From: dghprobe3@a... Date: Wed Jun 14, 2000 12:28 am Subject: SEARCH book by Rob't Weverka on eBay! Heads up, group! That auction site, eBay, has on auction a copy of the SEARCH Bantam paperback book by Robert Weverka. This is the book version of the PROBE pilot movie involving the missing Entourage diamond collection. It is item number 356801553 and it is listed as: "Hugh O'Brian Search Hugh Lockwood PB" Or you can try this link (which won't last long): http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=356801553 Currently there are no bids and the starting price is $4.98. This auction ends late on June 22, 2000. From: dghprobe3@a... Date: Sat Jun 17, 2000 2:49 am Subject: Anomalies in THE MURROW DISAPPEARANCE Anomalies in THE MURROW DISAPPEARANCE by Don Harden In our Australian video of "The Murrow Disappearance," the scenes in Act Three where Lockwood is playing cards (when he spots the overhead lens system) has very obvious lounge-type music playing in the background for some ten minutes. In the 1973 NBC audio I have of this scene, there is NO background music AT ALL! What happened? Did Warner Bros. decide to redub the sound of some of the episodes? A sort of fine-tuning? Or are there two different versions of the episode? (The 16mm Armed Forces print of this episode may not have this difference--if we could find a video of it.) Also, at the end of Act Two (when Murrow's car is discovered), there is some background music in the Australian video which also does not appear in the NBC version. Again, just prior to this, during the scene where Lockwood confronts McEgan & Compton, my NBC audio has two lines which are cut from the Australian version. Compton called Ms. Tristano a shill and Lockwood replied, "Shill?" Perhaps "shill" doesn't translate too well in other English-speaking countries? Beyond that, the rest of the episode appears to be the same. Has anyone else noticed any similar anomalies? Don dghprobe3@a... From: actingman@i... Date: Sun Jun 18, 2000 11:19 am Subject: Ends Of The Earth Many thanks to Don for the audio copies of the episodes we don't have. I listened to Ends Of The Earth, and I was very happy to hear that it was as good an episode as I remember. I also listened to One Of Our Probes Is Missing, and I will have to listen to it again to decide what I think about it. I was disappointed to hear the cheesy cool music in it that was overused in Short Circuit...but I think "overused" maybe the operative term here...it didn't strike me as being as bad as it was in Circuit. Of course I hope to see the video portion one day to fully decide. Oh well. From: "Don Harden" Date: Thu Jun 22, 2000 6:24 pm Subject: Re: Ends Of The Earth John--Many thanks for your reactions to the audio CDs of SEARCH! :) "Ends of the Earth" was indeed a good episode. You're going to have to digitize the script for us because Act 4 is mainly music (like much of "The Bullet") and it's hard to tell sometimes what is happening. I surmise though, that "Ends" is another of those scripts with missing pages. I find myself in general agreement with what you say about (what I call) the "jazzy Las Vegas" type music in "One of Our Probes is Missing" and the early Grover shows. Dominic Frontiere's theme and background music are part of the elements that make SEARCH so distinctively enjoyable. And--most of his background music still sounds nice today after some 28 years! But that "cheesy cool" music I think was more a reflection of the times. Or maybe Mr. Frontiere couldn't think of anything else that day. But I think you hit on something--that music WAS a bit overplayed in the early Grover shows. Some "CHIPS" episodes have been rendered nearly unwatchable today because they are permeated with disco music and roller-disco settings, which was a reflection of the times then. To me, that "cheesy cool" music sort of falls into a similar category. If SEARCH were to ever return in some form, they might reuse the original theme somehow, but that bit of cheesy music wouldn't make it. Also, when you watch a spy/detective/police movie from the 1960's, you're very likely to hear a jazzy theme by Dave Grusin or Pete Rugolo or similar. That cheesy cool music generally has that sort of sound to it. You don't hear that type of music on current TV, yet that sound permeated TV of the 1960's. I think you are correct on another point. When I was putting together the audio CDs, I noted that the cheesy cool music for Bianco sounded a little different or had some different accompaniment than the music that was played in the early Grover shows. It sounded slightly better somehow--but they DID keep it shorter! --- In probe_control@egroups.com, actingman@i... wrote: > Many thanks to Don for the audio copies of the episodes we don't have. I > listened to Ends Of The Earth, and I was very happy to hear that it was as > good an episode as I remember. > > I also listened to One Of Our Probes Is Missing, and I will have to listen > to it again to decide what I think about it. I was disappointed to hear > the cheesy cool music in it that was