Closed before Opening

I love Science Fiction. Always have. Give me a show with spacecraft, monsters, and bizarre worlds and watch me smile.

But science fiction is also a nice way to examine our world and society in general. Through the lens of make believe, social issues can be tossed under a microscope. What-ifs can be explored. And if you’re not careful, you just might learn something.

And some of the best shows that had the potential to do just that almost didn’t make it out of the gate. Still more never survived first season.

So, it was with a little gem from 1973 called The Starlost.

I remember reading about it being made in TV Guide when I was in high school. And then I got to see it.

I was a little disappointed.

Oh, the premise was dynamite. Some unknown catastrophe befall the Earth. But people saw it coming and so they built this huge generation ship. There were dozens of domes, self-contained eco-systems to support whole communities. Different cultures were placed into the domes and the ship left Earth for a distant world.

Somewhere along the way, the unthinkable has happened. The Ark has been heavily damaged. The domes were closed off from one another. And no one ever left their domes again. Many have forgotten they’re on a ship. People have been born. People have grown up. People have died. Generations have come and gone.

Enter a man named Devon. Devon (played by Keir Dullea of 2001 fame) is a farmer in what could pass as an Amish Community. Devon has always been a little strange and questions almost everything. He especially doesn’t understand why he’s not allowed to wed the woman he loves, Rachel. He manages to irritate so many people that he finds himself fleeing for his life. He escapes with the help of an old man named Abraham. Abraham, like Devon, questioned everything. Abraham, unlike Devon had found a way out through a hatch that he had the key to. But he’s afraid to find out what’s out there.

He gives Devon the key and Devon escapes into the Ark. He finds a computer terminal, accesses it, and learns he’s on a massive starship.

Then he discovers the ships crew. The crew is dead at their stations, the bridge is smashed, and worse, the Ark is off course. The ship, along with every living man, woman, and child aboard will crash into a star and be destroyed.

Now, after getting his girl friend from his dome, and along with his friend Garth (who was sent to kill him, but teams up with him instead), this unlikely trio must save their world.

They faced some interesting issues. Remnants of the crew who are little better than savages. Domes with People who have different norms and expectations. Even an alien played by Walter Koenig (Star Trek’s Checkov).

One of the most interesting episodes featured a society that revolved around one idea. The making of money. They knew the Ark was headed for destruction. They seemed to have the brains to save it. They chose to ignore what was going on and focus on the here at the expense of the future.

The entire concept was dynamite on paper. The show was created by one of the greatest science fiction authors of all times, Harlan Ellison. Ben Bova, another awesome author and a scientist himself, was science advisor. Douglas Trumbull, director of special effects for 2001 was tapped to do the effects.

The production was supposed to use a new magical process called Magicam. This would allow actors to be filmed against a green screen and miraculously placed into miniture sets.

It was a product that was supposed to have some serious money and prestige around it.

That didn’t happen.

Magicam wasn’t working the way they wanted.

There were budget cuts and more budget cuts.

The scripts were dumbed down. Harlan Ellison, creator of the show invoked a piece in his contract and has his name removed. He used a pen name instead.

The end result was something that despite some impressive actors and actress aboard, looked more like a badly made soap opera. The one serious redeeming part of it was the model of the Ark. That was impressive.

But the show did have it’s moments. Moments that hinted at what it could have been. One such shot showed Devon, Rachel, and Garth on the ruined bridge. They’re looking out across the glittering expanse of the Ark. In the distance, a red sun gleams. That single shot defined the hope, their quest, and the immensity of the task before them.

The show was a fantastic idea. So fantastic in fact, there have been attempts to reboot the show.

It would be nice if they did and gave it a chance to tell its story.