American Science Fiction Television Series of the 1950s: Episode Guides and Casts and Credits for Twenty Shows [Hardcover]

Patrick Lucanio (Author), Gary Coville (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1998 | ISBN-10: 0786404345 | ISBN-13: 978-0786404346

From Adventures of Superman to World of Giants, this reference work covers all science fiction television series of the 1950s. A lengthy essay details character development, technical innovations, critical commentary and other matters. The episode guides that follow provide primary cast and production credits for the entire season and then coverage of each individual episode, with title, airdate, writer, director, and plot synopsis. Much of the information was derived from actual viewing, and many errors from other works are corrected here.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Tune into the days of TV yesteryear through synopses of episodes like "The Giant Marine Clam" (Space Patrol, 1954) and "Danger in the Asteroid Belt" (Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, 1955). Such fare is the stuff of this solid, albeit obscure, work, which provides episode guides and production information for 20 series. Covering the likes of the "opticon scillometer" from Captain Video and the oath to "blast at full space-speed to protect the weak and the innocent" from the Rocket Rangers, the authors present a constellation of research arcana. A cogent introduction treats the 1950s cultural context, and the bibliography indicates how little attention has been paid to the decade's TV sf. While the authors merit applause for their foray into an uncharted territory, only research libraries should consider purchasing. On the shelves, it will probably form a black hole of neglect.?Neal Baker, Ball State Univ., Muncie, IN
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

McFarland seems to attract writers both knowledgeable and passionate about their subjects. This is certainly true for this reference work on the early days of sci-fi TV.

The two authors share a strong historical research bent as well as philosophical respect for this then-experimental genre. They have carefully reviewed the current literature on the 1950s sf series, dug deeply into primary documents, and apparently viewed every extant episode. While they sometimes overemphasize the high quality of the programs, the authors adequately justify their belief in the significance and social relevance of this TV genre, particularly in light of contemporaneous culture. Their basic tenet, explained in a lengthy introduction, is that science fiction television series demonstrated the moral and scientific ideals of the decade.

The main body of the text describes, in alphabetical order, 20 nationally syndicated series. The greatest coverage (about 60 pages) is given to Adventures of Superman. The introduction to the Superman chapter explains the writing/production history and the leading characters, and offers a little technical and syndication information. The authors do not sugarcoat the series, asserting that episodes from seasons three through six (at that point transitioning to color) are "witless and rather simple tales of little consequence." Rather, they try hard to provide an objective view of the program--occasionally disparaging the cuts and changes that syndicators have made over the years (e.g., eliminating the ending previews of the succeeding episode, coloring B/W shows, cutting scenes in order to fit in advertising time). The production staff and casts are then enumerated as are the plots of each episode (in chronological order).

The other series' entries range in length from three to 13 pages. They too include production and plot information. In some cases, only the episode titles are offered, mainly because no copies or descriptions of the episodes exist. In most cases, a picture of the opening screen or leading actor accompanies the series entry. The episode "signature" opening narrative is usually included as well. Surprisingly, little space is dedicated to the directors or actors themselves; the producers receive the most attention.

An extensive bibliography of source material follows the A^-Z entries. Two indexes conclude the volume, one listing all the episode titles, and a general index principally of names. Writing is clear and competent, if sometimes opinionated.

American Science Fiction Television Series of the 1950s offers in-depth and inside information about a specialized television age and genre. Because of the later impact of such shows as Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, information about the programs of an earlier age can be very enlightening. Thus, for academic and large public library collections with TV and sf collections, this volume makes a significant contribution.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 252 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786404345
• ISBN-13: 978-0786404346
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,934,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Strange, lopsided book!, January 11, 2000

By 

Rory Coker (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Science Fiction Television Series of the 1950s: Episode Guides and Casts and Credits for Twenty Shows (Hardcover)

What a strange, lopsided book this is! Intended as a description of SF TV shows of the 1950s, it devotes 60 pages to "Adventures of Superman," hardly SF though the main character is from another planet! But the really important programs get from about 10 pages ("Space Patrol" and "Tom Corbett Space Cadet") to less than one! The seminal "Captain Video" gets only 6 pages. There is a bit of info here I haven't seen elsewhere and most of the info is accurate, but at the price, only libaries are going to be buying this. You don't need it.