The Professional Left Podcast with Driftglass and Blue GalScience Fiction University | Ep 14: Gene Roddenberry and the Good 'Robot'
04-25-2023 | 'Gene Roddenberry's Scratchpad' - We discuss "The Questor Tapes," a 1970's Gene Roddenberry pilot that provided source material for TNG's beloved character, Data. More at http://ScienceFictionUniversity.com.
Support the show at https://patreon.com/scifiu
YouTube SciFiU - Ep 14: https://youtu.be/CfC28Sq8c7E
KEYWORDS:
Science Fiction University, media, entertainment, entertainment reviews, science fiction movies, classic movies, 1970's Movies, sci fi, scifiu.
All episodes available at our Science Fiction University website here.
4 comments:
Another great episode--thank you again, DG and BG!
The first and only time I ever saw THE QUESTOR TAPES was as a child in the 1980s. I watched it on "CBS Late Night" where they showed a movie--either a theatrical release or a made for TV film. I remember reading the description in TV Guide and being interested in it. There are a few scenes I remember, but obviously this was close to forty years ago...
In the 1990s I read an article in an SF magazine that focused on how Questor was the "prototype" for Data in TNG.
While I have some druthers with Gene Roddenberry, overall I give a lot of respect to his belief in humanity, that he wasn't a "Doomsday+1" personality type and felt that humanity would get its s#@t together and move ahead. And yes, it is important to remember that STAR TREK--all of the shows and movies and various media--remind us over and over again that yes, we will find that bright future but we're going to have to go through some very harsh times, like the Eugenics Wars and World War III--a point made very clear in Pike's presentation near the end of Episode 1 of STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS.
Can't wait to listen to the episode of SFU where you talk about the classic SF anime AKIRA and WINGS OF HONNEAMISE: ROYAL SPACE FORCE...you have heard of these, right?
But in all seriousness, thank you again for another great episode. Long live Science Fiction University!
Just finished, and I just wanted to note that John Vernon had SUCH a distinctive voice that he played mobster Rupert Thorne in "Batman the Animated Series."
Saturn 3
Yeah Douglas and Fawcett.
A robot that is n Very different Robot not evil or good. Needs to have it's brain downloaded with input and gets input from a bad man. The robot becomes bad.
A moral of the story, Humans have somethings others do not and a robot fed by a person without that human behavior falls prey to.
Blank slate filled with Tucker Carlson, becomes evil
It falls prey to sacrifice. A moral human trait that is not in everyone.
That was one of the most entertaining things you all have ever done. It also was super informative. You both are brilliant writers and excellent on-air presenters, although one could (if one were so pedantically inclined)point out Driftglass’ misuse of the phrase “begs the question.” When he uses that phrase he means “raises the question.” The phrase “begs the question” means “to ignore a question under the assumption it has already been answered." But only if one were so pedantically inclined, which of course, this commenter would never stoop to considering.
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