Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi

Troy and David talk about the film that David somehow missed in his childhood. Troy invited David to his man cave, and he got to see what all the hubbub was about. For the recording of the episode, they are joined by Sandra Kasturi. This two-part episode does a deep dive on: Poltergeist (1982)PT. 1 Troy and David and Sandra discuss any paranormal or psychic experiences they have had, and then turn to the film Poltergeist, and talk about their first experiences viewing it, and then on to the film itself.PT. 2 The discussion on the film Poltergeist concludes. There is also talk about the curse, the use of skeletons that were not mock-ups but actual skeletons of people.PART 1: PoltergeistIn our first episode we introduce Sandra Kasturi, who has been a guest for three previous two-part shows:"Something Wicked This Way Comes"[S.1 Eps 13-14; Sept 18 + Oct 2, 2021]”Folk Horror"[pt. 1 – The Wicker Man; pt. 2 – MidSommar][S.3 Eps 2-3; May 14 + May 28, 2022]"The Thing"[S.4 Eps 11-12; May 27 + Jun 10, 2023]Poltergeist won the Saturn Award for Best Horror or Thriller Film.It was nominated for three Oscars.Jerry Goldsmith was up for Best Score. John Williams won for E.T.Poltergeist was nominated for Best Visual Effects. E.T. won.Poltergeist was nominated for Best Sound Effects. E.T. won.Troy and David and Sandra go through the film, scene by scene.

Troy and David talk about three movies in this two-part episode: Gremlins (1984) Back to the Future (1985) Howard the Duck (1986) PT. 1 looks at Gremlins, and begins the discussion on Back to the Future. PT. 2 finishes the discussion on Back to the Future, and then moves on to Howard the Duck. PART 2: Back to the Future & Howard the Duck Our second episode continues our discussion about Back to the Future, and concludes with Howard the Duck. Troy talks about his love/hate relationship with Back to the Future. He described it as having "a glorified Brady Bunch plot but with some weird incest running through it." Marty has a weird family, with a pervy dad, and he likes to hang out with an older, eccentric man. There are also musical nitpicks that are concerning, especially the Johnny B. Good scene and its cultural appropriation. David goes into how the opening 5-10 minutes sets up the entire film, where things mentioned or shown are then referred to later, like the term, "Chekhov's Gun" which means if a gun is shown in act one, it must be used by act three. David also refers to this as "Sulu's Phaser" and "Peltzer's Sword." David shares his favorite quote from the movie, where Doc Brown lets Marty know how important he has been to him: Dr. Emmett Brown: You know, Marty, I'm gonna be very sad to see you go. You've really made a difference in my life. You've given me something to shoot for. Just knowing that I'm going to be around to see 1985. That I'm gonna succeed in this![gestures at time machine]Dr. Emmett Brown: That I'm gonna have a chance to travel through time!Troy and David then move on to Howard the Duck. Many consider this a terrible movie. There was an episode on it by the webcast: TMS: This Movie Sucks. It did horribly at the box office, mainly through word of mouth and reviews. Troy mentions that one of the people working in the theatre warned Troy not to watch it. Howard the Duck was #54 in the box office in 1986. But there were notable films that did worse that year!: 57 = Legend; 63 = Little Shop of Horrors; 68 = Labyrinth; 72 = Big Trouble in Little China; 75 = Brazil; 80 = Blue Velvet; 92 = Maximum Overdrive. Troy and David go into the many reasons why the film failed, but also at its endearing qualities. They also summarize the triple bill, the connections between the three films they looked at in this two-episode show. We hope you enjoyed the two shows!

Troy and David talk about three movies in this two-part episode:Gremlins (1984)Back to the Future (1985)Howard the Duck (1986)PT. 1 looks at Gremlins, and begins the discussion on Back to the Future.PT. 2 finishes the discussion on Back to the Future, and then moves on to Howard the Duck.PART 1: Gremlins & Back to the FutureOur first episode does cover how the three films are connected, in both screen talent, locations, producers, and directors. Each of the three films were expected to be box office smashes, following on the success of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, E.T. in 1982, and The Return of the Jedi in 1983. Amblin Entertainment produced Gremlins & Back to the Future. In Gremlins, we see Mogwai playing mini-Donkey Kong. The films do not take themselves too seriously. We know, when the rules are mentioned, that these will be broken, and in imaginative, funny ways...Chinese Boy: Look Mister, there’s three rules you've got to follow.Rand Peltzer: Yeah, what kind of rules?Chinese Boy: Keep him out of the light, he hates bright light, especially sunlight, it'll kill him. And, keep him away from water, don’t get him wet. But the most important rule, the rule you can never forget, no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs, never, never feed him after midnight. You got it?Rand Peltzer: Sure kid, whatever you say. Hey, listen, thanks! And have a Merry Christmas!Troy and David then move on to Back to the Future, which was originally cast with Eric Stoltz in the lead, and had a working title: Spaceman from Pluto. Stoltz was removed, and the title changed. A connection between the two films, is that both Back to the Future and Gremlins used the "Universal Studios Courthouse Square" backlot.Troy recommends the book Future Boy, penned by Michael J. Fox. In it, Fox mentions that his replacing Stoltz was not welcomed by everyone, especially by Lea Thompson, but that changed. More discussion in part 2

Troy and David come up with their top ten SFFH TV Shows of the 21st century (3rd Millennium). TV shows from the years 2001 - 2025 are considered. How many TV shows will be on both lists? How many will be Science Fiction? Fantasy? Horror? How many will belong to more than one genre? And, will Troy be able to sneak in a Beatles reference? Listen to find out. Season 7 is our ALL MOVIE season. New episodes usually the last day of the month.

Troy and David come up with their top ten SFFH films of the 21st century (3rd Millennium). Films from the years 2001 - 2025 are considered. How many films will be on both lists? How many will be Science Fiction? Fantasy? Horror? How many will belong to more than one genre? And, will Troy be able to sneak in a Beatles reference? Listen to find out. Season 7 is our ALL MOVIE season. New episodes usually the last day of the month.

Yellow Submarine was an animated film featuring The Beatles. It was released in 1968, to fulfill a 3-picture deal, that included A Hard Days Night (1964); Help! (1965).And like the first two films, this was, in essence, a music-delivery device. It was agreed that the band would supply 4 new songs - All Together Now, Hey Bulldog, It’s All Too Much, and Only A Northern Song - for the film. These new songs would be heard in the film along with 12 other recently released songs, including Nowhere Man, Eleanor Rigby, Yellow Submarine, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, When I’m 64, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, With A Little Help From My Friends, and All You Need Is Love . Beatles producer George Martin would provide the score."And what was that story? In a nut shell, Pepperland, an open, peace-loving land, comes under attack by a fascist, militaristic group known as the Blue Meanies. Fred, is sent by the Lord Mayor, in the Yellow Submarine to enlist help. The Sub ends up in Liverpool England where Fred finds Ringo and the other Beatles. After travelling over various psychedelic lands and seas The Band returns to Pepperland (with Jeremy, a Boob they’ve picked up along the way) to confront the Blue Meanies.All told, over 200 animators worked on the film in the TVC offices in Soho."Please listen to hear the rest of the story, and Troy and David's reactions to their latest re-watch.Season 7 is our ALL MOVIE season. New episodes usually the last day of the month.

The Evil Dead movie franchise is near and dear to the hearts of many horror aficionados. And, you do not have to be a horror fan to like the movies. You can like humour, slapstick, comedy, magic realism and surrealism, abstraction, irrationality, and cabins. And woods. And things in the basement. And in the case of Evil Dead Rise, an urban landscape where people like to park woodchippers in parking garages, you know, just in case. You never know, right.Our Halloween episode is our first episode of season 7, our first episode since our Wonder Woman episode, back in the Spring of 2025. Season 7 is our ALL MOVIE season. And what better movie franchise to begin with than the Evil Dead franchise.

