Horsing Around :-)

Two ways to say the same thing...!  Galacti-speak and English!  :-)

Captain Apollo (Richard Hatch) in Battlestar Galactica
 ("The Man with Nine Lives")

Inspector Dan Robbins (Richard Hatch) in
  The Streets of San Francisco
("Once a Con")

Battlestar Galactica - copyright (c) NBC / Universal; created by Glen A. Larson.
The Streets of San Francisco - copyright (c) CBS / Paramount.

Photos used for illustrative purposes only.

Captain Apollo meets Luke Skywalker! :-)

Probably the closest fans ever got to a crossover between Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica was The Streets of San Francisco episode "Innocent No More" (02/24/1977).  In this episode (filmed after Star Wars: A New Hope - but aired 3 months before the film was released), Mark Hamill guest-stars as a 16 year-old juvenile delinquent.  Unfortunately, Richard Hatch (Inspector Dan Robbins) and Mark Hamill don't interact at all in this episode - they're together only in the final scene where Robbins saves Hamill's character from being shot but they never speak to each other. Here's a photo from the episode:

Richard Hatch and Mark Hamill on The Streets of San Francisco
("Innocent No More")

The Streets of San Francisco is copyright (c) CBS / Paramount; photo used for illustrative purposes only.

GALACTICA: 1970!

The cast of Battlestar Galactica (1978 - 79) appeared in a number of interesting movies and TV shows in the 1970s.  Pictures are worth a thousand words, so here we go...!  :-)

Anne Lockhart (Lt. Sheba)
 guest-stars on Cannon
 ("A Deadly, Quiet Town")

John Colicos (Baltar)
 guest-stars on The Starlost
("The Goddess Calabra")

Laurette Spang (Cassiopeia) guest-stars on
The Streets of San Francisco ("Harem")
 - in this episode she plays a reluctant
 prostitute (socialator?)

Rick Springfield (Lt. Zac
from BSG: ("Saga of a Star World")
 guest-stars on Wonder Woman
 ("Screaming Javelin")

Jane Seymour (Serena) co-stars with Patrick Wayne
in the movie Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977)

Laurette Spang (Cassiopeia) and
Christine Belford (Leda from the BSG
episode "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero")
guest-star on The Six Million Dollar Man
("Survival of the Fittest")

Edward Mulhare (John from the BSG episode
"Experiment in Terra")
 and Herbert Jefferson, Jr. (Lt. Boomer)
guest-star on Cannon
("Death of a Hunter")

Ray Milland (Sire Uri) co-stars with Rosey Grier
in the movie The Thing with Two Heads (1972)

Dirk Benedict (Lt. Starbuck)
 stars in the movie
SSSSSSS (1973)

Herbert Jefferson, Jr. (Lt. Boomer)
 guest-stars on
The Streets of San Francisco
("For Good or Evil")

Lorne Greene (Commander Adama) guest-stars
on The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
("The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Meet Dracula")

Richard Hatch (Captain Apollo)
 guest-stars on Cannon
 ("Sky Above, Death Below")

Herbert Jefferson, Jr. (Lt. Boomer)
 guest-stars on Night Gallery
 ("Clean Kills and Other Trophies")

Maren Jensen (Lt. Athena) guest-stars on
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
("Death Surf")

Laurette Spang (Cassiopeia) guest-stars
 on The Secrets of ISIS
("The Cheerleader")

Richard Hatch (Captain Apollo)
 co-stars with Bruce Davison
 in the TV movie
Deadman's Curve: The Story of Jan and Dean (1978)

Laurette Spang (Cassiopeia) guest-stars on
Project: UFO
 (Sighting #4015: "The Underwater Incident")

Lloyd Bridges (Commander Cain) plays an
invading alien in the TV movie
The Love War (1970)

Lloyd Bochner (Commandant Leiter)
guest-stars on The Starlost ("The Pisces")

Dirk Benedict (Lt. Starbuck) guest-stars
on Charlie's Angels ("The Blue Angels")

John Colicos (Baltar)
 and Christine Belford
 (Leda from the BSG episode
 "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero")
 guest-star as husband and wife
 on Harry O ("The Madonna Legacy")

Terry Carter (Colonel Tigh) guest-stars
on The Six Million Dollar Man
("The Solid Gold Kidnapping")

Frank Ashmore (Lt. Ortega from
 BSG: "Murder on the Rising Star")
 plays a clone in the movie
 Parts: The Clonus Horror (1979)

John Colicos (Baltar) guest-stars on
Wonder Woman ("The Queen and the Thief")

Anne Lockhart (Lt. Sheba) guest-stars
on Project: UFO
 (Sighting #4019: "The Believe It or Not Incident")

Jack Stauffer (Captain Bojay)
 guest-stars on
The Fantastic Journey ("Vortex")

Jack Stauffer (Captain Bojay)
and George Murdock (Dr. Salik)
guest-star on
Harry O ("Hostage")

John Colicos (Baltar)
 guest-stars on Night Gallery
("Lone Survivor")

Rick Springfield (Lt. Zac from
 BSG: "Saga of a Star World")
 stars in the animated
TV series Mission: Magic!

