Oct. 13--Goldsmith's Whale episode
Oct. 16--Leith Stevens scored episode
Oct. 19--Nelson Riddle's episode
Oct. 20--another Leith Stevens episode
Oct. 24--Alexander Courage episode
Oct. 27--last Leith Stevens episode
Nov. 6---Herman Stein episode

Episodes scored by Robert Drasnin and Lionel Newman show up in late November or December. I'll update this posting with those dates at another time. One of the earliest Voyage episodes has a score by Hugo Friedhofer. If Sci-Fi gives Voyage a second go around, I'll announce that date as well.

Anyone ever notice that the shot of the submarine emerging from the sea at a 45 degree angle that appears behind the end credits looks like an erection? I can't believe they got away with this.....

I watched the Whale episode.. it was.. interesting.

This would seem to be Goldsmith's one bad turn in theme scoring, except for the finale music that Goldsmith wrote for the episode and was used and reused to cap each subsequent episode. It became the same sort of tag music that was so familiar with Star Trek, easily recognizable and a fitting ending to each episode, regardless of how silly the episode was.

The first ttime they get ready to launch the flying sub, they takes Goldsmith's music from the whale episode (which was kind of stately, though in a minor key), then add the beat to it to jazz it up, which was kind of neat.

Greg--I was out of town visiting someone in the hospital so I taped the Stevens episode but haven't watched it yet. A number of the cues in the Goldsmith score use the figure that Goldsmith uses for his opening theme and were probably supposed to have a stock life beyond the whale episode. Any one from Stevens to the music editors could have adapted the Goldsmith for the episode.

I like the Goldsmith title but it is a moody thing that lacks the bright fanfare call to adventure that Sawtell's title captures, so I understand the decision to drop it. Though it marks an attempt as Voyage went from a b&w first season to the color 2nd season to give Voyage a new "trademark". One of the future Voyage season's has a different arrangement of Sawtell's theme. Lost in Space, of course, has two different Williams themes over it's lifespan.

1. giant seaweed monster-man in suit
2. space aliens
3. U=boat sub ghost
4. mummy on Seaview
5. silly episodes on land

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And JC had already directed films by then. I wonder, did he really need the cash or what?

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If anything, it is fun to go back and see a show I enjoyed as a child. What stands out in the series are the special effects (except the giant sea monster shaking the ship) and the music. It's always fun to try and identify the composer. For example, Alexander Courage is so recognizable, since I own his two Star Trek scores (Cage, Where No Man...).

There are certain episodes that I only saw as a child, so it's also fun to see these again after so many years.

If it get's a stupid as Lost in Space (and I don't remember it being that stupid), then I may give it a pass.

It seems that Leith Stevens wrote music for all four shows too.

Each of the series has a great premise---action with a submarine, a ship lost in space, a Dr. Cyclops remake, time travel to all the significant world events. Voyage was a movie, perhaps the others should have been movies instead of TV shows, as IA seemed to lose steam trying to figure out what to do next with them.

Nevertheless, IA knew, like Roddenberry, that the episodes called for something special musically and hired talent both old and new to do the job--Goldsmith, Williams, Stevens, Stein, Courage, Salter, Sawtell, Drasnin, Friedhofer, etc.

I was very thankful for the Irwin Allen soundtracks but given what is still uptapped, I wish they'd continue putting them out.

I caught a few minutes today before I had to leave for work. The Flying Sub was being launched. I suddenly noticed that it had it's own sequence of specific ques for each part of the launch...the rhythmic stately que when the FS prepares for and launches from the Seaview; the rising theme as it ascends to the surface; the brass flourish as it lifts off from the surface; and finally the flying theme. I think this music appeared in the first Flying Sub episode, which I think means that Leith Stevens probably composed it. This music does sound reminiscent of the music he did for the George Pal movies.

Adr. Nelson & Chief Sharkey are on the beach trying to light a signal fire but all the foliage is damp so Nelson asks Sharkey if he has any paper on him. Sharkey produces his little black book. Nelson asks for it. Sharkey says no. Then they hear the dinosaur looking for them roar and Sharkey hands it over. Nelson opens it and "Hey, I knew this girl..."

Monday's episode stars Patrick Wayne and Michael Ansara. Wednesday's episode is scored by Herman Stein, and introduces the ghostly U-Boat captain who will appear again in another future episode. Thursday's episode is based on the film version, same plot, Van Allen belt on fire. Next Monday a whale swallows a nuclear bomb (I kid you not--poor whale). Next Thursday, Friday, and Monday there's no Adr. Nelson! Basehart was sick and they shot 3 episodes around him using substitute admiral figures (one of which is Gary Merrill). The U-Boat captain returns Tuesday in what is considered by many to be the best show of the 2nd season.