Wonder Woman introduced Lynda Carter as the comic-book heroine. This live-action series ran for three years, and changed from Season 1 to Season 2, when the show switched networks, and was brought to current day, instead of WWII.Here is the cast (and the description we used in the episode):Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter)Carter was just 23 years old at the time she was cast for the role. Though she had done almost no acting she was working professionally as a singer, and had done very well competing in beauty pageants. She won the title of Miss World USA 1972.Major Steve Trevor (season 1)Steve Trevor Jr (seasons 2 & 3)(Lyle Waggoner)In Stanley Ralph Ross’s casting notes on Steve Trevor he wrote: “Get a Lyle Waggoner type.” Douglas Cramer did him one better by getting the actual Lyle Waggoner. Waggoner had been a regular on The Carol Burnett Show. He did a screen test for the 1966 Batman series. He was the first nude centerfold for Playgirl magazine in 1973. He was also elected the mayor of Encino, California in 1976. Waggoner had many guest appearances on television shows such as Fantasy Island, Love Boat, Charlie’s Angels, Happy Days, and Mork & Mindy.Queen Hippolyta(Cloris Leachman in the original pilot)(Carolyn Jones in 3 episodes)(Beatrice Straight in 2 episodes)Straight was a Tony and Oscar award-winning actress who played one of the ghostbusters in the original Poltergeist.General Blankenship(John Randolph in The New Original Wonder Woman pilot)(Richard Eastham throughout season 1)Etta Candy, General Blankenship’s secretary(Beatrice Colen)Beatrice Colen had formerly been on Happy Days as one of the carhops at Arnold’s.The TV Series had a stellar list of Guest Stars, including:Red Buttons, Stella Stevens, POTA alum Roddy McDowall, Eric Braedon and Severn Darden. Debra Winger, John Saxon, John Hillerman, Robert Reed, Eve Plumb, and Tiger the Dog of the Brady Bunch, Roy Rogers, Wolfman Jack, Lance Kerwin, Bubba Smith, Rick Springfield, Leif Garrett, Craig T Nelson, Gary Burghoff, Frank Gorshin, René Auberjonois, and Robby the Robot!Troy and David present their, "How it all ends", by coming up with an ending to the show, as if the show, like MASH, knew it was ending, and had time to be able to end it properly, wrap everything (or most things) up.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker was a series that lasted only one season, the 1974-75 season. Just 20 episodes. Troy and David look at the series, its pilot episode and others, and briefly talk about the two made for TV movies that preceded the TV series: The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler. The TV series, and the two TV movies, influenced a generation of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror fans, including Chris Carter, who brought us The X-Files. Troy and David open the episode with a short tribute to David Lynch, who had passed away recently. Back to Kolchak: The Night Stalker (TV Series) Here is the cast (and the description we used in the episode): Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak, 20 episodes. The intrepid investigative reporter. McGavin had a long career in film and television working steadily from the 1940s onward. Other than Kolchak he is remembered for his roles in The Natural, A Christmas Story, Millennium and The X-Files. Simon Oakland as Tony Vincenzo, 20 episodes. Kolchak’s crotchety ulcer-ridden editor. Oakland appeared on both The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. He was also in Hitchcock’s Psycho, and West Side Story. Jack Grinnage as Ron Updyke, 18 episodes. Another journalist at INS (Carl sometimes calls him “Uptight” instead of Updyke. Updyke looks A LOT like Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, doesn't he? Although this was his biggest recurring role, Grinnage also appeared in Rebel Without A Cause, the Elvis film Kid Creole, as well as on The Twilight Zone. Ruth McDevitt as Emily Cowles, 12 episodes. Although Ruth McDevitt was born in 1895 (!!!) her first on-screen role did not come until 1949. Among her long list of film and TV roles, McDevitt appeared in The Birds, The Shakiest Gun in the West, Mame, and on Room 222, Kojack, McCloud and Gunsmoke, before going on to Kolchak: The Night Stalker. She passed away in 1975 at the age of 80. The TV Series had a stellar list of Guest Stars, including: Carolyn Jones, Scatman Crothers, Phil Silvers, Stella Stevens, Jim Backus, Jamie Farr, Antonio Fargus, Tom Skerrit, Kathy Lee Crosby and Tom Bosley. Troy and David present their, "How it all ends", by coming up with an ending to the show, as if the show, like MASH, knew it was ending, and had time to be able to end it properly, wrap everything (or most things) up.

The Planet of the Apes TV Series premiered in 1974. After the success of the Planet of the Apes movies, a TV series was given the go-ahead. The series lasted one year, and just 14 episodes. Roddy McDowell was signed on, but playing a different character, Galen. Here is the cast: Roddy McDowall … Galen = 14 episodes, 1974 Ron Harper … Alan Virdon = 14 episodes, 1974 James Naughton … Pete Burke = 14 episodes, 1974 Mark Lenard … Urko = 11 episodes, 1974 Booth Colman … Zaius = 6 episodes, 1974 Ron Stein … Gorilla Guard / … = 4 episodes, 1974 One of the concerns with the series, and most POTA fans were not happy with, was the appearance of a dog at the beginning of the first episode. From the Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) there was an interstellar disease that eliminated dogs and cats, and that was when humanity started to have apes as pets. Troy and David look at the pilot episode, and discuss some of the differences in it and the movies, and what are considered its best episodes.

Tory and David recall their favourite genre-related gifts of their childhoods and play some clips of old TV ads because this is TOF's ALL TV season, AKA, TWO OLD FARTS MEET THE GLASS TEAT. Stay tuned to the Secret Santa gift exchange, later in the show. They review some shows they covered this season, and highlight those shows holiday episodes. The Addams Family. The Munsters. Lost in Space. The Six Million Dollar Man. Wonder Woman. Kolchak: the Night Stalker There were two Wonder Woman Xmas episodes (TOF will be covering this series in the new year) (TOF will also be covering Kolchak in the new year) Genre toys of their youth. Troy and David talk about their holiday memories. What their typical Christmas morning was, including the stalkings. Troy and David also look at The Kenner Six Million Dollar Man. Major Matt Mason. Superman & Aquaman & Tarzan & Shazaam. Spiderman and many others. Action Jackson (and his parachute). 7" Spock figure. Robin's little green shoes. Batman's cowl. The Batmobile. The Seaview Troy mentions that if you are a successful show, you were guaranteed to have three things: 1] a lunchbox 2] a viewmaster reel 3] a board game. David mentions that for this Christmas season there is a "Star Wars Against Humanity" - which is the Cards Against Humanity game, but with a Star Wars. At the end of the episode, Troy and David reveal the gift that tghey got for each other.

There were two SF series in the late 1970s that both had theatrical releases: Battlestar Galactica, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Both were produced by Glen A. Larson. Troy and David look at the theatrical films, and compare and contrast these, and how they fit in with the televised series.CAST OF BATTLESTAR GALACTICA:• Richard Hatch as Captain Apollo (Waltons, Love Boat, Kung Fu…)• Dirk Benedict as Lieutenant Starbuck (A Team)• Lorne Greene as Commander Adama (CAN) Bonanza, New Wilderness• John Colicos as Baltar (CAN) (Star Trek, Night Gallery, The Changeling)• Jane Seymour as Serina (Somewhere in Time, Dr Quinn Med. Woman)• Rick Springfield as Zak Adama (Jesse’s Girl song, General Hospital)• Ray Milland as Sire Uri (born 1907! 100s of classic films)• Maren Jensen as Lieutenant Athena• Noah Hathaway as Boxey• Herbert Jefferson Jr. as Lieutenant Boomer• Tony Swartz as Flight Sergeant Jolly• Laurette Spang as Cassiopeia (Emergency, Isis, SMDM, Happy Days)• Terry Carter as Colonel Tigh• Patrick Macnee as The Imperious Leader / The Narrator• Anne Lockhart as Lieutenant Sheba (daughter of June Lockhart)CAST OF BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY:Gil Gerrard as Buck RogersErin Grey as Wilma DeeringTim O’Connor as Dr. Elias HuerFelix Silla as the body of TwikiMel Blanc as the voice of TwikiPamela Hensley as Princess ArdalaHenry Silva as KaneJoseph Wiseman as King DracoDuke Butler as TigermanCaroline Smith as Delta SectionTroy and David talk a bit about the merchandising.They also do their recurring segment, "How it all ends"where Troy and David come up with their versions of how series end, especially the shows that were not given a chance to end on their own terms.

Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi continue to look at The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. This is the second of a 2-part episode. And stick to the end, where we have a special bionic treat, where Robert J. Sawyer gives his recommendations on his favourite episodes. We begin with a recap of PT. 1. SOME OF THE EPISODES WE LOOK AT The Return of the Bionic Woman (2-part episode) Welcome Home Jaimie (2-part episode) The Secret of Bigfoot (2-part episode) The Return of Bigfoot (2-part episode) Bigfoot 5 (1 episode) Fembots in Las Vegas Kill Oscar (3-part episode) One of Our Running Backs is Missing Sharks A Bionic Christmas Carol Deadly Countdown Bionic Beauty Doomsday is Tomorrow Black Magic Motorcycle Boogie On the Run Troy and David talk about all the merchandising of the shows. They also do their recurring segment, "How it all ends" where Troy and David come up with their versions of how series end, especially the shows that were not given a chance to end on their own terms. Troy and David invited SCI-FI Legend Robert J. Sawyer to close out the episode by mentioning his favourite Six Million Dollar Man episodes and TV movies.

Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi continues its exploration of SFFH TV shows from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. This episode is the first of a 2-part look at The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. Many who loved The Six Million Dollar Man enjoyed its iconic look, and also the slow motion. and especially the opening segment. Martin Caiden wrote Cyborg. TSMDM & BW were based on the novel. Caiden TSMDM had a few television movies that were very successful. The series went on from 1974 - 1978. Harve Bennet came in, and became the producer for the show. He made a number of changes to the show. ABC went to the top of the ratings. One of the earlier TV movies had a very James Bond flavour, and this was not what Martin Caiden wanted. Harve Bennet came in and restored the show to what it should have been. EPISODES WE LOOK AT IN DETAIL IN PT. 1: Title: The Six Million Dollar Man "The Moon and the Desert" TV MOVIE from 1973 of The Six Million Dollar Man original air date: Mar 07, 1973 IMDB Rating = 6.5 Title: Day of the Robot season 1 episode 4 of The Six Million Dollar Man original air date: Feb 8, 1974 IMDB Rating = 7.7 Title: Rescue of Athena One season 1 episode 8 of The Six Million Dollar Man original air date: Mar 15, 1974 IMDB Rating = 6.8 Episode synopsis for The Moon and the Desert (from Wikipedia) Steve Austin is an astronaut who has made three Moon landings. In a test flight accident caused by a malfunctioning center stick, his right arm is severed, his left eye is blinded, and both legs must be surgically amputated. Steve Austin’s personal physician, Dr. Rudy Wells, has theorized about the creation of a cyborg through the installation of bionic parts. He is persuaded by an OSI agent to reconstruct his patient/friend with the understanding that Steve Austin will subsequently work for the OSI. Dr. Wells apprises Steve of the plan, but is met with much resistance as Steve Austin mentally struggles to cope with his injuries, the installation of artificial components, and the future obligations that will be involuntarily thrust upon him. Following surgery and lengthy rehabilitation, Steve Austin reluctantly accepts an assignment to rescue a hostage in Saudi Arabia. Episode synopsis for The Day of the Robot (from Wikipedia) In an attempt to steal a top secret anti-missile device, Steve's associate and friend Major Sloan is kidnapped and replaced with a robot. Steve must discover the impostor, and keep the device from being stolen and sold to the highest bidder. Noteworthy Moments: First occurrence of the "fft-tt-tt" sound effect, later used for Steve Austin's bionic legs and arm, used here for some (but not all) of the Fred Sloan robot's powered arm swings. Episode synopsis for The Rescue of Athena One (from Wikipedia) Steve is launched into space to rescue two astronauts stranded in a crippled space capsule. However, when his bionics begin to malfunction due to space radiation, the return trip to Earth becomes endangered. Note: The first of four appearances that Lee Majors' then-wife, Farrah Fawcett Majors, made on the show. She appeared in each season except the final one, playing a different character each time. = = = The cast (by order of appearances) of The Six Million Dollar Man: Lee Majors as Col. Steve Austin… [99 episodes] Richard Anderson as Oscar Goldman [99 episodes] Martin E. Brooks as Dr. Rudy Wells [45 episodes] Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers… [9 episodes] Alan Oppenheimer as Dr. Rudy Wells… [9 episodes] Quinn K. Redeker as Frank… [6 episodes] Than Wyenn as Ambassador Mahmound… [5 episodes] John de Lancie as Diver… [5 episodes] The cast (by order of appearances) of The Bionic Woman: Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers… [58 episodes] Richard Anderson as Oscar Goldman [58 episodes] Martin E. Brooks as Dr. Rudy Wells [46 episodes] Ford Rainey as Jim Elgin [9 episodes] Sam Chew Jr. as Mark Russell [8 episodes] Jennifer Darling as Peggy Callahan [7 episodes] Martha Scott as Helen Elgin [6 episodes] Lee Majors as Col. Steve Austin [6 episodes]

Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi celebrates Halloween by looking at two horror comedies from the 1960s, The Addams Family and The Munsters. In fact, they look specifically at episodes that are the "Halloween episodes" of the two series: Halloween with the Addams Family season 1 episode 7 of The Addams Family original air date: October 30, 1964. IMDB Rating = 7.8 Munster's Masquerade season 1 episode 1 of The Munsters. original air date: May 6, 1965 IMDB Rating = 7.5 As mentioned in the episode, here are the descriptions from wikipedia for the two episodes. Episode synopsis for Halloween with the Addams Family from Wikipedia: Marilyn's boyfriend, Tom Daily, invites the Munster clan to a masquerade. Eddie remains at home with Mrs. Morton as his sitter. Marilyn goes as Priscilla, Lily is Little Bo Peep, Grandpa is Napoleon and Herman is King Arthur in a suit of shining armor. At the party Mr. Daly is dressed and made up as Frankenstein's monster. Herman tells him that he reminds him of someone and adds that it's unfortunate that he isn't wearing a costume at his own masquerade party, angering Mr. Daly. When it is time for the best costume award Herman is asked to take off his helmet. One man says that Herman should win for wearing one mask over another. Lily is insulted and Marilyn as well is angry with Tom's family. Tom takes Marilyn home, where he finally sees Herman and Lily without their costumes. Tom runs away, but Marilyn is relieved. Episode synopsis for Munster's Masquerade from Wikipedia: Mistaking two robbers named Claude (Don Rickles) and Marty (Skip Homeier) for trick-or-treaters, the family takes them in for a Halloween celebration. The robbers agree because they are hiding out from the police and their car has run out of gas in front of the Addams’ house. They put up with the creepy household's holiday festivities as best they can, because they spot Gomez' desk full of loose cash. Unbeknownst to all, Thing is on to them and ready to take matters “in hand”. When they finally manage to escape the house, it's only into the waiting arms of the police. The cast of The Munsters: Fred Gwyne as Herman Munster Al Lewis as Grandpa Munster Yvonne De Carlo as Lily Munster (Herman’s wife) Butch Patrick As Eddie Munster (the son) Marilyn (the adopted daughter) played by three actresses: Beverly Owen as Marilyn #1 Pat Priest as Marilyn #2 (took over midway thru season 1). Debbie Watson as Marilyn #3 in the film Munster, Go Home. The cast of The Addams Family: John Astin as Gomez Addams Carolyn Jones as Morticia Frump Addams. Ted Cassidy as Lurch the Butler. Felix Sila as Cousin ITT. Lisa Loring as Wednesday Addams Ken Weatherwax as Pugsley (Pubert!) Jackie Coogan as Uncle Fester Blossom Rock as Grandmama.

We continue our all-TV season, and recognize Harlan Ellison, who wrote a series of essays on TV, referring to TV as a 'glass teat'. Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi looks at Richard Matheson, and since this season is the TV season, we look at the stories he wrote that became part of the ABC Movie of the Week. We do a deep dive on the history of TV movies, the ABC Movie of the Week, and specifically the movies that Richard Matheson wrote, which were: "Duel" and "The Trilogy of Terror" and also "The Night Stalker (1972 film)". The movies, the theatrical ones, back in the day, that played on TV, cost a lot for the TV stations to play, the rights owner, representative or distributor charged a premium on recent films, for them to appear on TV, and in some cases the networks would bid against each other for the rights to have a movie played on their station, so most films that appeared on TV were older films. There were, occasionally, made for TV movies, but by the late 1960s, TV studios decided to produce, on a regular basis, original TV movies, more as a cost-saving measure. They controlled production costs, and did not have to bid against other networks. Often these movies were shot in 14 days or fewer. DUEL Troy and David first look at DUEL. a 1971 movie, written by Richard Matheson, and directed by Steven Spielberg. They look at the sound, Dennis Weaver's acting, the diner, the reptiles. The decision by Spielberg not to have a big explosion at the end. The great first line (and following lines) in the story that appeared in Playboy: At 11:32 am Mann passed the truck. Here are the first two camera shots of the shooting script from DUEL: THE NIGHT STALKER The second ABC Movie of the Week that Troy and David look at is The Night Stalker. This is the first of two TV movies that preceded the TV Series, the other is The Night Strangler. The Night Stalker influenced a generation, included Chris Carter, who created The X-Files. There was something about the shouting matches between Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) and Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland). The heartbreaking ending, where Gail Foster (Carol Lynley) and Kolchak are separated. David, in a senior moment, says "Jason" instead of Janos Skorzeny. (ya-noss score-zen-knee). Troy mentions the unusual choice of free-form jazz music that is used in the fight scenes. THE TRILOGY OF TERROR The third ABC Movie of the Week that Troy and David look at is The Trilogy of Terror. This is a movie that has three separate horror stories, the third of which is the one that we all know and love. Richard Matheson wrote all three stories, but other writers wrote the screenplays for the first two stories, and Matheson insisted on writing the screenplay for the third segment. Karen Black played the lead role(s) in all three segments.

Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi has reached a milestone. 75 episodes. Troy Harkin and David Clink hosted a live show, that was recorded on Wednesday, September 18th. David runs a trivia game on TV Superheroes / Supervillains. We hope you enjoy!         Listen to the 2of podcast online, or download the episode to your computer using the Download icon! 2of-S06-E05-The-Big-75th-Episode-Bash-LIVE-SHOW-FINAL-EDITDownload

Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi takes a look at the great television theme songs that are SFFH (science fiction, fantasy, and horror). We have a special guest. Lee McCormack joins us. He was our guest for our 3-part "Galactic Rock" episodes from a few seasons ago. Troy and David and Lee each came up with their own top ten list of theme songs. We hope you enjoy!

Welcome to Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi. And welcome to... Prisoners of Gravity: The Reunion. Five people joined Troy and David for this 35th anniversary show... Host / Co-Creator: Rick Green Producer / Co-Creator: Mark Askwith Producer / Director: Gregg Thurlbeck Associate Producer: Shirley Brady Most Frequent Guest: Robert J. Sawyer We hope you enjoy! BIOS = = = RICK GREEN People may know Rick Green from his days with The Frantics comedy troupe, and as ‘Bill’ on The Red Green Show, which he co-created. Rick also created History Bites. And, of course, he was ‘Commander Rick,’ host of Prisoners of Gravity. He is a member of the Order of Ontario and The Order of Canada for his contribution to Canadian culture and mental health. Rick’s most recent work on his YouTube channel is, ‘Rick Has ADHD.’ = = = MARK ASKWITH Mark Askwith is a writer, interviewer, and Television Producer. After graduating from the University of Toronto, he worked at Coach House Press. From 1982-87 he managed Silver Snail Comics. He left to write comics, and to work on the award-winning documentary Comic Book Confidential. In 1989 he approached Daniel Richler, tv Ontario’s Head of Arts, and pitched a popular culture show, and Prisoners of Gravity was the result. In 1997 he became a Founding Producer of SPACE, Canada’s National Science Fiction Channel. = = = GREGG THURLBECK Since retiring from TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin, back in 2019, Gregg Thurlbeck has focused on a range of interests including swim coaching and photography. Gregg was an exhibitor in the Contact Photography Festival and contributes to the international photography site, 52Frames.com. Gregg is also a coordinator with the Life Institute Photo Club, associated with Toronto Metropolitan University. Gregg coaches the Alderwood Masters, is the VP of Masters Swimming Ontario and was Meet Manager for the 2024 MSO Masters Provincials swim meet in Markham. = = = SHIRLEY BRADY Shirley Brady (Story Editor, Associate Producer, and NanCY!) joined Prisoners of Gravity (POG for short) in season one, with roles including book wrangling, bookcase building, research, booking guests, interviewing and sneaking puns into scripts. After POG’s untimely demise she moved to Hong Kong, working for Discovery Channel and TIME, and then continued her career as a writer / editor / producer in New York, where she still lives with her family. She adds: R.I.P. to Lorna Toolis and Sally Millar! = = = ROBERT J. SAWYER Robert J. Sawyer, a member of the Order of Canada, was the most-frequent guest on PRISONERS OF GRAVITY. He has won the Hugo, Nebula, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards, all for best science-fiction novel of the year, as well as Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards, known as "Auroras," - He has more of these than anyone else in history. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name. His latest novel is THE DOWNLOADED. = = = = = PRAISE / COMMENTS (we have included the praise that David read during the taping, so those involved in PoG heard this and were very appreciative, but, due to time constraints, we were not able to include these in the audio for the podcast episode) Mike McKeever: I wish I remembered when I stumbled upon Prisoners but from that moment on I watched faithfully. Was already a fan of Rick from the earliest days of the Frantics on CBC radio. I learned so much about all the topics and genres discussed. Congrats and looking forward to listening when the pod drops Bob Milne: OMG, so many memories! I used to watch that on the old b&w TV in my room, picking up TVO from UHF. Seeing him again years later on Red Green took me right back. Happy 35th, Rick & Nan-Cy! Rob McLennan: that was such a great show Lloyd Penney: I was interviewed about Star Trek clubs in the first season…our best to Commander Rick and Mark and Gregg and Shirley, and to all who worked on that great show. I think it needs to be revived. Shirley Meier: I loved the interviews done on war and peace. I was talking about bad human designs (Why Things Still Don't Work) and said you want to give monkey the button? Cut to Jerry Pournelle talking about his fave new weapons system. Carol Robinson: I remember having the "So Long Earth" postcard. I have moved a couple of times so I don't know exactly where it is, but I don't throw away precious things… (I am now picturing the final (warehouse) scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark… ) David Simmons: Amazing show, the interview lineup was unbelievable Nancy Baker: One of my favorite shows. It introduced us to so many great writers and creators over the years. Patrick James Asselin: I’ve been calling Prisoners of Gravity a proto-podcast for years! Larry Hancock: A lot of on screen graphics for the first season came from my collections. I was living in an apartment just a couple blocks away from TVO and they borrowed a lot of items for images. Ira Nayman: This is a fantastic idea. I hope it goes very well! Cally Specht: Oh how cool Andre

