Monster of the Day #924

Updated on June 10, 2014 By Ken Begg 26 Comments

The Seaview, a Day in the Life.

The show certainly knew what kids wanted. It was far, far dumber show than Star Trek, but one that had a Gorn like every week.

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By Ken Begg

http://jabootu.net

bgbear_rnh

I am glad that Irwin Allen foresaw that the Navy would be much more open and diverse in the future.

don’t ask, don’t howl
Ericb

After watching the 1st season as an adult I started wondering how much influence VtBoS had on Star Trek. The concept of a no-military ship run like the military that was built for exploration but could kick a** on a weekly basis seemed strangely familiar.
Gamera977

The Seawolf?

The phase of the moon affects a lycanthrope even underwater???
Flangepart

Yeah, if it diluted the moon light, he should just get really hairy, and have the urge to sniff peoples butts.
“Uh, sorry Admiral. I can’t help it…”
Flangepart

Cue theremin music here…
Always found it laughable they worked for Star FLEET and denied they were a space navy…idiots.
Ericb

Well I guess a Space Force would be the sixth arm of the military with the Space “Marines” as the 7th. I guess they could use a space version of the Coast Guard as well.
Gamera977

‘Gee sir, why does Seaman Talbot’s laundry always smells like wet dog?’
Gamera977

Don’t even get into the StarFleet Marines. I remember that episode of DS9 where the ‘troops’ they send to deny some planet they want for a listening post from the Jem’Hadar are apparently regular StarFleet SECURITY. As one guy commented they seemed to trained in: ‘hold phasor rifle, look scared…’
Eric Hinkle

When I first saw this I thought it was the werewolf from that episode of Kolchak set on a cruise liner. Which was, come to think of it, rather a clever and original idea.

And that fellow up top, yeesh, get those teeth looked at, Rover.
bgbear_rnh

RIP, Drop Dead Fred is dead :( Rik Mayall 1958-2014
Ericb

Well wouldn’t that be like sending beat cops into Bastogne?
Rock Baker

Man, if I wanted to series before, I really want it now! I didn’t even know about this episode!
Cullen Waters

Man, Seaview really went to the dogs. Howl he passed his fitness exams looking like that I will never know. Plus he never could muzzle his eating habits. He wolfs down his food, really packs it down, only occasionally pawsing to chew.

Well at least they know he didn’t steal the silverwere… er… silverware.
bgbear_rnh

AKC what you did there.
Flangepart

Cullen Waters: Current job, writing for Svengooli!
KHarn

The fur ball ALF once said that he was part of “the Orbit Guard”, whose motto was “Guarding the orbit, whether it needs it or not!”.
They obviously consider themselves kind of badass.
zombiewhacker

So VTBOTS was kind of like Dark Shadows, except that on VTBOTS something happened every week?
Cullen Waters

I wish. I wish.
Acethepug

Heh, that was one of my favorite episodes of the series, actually :)
Acethepug

To be fair, most of that “we’re not military” came about with NextGen and beyond. I will never find fault with my beloved TOS Trek, whether there be microphone-eyed Gorn or a lime-green Batgirl.

TOS Starfleet definitely came off more military than not (the TOS-era movies fuzzed it up a bit, perhaps), but then that might have been because Gene didn’t have the 100% control he got with NextGen.
Gamera977

Can’t argue with that. And IMHO, the original series seems to have aged better than the later shows.
Eric Hinkle

I must agree. I can watch episodes of original Trek without feeling like I want to manually remove handfuls of my own hair. The early seasons of TNG are another story.

And how many times did that blasted Holodeck create a mad villain who took control of the ship/get some crew member addicted to fantasy/trap a crewmen or woman right when the ship needed them? I’m surprised Picard didn’t have the whole thing yanked out and tossed into deep space.
Rock Baker

Yes, the original series was very much a military show, and Starfleet was a military branch. The quote most people remember from Kirk when noting why he was a better captain than Picard is “I’m a soldier, not a diplomat.”

Starfleet was structured as a branch of the Navy, and when a 20th Century pilot was beamed aboard he noted that future servicemen were still well-trained in hand-to-hand combat. As the franchise was continually expanded in later shows, they attempted to re-write the shows history in order to be more politically correct (in Kirk’s time, Starfleet even had a standing policy against female Captains).
Rock Baker

The Holodeck actually dates back to the animated series. Even then, however, it was malfunctioning and nearly destroyed the ship. You’re right, they should have gotten rid of it well before Picard’s day.
Eric Hinkle

Yes. Though it did give us that hilarious episode where Worf & son go to the Old West and Mister Data becomes a gunslinger. I admit, I love that one.
Rodford Smith

Much of the historical influence on O-Trek came from the colonial era of the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. There were special military ships – such as the Second Class Cruiser – which policed the seas, helped in emergencies, acted as mobile courts and hospitals and so forth.

A fine example of this is the Captain of the ship which responded to the eruption of Pelee in Martinique in 1902. He went ashore with the first party of men to scout the damage.

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