Questions Only VIII: Quizzical Quizzes

[scottydog]

They had the ingredients, but never invented it (and didn't really have the machining capability to make use of it if they had).

Wait a minute -- All Captain Kirk needed was a bamboo pole and BOOM, down went the Gorn!

Star Trek was a pretty unique and personal vision, and had a hard road getting to TV-- the only shows similar to it at all were Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, so I doubt if it would have happened.

Fascinating. Makes me wonder what other innovative ideas we've missed out on because a heroic innovator died prematurely.

TNG was so successful that they spun off DS9. If the original series had been that successful, what do you think the spin off would have been?

Interesting question....

How about Mudd's Women, a precursor the Charlie's Angels?

How about a series called Khan Artist, a series about Khan Noonien Singh's adventures wreaking galactic havoc?

Or a series starring Nichelle Nichols, in which she teaches at Star Fleet Academy in the mirror universe where all teachers are required to wear bikinis

What spin off ideas do you have?

[RJDiogenes]

Wait a minute -- All Captain Kirk needed was a bamboo pole and BOOM, down went the Gorn!

Even if that works in real life, they'd need to be able to make guns or cannon for it to be really useful.

Fascinating. Makes me wonder what other innovative ideas we've missed out on because a heroic innovator died prematurely.

I think about that a lot. Another reason to want to peek into alternate universes.

How about Mudd's Women, a precursor the Charlie's Angels?

That's intriguing. He could escape that android planet with a handful of androids.

How about a series called Khan Artist, a series about Khan Noonien Singh's adventures wreaking galactic havoc?

I don't have much interest in seeing more Khan, but it might have been interesting if Genesis resurrected him like it did Spock.

Or a series starring Nichelle Nichols, in which she teaches at Star Fleet Academy in the mirror universe where all teachers are required to wear bikinis

Starfleet Academy would be too boring, so maybe she could become a special intelligence operative. We could have another Charlie's Angels analog, with Uhura, Yeoman Barrows, and Dr Noel under the command of Commodore Mendez.

What spin off ideas do you have?

Since TNG spun off a space station series, I always thought about a series set on space station K7 from "Trouble With Tribbles." It could be kind of like Casablanca with all kinds of shady characters passing through all the time.

What other ancient classic movie would you want to turn into a Sci-Fi show?

[scottydog]

Wait a minute -- All Captain Kirk needed was a bamboo pole and BOOM, down went the Gorn!

Even if that works in real life, they'd need to be able to make guns or cannon for it to be really useful.

Exactly. Kirk was lucky he didn't blow himself up or impale himself with the projectile

I think about that a lot. Another reason to want to peek into alternate universes.

I'd be afraid to peek. There may be universes where I become Adolf Hitler or Donald Trump or some other scumbag. Witnessing that would be very upsetting.

Since TNG spun off a space station series, I always thought about a series set on space station K7 from "Trouble With Tribbles." It could be kind of like Casablanca with all kinds of shady characters passing through all the time.

That's brilliant. The possibilities for plotlines and all sorts of interesting characters are endless. Would you bring in familiar characters, like maybe have the Enterprise do repeat visits every so often?

What other ancient classic movie would you want to turn into a Sci-Fi show?

Well, you're probably thinking I'm going to say something like It's a Wonderful Life where George Bailey's battles with Mr. Potter are peppered with Twilight-Zone-like occurrences.

But why not the classic old original Frankenstein movie? In the TV series, Dr. Frankenstein's lab is well-hidden and each episode features a new creature made from human parts that he brings back to life. One week it's a tap-dancer, the next week a serial killer, the next week a long-grey-haired cartoonist.

Another option is a spinoff of Hitchcock's The Birds. Maybe each week a new animal gets infected with the virus that turns them against humans. And our lead characters never know what animal it will be.

What classic old movie do you think has potential for TV?

[RJDiogenes]

I'd be afraid to peek. There may be universes where I become Adolf Hitler or Donald Trump or some other scumbag. Witnessing that would be very upsetting.

It would be useful information, though.

That's brilliant. The possibilities for plotlines and all sorts of interesting characters are endless. Would you bring in familiar characters, like maybe have the Enterprise do repeat visits every so often?

There could definitely be crossovers. You'd want Starfleet characters among the regular cast, so you'd probably want to assign another starship to the sector or whatever.