Welcome to Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi. This is our second episode of Season 6. This season is "Two Old Farts Meet the Glass Teat" The late great Harlan Ellison wrote a series of essays about TV for the LA Free Press. He referred to TV as a "Glass Teat." This is our all-TV season. We will look at shows from the 60s, through the 80s and beyond. The shows and the showrunners. PT 1 of Irwin Allen looked primarily at Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and, Lost in Space PT 2 of Irwin Allen will look primarily at The Time Tunnel, and, Land of the Giants Troy presents a history of Irwin Allen, and the second two series we are looking at. Here are some of the things that appear in most Irwin Allen TV shows. These are his trademark elements that Troy mentions: On set explosions On set smoke and fires Actors throwing themselves to-and-fro to simulate turbulence and/or being under attack. Being lost or stranded Cool vehicles Female hotties Child actors Animal companions Nefarious villains Walking vegetables Use of stock footage Great merchandise And a similar design look / opening credits The Time Tunnel only lasted one season, 30 - episodes. How it all ends... Troy and David come up with their own versions of how the Land of the Giants ended.. A lot of series, back in the day, never had an opportunity to plan their end. MASH was able to, and FRIENDS and SEINFELD and BIG BANG THEORY. What did happen to the crew of the Spindrift, according to Troy and David? Listen and find out.

Welcome to Two Old Farts Talk Sci Fi. This is our first first episode of Season 6. This season is "Two Old Farts Meet the Glass Teat" The late great Harlan Ellison wrote a series of essays about TV for the LA Free Press. He referred to TV as a "Glass Teat." This is our all-TV season. We will look at shows from the 60s, through the 80s and beyond. The shows and the showrunners. PT 1 of Irwin Allen will look primarily at Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and, Lost in Space PT 2 of Irwin Allen will look primarily at The Time Tunnel, and, Land of the Giants Troy presents a history of Irwin Allen, and the first two series we are looking at. Some beautiful ships in the first two series. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea became a monster-of-the-week. Including a werewolf and a mummy episode. With Lost and Space. it aired from 1965-1968. It aired during family hour. It never finished in the top 25 in the years that it ran. Great themes for the shows, as well. How it all ends... Troy and David come up with their own versions of how Lost & Space ended.. A lot of series, back in the day, never had an opportunity to plan their end. MASH was able to, and FRIENDS and SEINFELD and BIG BANG THEORY. What did happen to the crew of the Jupiter 2, according to Troy and David? Listen and find out.

Spaceballs The Star Wars parody (with a bit of Star Trek and Lawrence of Arabia thrown in) may not be Mel Brooks' best film, or his funniest comedy, but it is a film that grows on you with each successive viewing. This episode is released in 2024 on Star Wars day, May the 4th, as in, May the 4th be with you. Dan Miwa joins Troy Harkin and David Clink. Dan, being a first-time guest, is asked about his earliest genre memories, and his first genre love. He is then asked the standard 6 questions for first-time guests: Fave Author; Fave Novel; Fave Shorter Work; Fave Movie; Fave TV Series; and, Fave TV episode. Troy presents a history of the film. Troy and David and Dan do their Dream Cast and their Schrödinger's Cast for the following 6 roles: Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) Barf (John Candy) Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) Dot Matrix (Joan Rivers) (voice) Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) Skroob / Yogurt (Mel Brooks) = = = Dan Miwa Dan Miwa, lover of all things science fiction and psychological fiction, merged his two favourite genres into his novel "Ret". The story takes place on a distant planet, within an alien civilization and follows the life of a little alien through a journey of self transformation. Much of the charm in Ret is how a story with a wild imaginative alien setting can be so relatable at its core. Ret is not only a powerful coming of age story, it's a depiction of human life that holds a mirror to the social challenges we face as a society today. Ret reached #1 in Hot New Release and #2 Best Seller in all his sci fi categories on Amazon. The push for his novel doesn't stop with the written word. Dan is currently working on converting Ret to a graphic novel and screenplay, as well, he is in the beginning stages of writing a prequel to Ret. Ret 2 Zombie Invasion… just kidding.

Queer SFFH (Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror) has been with us for a very long time. One of the first English-language science fiction novels is Frankenstein, 1818, and it was written by bisexual author Mary Shelley. And representation has recently reached new heights, in both how many queer creators there are, but also the number of queer characters appearing in SFFH, in books and media, but also in the quality and impact they have in storylines. Rachel A. Rosen joins Troy and David, to discuss the topic. Rachel, being a first guest, is asked about her earliest genre memories, and her first genre love. She then is asked the standard 6 questions for first time guests: Fave Author; Fave Novel; Fave Shorter Work; Fave Movie; Fave TV Series; and, Fave TV episode. Troy presents an overview of queer representation in science fiction, fantasy, and horror, as part of his history segment. Rachel mentions the influence of the character Dax from DS9, and other queer creators, including Francesca Lia Block, Clive Barker, and Mary Shelley. The "Bury Your Gays" trope is discussed. Is Hollywood getting better at depictions of queer characters? Doctor Who and queer culture is discussed. Many queer Doctors, and queer companions have been featured. Russell T. Davis is openly gay, and he has brought in queer characters and trans characters, more than any other showrunner. The 15th doctor is openly gay. Bill Potts (played by Pearl Mackie) was the first openly gay companion. Xena and Gabrielle as gay icons is covered. Is Dr. Frank-N-Furter a gay icon or a caricature? Rachel and Troy and David spend time talking about the third episode of The Last of Us. Troy does a history, for this episode. = = = RACHEL A. ROSEN lives and makes trouble in Tkaronto (Toronto) in the country currently known as Canada. A genre strumpet with an outlook darker than VantaBlack, she straddles urban fantasy, cosmic horror, dystopian futures, and eco-fiction. Her stone-cold bummer of a first novel, Cascade (The Sleep of Reason Book 1), was published by The BumblePuppy Press in 2022, and with Zilla Novikov, she’s the co-author of The Sad Bastard Cookbook: Food You Can Make So You Don’t Die.

CSFFA, the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, is the organization that is tasked with running the Aurora Awards and the Hall of Fame.Troy and David invite to the show Clifford Samuels, who is the Aurora Awards administrator.This is Clifford's first appearance on the show, and as with all new guests, Troy and David ask Clifford about his first experiences in the speculative genre, and what was his first genre love.Clifford is also asked about his all-time speculative genre faves, which includes his favourite novel, shorter work, author, and also his favourite movie, TV series, and TV episode.The show will look at the Aurora Awards, and also the Hall of Fame.The Aurora Awards recognize excellence, by Canadian creatives (Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and landed immigrants), in the field of science fiction, fantasy and horror, in 10 categories, eight of which are professional, and two are fan / volunteer:Professional Categories in EnglishBest NovelBest YA NovelBest Novelette/NovellaBest Short StoryBest Poem/SongBest Graphic Novel/ComicBest Cover Art/Interior IllustrationBest Related WorkFan/Volunteer CategoriesBest Fan Writing and Publication:Best Fan Related Work:When it comes to the Hall of Fame, here is the description from the CSFFA site...The Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy Association Hall of Fame was created to honour people who have over the past number of decades made a great contribution to the genre of Science Fiction and Fantasy. These would include not just people who write but includes people who have made a contribution either professionally or as a fan. We include artists, musicians, scientists, publishers, editors, organizers and fans.= = =Clifford Samuels has been collecting Science Fiction and Fantasy books for over 40 years.  It can be said that even if he stopped buying new books he would never be able to read what he has, but that will never happen.He has founded, chaired and run numerous genre conventions in Alberta.  He was on the board for Calgary’s When Words Collide festival as guest liaison for 12 years.As a board member of CSFFA (The Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy Association), he has held the positions of president, media liaison and treasurer, but for the past 14 years he has administered the Aurora Awards.Clifford was inducted into the CSFFA Hall of Fame in 2023.

