From 1977, here's a long (four and a half minute) promo for the CBS Logan's Run television series, consisting entirely of footage from the premiere episode. In fact, it's pretty much a Reader's Digest-styled condensed version of that pilot film!
I'm not entirely certain if this promo was actually broadcast, or was only shown to affiliates and advertisers.
Not seen this trailer before, interesting, if my memory serves,the transmitted TV pilot had the explosive pyros on the victims of Carousel substituted for an optical effect where here it is just as in the movie.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. Obviously, when they cut this promo, the new effects weren't available yet. I'm not entirely certain if those promo actually aired or was only shown to affiliates and advertisers.
DeleteChristopher, This Promo was run by CBS the week prior to the premier. They showed Logan's Run as the Friday night movie with tons of commercials about the up coming show. and at the end this promo was run. at least on the east coast
DeleteLiked the show, both Gregory and Heather (and Donald) certainly had great charm (REM sure was the '70s Data...). The series stories were alright, but it dwindled to a basic chase show.
ReplyDeleteDespite the summarizing intro, most casual watchers didn't really know why Logan was running.
This type of show, like the even more enjoyable POTA series, was why I liked 1999 SO much. Like SMDM and Land of the Giants, it seemed like most of the cool effects/action and awesome expenditures ended with the first episode, the remainder of the season was just chases and smaller stories..
Space:1999 was based in space and stayed in space the entire majestic series.
Well, it was economics. Network TV really wasn't a good fit for sci-fi back then, because it was so expensive, and shows lived or died by ratings and sponsors. The studios also had to sell the shows to the networks cheap, and hope to make up their losses in syndication. That's really why there have been so few successful genre shows on network television - the economic model didn't really suit them.
DeleteSpace: 1999 was produced under a different model. ITC paid for everything up front, and then sold the show to markets all over the world, figuring to make up costs that way. Ratings were important, of course, but only insofar as they helped ITC decide whether it was cost-effective to produce more seasons. Even 1999 took a budget hit in Year Two.
If you look at it, we never really saw any long-running sci-fi successes until Next Generation, which was financed independently and made its money through syndication. That model works much better for pricey, SFX-heavy series.
Oh, I'm very familiar with the economics of network television series, trust me.., but if the viewership gets bored with a series, there goes the sponsor investment.
ReplyDeleteA more interesting investment model is the original Galactica series. ABC commissioned Universal to produce first a mini-series (like 'How the West Was Won'..), then it turned into an actual weekly series, which totally blew preproduction planning and effects work.., then ABC was upset with being cut out of the merchandising, which didn't make sense because to me it was 'Hey, you commissioned us to create this series, here you are...', nothing stipulating tertiary profits like toys, showing the movie in other countries, etc..
So with the heavy price-tag (effects, Lorne Greene's salary) and no cut of the merchandising, ABC said 'bye-bye'. Just a fun story.
As a boy on the '70s, I enjoyed the 1976 film and this 1977-78 CBS series. This is a great preview that brings back many happy memories of this short-lived series.
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I loved this film, and really enjoyed the series, even if it was sometimes a bit cheesey in the later TV episodes. The concept of the Sandmen were great for post-nuke roleplaying in the late 70s and early 80s.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, the Sandmen are always awesome, cool weaponry.
DeleteYeah, I remember in 1977, I was a Sandman for Halloween, while other kids were wearing Star Wars and Close Encounters costumes.
DeleteThe Sandmen were just cool and had one of the coolest weapons in sci-fi shows.
The version of the Gun in the book was much higher tech than in the movie. The stun effect made the TV show more versatile.
DeleteLogans Run was always one of my favorite movies. I even have LOGAN5 as my licence plate. Unfortunately the tv show was doomed from the start in my mind. Had it been a fugitive running film it could have lasted a while I think. But right from the start they tried to introduce robot cities, spaceships and other way out there scenarios that made it tough to believe.
ReplyDeleteJust saw this DVD set at Barnes & Noble Sat - $60 + tax; I think it is like half that on Amazon.
ReplyDeleteI need to get it, too young to remember the series (actually not too young, it was pre-VHS & cable tv and I bet Mom & Dad controlled the tv so I never new it was on.....)
I now appreciate the original movie and what the message was, as a kid I was lost.....but loved Farrah.....
My childhood memories of watching the series are pretty vague. I hadn't seen the movie--or even knew it existed--and was too young to really understand just why Logan and his friends were running, but I got the basic idea. And coming just after Star Wars, the show offered such cool things as ray guns, futuristic sets and costumes, and a character who seemed like a cross between Mr. Spock and C-3PO.
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