Lew Ayres (President Adar from
BSG: "Saga of a Star World") co-stars
with David Soul in the mini-series
  'Salem's Lot (1979)

Herbert Jefferson, Jr. (Lt. Boomer) guest-stars
on The Immortal ("By Gift of Chance")

Ed Begley, Jr. (Ensign Greenbean)
guest-stars on Wonder Woman
("Diana's Disappearing Act")

Reggie Nalder (the Pyramid dealer from
BSG: "Saga of a Star World")
co-stars as Barlow, the vampire
 in the mini-series 'Salem's Lot (1979)

Patrick MacNee (Count Iblis from BSG: "War of the Gods") and John Colicos
co-star in King Solomon's Treasure (1979)

All photos are used for illustrative purposes only and are copyright (c) the respective copyright holders.

Battlestar Galactica is copyright (c) and trademark NBC / Universal; created by Glen A. Larson.

Matthew Starr, P.I.

Fans of early '80's sci-fi TV will remember The Powers of Matthew Starr (1982 - 83).  This often-maligned series starred Peter Barton as Matthew Starr and Louis Gossett, Jr. as Walt Shepard.  The duo were aliens from the planet Quadris who have been exiled to Earth in order to escape the overlords who have taken over the planet.  Matthew (known as Ehawk on Quadris) was a member of the planet's royal family.  On Earth, he posed as a typical American high school student; while Walt was his guardian (and also his science teacher).  Matthew possessed several amazing powers, including E.S.P., telekinesis and astral projection.

I'm currently watching The Streets of San Francisco (1972 - 77) on DVD.  I got a kick out of one 2nd season episode titled "Most Feared in the Jungle" (aired on 12/20/73) which featured a sleazy private detective named Matthew Starr!  A fun coincidence...!  Some photos below:

Matthew Star, P.I.

The Powers of Matthew Star is copyright (c) CBS / Paramount.
The Streets of San Francisco is copyright (c) CBS / Paramount.

Why Didn't "The Fugitive" (and other Quinn Martin shows) have Written Title Cards for the Cast?

The Quinn Martin series THE FUGITIVE (1963 - 67) is without a doubt one one of the all-time great TV dramas.  However, the presentation of the Cast Credits in the Opening Sequence of the series has seriously **bugged** me for decades.  Every episode introduces the Main Cast as well as the Guest Stars ONLY via Voice-Over Narration without any Written Title Cards.  WHY?  IMHO the Cast of The Fugitive was unfairly short-changed with a voice-over being their only introduction.  Everyone likes seeing their name in print (or in the case of actors - on a Title Card).

The majority of Quinn Martin shows, notably The Untouchables (1959 - 63), The FBI (1965 - 74, The Invaders (1967 - 68), Cannon (1972 - 76) and Barnaby Jones (1973 - 80) follow the same pattern with their respective introductions that omit Cast Title Cards in favor of a Voice-Over Introduction.  Why was this done?  I can see no advantage whatsoever to this technique.

TV isn't radio - "show - not tell" is the byword.

Here's a look at the Opening Cast Credits for THE FUGITIVE episode "Home is the Hunted" (Guest Starring Jacqueline Scott).  The second set of photos display the same clips - this time with the DVD Subtitles Activated - giving some indication of how THE FUGITIVE Opening Credits **might** have played if Written Title Cards had been used for the series.

The Fugitive: "Home is the Hunted" Title Card
(Voice-Over Introduction:
 "Starring David Janssen as the fugitive.")

The Fugitive: "Home is the Hunted" Title Card
(Voice-Over Introduction:
 "Also Starring Barry Morse as Lieutenant Gerard.")

The Fugitive: "Home is the Hunted" Title Card
(Voice-Over Introduction: "Jacqueline Scott")

DVD Subtitles

DVD Subtitles

DVD Subtitles

Now, here's look at the Opening Cast Credits for Quinn Martin's THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO (1972 - 77) episode "45 Minutes From Home" (Guest Starring Jacqueline Scott).  Unlike other Quinn Martin shows, THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO features Voice-Over Introductions for the Cast accompanied by Written Title Cards.

The Streets of San Francisco: Karl Malden's Title Card
accompanied by Voice-Over Introduction
("Starring Karl Malden")

The Streets of San Francisco: "45 Minutes From Home"
Guest Star Jacqueline Scott's Title Card accompanied by
Voice-Over Introduction ("Jacqueline Scott")

Comparing THE FUGITIVE with THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO, I think the Written Title Cards make a huge difference.

Finally, here's a look at the Opening Cast Credits for David Janssen's other TV series' RICHARD DIAMOND, Private Detective (a.k.a. CALL MR. D) (1957 - 60), O'HARA, United States Treasury (1971 - 72) and HARRY O (1974 - 76) - isn't it an absolute JOY to see David Janssen's name appearing proudly onscreen on a Written Title Card?  I think it is.

Again - "show, not tell".

 David Janssen's Title Card
for Richard Diamond, Private Detective
accompanied by Voice-Over Introduction
("Starring David Janssen")

David Janssen's Title Card for
Call Mr. D

David Janssen's Title Card for
O'Hara, United States Treasury

David Janssen's Title Card for
HARRY O

The Fugitive is copyright CBS / Paramount.
O'Hara, United States Treasury is copyright Universal Studios.
Harry O is copyright Warner Bros.
Richard Diamond, Private Detective / Call Mr. D is copyright (???)  (does anyone who which studio currently owns this series?)

All photos are used for illustrative purposes only and are copyright the respective copyright holders.