NEUROMANCER Stephen Humphrey joins Troy and David on this episode where the novel Neuromancer is discussed. It looks like they are finally going to be bringing the book to the small screen, after a number of attempts. Apple TV+ announced they are bringing Neuromancer to the small screen... https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2024/02/apple-tv-announces-neuromancer-new-drama-based-on-the-multi-award-winning-science-fiction-novel-by-william-gibson/ = = = 'The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.' The opening line says it all. Neuromancer was a game changer, a classic of the genre. This is Stephen's first guesting on the podcast, so Troy and David ask him what was his first childhood genre memory, and first genre love. They also ask him his favorite author, novel, shorter work, movie, TV series, and TV episode. Neuromancer won the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick award. There is a William S. Burroughs influence / stream of consciousness in the novel. Almost like cut up poetry that tells a story. Gibson has said that Naked Lunch was an influence. There is also an influence of music in the writing. Should you assist A.I. in becoming sentient? Gibson coined the term Cyberspace. Would the movie, The Matrix, existed without Gibson? Is Neuromancer a conversation about a world that we cannot see? As a novel of prediction, how accurate was it? Can we really see beyond the now? Would we miss WW3 if we blinked? Is everyone psychologically wounded in Neuromancer? Would a supermind care about humanity? Would they prefer to communicate with A.I. from the Centauri system? And what are the traits of cyberpunk? Here are some of the things that exist in a lot of these stories... DEFINING CYBERPUNK (from various sources) = a sub-genre of science fiction = a dystopian world = THINK BLADE RUNNER = features hackers and mercenaries = power lies with big corporations and technology = how people navigate the physical and cyber world = technology evolves = about the fragility of the human mind and body = about the loss of control over decision-making = often features addiction, which allows some to cope. = Animals gone? (robot owl in B-R; horses in N) = = = Stephen Humphrey Stephen Humphrey is a writer and radio presenter. He recently published a science/ecology book, ‘Paths of Pollen’ with McGill-Queens University Press. His nonfiction often explores science’s intersection with science fiction. As a result, he’s interviewed Gregory Benford, Robert J. Sawyer, Kim Stanley Robinson and Naren Shankar, showrunner for The Expanse—and, to date, three astronauts. He’s currently developing the science fiction serial Zone Boy and the Worm of Incidence, which has led to teaching himself electronic music. He’s performed his weird tunes around Toronto at Exit Points, Frequency Freaks and TEMOM (Toronto Electronic Music Open Mic). And then there’s the novel. Always the novel. Paths of Pollen website: http://pathsofpollen.stephenhumphrey.ca/ Zone Boy stories:https://zoneboyworm.stephenhumphrey.ca/ Zone Boy One Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-479298104

Our Valentine's Day Special, pt. 2, continues to look at love in the Stephen King Universe. Our guests from part 1 return, the same guests that joined us for our Halloween Special, the two who run SK Tours (Stephen King Tours), Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar. This is a 2-part episode. PT1 was be broadcast on Saturday, Feb 10, 2024. PT2 will be broadcast on Saturday, Mar 09, 2024. In between, on Feb 24, was our Black Superheroes episode with special guest Wayne Brown. As mentioned in pt. 1, when it comes to love in the Stephen King Universe, there are all kinds of love. First loves. The love of family. Unrequited love. Adolescent love. Love in the apocalypse. The love of a parent for their child. The love of a fan for her favorite writer. Troy and David and Jennifer and Jamie go through the books, look at the different kinds of love that exist. = = = Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar own and operate SK Tours of Maine out of Bangor. The three hour long tours are an authoritative celebration of Stephen King in general, as well as his fictional town of Derry.

  Black Superheroes have been around for a very long time. Troy and David welcome Wayne Brown, and they discuss some of the great and not-so-great black superheroes. This is Wayne's first appearance on the show, and as with all new guests, Troy and David ask Wayne about his first experiences in the speculative genre, and what was his first genre love. Wayne is also asked about his all-time faves, which includes his favourite novel, shorter work, author, and also his favourite movie, TV series, and TV episode. Some of the Black Superheroes mentioned in this episode include (please click on the Wikipedia links, for more info): Black Lightning, 1997 -, DC Comics. Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane, Issue #106 (Nov 1970) = Lois becomes black for a day! Blade (comics) Name = Eric Cross Brooks. Blade (New Line franchise character) Name = Eric Brooks. Blade (Marvel Cinematic Universe) John Shaft (from the 1971 film, Shaft) = you don't have to have super powers to be a superhero) Luke Cage (character) Luke Cage (TV Series) Valerie the Librarian... Link to an article about "Valerie the Librarian" by Nicholas Hunter, from Screen Rant, Jan 29, 2022: "Marvel's Forgotten Original Spider-Woman Was A Black Librarian" All Negro Comics. Published in 1947. Lothar, Mandrake the Magician's best friend and crime fighting companion. Lothar is often referred to as the strongest man in the world. He was Prince of the Seven Nations, a federation of Tribes. Black Panther, film starring Chadwick Boseman. Falcon (comics). First appeared in comics in 1969. John Stewart as Green Lantern (1971) he was the first African-American superhero to appear in DC Comics. Green Lantern: Mosaic (1992-1993) was published by DC Comics. Hardware (Curtis "Curt" Metcalf) began in 1993, DC Comics. Icon, 1993-1997, DC Comics Blood Syndicate, 1993 - 1997, DC Comics. Milestone Media (creator of Milestone Comics, published and distributed by DC Comics) Martian Manhunter (voiced by Carl Lumbly) and other versions. M.A.N.T.I.S. (first black superhero on TV) Static Shock, 2000 - 2004 - "It was the first time that an African-American superhero was the titular character of their own broadcast animation series." - from Wikipedia. Tom Swift, 2022, a new series, where Tom Swift is black. Catwoman. Hancock, 2008 film starring Will Smith. Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, not David Hasselhoff) Amanda Waller (in Peacemaker, and Suicide Squad) Wayne Brown is a twin, but he’s not the evil one. He started reading SF books when he was gifted a copy of Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine and Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint. He started reading comics early on. There was a newsstand down the street from his Grandmother’s apartment. He thinks it must have been somewhere around 1968. In 1979 he went to his first convention. It was the Chicago Comicon. He had just gotten his driver’s license and decided after work that he would drive from Rochester to Chicago. He was young. A 12-hour drive was nothing. He got hooked from then on. He got back and started the Rochester Fantasy Fans. That’s been his life since then. Wayne Brown is the chair of the NASFIC convention in Buffalo, New York, in 2024. He has run the Astronomicon SF/F/H convention in Rochester, New York, for many years.

Our Valentine's Day Special looks at love in the Stephen King Universe. We have our guests from our Halloween Special, the two who run SK Tours (Stephen King Tours), Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar. This is a 2-part episode. PT1 will be broadcast on Saturday, Feb 10, 2024. PT2 will be broadcast on Saturday, Mar 09, 2024. In between, on Feb 24, will be our Black Superheroes episode with special guest Wayne Brown. When it comes to love in the Stephen King Universe, there are all kinds of love. First loves. The love of family. Unrequited love. Adolescent love. Love in the apocalypse. The love of a parent for their child. The love of a fan for her favorite writer. Troy and David and Jennifer and Jamie go through the books, look at the different kinds of love that exist. We ask Jennifer and Jamie to talk about their first speculative genre memory, the first genre thing they fell in love with, and their all time faves. We ask them what their first experience of love in the King universe. Who would have made the best prom king and queen in the novels of Stephen King? Who were your favorite couples? = = = Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar own and operate SK Tours of Maine out of Bangor. The three hour long tours are an authoritative celebration of Stephen King in general, as well as his fictional town of Derry.

This is TOF's second Live Show. The first one was a celebration of their 50th episode, and had the theme of Time Travel. This live show is all robots. Each season TOF will host a live show.This show was recorded on Tuesday, December 19th, from 8 pm - 9:30 pm, Eastern Time. 13 or 14 or so attended the event, including five previous guests: Sandra Kasturi; Ira Nayman; Robert J. Sawyer; Jerome Stueart; and, Maaja Wentz.Dan Miwa attended, and will be a guest for our forthcoming Spaceballs episode, that will be released on May 4th, 2024. He talks a bit about the film during this episode.Stephen Humphrey attended, and is a forthcoming guest, and we will be looking at Neuromancer, likely in March of 2024.David and Troy reveal their top ten robots.Some discussion of what a robot and an android are. What counts as a robot and what does not.A trivia contest covering robot movies of the last 50 years was held. Please listen to the show and take the trivia contest. See how well you would have scored!Some of the robots mentioned in this episode include:Robots from Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman.GORT from The Day the Earth Stood Still.Huey, Dewey, and Louie from Silent Running.Robocop - does not count - a cyborg.The Cylons from Battlestar Galactica.Robot from the Let's Kill Hitler episode of Dr. Who.Sandra recommends the flesh robots fromWeird #66: “In the Hills, The Cities” by Clive Barker (1984)Marvin the paranoid android from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.Nomad from Star Trek.Twiki from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.Promo the Robot from Rocketship 7.Wall-E.Hymie the robot from Get Smart.The robot from Metropolis.Mechagodzilla and Mechani-Kong.Dolores from Westworld.The Terminator from The Terminator.Robbie the Robot from Lost in Space.K9 from Doctor Who.Rover from The Prisoner.No. 6 (played by Tricia Helfer) from BSG.The Daggit from the original BSGAsh, and other androids from the Alien movie franchise.The Nazi scientist (Karl Ruprecht Kroenen) in Hellboy.The Major from Ghost in the Shell.The replicants from Blade Runner.The Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.Proteus from Demon Seed.Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation.A.I.The Iron Giant.C3P0 and R2D2 from Star Wars.Brainiac, Vision, and Red Tornado.T1000.Bender from FuturamaDot Matrix from Spaceballs.Minsky from Fargo, season 3.Martha Wells Murder Bot Diaries.

