Pioneers of Television Science Fiction (Season 2, Episode 1)
TV Episode | 56 min | Documentary, History

Pioneers of Television

Science Fiction (Season 2, Episode 1)

TV Episode | 56 min | Documentary, History

This episode looks at the development of the science fiction genre on US television in the 1950's and 1960's. Gene Roddenberry had long been working as writer in television but realized that the industry was not prepared to deal with major...See moreThis episode looks at the development of the science fiction genre on US television in the 1950's and 1960's. Gene Roddenberry had long been working as writer in television but realized that the industry was not prepared to deal with major social issues such as race relations, drug addiction and war. By setting his stories in a fictional future, he was able to do that and thus Star Trek was born. Somewhat surprisingly, its greatest competition came from Lost in Space produced by Irwin Allen who was also responsible for The Time Tunnel and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. The classic series The Twilight Zone set a very high bar that the others had to follow. Written by garykmcd See less

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Cast	+ Add Cast
41 cast members

Name	Known for
Kelsey Grammer Narrator (voice) Narrator (voice) See fewer	Cheers (1982)
William Shatner Self / Capt. James T. Kirk Self / Capt. James T. Kirk See fewer	Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
Leonard Nimoy Self / Mr. Spock in Star Trek Self / Mr. Spock in Star Trek See fewer	Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Marta Kristen Self / Judy Robinson in Lost in Space Self / Judy Robinson in Lost in Space See fewer	Lost in Space (1965)
Angela Cartwright Self / Penny Robinson in Lost in Space Self / Penny Robinson in Lost in Space See fewer	The Sound of Music (1965)
Rod Serling Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Twilight Zone (1959)
Bill Mumy Self / Will Robinson in Lost in Space Self / Will Robinson in Lost in Space See fewer	Babylon 5 (1993)
Nichelle Nichols Self / Lt. Nyota Uhura in 'Star Trek' Self / Lt. Nyota Uhura in 'Star Trek' See fewer	Star Trek (1966)
Veronica Cartwright Self - Guest Star in Lost in Space Self - Guest Star in Lost in Space See fewer	Alien (1979)
Peter Graves Self Self See fewer	Stalag 17 (1953)
Lee Meriwether Self / Dr. Ann MacGregor in Time Tunnel Self / Dr. Ann MacGregor in Time Tunnel See fewer	Batman: The Movie (1966)
Adam West Self Self See fewer	Batman (1966)
Martin Landau Self Self See fewer	Ed Wood (1994)
Whit Bissell Lt. Gen. Heywood Kirk in Time Tunnel (archive footage) Lt. Gen. Heywood Kirk in Time Tunnel (archive footage) See fewer	The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Robert Colbert Dr. Doug Phillips in Time Tunnel (archive footage) Dr. Doug Phillips in Time Tunnel (archive footage) See fewer	A Fever in the Blood (1961)
James Darren Dr. Tony Newman in Time Tunnel (archive footage) Dr. Tony Newman in Time Tunnel (archive footage) See fewer	Gidget (1959)
Michael Dunn Alexander in Star Trek: Plato's Stepchildren (archive footage) Alexander in Star Trek: Plato's Stepchildren (archive footage) See fewer	Ship of Fools (1965)
Mark Goddard Self / Major Don West in Lost in Space (archive footage) Self / Major Don West in Lost in Space (archive footage) See fewer	Lost in Space (1998)
Jonathan Harris Self / Dr. Zachary Smith in Lost in Space (archive footage) Self / Dr. Zachary Smith in Lost in Space (archive footage) See fewer	Lost in Space (1965)
Van Heflin Fred Staples (archive footage) Fred Staples (archive footage) See fewer	Shane (1953)
Dennis Hopper Peter Devlin in The Lieutenant: To Set It Right (archive footage) Peter Devlin in The Lieutenant: To Set It Right (archive footage) See fewer	Easy Rider (1969)
Jeffrey Hunter Christopher Pike in Star Trek: The Cage (archive footage) Christopher Pike in Star Trek: The Cage (archive footage) See fewer	The Searchers (1956)
DeForest Kelley Self / Dr. McCoy in Star Trek (archive footage) Self / Dr. McCoy in Star Trek (archive footage) See fewer	Star Trek (1966)
John Larch Mr. Fremont in Twilight Zone Episode It's a Good Life (archive footage) Mr. Fremont in Twilight Zone Episode It's a Good Life (archive footage) See fewer	Dirty Harry (1971)
Cloris Leachman Mrs. Fremont (archive footage) Mrs. Fremont (archive footage) See fewer	The Last Picture Show (1971)
June Lockhart Maureen Robinson in Lost In Space (archive footage) Maureen Robinson in Lost In Space (archive footage) See fewer	Lost in Space (1965)
Gary Lockwood Bill Rice in The Lieutenant (archive footage) Bill Rice in The Lieutenant (archive footage) See fewer	2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Don Marshall Ernest Cameron in The Lieutenant: To Set It Right (archive footage) Ernest Cameron in The Lieutenant: To Set It Right (archive footage) See fewer	Terminal Island (1973)
Bob May Robot in Lost in Space (archive footage) Robot in Lost in Space (archive footage) See fewer	The Red Skelton Hour (1951)
Frank McGrath Charlie Wooster in Wagon Train (archive footage) Charlie Wooster in Wagon Train (archive footage) See fewer	The Reluctant Astronaut (1967)
Burgess Meredith Henry Bemis in Twilight Zone Episode Time Enough At Last (archive footage) Henry Bemis in Twilight Zone Episode Time Enough At Last (archive footage) See fewer	Clash of the Titans (1981)
Gary Merrill Leroy Clark in The Time Tunnel: Rendezvous with Yesterday (archive footage) Leroy Clark in The Time Tunnel: Rendezvous with Yesterday (archive footage) See fewer	All About Eve (1950)
Agnes Moorehead Self (archive footage) Self (archive footage) See fewer	The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
Everett Sloane Walter Ramsey in Patterns (archive footage) Walter Ramsey in Patterns (archive footage) See fewer	Citizen Kane (1941)
Liam Sullivan Parmen in Star Trek: Plato's Stepchildren (archive footage) Parmen in Star Trek: Plato's Stepchildren (archive footage) See fewer	Star Trek (1966)
George Takei Mr. Sulu in Star Trek (archive footage) Mr. Sulu in Star Trek (archive footage) See fewer	Star Trek (1966)
Dick Tufeld Robot in Lost in Space (voice) (archive footage) Robot in Lost in Space (voice) (archive footage) See fewer	Lost in Space (1998)
David White Mr. Rogers in Twilight Zone: I Sing The Body Electric (archive footage) Mr. Rogers in Twilight Zone: I Sing The Body Electric (archive footage) See fewer	Bewitched (1964)
Guy Williams Prof. John Robinson in Lost In Space (archive footage) Prof. John Robinson in Lost In Space (archive footage) See fewer	Lost in Space (1965)
John Zaremba Dr. Raymond Swain in Time Tunnel (archive footage) Dr. Raymond Swain in Time Tunnel (archive footage) See fewer	20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)
Robby the Robot Robot in Lost in Space Episode War of the Robots (archive footage) (uncredited) Robot in Lost in Space Episode War of the Robots (archive footage) (uncredited) See fewer	Forbidden Planet (1956)