lthough it rarely airs the most popular contemporary speculative shows,
sooner or later it seems that almost every science fiction TV series
appears on The Sci-Fi Channel. Fans of early genre efforts
like The Twilight Zone, or more recent fare such as Sliders,
regularly tunein to watch the channel's mix of reruns and original
programming, often rediscovering vintage adventures that were either long
forgotten or simply overlooked during their original network broadcasts.
The Sci-Fi Channel Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction is therefore a
seemingly natural outgrowth of the station's commitment to televised SF.
Essentially an abridged and somewhat updated version of coauthor Roger
Fulton's British edition of The Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction,
this 668-page volume examines more than 250 television shows. Each entry includes a
general description of the series, along with cast and production
credits, air dates (in both the United States and Great Britain, where
appropriate) and, in the case of major programs like Star Trek or
Doctor Who, plot breakdowns for every episode.
In addition to the individual listings, a concluding chapter offers terse
outlines of "41 Obscure Shows You'll Probably Never Hear of Again." The book
also includes two eight-page inserts, each containing a variety of
black-and-white photos from programs such as Logan's Run,
Fireball XL5, The Invaders and Land of the Giants.
Informative but incomplete
One of the criticisms frequently leveled at The Sci-Fi Channel is
that, rather than promote new shows and ideas, the station generally just
replays old TV series and movies. While that assessment may not be entirely
correct, when it comes to The Sci-Fi Channel Encyclopedia of TV Science
Fiction the publishers, and by association the channel itself, can
appropriately be accused of simply recycling old and occasionally incorrect
material (and deleting valuable data).
The book does a respectable job covering major modern television shows,
offering helpful plot condensations and noteworthy production facts. Details
about programs from the 1950s and early 1960s are unfortunately a bit
sketchier, with minor mistakes in some listings and the complete omission of
significant early endeavors like Tales of Tomorrow (which, ironically,
can regularly be seen on The Sci-Fi Channel as part of its Retro
TV series).
A chapter devoted to animation that originally appeared in the English
edition has also been excised, thereby excluding both important speculative
cartoons like Astroboy and The Jetsons as well as animated spinoffs
such as Star Trek, Return to the Planet of the Apes,
Droids and Ewoks. Numerous historical oddities, including The
Star Wars Holiday Special and Gene Roddenberry's Genesis II, are
also nowhere to be found. Consequently, The Sci-Fi Channel Encyclopedia of
TV Science Fiction serves as an informative but regrettably incomplete
reference work.