TOF tackles the subject of religion, how it relates to genre, mostly movies and TV, mostly a Christian perspective. Religion is such a large topic, that it is hard to do it justice in one episode. We only have time to cover a few things. Jerome Stueart joins Troy and David for the episode. As a first time guest, we ask Jerome his first experiences with the speculative genre, and what he fell in love with. David also asks him what was the first genre thing he fell in love with. And Troy asks Jerome what his all-time faves are, in the 6 categories we ask now, which are: Favorite genre author, novel, shorter work, movie, TV show, TV episode. Troy does a short introduction of religion. Some of the things covered: The Chronicles of Narnia The Exorcist Deep Space 9 Mazes and Monsters Children of Men 5th Element Dogma Field of Dreams The bible as fantasy novel Contact The Book of Job God Game The Matrix Signs Carl Jung's Synchronicity Battle Star Galactica (BSG) This is our holiday episode, and part of what is also discussed, the idea of faith and religion as vehicles of hope, compassion. social justice, and caring for the poor. That loving each other is the message. And, how religion and fantasy work so well together. How faith may give you reasons to be compassionate. The question of what if, why is this happening, closure, grief, meaning, and purpose. TOF will hopefully return to the topic of religion, do a deeper dive, and cover other creation myths, the darker side of religion (covered briefly in this episode), Disc World, A Canticle for Leibowitz, the Sparrow, The Handmaid's Tale, and much more. = = = Jerome Stueart is a gay writer and artist whose writing has appeared in F&SF, Fantasy, Tor.com, Geist, Strange Horizons, On Spec, and several Tesseracts anthologies. In 2020 he was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award in Short Fiction. His work is often found at the intersection of science fiction, fantasy, and faith. As co-editor of the 2015 anthology Wrestling with Gods (Tesseracts 18), he asked others to explore that same intersection. Stueart lived for nearly a decade in the Yukon, but now lives, writes, and paints in Dayton, Ohio, as well as working in a café bakery.

Dr. Strangelove is the granddaddy of all satirical movies. A great cast contributes to the story of a bomber crew being ordered to drop the bomb on the Russians. The order did not come from the President. It came from Jack D. Ripper, the commander of Burpelson Air Force Base, who exceeded his authority. He also seems to be overly concerned with bodily fluids, his essence, and fluoridation. Peter Sellers leads a great cast. He plays three roles: Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake; President Merkin Muffley; and, Dr. Strangelove. He is wonderful in each one. Troy Harkin and David Clink, the "Two Old Farts," are joined by Ira Nayman, whom Troy and David refer to as The Third Fart. Ira is the only guest who has appeared in all five season. Ira is the second guest to have appeared in five episodes, joining Bev Vincent as part of "The Farty Five" or a proud member of "The Fart-Timer's Club." When it comes to Dream Casting, and the Schrodinger's Cast, Ira Troy and David try to recast Peter Sellers, with the best possible alternative (Dream Cast) and an unusual, outside the box choice (Schrödinger's Cast). Character(s) Original Star Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake President Merkin Muffley Dr. Strangelove Peter Sellers Ira Nayman writes humour under the name, Ira Nayman. The Ugly Truth, his 8th novel with Elsewhen Press, was published in June, 2022. His two dozenth published short story, “Girls Rule the Steampunk World” appeared in Brave New Girls: Chronicles of Misses and Machines. In September, 2022, Ira celebrated the 20th anniversary of the weekly publication of Les Pages aux Folles, his web site of political and social satire. Ira was our guest for four previous episodes: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Mystery Men Twiddle Twaddle

This is the second of two parts that look at Superman in the movies. Troy and David look at the movies, from the George Reeves Mole Men to Zach Snyder's Justice League. Troy and David also do their DREAM CAST and SCHRODINGER'S CAST for Superman - the 1978 film, looking at these 6 roles: Character(s) Original Star(s) Superman / Clark Kent Christopher Reeve Lois Lane Margot Kidder Ma & Pa Kent Phyllis Thaxter & Glenn Ford Jimmy Olsen Marc McClure Lex Luthor Gene Hackman General Zod Terence Stamp

This is the first of two parts that look at Superman in the movies. Troy and David look at the movies, from the George Reeves Mole Men to Zach Snyder's Justice League.

Did you ever want to visit the sites in Stephen King novels? King set a number of his novels and short stories in the fictional town of Derry. Many feel that Derry is, in actuality, Bangor Maine, where Stephen has lived most of his life. Stephen King also believes that. Troy Harkin and his wife Christie went on the SK-Tours in October of 2022. TOF welcomes the couple that run the tour, to talk about it. Jamie Tinker and Jennifer Millar own and operate SK Tours of Maine out of Bangor. The three hour long tours are an authoritative celebration of Stephen King in general, as well as his fictional town of Derry.

Welcome to the first episode of season 5 of Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi! And what better character to launch a new season than a look at Superman? Troy and David look at Superman, from its beginning, the comics, graphic novels, the radio show, the various TV series, and some of the merchandise. Do you remember, as a child, running around the yard in a towel / Superman cape? And how about the Commander Tom Show, where they played episodes of the old George Reeves Adventures of Superman? Troy and David talk about Superman's nicknames, his pets. They also talk about the number of comics Superman appeared in, and the villains he faced. Who is your favorite Supervillain that Superman faced? Lex Luthor? Bizarro? Troy and David reveal their fave villains. Troy does his history of Superman, not to be missed. He also recommends some graphic novels that should not be missed. This is pt.1 of a 2-part episode. The second part (scheduled to be broadcast in four weeks, on Saturday, Nov 4, 2023), will look at the movies. In between, on Saturday, Oct 21, there will be an episode on the Stephen King Tour, a fitting October episode. This episode, pt. 1 of Superman, is being broadcast on Saturday, October 07, 2023.

Troy and David continue their discussion on sports and games in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. This is PT.2 of a 2-part episode. This episode is being broadcast on Saturday, July 08, 2023.

Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror are replete with sports and games. Rollerball and Death Race 2000; The Running Man and Field of Dreams; The Hunger Games and Ready Player One; games of chance, sports, and competitions have been a part of the genre landscape for many years. Harry Potter had Quidditch, and the Triwizard Tournament. Troy and David have created a two-part episode, The Spec Sports Spectacular, where they look at appearances of games and sports in speculative film, TV, and books. Remember the number of times that poker appeared in Star Trek? Is that not the final scene in the TNG series, Captain Picard finally joining the poker game that his senior officers play? And who can forget the games played on the Battlestar Galactica? This episode is being broadcast on Saturday, June 24, 2023.

The Thing PT. 2 Troy and David return with Carolyn Clink and Sandra Kasturi, to look at The Thing. First and foremost, the 1982 film, but also the 1951 film, and the 2011 film. They also do a Dream Cast and Schrodinger's Cast, of six of the main characters in the 1982 movie. Character Original Star MacReady Kurt Russell Dr. Blair Wilford Brimley Nauls T.K. Carter Palmer David Clennon Childs Keith David Dr. Copper Richard Dysart They choose another actor or actress to fill the role, one the best actor (living or dead) which is the Dream Cast, and one unusual choice, for the Schrodinger's Cast. This episode is being broadcast on Saturday, June 10, 2023. = = = Carolyn Clink is a poet living in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. She won the Aurora Award for Best Poem/Song in 2022 for “Cat People Café” and in 2011 for “The ABCs of the End of the World.” Her genre poetry publications include: Weird Tales, Analog, Imaginarium 2012: the Best Canadian Speculative Writing, Polar Starlight, Polar Borealis, On-Spec, Tesseracts, Frost Zone Zine, Eye to the Telescope, Tales of the Unanticipated, Room, and all 5 volumes of Northern Frights. = = = Sandra Kasturi is an award-winning poet, writer, and editor, with work appearing in many places including ON SPEC, several Tesseracts anthologies, and 80! Memories & Reflections on Ursula K. Le Guin. Her two poetry collections are: The Animal Bridegroom (with an introduction by Neil Gaiman) and Come Late to the Love of Birds (both from Tightrope Books). Sandra recently won second prize in The New Quarterly’s Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest. She is also the winner of the Sunburst Award for her story “The Beautiful Gears of Dying” and ARC Magazine's Poem of the Year Award for “Old Men, Smoking.”

John Carpenter's The Thing. 1982 saw a plethora of great genre films, and this one got lost in the mix. How exactly do you compete with Blade Runner; E.T.: The Extraterrestrial; Tron; and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? It did not do well at the box office. It had some poor reviews, most notably from Roger Ebert, who said, "...this material has been done before, and better..." There have been a few films that took audiences and critics years, if not decades, to warm to, and this is one of them. It is now considered a classic of the genre, and often appears in top ten lists. It is favorably mentioned alongside Blade Runner and Alien. Its makeup effects, which at first was off-putting to some audiences and critics, were ahead of their time, and still stand up today. This is Part 1 of a 2-Part episode. Troy Harkin and David Clink, the Two Old Farts of this podcast, will look at the 1982 film in detail, but will also look at the 1951 film, and the 2011 prequel. There may be some discussion on the story, Who Goes There, by John W. Campbell (who has recently been cancelled), which the movies are based on. In the case of the Howard Hawks film, a much looser adaptation, whereas the John Carpenter film, starring Kurt Russell, was a much closer version. About John W. Campbell being cancelled, here is an excerpt from an article titled: John W. Campbell Award Is Renamed After Winner Criticizes Him, published in The New York Times, August 28, 2019, and updated on Sept 1, 2019, written by Peter Libbey: The decision to remove Campbell’s name from the award came after this year’s winner, Jeannette Ng, criticized him in her acceptance speech. “He is responsible for setting a tone for science fiction that haunts this genre to this very day,” she said. “Stale, sterile, male, white, exalting in the ambitions of imperialists, colonialists, settlers and industrialists.” Click on this image to take you to the full article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/books/john-w-campbell-award-jeannette-ng.html This episode is being broadcast on Saturday, May 27, 2023. Troy and David are joined by two guests. Please see their bios and author photos below. Carolyn Clink is David's sister, and this is her first time being a guest on the TOF podcast. She lists the 1982 film, The Thing, as her favourite all-time genre movie. Being a first-time guest, Troy and David ask her about her early genre memories, and what her all-time genre faves are. Sandra Kasturi makes her third appearance as a guest. Sandra first appeared on the Season 1 episode 13 and 14 on Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes (September 2021). She next guested on Season 3 episode 2 and 3 on Folk Horror (July 2022?), which took a careful look at The Wicker Man and MidSommar. Sandra joins Bev Vincent and Ira Nayman as guests who have appeared on three different topics. = = = Carolyn Clink is a poet living in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. She won the Aurora Award for Best Poem/Song in 2022 for “Cat People Café” and in 2011 for “The ABCs of the End of the World.” Her genre poetry publications include: Weird Tales, Analog, Imaginarium 2012: the Best Canadian Speculative Writing, Polar Starlight, Polar Borealis, On-Spec, Tesseracts, Frost Zone Zine, Eye to the Telescope, Tales of the Unanticipated, Room, and all 5 volumes of Northern Frights. = = = Sandra Kasturi is an award-winning poet, writer, and editor, with work appearing in many places including ON SPEC, several Tesseracts anthologies, and 80! Memories & Reflections on Ursula K. Le Guin. Her two poetry collections are: The Animal Bridegroom (with an introduction by Neil Gaiman) and Come Late to the Love of Birds (both from Tightrope Books). Sandra recently won second prize in The New Quarterly’s Nick Blatchford Occasional Verse Contest. She is also the winner of the Sunburst Award for her story “The Beautiful Gears of Dying” and ARC Magazine's Poem of the Year Award for “Old Men, Smoking.”

