But where did this interest in aliens begin? I could say Star Trek, Star Wars, or even Alf. Sure, I watched those shows regularly, but there was another show that captivated my imagination. What would it be like to fall in love with an alien? And what would children born of this union look like? Would they have any special powers like Superman (my fav superhero)?
And the show that started it all...
"Out of this World"
The series revolves around Evie Ethel Garland (Maureen Flannigan), a young girl who discovers on her thirteenth birthday that her father is an alien named Troy Garland (Burt Reynolds - voice), from the planet Antareus, who married her mother, Donna Garland (Donna Pescow) and "merged lifeforms" to create Evie. Evie's half-alien heritage gives her superhuman abilities. Most of the episodes revolve around Evie misusing her powers and causing some trouble, which she spends the rest of the episode trying to fix. Only Evie and her family know about her alien father and her powers, and many episodes depict Evie trying to hide her secret from other characters. The series ended on a cliffhanger in the Season 4 finale, where Troy came to visit and Donna took his place by accident and ended up in Antareus, leaving Troy stranded on Earth.
Yes, it's a typical 80's show, but I tried not to miss any episode. It was on NBC from 1987-1991.
Are there any lesser known sci-fi shows, movies, or books that inspire you?
3 comments:
I'm totally inspired by Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone. Total b-sci-fi badness, but loads of fun to watch. It came out in 1982 in 3-D which did nothing for the movie except doom it even further. But I love the adventure, the sense of the new and dangerous, and the characters in the movie. When I want adventure, this is a movie I reach for over and over.
This is an interesting influence, Jessica. Some of the adventures Jaleta listed also inspired me.
Especially Spacehunter. I also loved the cheeky cult film, Forbidden Planet, which inspired the title for my own Forbidden series.
Adding to my to-watch list. Thanks Jaleta and Kaye! :)
Post a Comment