Space Academy

If there was one show I wish I could see again, it's this one. This one, and maybe the time that dog took a crap in our back yard while hopping on one leg.

Synopsis: A group of high school kids run missions to save stalled freighters, starving aliens or to get groceries. All the while learning about readin', 'ritin, 'rithmatic, love, friendship, and why it's not a good idea to go in a dark cave on a distant planet without a sidearm.

The Space Academy shuttles were shaped like the Pink Pearl erasers we were issued at my school each September. I would usually spend my mornings flying the eraser between desks, landing on strange and exotic textbooks, and confronting hostile alien pencils.

The great Pam Ferdyn starred in this show, and seemingly everything else in those days (It seemed like Ike Eisenmann was in everything too). Unfortunately, the best actor on the show, 'Peepo' failed to find work after Space Academy. Whatever happened to 'Peepo?' Or, as I liked to call him, 'Peepoo.'

Short lived space series starring Jonathan Harris. In childhood I felt that, in Space Academy, Jonathan Harris was just too unlike his Dr Smith character and I struggled to warm to 1970s Harris...I was a kid stuck in the 1960s! But it was not all bad news, in childhood, I remember being thrilled by some of the low budget alien planets seen in Space Academy. I discovered that the "special effects" guy in charge had no effects experience before Space Academy! Do you also remember Filmation's Ark 11 series? The bus-like vehicle in that series looks like a spacecraft in Space Academy. Space Academy deserves a DVD rental...mainly for the mild Lost In Space connection and the cool always used "Filmation music cues" that fill the series. There was a spin-off series - Jason of Star Command - which, after a bumpy first season, improved in year two.

I must agree with the first part of the last reviewer's comments, regarding the budget and props of the show. However, I believe that the reviewer missed the point entirely regarding sending the kid's on missions; this was a kid's show, directed at a younger audience, and the hero's of the show were other kids. The audience could imagine themselves having those adventures and saving the day. What would the point be if adults gave the orders and were the ones who set things right? Realistically speaking, it never made sense on Star Trek that the captain and first officer went on the landing parties/away teams, but they were the lead actors. That does not happen in our modern military. Space Academy was a TV show.

Funny thing is, always thought it was 'My Favorite Martian' Ray Walston as the head here, not Jonathon Harris. Ah the things ya learn at IMDB! It was typical 70s TV Filmation fare-moralistic, hokey, low budget, had cutsie kids, robots, etc. Have not seen it since it's run.

And yes, Pam Ferdyn was in about everything there ala Ike Eisenmann, sure.

This was NOT a bad little show, by the way-those here who heap the criticsm of it, c'mon. It was okay for what it was.

**1/2 outta ****

Those of you who said that James Doohan (Scotty) was on Space Academy made a mistake. He was on the spin off series Jason of Star Command. Anyway Jonathan Harris was great on this show as Commander Gampu and how he would help the cadets on their various space missions. It was fun to see what missions the crew would go on every week and the things they would learn from their missions. Who could forget Peepo and his personality and wisecracks. This show would come on either before or after Fat Albert depending on the year it was on. I'm sure Space Academy will come out on DVD someday. R.I.P. Jonathan Harris (Gampu) and James Doohan (Scotty). You'll be missed but the memories of your shows will live on forever.