The Twilight Zone ran from 1959 - 1964. Hosted by Rod Serling Rod also wrote most of the episodes. This is part 2 of Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi's look at the Twilight Zone. This episode looks at (as Troy Harkin says): Rod Serling after The Twilight Zone, and... The Twilight Zone after Rod Serling. There were a few Twilight Zone series since the original. There was also a Twilight Zone movie. Tom Elliott, the host of The Twilight Zone Podcast, is the special guest. He was also the special guest for part 1. Tom and David and Troy talk about The Twilight Zone in the later decades. Tom and David and Troy do the Dream Cast and Schrodinger's Cast, choosing one character from the original series, and choosing another actor or actress to fill the role, one the best actor (living or dead) which is the Dream Cast, and one unusual choice, for the Schrodinger's Cast. They also talk about Night Gallery, and The Planet of the Apes. And Troy asks Tom about the SerlingFest Convention. This episode is not being broadcast on Saturday, June 10, 2023, as David says in the episode. It is being broadcast on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Tom Elliot began The Twilight Zone Podcast in 2010 intending to record short ten-minute stream of consciousness thoughts after each episode viewing. As the production quality of each episode increased, so did the diversity of show content. As well as episode reviews, the podcast grew to include short story readings, book reviews, event coverage and interviews. Guests such as Anne Serling (daughter of Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling), Earl Holliman (the first actor to ever appear in The Twilight Zone) plus many others have all graced the airwaves of The Twilight Zone Podcast. The Twilight Zone Podcast has become the definitive and longest running podcast about the landmark show on the web. Listen to the 2of podcast online, or download the episode to your computer using the Download icon! 2of-S04-E10-The-Twilight-Zone-PT2-FINAL-EDIT-1Download

This is our look at The Twilight Zone. Troy and David have a special guest for this 2-part episode. Tom Elliott. Please see his bio below. The Twilight Zone ran from 1959 - 1964. Hosted by Rod Serling. Rod also wrote most of the episodes. Many have listed it as their inspiration to work in the speculative genre field. Mel Brooks, a lifelong fan, wrote an entry for the book Everything I Need To Know I Learned From The Twilight Zone. In it, he said, "Every time I watched The Twilight Zone, I was completely ready to surrender to it." You know when you have an iconic series when there are so many parodies and homages. The Simpson's Treehouse of Horror had a parody of the episode "To Serve Man" that is fantastic. Saturday Night Live parodied Nightmare at 20,000 feet, and Eye of the Beholder. Troy and David have a special guest for this 2-part episode. Tom Elliott. Please see his bio below. David asks Tom about his early genre loves and all-time faves, before getting into discussion on The Twilight Zone. Troy gives a history of The Twilight Zone. And we look at the five seasons, highlighting specific episodes that stood out. Tom Elliott BIO: Tom Elliot began The Twilight Zone Podcast in 2010 intending to record short ten-minute stream of consciousness thoughts after each episode viewing. As the production quality of each episode increased, so did the diversity of show content. As well as episode reviews, the podcast grew to include short story readings, book reviews, event coverage and interviews. Guests such as Anne Serling (daughter of Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling), Earl Holliman (the first actor to ever appear in The Twilight Zone) plus many others have all graced the airwaves of The Twilight Zone Podcast. The Twilight Zone Podcast has become the definitive and longest running podcast about the landmark show on the web.

Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi celebrates their 50th episode in style. A live show, recorded on April 10, 2023. The Theme - TIME TRAVEL! We had a number of people attend, and there was a time travel quiz, on movies from 1970 - 2023. Troy plays an acoustic version of the theme. Listener mail. A Beatle-ism. And a Dream Cast and Schrodinger's Cast of people that could have played Troy and David. Who else could of (or should have) been the hosts of this podcast?

Was Twiddle Twaddle the greatest science fiction series of all time? Was it better than ST:TNG? Star Trek Classic? Doctor Who? the Prisoner? BSG? Buffy? Many think so. Was it called Devon's Lair in Britain? David Clink (one-half of Two Old Farts Talk Sci-Fi) moderated a panel about the show, back on November 5th, 2022. The guests were Adrienne Kress (the fourth fart?) and Ira Nayman (affectionately known as "The Third Fart"). This episode is a recording of that panel. The panel was held at Astronomicon, in Rochester, New York, run by super fan Wayne Brown. Adrienne is a huge Twiddle Twaddler! She fell in love with the show watching it in reruns as a kid on Saturday mornings, and it's still her favourite comfort show to return to time and time again. She also loves to cosplay Furious Francesca (maybe not the best Twiddle Twaddle medic, but surely the most entertaining!)! Ira Nayman wears a pony tail as an homage to Tony, the cross-eyed mailman, who was a regular in season five of Twiddle Twaddle. Fans of the show will know that his character, like all of them, were killed off at the end of the season because the new show-runner wanted to take the series in a different, more science fictiony direction. Heartbroken, Ira never fully recovered = = = Adrienne Kress is an award winning and internationally published author, actor and screenwriter based in Toronto, Canada. Her most recent novels include The Explorers adventure trilogy and the horror novels Dreams Comes To Life, The Illusion of Living, The Lost Ones and the upcoming Fade to Black based in the world of the Bendy and the Ink Machine video game. Her first graphic novel, Ghost Circus, illustrated by the amazing Jade Zhang, will be out in 2025! Ira Nayman is the published author of eight novels, 25 short stories and 14 collections of Alternate Reality News Service ("When we break the news, it stays broken!"). He was also the editor of Amazing Stories magazine for three years. His dream is to build a time machine so he can go back to 1979 and be a member of the writers' room for Twiddle Twaddle.

Troy and David talk about the Batman movie from 1966. In March of 1966, a decision was made to make a feature film of the TV show. An all-star set of baddies, called The United Underworld, decide to de-hydrate some of the leaders of the free world, and extort the nations of the world to have their leaders returned. July 30, 1966, released in theatres. July 4, 1971, premiered on TV. The Penguin's submarine. The Penguin as ringmaster. Burt Ward doing most of his own stunts in the film. Bruce Wayne falls hard for Miss Kitka. Troy and David look at the two iconic, classic scenes in the movie. 1] The scene where a shark takes a bite out of Batman's leg. 2] Batman trying to get rid of a bomb. All of this in a universe where everything is labelled. The famous Dutch angles (when the camera is not level), when you are in the lair of a criminal. Maybe because they are crooked? "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb." A bomb with the longest fuse in history. Troy and David also do their Dream Casting and Schrödinger's Cast, looking at six roles: Batman [Adam West] Robin [Burt Ward] The Riddler [Frank Gorshin] The Joker [Cesar Romero] The Penguin [Burgess Meredith] Catwoman [Lee Merriwether]

Troy and David continue to look at the Batman TV series from the 1960s. They look a the theme song, and the parody. Here is a link to an article about the parody: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/the-jokers-still-getting-away-celebrating-50-years-of-jingle-bells-batman-smells-233532830.html Here is the 5th verse: Jingle bells, Batman smells Robin laid an egg Batmobile lost a wheel And Joker got away Jingle bells, Batman smells Robin laid an egg Batmobile lost a wheel And Joker got away Source: Musixmatch Songwriters: Kamakazi / Nick Gagnon The refrain is sung by Mark Hamill, in an animated episode. Troy and David look at specific episodes that stand out... = = = = = S1, Ep1 = Hi Diddle Riddle S1, Ep2 = Smack in the Middle This episode has Jill St. John disguised as Robin. Robin's sick burn. How there was not origin story for the first episode. We are introduced to many elements that run through the series... The red phone The bust of Shakespeare The bat poles The batmobile The Dutch angles The henchman The cliffhanger = = = = = S1, Ep19 = The Purr-fect Crime S1, Ep20 = Better Luck Next Time First episode of Catwoman. The Batman and Robin relationship echoes a father son's relationship. There are night scenes in this "Evil is as evil does" episode. = = = = = S1, Ep27 = The Curse of Tut S1, Ep28 = The Pharaoh's in a Rut Victor Buono is King Tut. First King Tut. Great cliffhanger. = = = = = S2, Ep17 = Hizzonner the Penguin S2, Ep18 = Dizzoner the Penguin The Penguin. runs for mayor. Burgess Meredith as the Penguin, may be the best of all the actors who have played the role. Batman wants to run a campaign on the issues. = = = And more...