overused in Short Circuit...but I > think "overused" maybe the operative term here...it didn't strike me as > being as bad as it was in Circuit. Of course I hope to see the video > portion one day to fully decide. > > Oh well. From: actingman@i... Date: Fri Jun 23, 2000 3:06 pm Subject: OT: Space:1999 on DVD I've had discussions with Bryan and Jim about this show, so for general interest: Space: 1999 Homeward Bound The classic 1970s SF television series Space: 1999 will be released on VHS and DVD video on Jan. 30, 2001. A&E New Media will release re-mastered episodes of the show, starting with two VHS packages of three videos each, priced at $29.95, and two DVD packages with two discs each, priced at $39.95. Subsequent releases will follow in the summer and late fall of 2001. Six collector sets will appear by the end of 2001. The company hasn't determined which of the series' 48 episodes will appear on video. Space: 1999, which ran from 1975 to 1977, told the story of the inhabitants of a lunar colony accidentally sent on a dangerous journey through space after a massive thermonuclear explosion hurls the moon out of Earth orbit. The series starred Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Catherine Schell and Brian Johnson. -- Gregory L. Norris & Laura A. Van Vleet From: actingman@i... Date: Sat Jun 24, 2000 10:38 am Subject: O.T. Service Merchandise Don't have the original email here, but I received word that Service Merchandise is in Chapter 11...they are closing their California stores, and they are liquidating a large amount of their merchandise in their stores nation wide. I went to one on Saturday, and got a DVD player for 25% off, so it was around $158, including tax. I may go back for a cheap, but good vcr (for when one of my current ones finally dies.) Search may not be on DVD, but a lot of other good things are, or are coming out on DVD. And there were a lot of other things there on clearance sale. Now I just have to talk Ivanka out of all the jewerly she was looking at. From: dghprobe3@a... Date: Fri Jun 30, 2000 4:05 am Subject: How I found SEARCH in 16mm on eBay "How I found SEARCH in 16mm on eBay" by Don Harden Actually I found it by accident. I was looking for Star Trek and Outer Limits episodes on 16mm, found nothing and said to myself, "OK, let's try 'Search 16mm' and then BINGO!" I ALMOST did not find it! Luckily there was only one other bidder and he dropped out as soon as I put in my bid, otherwise "herbie" would have gotten it! For those who want to see how the bidding went, try this link: http://cgi.ebay.aol.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=351290118 (Be aware this link won't last beyond 30 days of auction end.) Here's how the first few minutes of this 16mm SEARCH film goes (which arrived on two 1600 foot reels): 1) Countdown leader (which has "Probe" and production #23008 printed on one frame of the film). Handwritten and printed on the countdown leader is: "Part 1 R'LS 1-2-3." Evidently the 35mm original is on three reels. 2) Fade in to scene where Lockwood rescues the diplomat amid commando fire. This scene is complete. 3) Goes smoothly to SEARCH opening credits. 4) Abrupt splice just before the "directed by Russell Mayberry" credit can fade out. (About 15 to 20 seconds of the end of the Probe theme is cut--along with the footage of the outside of World Securities Bldg.) I think every print of SEARCH I've ever seen has had a different bad splice at this point due to the name change from PROBE. The Unicorn video of PROBE is the only version that seems to have the opening credits intact, although that video is missing the "spinning diamond" fade ins & outs.) 5) It splices directly to the World Securities sign with Dr. Laurent's complete line: "It's an emergency assignment, from the board of directors!" (This line does not appear in Jim Alexander's copy of SEARCH--his picks up with Cameron's line: "...Cameron, do not hang up...") The rest of this scene is complete and wipes to Lockwood about to enter Probe Control. The rest of the film is in nice shape except for the occasional splice. There are a large number of splices during the scene where Lockwood presents the torn card to the hotel clerk, but nothing major is missing. A couple of lines are garbled at that point. Most of the "spinning diamond" fade ins and fade outs are in there, but a couple of them are gone. There are only a few small lines here and there and no fake "changeover cues" some prints have just before the commercials. The closing credits are intact and include the old Warner's logo at the end as the closing theme ends. Jim Alexander wants me to time the print next chance I get. My brother will be here to see it sometime over the next couple of weekends, I'll try that then. To say the least, this was quite a find! Sometimes I see 16mm stuff on eBay described as "Armed Forces" prints. I hope that one day we can see and bid for one of the SEARCH episodes on eBay (or one of the other auction sites). Let's all keep a lookout for those plus other prints of the SEARCH/PROBE pilot film!