Logan’s Run (1977-1978 series) coming to Blu-ray in October (1 Viewer)

[Bryan^H]

The series started with the premise that Burke and Virdon had a slim chance to return home in the past with their small metallic chip.
That approach was gradually abandoned. Anyway, the episodes I found the most exciting are the ones taking place in destroyed cities.

My Top 5 POTA
“Escape from Tomorrow” (pilot)
“The Trap”
“The Legacy”
“The Interrogation”
“The Tyrant”

All great episodes.
"The Trap" is probably the standout of the entire series. It seems to be a fan favorite.

I fell in love with this show as a kid in 1980 when it played as 5 Telemovies, or 2 episodes together Monday through Friday on "Ape Week". I forgot all about it until 1994 when I saw it was airing on the Disney channel of all places-late on Saturday nights. I picked up the complete series on DVD in 2001, and for the first time was able to watch every episode uncut, and in order of air date. I was overjoyed, and it has been, and will be my most prized set on disc until the day I die.
Not even Star Trek can transport me fully out of the troubles, stress and harsh realities of the real world like this series can. It is the perfect "escapist" television show in my opinion.

 

[Bryan^H]

Great interview - thanks for posting!

I grew up in the '70s and watched any sci-fi show that came down the pike, but I haven't seen the Planet of the Apes TV series (or the Logan's Run one, for that matter), since they first aired.

When I watched Logan's Run I was pretty pleased overall. It was a good sci-fi series, but with the talent involved (writers D.C. Fontana, David Gerrold, Harlan Ellison) I think it should have been great.

I certainly recommend rewatching both shows.

 

[JohnHopper]

POTA (the series)-wise, I own the two soundtrack CDs released by Intrada and La-La Land.

 

[Bryan^H]

POTA (the series)-wise, I own the two soundtrack CDs released by Intrada and La-La Land.

I do too. It is great score. Lalo Schifrin is fantastic, and on the two disc set, I like some of the other music compositions from the other composer. "Tomorrow's Tide" is a wonderful track.

 

[BobO'Link]

I would say Logan's Run did appeal to me as a kid, for whatever reason. I liked the idea of them trying to rebuild society. It's just that they ended up running around in circles and that's why it got cancelled, more than bad scripts--because the scripts really weren't bad. They were "B" level dramas but not bad, as in shlock or camp, and I don't know why anybody thinks so.

That's one of those I ignored during the original run simply due to the movie. I felt the movie was "OK" but *just* "OK" with a somewhat wonky premise. It was also quite cheesy with almost laughable visual effects. I purchased a copy of the series a year or so back and gave it a watch. It's actually pretty good - much better than the movie - and one where I wished they'd done another season or two. Just get the suits out of the decision making on scripting first.

 

[Bryan^H]

Try not to be so sensitive please. I was expressing my opinion. I watched just about every Sci/Fi show produced for TV in the ‘60s and ‘70s and though some may like them, and I did at the time, I now find them all “laughably cheesy”. Among these are:

The Star Lost
Space 1999
Battlestar Galactica (The Original)
Logan’s Run
Planet of The Apes
Lost in Space
V
The Martian Chronicles
Alien Nation.

Except for the LIS, they were all failures after a season or 2.

Ok, so what exactly in Planet of the Apes, or Logan's Run do find "laughable". They aren't comedies...so what are you laughing at?

I wouldn’t get excited either way. Have you seen this series? It is one of the most laughably cheesy programs ever made. I am sure everyone involved leaves it off their resume. It makes “Lost In Space” look like “Game of Thrones”!

I would gladly watch half those "laughably cheesy" shows any day of the week over what you must consider the high watermark in television programming Game of Thrones!!
As that I find to be pretty damned depressing series.

 

[BobO'Link]

I would gladly watch half those "laughably cheesy" shows any day of the week over what you must consider the high watermark in television programming Game of Thrones!!
As that I find to be pretty damned depressing series.

I stand by my observation about GOT. It was *very* good until the "writers" ran out of books to adapt. When that happened their true writing abilities surfaced and they are practically non existent. The first 5.5 seasons are some of the best episodic Fantasy ever shown on TV. The last season isn't worth watching for anything but "conclusion" to the main story and is full of "fan service" pablum.

