PathfinderAP
SOC-12
Yes...and yes it really is awful, almost bad enough to be funny, but not....:nonono:
What TV shows or movies remind you of Traveller?
- Thread starter cajon5
- Start date
Yes...and yes it really is awful, almost bad enough to be funny, but not....:nonono:
In general, I've found a stronger Traveller vibe in SF from the 50s and 60s than from the 70s on. Which makes sense, because that's the SF that Marc grew up with. In those films, especially the ones with a "realistic" bent, you see plenty of rifles and pistols instead of ray guns, and few aliens.
Steve
Steve
Keklas Rekobah
SOC-14 1K
Darthanon Queen, Adventure in the Ley Sector
The concept was simple: Scientists and American Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost. Its one redeeming feature was that it was based on an original John Campbell story.
In 1979, 'Alien' was released. In it, the crew of a space-ship must fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while in deep space. Note that in both movies, the victims are picked off one-by-one while cut off from any outside help.
Has anyone else ever played the Traveller adventure "Darthanon Queen, Adventure in the Ley Sector"? It was published by the Judges Guild in 1980 (one year after the release of 'Alien'). In it, the crew of a jump-capable cargo ship must fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while in deep space.
This, of course, seems to have been the weekly formula of 'Lost In Space' and the main plotline of the movie of the same name, so I guess by a moderate stretch of reason, one could claim that 'Lost In Space' was somewhat compatible with Traveller ... just not IMTU.
Even the original "The Thing From Another World" (1951, with James Arness in a rubber carrot suit as 'The Thing') had more to do with Traveller than anything Irwin Allen ever envisioned.
The concept was simple: Scientists and American Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while at a remote arctic outpost. Its one redeeming feature was that it was based on an original John Campbell story.
In 1979, 'Alien' was released. In it, the crew of a space-ship must fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while in deep space. Note that in both movies, the victims are picked off one-by-one while cut off from any outside help.
Has anyone else ever played the Traveller adventure "Darthanon Queen, Adventure in the Ley Sector"? It was published by the Judges Guild in 1980 (one year after the release of 'Alien'). In it, the crew of a jump-capable cargo ship must fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while in deep space.
This, of course, seems to have been the weekly formula of 'Lost In Space' and the main plotline of the movie of the same name, so I guess by a moderate stretch of reason, one could claim that 'Lost In Space' was somewhat compatible with Traveller ... just not IMTU.
PathfinderAP
SOC-12
What?, have you seen this movie?
Because thats not the theme of the movie at all,
And only in one scene is the crew chased by monsters
(but again not the point, its about the desigin of the movie)
Keklas Rekobah
SOC-14 1K
I have seen the movie. Fortunately, I did not pay for the ticket. I also used to watch the TV series back in the 1960s. I remember actually liking it, too. Then a few years ago, someone gave me a DVD set with all the episodes, and all I came away with was the question "Why did I ever like this in the first place?
I guess I just grew up.
If it's any consolation to you, the 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars' franchises are as far from MTU as is anything to do with 'Lost In Space.' Then again, I once ran a Traveller mini-tournament where five players chartered a shuttle so that they could survey an asteroid belt. The first mate was a mighty spacer man, the skipper brave and sure. Five passengers set off that day for a three-hour tour.
A three-hour tour...
Here we go again...
Alien (1979)
Firefly
Star Wars (especially the TNH and parts of the ESB)
Enemy Mine
Space Above and Beyond
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
20 000 Leagues Under the Sea
Space Truckers and Space Balls - classic schlock
Star Trek OS and parts of subsquent series for me especially Enterprise has some resonance.
But, I find that literature inspires me more or just something I read gives me an idea and I Travellerize it.
Alien (1979)
Firefly
Star Wars (especially the TNH and parts of the ESB)
Enemy Mine
Space Above and Beyond
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
20 000 Leagues Under the Sea
Space Truckers and Space Balls - classic schlock
Star Trek OS and parts of subsquent series for me especially Enterprise has some resonance.
But, I find that literature inspires me more or just something I read gives me an idea and I Travellerize it.
Agreed. I do hate anime and I do like Cowboy Bebob and wish it took place over the action of several star systems but I think that would lessen the imact of the villian. So, I kinda look forward to the live action version.
Although it isn't a Space or even Sic-Fi show the Manga & Anime "Black Lagoon" is a perfect example of Traveller, Small Multi Skilled group on a Vessel who and how dose Dutch put it "are small time Couriers, who from time to time have to brake the law to put food on the Table"
Dutch = Marine turned Free Trader (With lots of Piracy & Smuggling assignments).
Revy = out and out Rogue with Early Enlistment, just don't know where she got the GL & LAG skills from.
Rock= Merchant bounced back and forth between Sales and Admin departments.
Benney = Scientist, All Computers and Electronics skills with a level or two of each Commutations and Sensor opps.
Dutch = Marine turned Free Trader (With lots of Piracy & Smuggling assignments).
Revy = out and out Rogue with Early Enlistment, just don't know where she got the GL & LAG skills from.
Rock= Merchant bounced back and forth between Sales and Admin departments.
Benney = Scientist, All Computers and Electronics skills with a level or two of each Commutations and Sensor opps.
Peter Newman
SOC-12
Another way that shows resemble Traveller is when they feature a group of people with different specializations who work together. They might be cops or doctors or lawyers but the characters themselves resemble Traveller characters. Given the breadth of the Third Imperium it seems perfectly reasonable for it to include analogs of a Korean war MASH unit, an LA law firm with improbable cases and eccentric staff, a Boston law firm with much more improbable cases and staff, a certain Chicago County hospital, a Federal Hill police station, or nobleman and servants with the same name from different centuries. If the show focuses on the characters and plots it's partially Travelleresque. Traveller includes tech levels all the way down to zero so there's nothing unreasonable about stealing from contemporary or historical shows.
To me the pulp 'Cliffhangers' type shows that feature heroes in improbable situations in the middle of nowhere such as 'The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles', 'Tales of the Gold Monkey', 'Bring 'Em Back Alive', etc. have a strong Traveller feel despite being set in the early twentieth century.
Hmm. Firefly/Serenity, Lost in Space (the original pilot & the early episodes of the series), Cowboy Bebop, Alien, Aliens, Pitch Black, Dirty Pair, Farscape, Planet of the Vampires, Tenchi Muyo GXP (watch in japanese with subtitles, the english dub is horrid), Moon Zero Two (an obscure little 70's lowbudget SF thriller with a belter main character), Green Slime,Fantastic Planet, Forbidden Planet, Speed Racer (the recent live-action version), The Monolith Monsters.
