Space Force (TV pilot)

Last updated
Space Force
Space Force 1978 title card.jpg
title card
Genrecomedy / science fiction
Written by John Boni
Norman Stiles
Directed by Peter Baldwin
Starring Fred Willard
Theme music composer Artie Butler
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes1
Production
ProducersJohn Boni
Norman Stiles
Cinematography Robert Hoffman
Editor Albert P. Wilson
Running time24 mins
Production company Columbia Pictures Television
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseApril 28, 1978 (1978-04-28)

Space Force is a science fiction television pilot starring Fred Willard for the NBC television network. [1] It aired as a one-off on April 28, 1978, [2] [3] but the series was not picked up. The pilot set up a scenario not unlike The Phil Silvers Show in which opportunistic Captain Thomas Woods (Willard) leads his starcraft crew in schemes under the nose of the overbearing Captain Leon Stoner and dotty station Commander Irving Hinkley (William Phipps). Actor Phipps stated the show was originally titled Fort Leo (after the name of the ship), and claimed it was passed over because of the short-lived series Buck Henry produced, Quark , which was cancelled even before Space Force was aired. [4]

Contents

Plot synopsis

Aboard space station Fort Leo Captain Thomas Woods (Willard) arranges a carnival to raise money for a children's hospital on planet Triton by selling unauthorized military equipment to civilians and joyrides on their starcraft. Meanwhile, Captain Leon Stoner presses station Commander Irving Hinkley to go to war with the planet Algon over the capture of a spy. [2]

Cast

Legacy

Fred Willard reprised his role from the pilot in a comedy sketch for Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2018 and 2019. First, as interviewed by Kimmel after the announcement of the formation of the United States Space Force, [5] and again in response to a media soundbite from Senator Ted Cruz about a need for the U.S. Space Force to battle "space pirates" in which Willard appears in a trailer for "Space Force 2 - Attack of the Space Pirates," a sequel to the failed 1978 series. [6] Willard portrayed an unrelated character for the 2020 Netflix series Space Force .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Willard</span> American actor and comedian (1933–2020)

Frederic Charles Willard was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work with Christopher Guest in This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), For Your Consideration (2006), and Mascots (2016), and for playing Ed Harken in the Anchorman films. He also appeared in films like Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), American Wedding (2003) and WALL-E (2008). He received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for playing Frank Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)</span> Military award of the US Armed Forces

The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The medal was established on July 2, 1926, and is currently awarded to any persons who, after April 6, 1917, distinguish themselves by single acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. Both heroism and extraordinary achievement are entirely distinctive, involving operations that are not routine. The medal may be awarded to friendly foreign military members in ranks equivalent to the U.S. paygrade of O-6 and below in combat in support operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Captain Harlock</span> Fictional character

Captain Harlock is a fictional character and protagonist of the Space Pirate Captain Harlock manga series created by Leiji Matsumoto.

<i>Power Rangers Lost Galaxy</i> American tokusatsu television series

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy is a tokusatsu television series and the seventh season of the Power Rangers franchise, based on the 22nd Super Sentai series Seijuu Sentai Gingaman. The series was the first to follow the Sentai tradition of a new cast with each new series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ira C. Eaker</span> US Air Force general (1896–1987)

General (Honorary) Ira Clarence Eaker was a general of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Eaker, as second-in-command of the prospective Eighth Air Force, was sent to England to form and organize its bomber command. While he struggled to build up airpower in England, the organization of the Army Air Forces evolved and he was named commander of the Eighth Air Force on December 1, 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space pirate</span> Science fiction character trope of space, rather than seafaring pirate

Space pirates are a type of stock character from science fiction. A take on the traditional seafaring pirates of history or the fictional air pirates of the 19th century, space pirates travel through outer space. Where traditional pirates target sailing ships, space pirates serve a similar role in sci-fi media: they capture and plunder spacecraft for cargo, loot and occasionally steal spacecraft, and kill or enslave the crewmembers and passengers.

<i>Dangaioh</i> Japanese anime OVA series

Hyper Combat Unit Dangaioh is a Japanese anime OVA series produced and animated by AIC and Artmic and released in Japan in 1987. Dangaioh featured character designs by creator Toshiki Hirano, mechanical designs by Shoji Kawamori, and animation direction by Masami Ōbari.

<i>Lavender Castle</i> British TV series or programme

Lavender Castle is a British stop motion/CGI science fantasy television series created by Rodney Matthews and produced by Gerry Anderson. It was produced in 1997 through a collaboration between Carrington Productions International and Cosgrove Hall Films, and was first broadcast on CITV from 1999 to 2000.

<i>Space Pirate Captain Harlock</i> Space pirate manga and anime series

Space Pirate Captain Harlock is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Leiji Matsumoto. It was serialized in Akita Shoten's Play Comic from January 1977 to June 1979, with the chapters collected into five tankōbon volumes. The series follows the titular Captain, an outcast who has turned into a space pirate to rebel against Earth's government and humanity's general apathy.

<i>Armored Fleet Dairugger XV</i> Japanese anime television series

Armored Fleet Dairugger XV is a mecha anime series aired in Japan from 1982 to 1983 for 56 episodes.

<i>Space Rangers</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Space Rangers is an American futuristic science fiction drama. The series aired on CBS in 1993. The show was created by Pen Densham and Trilogy Entertainment Group.

<i>The War in Space</i> 1977 Japanese film

The War in Space, released in Japan as Great Planet War, is a tokusatsu science fiction film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1977.

<i>Arcadia of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX</i> 1982-1983 anime series by Leiji Matsumoto

Arcadia of My Youth: Endless Orbit SSX is an animated television series created by Leiji Matsumoto. It is the sequel to the 1982 animated film Arcadia of My Youth, but like many of the stories set in the Leijiverse, the continuity of the series does not necessarily agree with other Harlock series or films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Lakes Patrol</span> United States Navy and Coast Guard patrol

The Great Lakes Patrol was carried out by American naval forces, beginning in 1844, mainly to suppress criminal activity and to protect the maritime border with Canada. A small force of United States Navy, Coast Guard, and Revenue Service ships served in the Great Lakes throughout these operations. Through the decades, they were involved in several incidents with pirates and rebels.

<i>Space Force</i> (TV series) American television series

Space Force is an American workplace comedy television series created by Greg Daniels and Steve Carell for Netflix. It centers on a group of people tasked with establishing the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces, the United States Space Force. It stars Steve Carell, John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers, Lisa Kudrow, Tawny Newsome and Jimmy O. Yang. It premiered on Netflix on May 29, 2020, to mixed reviews. In November 2020, it was renewed for a second season which premiered on February 18, 2022, to generally favourable reviews. In April 2022, the series was cancelled after two seasons.

An Aniform is a two-dimensional cartoon character operated like a puppet, to be displayed to live audiences or in visual media. The concept was invented by Morey Bunin with his spouse Charlotte, Bunin being a puppeteer who had worked with string marionettes and hand puppets. The distinctive feature of an Aniforms character is that it displays a physical form that appears "animated" on a real or simulated television screen. The technique was used in television production.

References

  1. Space Force , retrieved 2020-06-01
  2. 1 2 Portage Daily Register Viewer's Guide by publication staff, April 27, 1978
  3. Detroit Free Press TV Listings by Bettelou Peterson, April 28, 1978
  4. Starlog issue 172 "Tales from the Phipps Dimension" by Tom Weaver, November 1991
  5. Jimmy Kimmel Live! Trump's Space Force Gets Celebrity Endorsement Aug 10, 2018
  6. Jimmy Kimmel Live! Space Force 2 - Attack of the Space Pirates May 22, 2019