Prisoners of Gravity: Fans (Part 3/3)

Originally Broadcast on October 8th, 1992.

This part includes clips with Spider Robinson, Walter Koenig and Michael Dorn.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Prisoners
• of
• Gravity
• TVO
• TVOntario

[dougo13]

Actually I thought Commander Rick was more of (as you say) a riff on Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. That reference isn't lost on the intended audience...

Foregt DVDs. They will probably never come out. Who would edit them? And some of the authors are now touchy about these old interviews. And the creators have written off the first season so it wouldn't be available. Nah! You'll have to hope they get put here or else you can trade for them. Still looking for Madness from '92...

[Teddog3000]

I don't know. Everything I've seen hints that PoG was originally aimed at older kids/early teens before season two and Commander Tom would be known that age group in Toroto/Southern Ontario area, since WKBW is our ABC station. You know, I should probably email Rick and just ask. "Enrico Gruen" is an extremely obscure reference and Rick recycles some of his characters, so it could something we haven't even thought about.

"Riff" is just my Mystery Science Theater fandom shining through. :P

[Elric33239]

I too watched this show on one of the local PBS stations at the same time they aired Dr. Who episodes. Oddly, several Who fans that I knew didn't like it because they thought Commander Rick was presented as an insulting image of SF media fans. I liked the show because it featured literary SF writers that I've never seen in person, so I didn't take it the same way as they did. I wonder if it's out on DVD?

[Teddog3000]

I've heard other people claim that they weren't comfortable with Commander Rick for the exact same reasons, so it's not that odd. Rick's sorta a carry-over from the first season of the show, when it was actually intended more for older kids. I always figured that because of that, Commander Rick was a riff on Buffalo's Commander Tom. The joke would get lost depending on your location.

There's no DVD release due to issues with the broadcast rights for the interviews.

[smkolins]

Nice - I managed to catch an episode or so a while back on PBS ... I also managed to find an obscure reference to an author I was doing research for wekipedia... who was interviewed on Prisoners - it aired October 29, 1992.... if could be uploaded that would make my day....

[Teddog3000]

I thought I had this episode, but after searching my collection it appears I was mistaken. Sorry. :(

[JanRubak]

@dougo13 TVO's digital archive has 25 (and counting?) episodes available to view, including the Madness episode: archive.tvo.org/program/119701 .

Doesn't it seem weird that authors would be touchy about their old interviews, given that such interviews were essentially public performances?

[JanRubak]

@dougo13 TVO's digital archive has 25 (and counting?) episodes available to view, including the Madness episode: archive.tvo.org/program/119701 (and archive.tvo.org/video/119756).

Doesn't it seem weird that authors would be touchy about their old interviews, given that such interviews were essentially public performances?

[oldbluescott]

Michael Dorn is a merry man.

[Elric33239]

I'm not familiar with Commander Tom, so the joke would sail over my head as well.

Have you recorded (and uploaded) clips of him as well?