tompkins is an American actress and Golden Globe nominee, who appeared in several films and television shows.-Career:... |
woman |
| 8 | Magnus | Allen Stewart-Coates | Earthship ARK commander's personal computer |
| 8 | Monster | Danny Dodgkins | |
| 8 | Admiral George Austin | William Clune | first officer commanding Earthship ARK |
| 8 | computer voice | Jim Barron | |
| 9 | Secretary | Pattie Elsasser | |
| 9 | Trent | Pat Galloway | aide |
| 9 | President Mr. Smith | Ed Ames Ed Ames Ed Ames is an American popular singer and actor. He is best known for his pop and adult contemporary hits of the 1960s like "When the Snow is on the Roses" and the perennial "My Cup Runneth Over." He was part of a popular 1950s singing group called The Ames Brothers.-Early life:Born in Malden,... |
|
| 9 | City man | Les Ruby | |
| 9 | Nurse | Doris Petrie Doris Petrie Doris Petrie was a Canadian film and television actress, best known for her roles in the films Wedding in White and Ticket to Heaven and the television series High Hopes, in which she played Meg Chapman, the mother of the main character, Dr... |
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| 10 | Egreck 419B2 Idona | Alexandra Bastedo Alexandra Bastedo Alexandra Bastedo is a British actress, best-known for her role as secret agent Sharron Macready in the 1968 British espionage/science fiction adventure series The Champions... |
could not have children |
| 10 & 13 | Oro of planet Xar | Walter Koenig Walter Koenig Walter Marvin Koenig is an American actor, writer, teacher and director, known for his roles as Pavel Chekov in Star Trek and Alfred Bester in Babylon 5. He wrote the script for the 2008 science fiction legal thriller InAlienable.-Early life:... |
Alien |
Credits
| Episode | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1-8- | William Davidson | Producer Television producer The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking... |
| 1-8- | Douglas Trumbull Douglas Trumbull Douglas Huntley Trumbull is an American film director, special effects supervisor, and inventor. He contributed to, or was responsible for, the special photographic effects of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Blade Runner and The Tree of... |
Executive Producer Executive producer An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production... |
| 1-8- | Jerry Zeitman | Executive Producer |
| 1-16 | Cordwainer Bird (pseudonym for Harlan Ellison Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media... ) |
Creator; Writer, Episode 1 |
| 2 | Douglas Hall | Writer |
| 2 | Don Wallace | Writer |
| 1- | Leo Orenstein Leo Orenstein Leo Alan Orenstein was a Canadian director, producer and writer who worked primarily in television and theatre. At CBC Television alone, he was director or producer in over 150 works there, many of which were adaptations of works by such authors as Chekhov, Ibsen, George Bernard Shaw and... |
Director Television director A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the... |
| 2- | Ed Richardson | Associate Producer |
| 2,6 | Norman Klenman | Story Consultant |
| 2,6 | Jack McAdam | Production Designer Production designer In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the... |
| 2,6 | Ben Bova Ben Bova Benjamin William Bova is an American science-fiction author and editor. He is the recipient of six Hugo Awards for Best Professional Editor for his work at Analog Science Fiction in the 1970's.-Personal life:... |
Science Consultant |
| 2,6 | Shirley Mann | Costume Designer Costume design Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such... |
| 2,6 | Karen Hazzard Ltd. | Casting Casting (performing arts) In the performing arts, casting is a pre-production process for selecting a cast of actors, dancers, singers, models and other talent for a live or recorded performance.-Casting process:... |
| 2,6 | Score Productions Score Productions Score Productions is an American musical production company specializing in background music and themes for television programs. Started in 1963 by music producer Robert A... Inc. |
Music Producer Record producer A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... |
| 2- | Carol Davidson | Make-Up |
| 2,6 | Bob Bowkett | Properties Theatrical property A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set... |
| 2,6 | Maurie Jackson | Technical Director |
| 2,6 | Peter Edwards | Lighting Director |
| 2,6 | Gordon White | Art Director Art director The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games.... |
| 2- | Doug Drew | Audio |
| 2,6 | Percy Brinkworth | Video |
| 2,6 | Barrie Diehl | Unit Production Manager |
| 2- | Gary Smith | Unit Production Manager |
| 2,6 | Ray Fitzwalter | Studio Director |
| 2,6 | Mary Lou Fraser | Production Assistant Production assistant A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production... |
| 2,6 | Derrett Lee | Production Co-ordinator |
| 2,6 | Larry Wells | Wardrobe Costume design Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such... |
| 2,6 | Bob Colouhoun | Model Construction |
| 2,6 | Gordon Lowe | Model Construction |
| 2,6 | Mereline Thompson | Model Construction |
| 2,6 | Lissa Calvert | Model Construction |
| 2,6 | Lori Margolis | Model Construction |
| 2- | Ed Brennan | Post Production Supervisor |
| 2,6 | Gordon Stoddard | Video Tape Editor |
| 2,6 | Wally Weaver | Re-Recording |
| 2,6 | Wally Harris | Re-Recording |
| 2- | Bob Kozak | Sound Editor |
| 2- | In the Sunrise | Graphic Design Graphic design Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience... |
| 2- | The McLaughlin Planetarium | Research Assistance and Visual Materials |
| 2- | Glen Warren Productions Ltd. | Executive Producer |
| 2,6 | Gerard Rochon | Executive Producer |
| 2- | Arthur Weinthal | Executive in Charge of Production |
| 4 | Jonah Royston | Story and Writer |
| 4 | George Ghent | Writer |
| 4 | Joseph L. Scanlan Joseph L. Scanlan -Directing Credits:* Flatland* Largo Winch * La Femme Nikita* Strange World* Race Against Fear: A Moment of Truth Movie * Earth: Final Conflict* Players * Dead Man's Gun... |
Director |
| 6 | Shimon Wincelberg | Writer |
| 6 | Ed Richardson | Director & Associate Producer |
| 6 | Bill Rennie | Unit Production Manager |
| 6 | Cy Fawcett | Floor Manager |
| 6 | Larry Wells | (unknown) |
| 6 | Pat Burrows | (unknown) |
| 6 | Art Claridge | Audio |
| 6 | Doug McCormick | Post Production Supervisor |
| 6 | Malcolm Fox | Sound Editor |
| 6 | Phillip Stephens | Model Construction |
| 7 | Norman Klenman | Writer |
| 7 | Peter Levin Peter Levin -Career:Since 1967, Levin has amassed a large number of credits directing episodic television and television films. Some of his television series credits include Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, James at 15, The Paper Chase, Family, Starsky & Hutch, Lou Grant, Fame, Cagney & Lacey, Law & Order and... |
Director |
| 8 | Douglas Trumbull Douglas Trumbull Douglas Huntley Trumbull is an American film director, special effects supervisor, and inventor. He contributed to, or was responsible for, the special photographic effects of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Blade Runner and The Tree of... |
Visual Effects Visual effects Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or... |
| 1- | Keir Dullea Keir Dullea Keir Dullea is an American actor best known for the character of astronaut David Bowman, whom he portrayed in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey and in 1984's 2010: The Year We Make Contact... |
Devon |
| 1- | Gay Rowan | Rachel |
| 1- | Robin Ward | Garth |
| 1- | William Osler | Host/Computer Voice |
External links
- Episode titles & Original airdates
- Episode guide with original airdates, synopses, and cast & crew credits
- "The Starlost" fansite
- Episodes 1, 4, 6, 7 & 8 at GUBA
- Ark: A nine-webisode remake posted July 23, 2010 on the HuluHuluHulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
website.