Comments on: Orac on me on Orac etc http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/ Airpower and British society, 1908-1941 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:32:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-11214 Brett Holman Fri, 08 Dec 2006 12:32:23 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-11214 I do like a good end-of-the-world (or after) story, but I haven't seen any of these! I've read about Survivors and must track that down one day. I notice that the director of The Mad Death also directed such classics as Vampire Circus, Jeeves and Wooster, and the new Battlestar Galactica -- a very diverse resume, to be sure. I do like a good end-of-the-world (or after) story, but I haven’t seen any of these! I’ve read about Survivors and must track that down one day. I notice that the director of The Mad Death also directed such classics as Vampire Circus, Jeeves and Wooster, and the new Battlestar Galactica — a very diverse resume, to be sure.

]]> By: Jack http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-11207 Jack Fri, 08 Dec 2006 11:58:52 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-11207 I don't recall 'The Mad Death', but, having just googled it, given that it was made by BBC Scotland and featured many, eh...'colourful' Scottish 'character' actors, I'm not surprised you found it terrifying. "Whole population runs around on all fours foaming at the mouth"? How quintessentially Scottish! 'No acting required', as we thesps would say... :) I don’t recall ‘The Mad Death’, but, having just googled it, given that it was made by BBC Scotland and featured many, eh…’colourful’ Scottish ‘character’ actors, I’m not surprised you found it terrifying. “Whole population runs around on all fours foaming at the mouth”? How quintessentially Scottish! ‘No acting required’, as we thesps would say… :)

]]> By: Alan Allport http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-11200 Alan Allport Fri, 08 Dec 2006 11:20:28 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-11200 <i>And I’m delighted to have finally worked out that ‘Survivors’ is the title sequence (which basically predicted a Bird Flu epidemic) which used to terrify me in 1975 when I was 5 years old - probably just as I was being sent to bed. It has stuck with me ever since. Very scary indeed.</i> Indeed. I also remember being terrified at about the same time and about the same age by <i>The Mad Death</i> (rabid pooch gets through quarantine, dog bites man, whole population runs around on all fours foaming at the mouth. Or something like that). And I’m delighted to have finally worked out that ‘Survivors’ is the title sequence (which basically predicted a Bird Flu epidemic) which used to terrify me in 1975 when I was 5 years old - probably just as I was being sent to bed. It has stuck with me ever since. Very scary indeed.

Indeed. I also remember being terrified at about the same time and about the same age by The Mad Death (rabid pooch gets through quarantine, dog bites man, whole population runs around on all fours foaming at the mouth. Or something like that).

]]> By: Jack http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-11184 Jack Fri, 08 Dec 2006 09:10:04 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-11184 Yes, it is. The BBC blurb and ad campaign had made the programmes sound quite 'trashy', but the quality is much better than the usual clip-show rubbish. It's not my cup of tea as an entire genre, but I caught 'The Cult of...Adam Adamant Lives!' programme (in relation to Austin Powers), and I've been hooked on them all. They make a very convincing link between the more 'serious' literary tradition of Orwell, Wyndham, etc and the more, eh....'geeky' end of TV sci-fi. They've been particularly strong on 1970s series such as 'Doomwatch' and 'Survivors' reflecting Britain's socio-economic travails of the time. And I'm delighted to have finally worked out that 'Survivors' is the title sequence (which basically predicted a Bird Flu epidemic) which used to terrify me in 1975 when I was 5 years old - probably just as I was being sent to bed. It has stuck with me ever since. Very scary indeed. Yes, it is. The BBC blurb and ad campaign had made the programmes sound quite ‘trashy’, but the quality is much better than the usual clip-show rubbish. It’s not my cup of tea as an entire genre, but I caught ‘The Cult of…Adam Adamant Lives!’ programme (in relation to Austin Powers), and I’ve been hooked on them all. They make a very convincing link between the more ’serious’ literary tradition of Orwell, Wyndham, etc and the more, eh….’geeky’ end of TV sci-fi.

They’ve been particularly strong on 1970s series such as ‘Doomwatch’ and ‘Survivors’ reflecting Britain’s socio-economic travails of the time. And I’m delighted to have finally worked out that ‘Survivors’ is the title sequence (which basically predicted a Bird Flu epidemic) which used to terrify me in 1975 when I was 5 years old - probably just as I was being sent to bed. It has stuck with me ever since. Very scary indeed.

]]> By: Brett Holman http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-11175 Brett Holman Fri, 08 Dec 2006 08:35:39 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-11175 That's very cool! And Avon is of course my other fave. Blake was a nice guy and all (and Gareth Thomas clearly one of the better actors!), but Avon and Vila got all the best lines. And the cheekbones, in Avon's case ... Thanks for the doco tip, sounds right up my alley. Is it one of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/features/sfb.shtml" rel="nofollow">these</a>? That’s very cool! And Avon is of course my other fave. Blake was a nice guy and all (and Gareth Thomas clearly one of the better actors!), but Avon and Vila got all the best lines. And the cheekbones, in Avon’s case …

Thanks for the doco tip, sounds right up my alley. Is it one of these?

]]> By: Jack http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-10759 Jack Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:55:59 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-10759 Avon, rather. (Sorry - any excuse for an anecdote.) Btw, there is a a very good retrospective series on British Science Fiction currently running here on BBC Four. As well as being good-quality TV History at the more populist end, it has covered Wyndham, Orwell, and has been a serious analysis of apocalypticism, dystopianism and British cultural identity. (As well as having many funny bits.) Keep an eye out for it if it turns up Down Under. Avon, rather. (Sorry - any excuse for an anecdote.)

Btw, there is a a very good retrospective series on British Science Fiction currently running here on BBC Four. As well as being good-quality TV History at the more populist end, it has covered Wyndham, Orwell, and has been a serious analysis of apocalypticism, dystopianism and British cultural identity. (As well as having many funny bits.) Keep an eye out for it if it turns up Down Under.

]]> By: Jack http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-10758 Jack Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:43:18 +0000 http://airminded.org/2006/12/05/orac-on-me-on-orac-etc/#comment-10758 I too find 'Respectful Influence' never less than interesting, even on debates which I would not choose to get involved in. But oh, you Blake's 7 fans.... If you are working your way through series 1, I'm afraid that's a cue for a theatrical anecdote from my previous life. If you have a look at the (slightly self-indulgent) comments from me on this post http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2006/04/whoever_thought_this_would_be.php you will see my Gareth Thomas (Blake) connection, of which I'm rather proud, and which I remember with great amusement and affection. Yes, Vila was a great character which Paul Darrow played quite brilliantly. But, paraphrasing what Gareth once told me he was often wont to remind Paul Darrow (with tongue firmly in cheek): 'yes, you've got the cheekbones, but remember - I'm the serious actor, love'. Thespians, eh?. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em! :) I too find ‘Respectful Influence’ never less than interesting, even on debates which I would not choose to get involved in.

But oh, you Blake’s 7 fans…. If you are working your way through series 1, I’m afraid that’s a cue for a theatrical anecdote from my previous life. If you have a look at the (slightly self-indulgent) comments from me on this post http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2006/04/whoever_thought_this_would_be.php
you will see my Gareth Thomas (Blake) connection, of which I’m rather proud, and which I remember with great amusement and affection.

Yes, Vila was a great character which Paul Darrow played quite brilliantly. But, paraphrasing what Gareth once told me he was often wont to remind Paul Darrow (with tongue firmly in cheek): ‘yes, you’ve got the cheekbones, but remember - I’m the serious actor, love’.

Thespians, eh?. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em! :)

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