But why not the classic old original Frankenstein movie? In the TV series, Dr. Frankenstein's lab is well-hidden and each episode features a new creature made from human parts that he brings back to life. One week it's a tap-dancer, the next week a serial killer, the next week a long-grey-haired cartoonist.

Okay, that would be pretty freaky.

Another option is a spinoff of Hitchcock's The Birds. Maybe each week a new animal gets infected with the virus that turns them against humans. And our lead characters never know what animal it will be.

"Attack of the Groundhogs," guest starring Elara.

What classic old movie do you think has potential for TV?

How about a Sci-Fi version of High Noon set on an alien planet that is tidally locked? Everybody who wants to challenge somebody to a high-noon gunfight has to travel to the center of the hemisphere facing the star.

How would you turn The Mary Tyler Moore Show into a Sci-Fi adventure series?

[scottydog]

How about a Sci-Fi version of High Noon set on an alien planet that is tidally locked? Everybody who wants to challenge somebody to a high-noon gunfight has to travel to the center of the hemisphere facing the star.

Only YOU would think of connecting high noon with tidal lockedness

How would you turn The Mary Tyler Moore Show into a Sci-Fi adventure series?

Oh gosh. I literally haven't watched that show since 1978

I would center the series around so-called sweet and lovable Georgette. Let's make her a bloodthirsty killer Perhaps she's an alien from another planet whose species finds human blood to be a delicious delicacy.

No one ever suspects Georgette to be a ruthless killer, of course. But as time passes, Mary becomes increasingly suspicious of Georgette and the unsettling coincidences that seem to follow her. She confides in her close friend and coworker, Rhoda Morgenstern and together they embark on a mission to uncover the truth behind these horrifying events.

How might you turn Get Smart into a sci-fi TV series?

[RJDiogenes]

Only YOU would think of connecting high noon with tidal lockedness

I am gifted with a unique weirdness.

Oh gosh. I literally haven't watched that show since 1978

My Mother's been bingeing it on Hulu for the past two weeks or so, so I've been seeing a lot of them. I had forgotten how many sexy scenes there were.

I would center the series around so-called sweet and lovable Georgette. Let's make her a bloodthirsty killer Perhaps she's an alien from another planet whose species finds human blood to be a delicious delicacy.

No one ever suspects Georgette to be a ruthless killer, of course. But as time passes, Mary becomes increasingly suspicious of Georgette and the unsettling coincidences that seem to follow her. She confides in her close friend and coworker, Rhoda Morgenstern and together they embark on a mission to uncover the truth behind these horrifying events.

I kinda like that.

How might you turn Get Smart into a sci-fi TV series?

I'd revive my idea of Max and 99 meeting Uncle Martin from My Favorite Martian, who metes out Martian technology to CONTROL. But then we'd discover that KAOS has a similar arrangement with an envoy from Venus. It turns out that Earth is the site of a proxy war between two super powers, like Vietnam.

How would you turn The Odd Couple into Sci Fi?

[scottydog]

I had forgotten how many sexy scenes there were.

Sexy scenes in the Mary Tyler Moore show? I have no idea what you're talking about. Can you give me an example?

How would you turn The Odd Couple into Sci Fi?

Hmmm, good quesiton.

One way to turn The Odd Couple into a science fiction series is by setting the story in a futuristic world where humans have colonized other planets. Instead of being divorced friends sharing an apartment, Felix and Oscar could be space explorers stranded on a distant planet after their spaceship crashes. While trying to repair their ship and signal for rescue, they encounter strange creatures, hostile environments, and mysterious technology left behind by an extinct alien race. Throughout their adventures, Felix's neat and organized approach clashes with Oscar's carefree and chaotic nature, leading to comedic conflicts while dealing with the challenges of living on a foreign world.

How would you turn The Brady Bunch into Sci Fi?

[RJDiogenes]

Sexy scenes in the Mary Tyler Moore show? I have no idea what you're talking about. Can you give me an example?

There were at least a couple of episodes where she was wearing a skimpy negligee-- one was when she was in the hospital and Rhoda switched it with her regular nightgown, and one seemed to be a fantasy of Ted's. Then there was a scene with her in a towel when Murray came over. And then there was the green dress. Probably some others that I'm forgetting.