Batman from 1966. Troy and David look at the series in a 3-part episode. The first two episodes look at the TV series, and the third episode looks at the movie This is part 1. The series starred Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin. other regulars in the series were: Alan Napier as Alfred Neil Hamilton as Commissioner Gordon Stafford Repp as Chief O'Hara Madge Blake as Harriet Cooper Yvonne Craig as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl There were villains, most of whom were played by actors and actresses that people knew at the time, all were celebrities, to some extent. Here is a list of some (not all) of those super villains: SUPER VILLAINS Cesar Romero as The Joker Burgess Meredith as The Penguin Frank Gorshin (Seasons 1–3) as The Riddler John Astin (Season 2) as The Riddler Lee Meriwether (Movie) as The Catwoman Julie Newmar (Seasons 1–2) as The Catwoman Eartha Kitt (Season 3) as The Catwoman Victor Buono as Professor William McElroy/King Tut George Sanders (Season 1) as Dr. Art Schivel/Mr. Freeze Otto Preminger (season 2) as Dr. Art Schivel/Mr. Freeze Eli Wallach (Season 2) as Dr. Art Schivel/Mr. Freeze David Wayne as Jervis Tetch/Mad Hatter Vincent Price as Egghead Carolyn Jones as Marsha, Queen of Diamonds Cliff Robertson as Shame Anne Baxter as Olga, Queen of the Cossacks Milton Berle as Louie the Lilac BATCLIMB WINDOW CAMEOS Please go to this web site for more information… https://www.vintag.es/2019/01/batman-window-cameos.html Jerry Lewis – Appeared in “The Bookworm Turns” (April 20, 1966) Dick Clark – Appeared in “Shoot a Crooked Arrow” (September 7, 1966) Van Williams and Bruce Lee as Green Hornet and Kato – Appeared in “The Spell of Tut” (September 28, 1966) Sammy Davis Jr. – Appeared in “The Clock King’s Crazy Crimes” (October 12, 1966) Bill Dana as José Jiménez – Appeared in “The Yegg Foes in Gotham” (October 20, 1966) Howard Duff as Sam Stone – Appeared in “The Impractical Joker” (November 16, 1966) Werner Klemperer as Colonel Klink – Appeared in “It’s How You Play the Game” (December 1, 1966) Ted Cassidy as Lurch – Appeared in “The Penguin's Nest” (December 7, 1966) Don Ho – Appeared in “The Bat’s Kow Tow” (December 15, 1966) Andy Devine as Santa Claus – Appeared in “The Duo is Slumming” (December 22, 1966) Art Linkletter – Appeared in “Catwoman Goes to College” (February 22, 1967) Edward G. Robinson – Appeared in “Batman’s Satisfaction” (March 2, 1967) Suzy Knickerbocker (pen name of Aileen Mehle) – Appeared in “King Tut’s Coup” (March 8, 1967) Cyril Lord as the Carpet King – Appeared in “Ice Spy” (March 29, 1967)

Whether it is True Blood's Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, or Game of Thrones' Kit Harrington and Rose Leslie, there have been a number of genre productions, whether it is a TV series or a TV episode, or a movie, where love blossomed between actors on the set. There are also genre productions, like A Quiet Place, where married couples (in this case, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski) worked together. John Carpenter and Adrienne Barbeau worked together, as well. Here are a few (some already mentioned). Green Lantern (Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively) I Know What You Did Last Summer (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.) Once Upon a Time (Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas) Fantastic Four (Jessica Alba and Cash Warren) The series Game of Thrones had a number of LGBTQ+ characters, and was not shy in portraying these relationships. Love knows no bounds. Troy and David do not cover these aspects as much in this episode, but will in a future episode. Troy and David will look at love on the set, for their St. Valentine's Day special. This is just a brief overview, and they will hopefully return to the subject down the road. Highlights of the episode include: a) The moment that Captain Kirk professed his one true love, the starship Enterprise. b) Troy asks David which actress was his favourite Cat Woman of the 7 actresses that have been in the role in feature length films. c) Was there a dalliance between Adam West and Julie Newmar back in the 1960s? d) If time travel were a thing, would you go back in time to find the first appearance of Superman, in Action Comics, and collect 100 pristine copies? e) Troy reminiscing about being in a music video, Dream Girl, by the group FM, back in 1987, when he was 22, where he played a roadie, wearing a hat and tripping over ladders. Look for a link to the video on the web site (2of.ca). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSNsLkbYI9k f) The advantages of working on set with someone you are in love with. g) Majel Barrett and Gene Roddenberry. h) Did something go on between Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, while shooting Star Wars? And what of that love triangle, which had two of the three points in the triangle a brother and a sister? i) The love triangle between the characters in Buck Rogers (Buck Rogers, Wilma Deering and Princess Ardala). j) Unrequited love, like in Lady Hawk, Beauty and the Beast, Firefly, Star Trek TNG; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Vision and Wanda; Iron Man and Pepper Potts; Spiderman; The Hulk. k) The loves of Superman and Clark Kent, in the series Superman & Lois; Smallville; and, Lois & Clark. l) The ten most romantic science fiction movies, according to Ranker, is discussed by Troy and David. m) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Outlander are briefly discussed. n) the dynamics of relationships in the reboot to Battlestar Galactica (Adama and President Roslin, Starbuck and Apollo, Baltar and no. 6, among others). o) Troy and David look at the ten most epic love stories in all science fiction (a list from the Internet that they relate and comment on). p) from the comic books, Troy mentions The Swamp Thing (Alec Holland and Abigail Arcane) a great but tragic love story.

Doctor Who may be the greatest sci-fi adventure of all time. The show focusses on a timelord from the planet Gallifree. The main character is Doctor Who, and is often referred to as, "The Doctor." The doctor goes through regenerations, where he or she can come back as someone else. He or she travels in a machine, called the Tardis, that can travel through space and time. Doctor Who was first launched in 1963, and is looking forward to a 60th anniversary special in 2023. It began as something of a show for children, but became much more than that. Consider for a moment all the science fiction and fantasy and horror shows that have come and gone in the last 60 years. The only shows that can compete are Star Trek and Star Wars. One may also consider the James Bond films, that began in 1962 with Dr. No, and continues today, as another series that has longevity. And the change in actors during the various Bond films, and the British sense, makes one think of Dr. Who. And Bond, like Dr. Who, was an expert on many things. One can also think of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as characters that have stood the test of time. The connection here, beyond the British one, is that Watson is the character that humanizes Holmes, and is a lens, the connection we have to Holmes is through Watson, and the same can be said for the various companions that have assisted the various Doctors through the years. Doctor Who has made it into lore, where there are iconic images associated with it, that many recognize, even if you are not a Whovian. Many know that the machine the Doctor travels in is a blue police box, that is larger on the inside. The TARDIS (short for, Time and Relative Dimensions in Space) is iconic. You do not have to watch Doctor Who to be aware of it. One of the Doctor's adversaries, The Dalek, are also iconic. There is a wonderful moment in Mr. Bean's Christmas, where Mr. Bean has a small toy Dalek, and puts it in a manger scene. Doctor Who had a great run, which ended with Silvester McCoy, and there was a gap, perhaps about 8 years or so, before Doctor Who came back as a TV movie starring Paul McGann. Then there was another long break, of about 8 or 9 years, and then the series was rebooted in 2005, starring Christopher Eccleston, and has basically been going non-stop ever since, with small breaks between seasons, and sometimes breaks between new Doctors. The first episode of the reboot, with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, was the most watched Dr. Who episode of all time. At one point Dr. Who had an annual Christmas episode, which was something many looked forward to. Troy and David will do their Dream Cast and Schrödinger's Cast. The Dream Cast is where they take the best actors/actresses of all time, either living or dead, to play the roles. The Schrödinger's Cast takes the same six roles, but has very unusual casting to fill the roles. Here are the six roles they look at, and the actors that first portrayed them. Character Original Star Dr. Who William Hartnell Companion granddaughter Susan (Carole Ann Ford); Susan's schoolteachers Ian Chesterton (William Russell) and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) The Brigadier [Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart] Nicholas Courtney The Master Roger Delgado Davros Michael Wisher Cyberman Roy Skelton, Peter Hawkins – Cybermen Voices Harry Brooks, Reg Whitehead, Gregg Palmer – Cybermen

A Christmas Carol is the Dickens novella classic that has been adapted to big screen and small screen and the stage, and has been referenced / parodied countless times. The Muppets even did a special based on the novel. And, don't forget Scrooge McDuck! Many consider the 1951 film version starring Alistair Sim as the best representation of the tale. Here are some basics: The published title was: "A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas" Ghost stories told around Christmastime were fairly common at the time, and popular. The story was a novella (not a novel). It was first published in 1843. There were a number of printings, all selling out. Dickens read the story to audiences over a hundred times at readings. The basic story centers around a man named Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley. Marley tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits, in succession. The three spirits represent stages in Scrooge's life. The Spirit of Christmas Past takes Scrooge to earlier, seminal moments in his life, a time when he was happy, but also to a time where he lost that faith and the light he had. The Spirit of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to things that are going on currently that he is not aware of - how other people live, and how they feel about him. The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come takes Scrooge to a time where he has passed on, and again, how others feel about him, how he is treated (in death), and also what may happen to Tiny Tim, if Scrooge does not change his ways. The novella begins with a great first line: "Marley was dead." It is considered one of the great opening lines in literature. It brings one immediately into the story. There have been many versions of the story, and one that both David and Troy recommend, beyond the 1951 film, is the 2009 animated version, starring Jim Carrey. Scrooged, starring Bill Murray, has a fantastic opening, and is well worth watching, just for that. Look for cameos from Lee Majors; John Houseman; James Farr; and Mary Lou Retton. Troy and David rate some of the films, and do their Dream Cast and Schrödinger's Cast. The Dream Cast is where they take the best actors/actresses of all time, either living or dead, to play the roles. The Schrödinger's Cast takes the same six roles, but has very unusual casting to fill the roles. Here are the roles they look at, and the actors that portrayed them in the 1951 film. Character Original Star Ebenezer Scrooge Alistair Sim Bob Cratchit Mervyn Johns Tiny Tim Glyn Dearman Spirit of Christmas Past Michael Dolan Spirit of Christmas Present Francis De Wolff (as Francis de Wolff) Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come Czeslaw Konarski (as C. Konarski) Listen to the 2of podcast online, or download the episode to your computer using the Download icon! 2of-S04-E01-A-Christmas-Carol-FINAL-EDIT-1Download