bkoganbing Although Space Patrol is set 500 years beyond the Star Trek TNG series it seems to be as primitive as the 20th century. Our concept of space travel seem to center on the rocket, all the science fiction shows of early television had that concept be it Rocky Jones, Tom Corbett, or even Space Patrol. No one could conceive of a ship like the Starship Enterprise.Space Patrol has Ed Kemmer and his crew, Lynn Osborn, Ken Mayer, and Nina Bara working for an outfit called United Planets as opposed to Star Trek's United Federation Of Planets. This was a futuristic law enforcement outfit tracking down villains as yet not conceived 20th century standards. In that Space Patrol seems to have anticipated the Star Trek franchise.It still amazes me though that the computer seems to have no place in science fiction programming of the time. Not on the small screen in a show like Space Patrol or on the big screen are computers even acknowledged.Like its peers Space Patrol is a museum piece and a lot of indulgence must be given in watching it.

TimesPrince Space Patrol really started a long tradition of the love of science fiction and space adventure that continues to this day. As a youth in San Francisco I watched it every chance. From this experience, when I started reading in earnest it was science fiction that I turned to, and haven't turned back since.One of my most precious possessions from childhood came from a visit of the Space Patrol cast to San Francisco. There is a page in my autograph book that I treasure signed by each of the members of the cast in their screen name. My name is Robbie, and Robbie's signature on the cast page was made with a drawing of a rocket ship that formed my impression of what a true rocket ship should be like.Space Patrol was so much a part of my life that for Christmas my brothers constructed and gave me a "spaceship control panel" with view screen, lights, and microphone (all this before any modern electronics) and my friends and I played "Space Patrol" adventures. Looking back this show was one of my best childhood memories that influenced a love of reading, sci-fi, and eventually my career in the computer industry, as well as influencing me in what real teamwork was like.This show was awesome!

rusher-3 And yes -- I actually saw it "live" on TV. Sponsored by Ralston. I vividly remember Commander Corey and Cadet Happy happily plugging "Wheat Chex", "Rice Chex", and "Instant Ralston" when they weren't pursuing or being pursued by the bad guys. How many of us remember the name of the man who heralded "Travel into the future with BUZZ CORY, Commander-in-Chief of the SPAAAAACE PATROL!"? That was Jack Narz, who later went on to fame as the host of the scandal-ridden game show "Dotto"!! The live sets, the music, and the miniatures (quite imaginative for the time) were all done with such care. I would like to thank the other contributors to this thread who remember and love this show as much as I do, especially "IsleManage" (such an interesting story about your father (mother too) -- thanks for sharing), "mmore98" who gave us insight to the conception of the series, and the unfortunate demise of "Tonga" -- my first recollection of, shall we say, a "hottie". How sad. But most of all, I would like to thank the late Ed Kemmer and the late Lyn Osborn for providing me with role models worthy of remembering and looking up to. I love you and I miss you both!!

mmoore98 The headline of that month was of Ernest Hemingway and a short version of The Old Man and the Sea.It explained that a WWII fighter pilot had thought the whole thing up while flying raids in the Pacific during the War. He and two other writers were cranking out 85,000 words a week to keep the show running. It had a lot of the behind the scenes stories of the actors, etc. Some of the actors in this series died from Cancer at relatively early ages, and some were destitute. Nina Bara, from Argentina, was one of them. She had been married to Dwight Eisenhower's golf pro (also a relatively obscure actor himself) from Austraila for about five years...until Ike was out of power, then his popularity as an actor waned quickly. I understand he's still alive. She died in poverty.