Jason of Star Command

After watching all the tapes of Space Academy and the spin-off from the series, Jason of Star Command, I had some sad feelings. The idea that a 'secret' base (that all the bad guys KNEW was on the Space Academy asteroid) could have made this show truly unique as opposed to a predictable adventure show with hairy aliens and monsters. I realize that corporate backing and intent was more serialized-similar to the old cliff-hanger type shows, but either the writing did not allow for expansion or the 15 minute time factor stifled this series' growth. If FILMATION's idea was to copy the 1950's style of show, they accomplished their mission-perhaps, a little too well.

Unfortunately, with the real space program expanding along side while this show aired, there was no way it could live past the short time it was broadcast. There were one or two gadgets but none of the futuristic thinking that had made science fiction shows, even for the younger viewers, interesting. Dragos, the bad guy, had a ship that was hard to believe but, an energy-dragon from another dimension is just too ridiculous for me to accept. Let's not even talk about the reused sets from Space Academy series.

Even the name factor of James Doohan could not save it. With the talented Doohan and Mr. Russell, this was a valiant attempt on their part to raise the show to acceptable standards. Other than the lovely Samantha and the odd, Professor Parsafoot, (Charlie Dell is also a wonderful actor), the only other interesting 'person' was the "WIKI" robot. Lady, gentlemen, robot-you tried. Thank you.

Keeping Samantha, the only person of color on the show was noteworthy. Coloring Commander Stone in blue was another. There were some quirky twists that made it tolerable.

I do like this show. But I cannot take it seriously-and I wanted to! I shake my head because I liked the Jason character-to a point. Some of the space ships and fight scenes were the only interesting props we, as viewers, saw.

But the actors and technological attempts were not enough to save the show from being relegated as a 'campy' show. Two shows with the potential for excellence (think Star Trek: The Academy Years married to Mission Impossible) are now listed in media history books and in all likelihood will be forgotten.

The 28 episodes of the Saturday morning sci-fi series "Jason of Star Command" were originally broadcast on CBS from 1978-1980. The first season's 16 episodes (15 minutes each) were the live action portion of "Tarzan and the Super 7". The 12 episodes from Season Two had their own thirty-minute time-slot.

The series was a "Space Academy" spin-off with a number of "Star Wars" features. It may remind contemporary viewers of the "Buck Rogers" series, or at least a low budget version targeted at pre-teen boys. Craig Littler plays the title character, a space pilot assigned to defend Star Command (a Division of Space Academy) from a "Ming the Merciless" type, the evil "Master of the Cosmos" Dragos (nicely overplayed by Sid Haig). Dragos commands a legion of mumbling creatures with moth heads, mostly they just sit around a table and listen to him rant about Jason. Littler is pretty much devoid of any real acting talent but at least knows enough to not look directly into the camera when speaking his lines.

Littler and Haig are about all that links the two seasons as the show was recast when it was renewed. You are unlikely to find a more extreme example of producers shooting themselves in the foot between seasons than what happened with this series. The show's original draws were James "Scotty" Doohan (who attracted to "Star Trek" fans) and Susan O'Hanlon (who filled out her costume so well that male viewers kept tuning in).

For Season Two Doohan was replaced by John "The Lawman" Russell, a decent actor who must have needed work very badly because he let them paint his face blue; although this make-up arrangement had no vital link to the storyline. O'Hanlon was replaced by Tamora "Cleopatra Jones" Dobson, who might actually have been a worse actor than Littler; which might account for the perception that his acting improved during the course of the series.

Also of note during Season Two was the three-episode appearance of an aging Francine York as Queen Medusa (a character probably based on her guest role as Queen Niolani ten years earlier on "Lost in Space"). Queen Medusa looked like my cub-scout den mother, but dressed in purple spandex and wearing way too much make-up.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

This show was a great kids show. Sure it maybe wasn't the most original serial type show, but look at how well the classic movie 'Star Wars' did by copying the standard serial action adventure theme. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century continued the concept and even used names like 'Twiki' for a robot, where JOSC had already used the name WIKKI as a flying mini robot gadget. Like most posts this show was a fun show, Dragos was one of the greatest bad guys in any kids show.

Perhaps the biggest budget 1970s Saturday morning series. And set in space.

Without Youtube, it is hard to find this series today, what was it like? Despite Star Trek's James Doohan being present in the first season, it is actually the second season (when he is gone) that the show really comes together.

The whole series is partly damaged by a constantly laughing villain - Sid Haig as "Dragos" - who acts like he is in a High School play. Thankfully, he seems to get less screen time in season two and we have newly introduced characters in the second year to focus on (blue faced John Russell as The Commander and "Samantha").

The second season also has the episodes expanded to 25 minutes but still in the serial format. You can totally follow year two without seeing year one, so if you don't wish to invest time into watching the whole series - I would just jump right into the second year.

I love cartoons. There, I admit it. Except for one thing. JOSC wasn't a cartoon. It was a spinoff of SA. According to the opening voice

over, Jason, last name unknown, worked out of a secret section of Space Academy. His superiors were Professor E.J. Parsafoot, and Space Academy's last two commanders. His enemy was

Dragos, a brutal dictator, who was the emperor of some unnamed empire. Jason of Star Command aired two years after Star Wars and was in the same vein. It was set some time in the far, distant future, when, exactly, we don't know. Watch both this, and Space Academy, they both do justice to each other.