Boy oh boy. Y'all are in for a real "treat" here. This isn't just an ordinary review or article. We have procured every episode in full, and you can watch along with us. Some things are just better seen. I doubt my descriptions alone will really give the full picture.

Series Pitch

What this video basically is, is that they mailed this tape off to US TV stations to get them to buy a syndication package. This little pitch video makes some big promises. Most of these big promises and hopes didn’t quite actualize. The “Magicam technology” did not really work as expected, and it ate up a lot of budget. Harlan Ellison AKA Cordwainer Bird developed the initial concept, but he (Ellison) bounced before the first episode started filming and demanded his real name be left off it so they couldn’t use his name to promote the show. Basically, everything they said in this video immediately falls apart and only a Canadian gunch-fest remained. Ultimately, this show mainly stayed alive via a grant that supports predominately Canadian productions, and most of its airings were very late at night in Canada just before station sign off.

Voyage of Discovery

So the intro to the show was a big thing that enraged Cordwainer Bird. To him, the concept of a generation ship that forgor they are on a ship is this prestigious epitome of sci-fi premises. He wrote an episode of TOS about this, and then went on to write a novella about this; what Starlost is (very) loosely based on. He hated that they gave it away in the intro. Although, he didn’t really offer alternatives where this could be held as a big twist. It is basically the whole hook and novelty of the show. Even if the intro doesn’t give away the setting, you already get the idea they are in an artificial environment, leaving the only thing left to see it is a ship in space. There is still potential there. The three heroes have to learn about the ship, and that it is off course creates a motivation and urgency. Cordwainer Bird could have worked with this, but he tipped over the board and went home.

I hate to say this, but I feel that the one episode of Orville that rips off Starlost handled this better. Not by much, but it did. For clarification, there was an episode of Orville that just rips off Starlost.

That one episode of Orville that ripped off Starlost

Moreso than Starlost itself, this episode of Orville “borrows from” Pheonix Without Ashes. In a nutshell, the Orville just comes across Pheonix Without Ashes as it is ongoing and alters its events. Very much like Starlost or Pheonix Without Ashes, the generational colony ship is to collide with a sun and the habitants have become unaware they are actually on a ship. It is also a heck of a lot like that TOS episode.

The society on the colony ship isn't Amish exactly, but, they are cultic religious and basically act Amish, like Amish people but with cars I suppose.

I am slightly miffed that no acknowledgement or credit is given to the obvious influencing source material, but the episode wasn't that bad. I think if Cordwainer Bird was still alive he would have gunched because he would finally see his narrative vision actualized competently, not grandly or amazingly, just competently; more than Starlost achieved. He also probably would have then immediately sued, but that is neither here nor there. If you wanted to bury the on a ship aspect as a big twist, just having the sky have astrolabe lines would be a good way to convey something is off without having everything be a metal panel and everyone is talking about “conduits” and such.