One way to turn The Odd Couple into a science fiction series is by setting the story in a futuristic world where humans have colonized other planets. Instead of being divorced friends sharing an apartment, Felix and Oscar could be space explorers stranded on a distant planet after their spaceship crashes. While trying to repair their ship and signal for rescue, they encounter strange creatures, hostile environments, and mysterious technology left behind by an extinct alien race. Throughout their adventures, Felix's neat and organized approach clashes with Oscar's carefree and chaotic nature, leading to comedic conflicts while dealing with the challenges of living on a foreign world.

Leading up to an ultimate conflict using the mysterious technology that completely destroys the planet.

How would you turn The Brady Bunch into Sci Fi?

The Brady Bunch was about a mixed family, so this show would involve a family of Martians, who are similar to terrestrial cassowaries, and a family of Venusians, who are similar to bipedal monitor lizards. The Martians are lacking a mother and the Venusians are lacking a father. The parents meet and, despite their biological differences, strike up a romance and move in together-- each with a clutch of incubating eggs. Soon after, the eggs hatch and the parents have to spend the next eighteen years preventing the kids from killing and eating each other.

How about Mayberry RFD?

[scottydog]

How about Mayberry RFD?

Otis, the town drunk, is an extraterrestrial alien spy. His species believes that the best test of whether another alien species is worth establishing relations with is how the species treats its most down-and-out citizens. This TV series showcases the life of Otis as he visits various people around Mayberry, Raleigh, and other points of interest. Some weeks Otis is convinced there is no hope for humanity -- that's when he returns to Andy Taylor's jail, eats some of Aunt Bea's hot apple pie, and changes his mind about us.

How would you convert 60 Minutes into a sci-fi series?

[RJDiogenes]

Otis, the town drunk, is an extraterrestrial alien spy. His species believes that the best test of whether another alien species is worth establishing relations with is how the species treats its most down-and-out citizens. This TV series showcases the life of Otis as he visits various people around Mayberry, Raleigh, and other points of interest. Some weeks Otis is convinced there is no hope for humanity -- that's when he returns to Andy Taylor's jail, eats some of Aunt Bea's hot apple pie, and changes his mind about us.

Rod Serling would love that plot, considering his fondness for small-town Americana.

How would you convert 60 Minutes into a sci-fi series?

Suddenly, SETI receivers around the globe begin receiving a broadcast that mimics the initial broadcast of 60 Minutes from 1968-- except that Mike Wallace and Harry Reasoner have been replaced with two aliens, one resembling a cephalopod and the other resembling a dinosaurian centaur. They mimic the actions of the human anchors as best they can, but the messages they relate concern cultural and historical information about the Alien Alliance. Unfortunately, the language, while translated into English, is so abstract that various groups each interpret it all to support their own ideology and try to use it as justification to rule over everybody else.

What would you do with Leave It To Beaver?

[scottydog]

Suddenly, SETI receivers around the globe begin receiving a broadcast that mimics the initial broadcast of 60 Minutes from 1968-- except that Mike Wallace and Harry Reasoner have been replaced with two aliens, one resembling a cephalopod and the other resembling a dinosaurian centaur. They mimic the actions of the human anchors as best they can, but the messages they relate concern cultural and historical information about the Alien Alliance. Unfortunately, the language, while translated into English, is so abstract that various groups each interpret it all to support their own ideology and try to use it as justification to rule over everybody else.

Alas, your main problem is that you know humanity all too well

What would you do with Leave It To Beaver?

Ward Cleaver comes home from work one day and finds his wife June Cleaver in bed with Eddy Haskell. Ward flies into a rage, and in tragic irony, grabs a cleaver from the kitchen and bludgeons June to death. Eddy barely escapes alive, although his right arm is hacked off. When Wally and the Beaver come home from school, all the blood splatters have been cleaned up and June's body disposed of. Ward greets his two sons with his usual disarming smile -- pardon the pun.

Meanwhile, Eddy startles his mother, Edna, by staggering into his home, holding his bleeding stump. He informs her that Ward Cleaver cleaved his arm off and then he passes out. Edna cleans and dresses his wound. An unhappily married woman, she has been having an affair with Ward and is motivated to protect him. She rushes over to Ward's home, where the blood-soaked dress alarms Wally and the Beaver. They ask if Eddy is okay, and her hesitation is a giveaway that Wally has been gravely wounded.

