ddw@cornell.UUCP (David Wright) (08/13/83)
From: ddw (David Wright)
To: net-tv
Someone out there has raised memories of a couple of old tv shows. (I
can't use any name other than "swc" as the churl failed to sign his/her
real name.) However, swc has things a bit confused. There was indeed
a show called "Eighth Man." The main character was this human-looking
robot who went under the alias of "Mr. Tobor" ("robot" spelled backwards)
and I think had a nominal job as a private detective. He was always
being summoned by the local chief of police, who would call him and
say "wrong number" when Tobor (or his secretary) answered the phone.
Tobor was built by (I think) "Professor Genius," a defector from a world-
wide crime syndicate called Intercrime. The name "Eighth Man" was due
to his being the professor's 8th effort. In fact, in one show, the 7th
version, which was still owned by Intercrime, tried to kill Tobor.
It's just come back to me: Tobor had a human brain that the professor
had transplanted into the robot body for reasons that escape me. The
robot body had a number of handy features, such as the ability to run at
any speed up to that of light, and to change its external appearance to
look like anyone that Tobor chose. (Much more convenient than leaping
into a nearby phone booth or broom closet.)
Meanwhile, swc has confused this show with "Gigantor," the touching
story of a boy and his robot. Gigantor was this huge robot that was
controlled by some kid with a remote control gizmo that had only one
control (a handle) on it. The kid would madly push and pull the handle,
which by some mysterious process would cause the robot to do all kinds
of complicated things. You knew things were happening because there
was an antenna on the control box that had this sort of lightning-like
stuff that probably represented radio coming out of it when the handle
was being manipulated.
Both of these cartoons were Japanese imports, as were "Astro Boy" and
"Speed Racer". (Let's not get started on Speed Racer; it was discussed
to death a while back.)
Swc also remembers "Captain Scarlet." This one was English, and due to
Gerry Anderson, who also did "Thunderbirds." There are a couple of other
marionette shows I remember, such as "Supercar," and a \real/ oldie, "Planet
Patrol." God, I can hardly remember "Planet Patrol," except that I thought
it was neat. The characters flitted around the solar system in these space-
ships that looked like giant tops. I think the ships were called "Galli-
spheres," (I may be spelling it wrong), and it seems to me that the heroes
of the show usually flew in Gallisphere 347 (that's "three-four-seven").
I don't recall seeing anyone else mention this one; anyone remember it?
Lauren?
David Wright
{vax135|floyd|allegra|decvax|ihnp4|uw-beaver}!cornell!ddw
ddw.cornell@udel-relay
ddw@cornell (Arpanet and CSnet)oz@rlgvax.UUCP (THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ) (08/14/83)
A followup on the followup, anyone remember the theme songs for some of these old shows (Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go-oh doesn't really count.) Fireball XL-5 had a nice ballady song as I recall. And who said computerdom was populated by youngsters? OZ seismo!rlgvax!oz