SPACE PATROL ORION

Production: Germany, 1966.
Cast: Dietmar Schonerr, Eva Pflug, Friedrich Georg Beckhaus, Claus Holm, Wolfgang Volz, Ursula Lillig, Friedrich Joloff, Benno Sterzenbach, Charlotte Kerr.

 Who cares for “Star Trek”…? This german serie about a patrolling
spaceship and its crew took place in year 3000 (or, at least, in century XXXI), and was produced in year 1965, a year before the famous american serie’s pilot. Seriously, a comparation is difficult: “Raumpatrouille Orion” was very shorter (7 episodes to 79, less than a tenth part), and no spins-off.
No question also about technical values (to say only, “Raumpatrouille” was shot and aired absolutely in black and white…), and it is not difficult to notice: the “Orion” spaceship was a bi-dimensional animation, interiors were made with cheap pieces (like a flat-iron handle on a consolle), the ship lifted off from a sink hole surrounded by alka-seltzer bubbles…
But apart from these embarrassing figures, the show had its appeal. Stories were intriguing and charming (although without deep science fiction plots), and considering

all what told above, the final result was really remarkable, not to mention it wasn’t a british/ american production as usual…
In century XXXI humanity is totally united, there are no more distinctions of races or nation, and the galaxy has been totally colonized (nothing is known about friendship with other alien races, or at least they are not mentioned…).
There is, of course, a Star Fleet. Commander of fast cruiser Orion VII is major Cliff Allister McLane (Dietmar Schonerr), war hero and a skilled officer, but very impatient towards rules and discipline… in the prologue of first episode, McLane makes his ultimate exploit, landing on planet Reha. It is a very great goal, always been considered as impossible, but absolutely forbidden by Star Fleet rules… It is the last straw, and general Wamsler (Benno Sterzenbach) punishes McLane and his crew
assigning them to patrol service for three years, disregarding the complaints of McLane’s direct superior, general Lydia Van Dyke (Charlotte Kerr). Moreover,
another member is added to the crew (a multi-racial one, in theory: by names there should be a swedish, an italian, a french and a japanese too, but actors are all pure germans…): an officer of security service GSD, lt.Tamara Jagellovsk (Eva Pflug) who should, in her position, have the last word on everything and keep quiet the restless crew. McLane and the others are positively hostile, and beautiful Tamara is soon at stake: she has no experience about space and its perils, and often the major proves capable to take the right decisions, in spite of rules.
There is also a powerful menace to fight: an alien race, the FROGS, is intruding the galaxy and proves to be hostile (cleverly, the visual effects technicians show them only

as simple shadows, making them more disturbing), attacking human colonies and killing their inhabitants or taking over their minds.
In the second episode FROGS even launch an entire planet on collision course with Earth, and McLane has to sacrifice the Orion VII to stop it. Immediately he is given the Orion VIII, armed with the powerful weapon “Over-kill”, which can destroy an entire planet (Star Wars’ “Death Star” was still very distant…), and Orion’s crew goes on fighting the aliens and facing various kinds of obstacles, included daily quarrels between their commander and the agent charged to control him.
At last the FROGS will succeed to infiltrate also in the Star Fleet command, taking over colonel Villa (Friedrich Joloff), GSD’s chief and Tamara’s superior, and they will be won only by the absolute determination of Orion’s crew.

McLane’s superiors will have to surrender: the punishment patrol service will end untimely, and the orion will go back to the fast cruisers’fleet under command of
“colonel” McLane. But that’s not all: the continue quarrels with Tamara hided, of course,
an irresistible attraction… the commander and his guard will fall in love.
As often happens, the idea of a second season was considered… but, as often happens, the second season was never made.
Incredibly, ”Space Patrol”was never broadcast in Great Britain nor USA.

 7 episodes, b/w, 60'

1) Angriff aus dem all (Attack from space)

2) Planet auBer kurs (Planet out of course)
3) Huter des gesetzes (Guardians of law)
4) Deserteure (The defectors)
5) Der kampf um die sonne (Battle for sun)
6) Die raumfalle (Spacetrap)
7) Invasion (Invasion)




 




HOME                              SERIES                          PHOTONOVEL