July 20, 2003 - 740302 - Out Of Sight

[vgarci]

This week's program is presented for your review by Brian (Brian1984_2001).

For those who do not have the program, you can download it (with or without a Streamload account) at: www.streamload.com/vgarci (http://www.streamload.com/vgarci)

To introduce the program, Brian offers the following:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is one of those shows that really stuck with me over the last 24 years from when I originally heard it in 1979.

When I picked the series up again about a year ago, I didn't know any of my old favorites' names and plot summaries were hard to find. This was the first episode I "rediscovered".

I love fifties and sixties sci-fi. I sit through "Twilight Zone" marathons and Star Trek marathons with childish glee. This episode could easily be an "Outer Limits" episode. It's pure sci-fi.

I hope you enjoy "Out of Sight". It's one of my favorites.

_____________
Brian in Toledo

[Lagavulin]

Women's Lib hits outer space, but the "lady astronaut" gets cold feet when she feels the mission is jinxed, and that she is the source of the jinx. Upon achieving orbit, the ship is sucked into a time warp and the three astronauts are studied by the local intelligences that brought them there.

This is one of those episodes that today is a little goofy and predictable. At the time though, it was pushing the equity and equality issue. Reminds me of a commercial I heard in some of the episodes about the femals college graduate being offered a job in the typing pool because she's pretty enough, etc.

The beilevability factor in this one (and I'm pretty good at suspending disbelief) was low - first woman in space, would have to be bright and sensible... but prone to superstition, then turns out to be the strong bond in the group... seemed to vacillate too much for me. Otherwise it was a fun episode.

[hamlet2003]

This episode is sort of a time capsule of some of the attitudes about women that were in the air in the 70's. On one hand, you have the liberation issue with the first woman astronaut. Even so, the writer can't but help include sexist comments and attitudes about her character. Thankfully, we've come a long way in 30 years.

I enjoyed the pure sci-fi set-up of this episode, a rarity for the mystery theater. The story was not unlike the shows that X-Minus One and Dimension X used to do back in the 40's and 50's.

[brian1984_2001]

I picked up on the "Women's Lib" angle when I heard it as an adult. But that was secondary to me as I liked the story itself.

I liked the fact that they never saw their tormenters. I thought it was good sci-fi. It is schlock for sure, but as I stated earlier, I liked that stuff and still enjoy hearing it.

[NAtlantis]

I must confess this episode wasn't my cup of tea... :wink:

While I like science fiction... even some that would fall into the category of cheesey... or campy (much of the original series Star Trek) I had a hard time getting past some of the writing in this episode.

For example that scene where everyone winds up with a knife... ??? :?

Anyway thank you for the listen. I can't remember ever hearing this episode before.

NAtlantis (John)

[dnagle]

In listening to this show I was reminded of The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, Dimension X, etc. I especially like RMT episodes that go into genres other than horror and mystery. It was hard not to anticipate the ending of this show, because the whole theme of testing the human race and finding them just far enough above total scum to be worthy of existing has been done in so many sci-fi stories. But I liked the show because it was sci-fi and because the characters were believable. Radio transmissions and strange voices from space are effective in radio drama. A good pick for the SOTW, in that opinions on this one will probably vary widely.

[geospart]

I agree with [b:a56bde7a27]dnagle[/b:a56bde7a27] that these are like the outer limits or some show like that. The one major thing I got out of this was the references to skylab (1 or 2 they never mentioned). Thats something I recall watching a lot when I was a kid, all the skylab stories. Anyways back on track, I thought the story was not the best sci-fi story ever aired on CBSRMT yet it was good. In essence it reminded me of some old movies I would watch as a kid like Forbidden Planet or The Day The Earth Stood still, not so much for the stories being the same or similar, but more for the feeling you get while listening to it, the feeling that we are not alone.

[brian1984_2001]

Thanks George.

Those old sci-fi movies were what this episode reminded of.

It didn't seem to be that popular with listeners here. Schlock is an acquired taste, I guess.

Thanks for listening

[Texas]

Brian,

I listened to this on a very busy Friday (August) the 1st and I LIKED it. TOTALLY different from what I was expecting.

- Of all the RMT regular actors, Jack Grimes (who in the RMT's "Graven Image" played a San Jose based country music singer named Jody Barnes, or as he pronounced it: "Jody BAHnes") was the one I'd have picked "Least likely to play an alien"...but he didn't do badly.

- I liked the "Navy/Marine" banter. (Anyone remember the Jack Nicholson flick "The last detail"? Sailors and marines can have lots of fun together in social gathering at times.) It appeared Ian Martin did some serious research into what mission control or at least astronauts might say.

- All the actors had an "old time" radio feel about them...for some reason their voices sounded as if they could have been heard on a play 40 years earlier. Can't put my finger on it but it was good.

- This sort of reminded me of an original Star Trek episode called "Arena"...where Captain Kirk met the lizard man.

Nice choice, Brian. Welcome back.

[dave]

women's lib was all over the place back then. most writers used a sledge hammer just like they did in this one.
the slang used in the show really date it. i was told in 9th grade good writers don't use slang. i understand they were showing how hip they were by using it. i always cringe and hope i didn't sound that foolish back then. the slang now-a-days has the same effect on me. bling bling. :roll:
outer limits did a better job with this plot but the sky lab part made it more real.
the ESP waves the woman speaks of were also all over the place. star trek and IN SEARCH OF... always acted like it really existed. that makes the shows seem a bit childish to me now. i'm sure i ate it up at the time.