The Starlost

Infobox Television
bgcolour = #DEDEE2
show_name = The Starlost


caption = "The Starlost" intro
format = Science fiction drama
runtime = approx. 50 minutes
first_aired = 22 September, 1973
last_aired = 5 January, 1974
producers =
starring = Keir Dullea
Gay Rowan
Robin Ward
country = CAN
network = CTV
num_episodes = 16

"The Starlost" was a Canadian-produced science fiction television series devised by writer Harlan Ellison and broadcast in 1973 on CTV in Canada and syndicated to local stations in the United States.

The show's setting is a huge generational colony spacecraft which has gone off-course. Many of the descendants of the original crew and colonists are unaware, however, that they are aboard such a ship.

The series experienced a number of production difficulties, and Ellison ended up disowning it before the first episode even aired.Fact|date=October 2008

Premise

The initial concept was that humanity, faced by the destruction of Earth, builds a multi-generational starship "8,000 miles (11,000 km) in character." The ship contains dozens of isolated, self-contained biospheres, each kilometers across and housing people of different cultures. Early in the voyage, however, disaster struck, and the command section was destroyed along with its crew.

Centuries later, a young man, Devon (Keir Dullea), a resident of a biosphere with an Amish-like culture, discovers that his world is far larger and more mysterious than he had realized. He inadvertently finds his way into the service areas of the ship and uncovers its fate: the Ark is on a collision course with a Class G star similar to the Sun. Devon and his fellow escapees Rachel (Gay Rowan) and Garth (Robin Ward) must learn all they can about the Ark if they are to save it and the colonists aboard. Occasionally, they are aided by the ark's computer systems portrayed by William Osler.

The scenario drew on themes common to science fiction. It also had obvious potential for an interesting, developing story arc as the trio made more discoveries about the ship and contacted cultures previously isolated in other biospheres.

Twentieth Century Fox was involved in the project and Douglas Trumbull was executive producer. Actor Keir Dullea was cast in the lead role. Science fiction writer and editor Ben Bova was brought in as science advisor.

Timeline

Episodes were available on VHS for a time, but have not been released on DVD. The feature-length edits have been released on DVD. VCI Entertainment has acquired the program for release on DVD, but no release date has been indicated. [cite news
last = Simpson
first = Michael
title = VCI To Launch 'The Starlost'
work = CinemaSpy
publisher = Robert Falconer
date = 2007-12-28
url = http://www.cinemaspy.ca/article.php?id=449
accessdate = 2008-01-09] Amazon.com lists a release date of September 30, 2008. [http://www.amazon.com/STARLOST-Complete-Keir-Dullea/dp/B001DW2BG0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1218637311&sr=8-1}] .

Major characters

Guest stars

*Walter Koenig appeared in two episodes as an alien named Oro; in the first, he was accidentally stranded on the Ark while investigating it; in the second, he returns to seize the ark for use by his home planet.
*Barry Morse appeared as Shaliff in the 3rd episode, "The Goddess Calabra".
*John Colicos also appeared in "The Goddess Calabra", as the Governor.

References

External links

*
*
*
*
* [http://epguides.com/Starlost/ Episode titles & Original airdates]
* [http://www.tv.com/the-starlost/show/4869/episode.html Episode guide with original airdates, synopses, and cast & crew credits]
* [http://www.snowcrest.net/fox/star.html "The Starlost" fansite]
* [http://www.guba.com/general/search?query=starlost&date_step=0&set=5&x=15&y=7 Episodes 1, 4, 6, 7 & 8 at GUBA]