What happens next?

[RJDiogenes]

Alas, your main problem is that you know humanity all too well

It's always the same old story....

Ward Cleaver comes home from work one day and finds his wife June Cleaver in bed with Eddy Haskell. Ward flies into a rage, and in tragic irony, grabs a cleaver from the kitchen and bludgeons June to death. Eddy barely escapes alive, although his right arm is hacked off. When Wally and the Beaver come home from school, all the blood splatters have been cleaned up and June's body disposed of. Ward greets his two sons with his usual disarming smile -- pardon the pun.

Meanwhile, Eddy startles his mother, Edna, by staggering into his home, holding his bleeding stump. He informs her that Ward Cleaver cleaved his arm off and then he passes out. Edna cleans and dresses his wound. An unhappily married woman, she has been having an affair with Ward and is motivated to protect him. She rushes over to Ward's home, where the blood-soaked dress alarms Wally and the Beaver. They ask if Eddy is okay, and her hesitation is a giveaway that Wally has been gravely wounded.

What happens next?

Before the boys can ask any more questions, Ward comes in from the backyard, dusting the dirt off his hands. He is shocked to see Edna standing there in her blood-soaked dress, but understands immediately what is happening-- he expresses concern that she is experiencing a hemorrhage and takes her by the elbow, guiding her toward the door, and promising to drive her directly to the hospital. Unfortunately, when he opens the door he sees Dan Matthews standing there, propping up a half-dead Eddie. "Not so fast, Mr Cleaver," he says.

What next?!?

[scottydog]

The scene fades out and Rod Serling steps in. He says,

"You've traveled to another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of family values and suburban tranquility. A place where innocence collided with the unknown, and a peaceful neighborhood was shaken to its core.

We met the Cleaver family, a picture of idyllic 1950s suburban life, where every problem can be solved with a lesson and a warm dinner awaits us at home. But today, this seemingly perfect world collided with a darker dimension, a place where reality and nightmares blend seamlessly.

We entered a twisted reality where the Cleaver household confronted the inexplicable, the unimaginable, and the terrifying. They came face to face with their deepest fears, their hidden desires, and the chilling truth that nothing is as it seems. This was a tale where innocence met the macabre, and suburban bliss took a spine-tingling turn into the depths of.... 'The Twilight Zone.'"

How might Rod Serling introduce a Flying Nun - Twilight Zone crossover episode?

[RJDiogenes]

The scene fades out and Rod Serling steps in. He says,

"You've traveled to another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of family values and suburban tranquility. A place where innocence collided with the unknown, and a peaceful neighborhood was shaken to its core.

We met the Cleaver family, a picture of idyllic 1950s suburban life, where every problem can be solved with a lesson and a warm dinner awaits us at home. But today, this seemingly perfect world collided with a darker dimension, a place where reality and nightmares blend seamlessly.

We entered a twisted reality where the Cleaver household confronted the inexplicable, the unimaginable, and the terrifying. They came face to face with their deepest fears, their hidden desires, and the chilling truth that nothing is as it seems. This was a tale where innocence met the macabre, and suburban bliss took a spine-tingling turn into the depths of.... 'The Twilight Zone.'"

Well resolved.

How might Rod Serling introduce a Flying Nun - Twilight Zone crossover episode?

"Our tale for today begins on a typical morning on the outskirts of San Juan-- the sea breeze gently moves the leaves of the palm trees, the clean smell of the ocean fills the air, and the shapes of white clouds float across the crisp blue of the sky. One of those clouds resembles a duck. Another resembles an elephant. A third resembles a nun.

On closer inspection, however, that third cloud bears more than a passing resemblance to a nun-- it is, indeed, a nun in flight. Sister Bertrille by name, she now descends from the sky and alights in the courtyard of the Convent San Tanco. As the other sisters emerge from the convent buildings and gather around her, one must wonder if they are witnessing a miracle from Heaven-- or a portent of the Apocalypse from the Twilight Zone."

How would Sister Bertrille deal with meeting David Vincent and learning about The Invaders?

[scottydog]

Mea Culpa! Shame on me, I've never seen the Invaders. I do appreciate the premise, of course. According to its Wiki page, it really opened doors for future shows and movies on the earthlings versus aliens theme.

What are some other underrated and shortlived TV series?