Then that Wednesday starts Season 3 with--SURPRISE!--yet another Leith Stevens-scored episode that I didn't notice before.

A lot of bilge water for the old VCR to handle, but worth it for the scores.

Interestingly, the episodes now have a new title sequence with a neat radar scope pattern and worse a narrator. The flying sub still isn't tracked with Herrmann yet. The insert shots of the sub were so bad--strings and all. But I love the sub model (even if it's obviously a model).

Taking this episode as average, I guess the thing about Voyage is this--it's not horribly bad but it's not horribly good either, just mediocre. And yet, as is obvious from the fact that the show is still being broadcast 30+ years later, these episodes are going to outlive anything I ever try to put out into the world. Kinda sad, when you think about it.

In any case, there is an episode coming up with another Alexander Courage score. I don't have the date in front of me, but if anyone out there still gives a damn about this, I'll look it up and post it.

NP: Amarcord (Nino Rota)

Thanks for a bitchin' book about STAR TREK music, man! I bought it from FSM some time ago and loved the hell out of it. I still sometimes read through it while listening to some of the CD's on one of my All Star Trek days.

Now that's funny!

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Greg, you're nit-picking again. Didn't your mother tell you you can't enjoy schlock sci-fi TV if you're going to deconstruct it like that....

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Lou, I sometimes have to get into a "Mystery Science Theatre 3000" frame of mind to watch the series. I kind of wonder what Mike and the 'bots would do with an episode.

Finally caught the "Richard Basehart ill" episodes, especially the giant underwater spider where they had a stand-in with his hat cocked to hide his face or his face wrapped in bandages and Basehart doing voiceovers from his hospital room (or wherever).

Also the one where Crane had the mad sicentist under the gun, all the mad scientist had was a device controlling Admiral Park (Nelson's stand-in for the episode). Why didn't Crane just shoot the scientist? He would have dropped the device and Crane could have turned it off.

I'm still trying to catch up, so i haven;t hit the 3rd season yet, when things (supposedly) get really silly.

As you coyly alluded, 1966 was the year of BATMAN. Which explains why VOYAGE & LOST IN SPACE turned into campy cheezfests. (Bill Mumy mentioned this in the LIS liner notes.)

With the music, it's hard to tell where it came from. Since most of the credits go to Lionel Newman, it was mostly re-edited previously scored music or just stuff pulled from the Fox vault. You can hear bits of Goldmsith here and Courage there, and others who I have a hard time identifying without a credit.

Don't misunderstand me, I liked Goldsmith's music for the Whale episode; and while I do like the new theme, it's just that it didn't fit the series as well as Paul Sawtell's majestic opening and closing themes. In my book, that theme rivals Courage's Star Trek theme as being so evocative, representative and identifiable with the series.

Everyone--I'm sorry I didn't get back to give out the date of the Alexander Courage episode which has already passed.

COMING--Thursday Morning Dec. 21 (barring schedule changes) it's the fun Mummy episode with an original score by Lionel Newman said to be one of the finest for the series.

Lazlo--Thanks for the Batman connection, it makes sense that they'd try to copy cat that camp success but you have to have the right sensibility for it. How did Roddenberry screw Courage out of royalties? What is the whole story there?

An Observation--Just watched Brand of the Beast, the episode for 12/13. A great premise, got to get to a sinking ship in time, totally tossed away by Nelson becoming a very poor-looking werewolf and causing havoc that delays the sub (couldn't they have come up with a more reasonable way to slow the sub up for suspense?). Watching this random episode reminded me that there are still a few things about this series I haven't acclaimated to:

One, the Seaview is huge! 2 decks, high ceilings, lots of room in the cabins. I'm sorry but subs are claustrophobic in real life, cramped little spaces. But silly me wanting plausiblity, what was I thinking?

Two, everyone underplays to the point of being deadpan. I love Chip but he's in a coma. Now perhaps the underplay is meant to keep things serious and avoid camp, but this is too much.

Frame 37 has caved in and the compartment is flooding (have you noticed it's always Frame 37 that goes--you'd think they'd shore that thing up, in fact, given how many times the damned sub malefunctions from episode to episode you'd think they'd scrap it and build a new one). Anyway, Frame 37 has had it. Cut to Chip: business as usual. I mean come on, the ship is flooding, you're all gonna die, and all Chip can muster is another command into the innercom like he's ordering food at the pull-up window. The sub rocks back and forth tossing these guys around like salad and Chip's tie is still clipped in place. I almost kinda wish they had a Dr. Smith type to fret and moan on this show. I mean I guess I never feel like they are in real danger because they never act like they are.

Three, it's always the werewolf or the mummy or the seaweed creature or dinosaurs---

Four, Oh never mind........