With that last season or two I can't honestly say I'd pick it over any of the "cheesy" series mentioned so far. That's a sad comment on what was looking to be the hands-down best Fantasy series ever in its first 4-5 seasons.

 

[TJPC]

I don’t watch GOT. I was using it as in “look like Shakespeare”. I own “Logan’s Run” the series and film. I actually found the movie terrible when it first came out and still really bad. The special effects look very cheap to me and always have. Somehow I acquired the DVD set of the TV show and dutifully watched it once. Maybe the writing was ok, but again the special effects look like cardboard and take me right out of it. I used to use the movie as an example of the state of things before “Star Wars”.

I will admit that the first “Planet of The Apes” movie was fairly well done, but having recently watched the Blu ray set, I believe they got sillier and sillier as they went on. This possibly made me not give the TV series a fair chance.

I just think the whole “Planet Of The Apes” saga is not interesting to me. I own the latest series and find they don’t stand up to repeat viewing for me even in 3D.

 

[BobO'Link]

I don’t watch GOT. I was using it as in “look like Shakespeare”. I own “Logan’s Run” the series and film. I actually found the movie terrible when it first came out and still really bad. The special effects look very cheap to me and always have. Somehow I acquired the DVD set of the TV show and dutifully watched it once. Maybe the writing was ok, but again the special effects look like cardboard and take me right out of it. I used to use the movie as an example of the state of things before “Star Wars”.

I will admit that the first “Planet of The Apes” movie was fairly well done, but having recently watched the Blu ray set, I believe they got sillier and sillier as they went on. This possibly made me not give the TV series a fair chance.

I just think the whole “Planet Of The Apes” saga is not interesting to me. I own the latest series and find they don’t stand up to repeat viewing for me even in 3D.

I agree about the POTA series. I love the first - saw it in the theater during first run. Saw the second in the theater and thought it was horrible. I didn't bother with the rest as they sounded awful. When I finally saw them my opinion didn't change. They're OK for an occasional watch - about once every 4-5 years but the first is the one I watch most with a viewing per year. I've never bothered with the series due to the last 3 movies. Battle was just too much like a bad made-for-TV movie I couldn't stand the thought of subjecting myself to more. When it comes right down to it I'd rather watch Tim Burton's "reimaging" than any of the last 4 movies of the first series.

I like the newest series of movies but haven't yet rewatched any of them so don't know how well they might hold up. I *do* like them better than the last 4 of the original series but not as much as the very first movie. That first one in 1968 is an amazing work of art but I don't like it as much as the book on which it's based.

 

[ScottRE]

It's interesting how we view the same things with different eyes. Regarding the Apes franchise...

POTA: a near perfect film. Amazing and even knowing the outcome, the finale still hits hard.
BTPOA: a major step down. There was no narrative reason to continue, just monetary. Even how they made it is telling: "it needs the visual shock of the first." Even the ending was dictated by Charlton Heston's desire to never be called again. However, it was on channel 9 a lot and I loved it growing up. It's the only sequel film to take place in the same timeline as the original.
EFTPOTA: amazing film! Made on the cheap but beautifully written and with a definite narrative thrust that propelled the next film. The ending is a gut punch like no other.
COTPOTA: The director's cut, the one with all the violence, was astounding (although the one shot of a hand tossing a paper cup of blood should have been cut before this hit blu-ray - totally ruined the effect). They had something to say and they said it loudly. The only downside was this should have been the final film. It was a perfect ending.
BFTPOTA: it's not "bad" just pointless. It takes place in a park, for Chrissakes. IT does, though, set up the TV Series so well, it could have stood in as a pilot episode. In fact, it LOOKS like a TV show. By the time it ends, humans and apes have a fragile peace, with humans still speaking. The atomic war already happened, moving Cornelius and Zira to the 70's not only brought talking apes to Earth sooner than previously, the apes apparently saved the humans. By the time we pick it up when the TV Series premiered, humans had fallen back down the totem pole. Still not mute, and dogs returned, but it fits very comfortably into the timeline.

TV Series: already talked about it.

Return to the Planet of the Apes: different storyline than the movies, but still well written, if really poorly (and barely) animated.

POTA 2001: knowing this was the first of a projected series, the ending isn't as offensive as I once considered. But the film is nothing more than an extended chase through Ape City. It really doesn't say much of anything and Mark Wahlberg is pretty one-note. This also has none of Tim Burton's touches, Lawgiver knows why he was even attached to it. Good Danny Eflman score, but - again - very little of his quirkiness. Great makeup, though.

The recent trilogy: I loved it. I can't say enough good things about it and the final film, War of the Planet of the Apes, is astounding.

Love the apes franchise.

 

[Bryan^H]

I don’t watch GOT. I was using it as in “look like Shakespeare”. I own “Logan’s Run” the series and film. I actually found the movie terrible when it first came out and still really bad. The special effects look very cheap to me and always have. Somehow I acquired the DVD set of the TV show and dutifully watched it once. Maybe the writing was ok, but again the special effects look like cardboard and take me right out of it. I used to use the movie as an example of the state of things before “Star Wars”.

I will admit that the first “Planet of The Apes” movie was fairly well done, but having recently watched the Blu ray set, I believe they got sillier and sillier as they went on. This possibly made me not give the TV series a fair chance.

I just think the whole “Planet Of The Apes” saga is not interesting to me. I own the latest series and find they don’t stand up to repeat viewing for me even in 3D.

That is fine. Everyone has their likes, and dislikes.

I was just wondering.

 

[Bryan^H]

It's interesting how we view the same things with different eyes. Regarding the Apes franchise...

POTA: a near perfect film. Amazing and even knowing the outcome, the finale still hits hard.
BTPOA: a major step down. There was no narrative reason to continue, just monetary. Even how they made it is telling: "it needs the visual shock of the first." Even the ending was dictated by Charlton Heston's desire to never be called again. However, it was on channel 9 a lot and I loved it growing up. It's the only sequel film to take place in the same timeline as the original.
EFTPOTA: amazing film! Made on the cheap but beautifully written and with a definite narrative thrust that propelled the next film. The ending is a gut punch like no other.
COTPOTA: The director's cut, the one with all the violence, was astounding (although the one shot of a hand tossing a paper cup of blood should have been cut before this hit blu-ray - totally ruined the effect). They had something to say and they said it loudly. The only downside was this should have been the final film. It was a perfect ending.
BFTPOTA: it's not "bad" just pointless. It takes place in a park, for Chrissakes. IT does, though, set up the TV Series so well, it could have stood in as a pilot episode. In fact, it LOOKS like a TV show. By the time it ends, humans and apes have a fragile peace, with humans still speaking. The atomic war already happened, moving Cornelius and Zira to the 70's not only brought talking apes to Earth sooner than previously, the apes apparently saved the humans. By the time we pick it up when the TV Series premiered, humans had fallen back down the totem pole. Still not mute, and dogs returned, but it fits very comfortably into the timeline.

TV Series: already talked about it.

Return to the Planet of the Apes: different storyline than the movies, but still well written, if really poorly (and barely) animated.

POTA 2001: knowing this was the first of a projected series, the ending isn't as offensive as I once considered. But the film is nothing more than an extended chase through Ape City. It really doesn't say much of anything and Mark Wahlberg is pretty one-note. This also has none of Tim Burton's touches, Lawgiver knows why he was even attached to it. Good Danny Eflman score, but - again - very little of his quirkiness. Great makeup, though.

The recent trilogy: I loved it. I can't say enough good things about it and the final film, War of the Planet of the Apes, is astounding.

Love the apes franchise.

Nice summary Scott!
Except for "Conquest" which I still don't think is that great of an Ape film, my taste in the movies, and series is almost identical to how you feel about them.

"Beneath the Planet of the Apes" could have been so much better if Heston agreed to do the entire film, and not just a bit part as a favor to Zanuck.

 

[ScottRE]

Conquest went up the ladder for me when I saw the extended cut. It's uncompromising and needs that edge to support the thin storyline. The theatrical version is toned down too much and was just a bunch of apes in Century City. Roddy McDowall was incredibly good in this. Don Murray, not so much....

 

[johnnybear]

I wonder if Virdon's disc remained with them? It only appeared in two episodes and the second it was the main focus of that show but after that it was conveniently forgotten! In tomorrow's tide surely it was lost when they were captured by the Gorillas guarding the shore or did Galen have it in his pouch?
JB