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Forum:	Free Space
Topic:	Timeless (NBC TV series) and space history

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Your Reply: HTML is ON UBB Code is ON Smilies Legend	[QUOTE]Originally posted by pupnik: [B]I probably wouldn't put too much faith in the drawn flag. The colors of the stripes are inverted, and there's only 11 of them. [/B][/QUOTE]
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<table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="600"><TR><td bgcolor="#000000"><TABLE BORDER=0 cellpadding=4 border=0 cellspacing=1 WIDTH="100%"><TR bgcolor="#660000"><TD COLSPAN=2><CENTER>T O P I C     R E V I E W</CENTER></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>randy</TD><TD>Did anyone watch the first episode of a new show called "<A HREF="http://www.nbc.com/timeless?nbc=1" TARGET=_blank>Timeless</A>"? One of the main characters has a journal in the show that has a reference to Apollo 11 with pictures and quotes. I'm anxious to see what happens with these references.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>I noticed that, too. Here is a still showing the page (note that Armstrong's quote is wrong, or perhaps not, depending how the show unfolds).<center><a href="http://www.collectspace.com/review/nbc_timeless_apollo01-lg.jpg" target="AirLock"><img src="http://www.collectspace.com/review/nbc_timeless_apollo01.jpg" width="400" height="250" border="0"></a></center></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>AstronautBrian</TD><TD>I saw the pilot, and I am ready to see more. Maybe, finally, a fairly decent program is on network television.It may or may not be significant, but the flag drawn looks like the 48 state variety. We shall see.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>pupnik</TD><TD>I probably wouldn't put too much faith in the drawn flag. The colors of the stripes are inverted, and there's only 11 of them. </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>"Party at Castle Varlar," the fourth episode of "Timeless," involves Wernher von Braun and the V-2 rocket. Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus travel back to Dec. 9, 1944, which real history records as the date of multiple V-2 launches from the grounds at Castle Varlar, where a Nazi celebration was underway. The party paused several times for the guests, including Wernher von Braun, to watch the launches.The episode simplifies the plot to involve just one V-2 and, as is the show's conceit, changes history (spoiler ahead) to result in a struggle between the U.S. and Soviets to capture von Braun (while also employing the help of British intelligence officer and later "James Bond" creator Ian Fleming). <center><a href="http://www.collectspace.com/review/nbc_timeless_v2rocket01-lg.jpg" target="AirLock"><img src="http://www.collectspace.com/review/nbc_timeless_v2rocket01.jpg" width="400" height="250" border="0"></a><a href="http://www.collectspace.com/review/nbc_timeless_v2rocket02-lg.jpg" target="AirLock"><img src="http://www.collectspace.com/review/nbc_timeless_v2rocket02.jpg" width="400" height="250" border="0"></a></center>Wernher von Braun:<center><a href="http://www.collectspace.com/review/nbc_timeless_v2rocket03-lg.jpg" target="AirLock"><img src="http://www.collectspace.com/review/nbc_timeless_v2rocket03.jpg" width="400" height="250" border="0"></a></center></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>randy</TD><TD>We're going to find out next week what would happen "if the moon landings never happened." Should be interesting. <BLOCKQUOTE>Back in 1969, the team goes undercover at NASA to stop Flynn from sabotaging the moon landing and killing the crew of Apollo 11 on the next all-new episode of Timeless, airing Monday at 10/9c on NBC.</BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Robert Pearlman</TD><TD>NBC video <BLOCKQUOTE>Jump into the Lifeboat and travel to July 20th, 1969 to witness the dramatic first ever moon landing. Connor Mason needs your help in this Virtual Reality/360 experience!</BLOCKQUOTE> <center><iframe width="400" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NzNHxjVqVfM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

randy

It was a good show last night. It provided a good lead into the new movie about the programmers who worked behind the scenes and introduced Katherine Johnson, one of the programmers. I thought it was very well done.

Robert Pearlman

I was impressed by the production values when it came to the set of Mission Control. Other television shows with longer needs (multiple episodes) have used far less impressive recreations.

It wasn't exact (there is no second level viewing platform at the far end of the room and the 16mm footage wasn't live on the front screens, for example) but it was excellent for the constraints of the medium.

I was also happy to see they consulted the mission transcript, citing the 1202 alarm and low fuel warnings; that they knew Charlie Duke was capcom and made reference to Gene Kranz's good luck vests (though the latter is more widely known thanks to "Apollo 13").

I don't think the desktop computer-style workstations were even in existence in 1969, but I can understand why they would use them. I am not quite sure why a comm drop out would spell certain doom for the crew, assuming they could still communicate with Mike Collins in orbit (who went completely unmentioned in the episode), but it gave them a plot device.

It was a surprise to see Katherine Johnson. She wasn't at the Manned Spacecraft Center for Apollo 11, but she did support the mission from Langley, so her inclusion wasn't completely out of place. By then, she was more than familiar with the operation of the computers, so her role in the show was not outside her character (and the alternate history outcome they gave her was quite a nice tribute).

Lockman Aerospace was also a nice touch, sort of a cross between Lockheed and Grumman, and a good way to show that it was more than NASA that had a hand in the missions.

Overall, a good episode! Now, with von Braun and Apollo behind us, will spaceflight history show up again on Timeless?

mikepf

The big storytelling advantage of having the timelines altered in the first episode is that they can take liberties with actual history from there on.

cfreeze79

Part of my problem with the show is the "butterfly effect" isn't being taken as seriously as it should...

But Kudos for the space exploration mentions - I guess NASA really DID go to the moon!

Liembo

Some pretty glaring anachronisms:

Color TV test pattern bars at mission control when they lost comms
Modern white ABS plastic keyboard in the data center
Magnetic/swipe badges
The computer screen captures were goofy and uses terminology and nomenclature from 80's
Mercury astronaut shown on screen when communicating with Apollo 11

The paper tape bits were very strange, I don't think a 12 inch strip torn from the machine is going to do much on its own. The computer screen captures were goofy and uses terminology and nomenclature from 80's.

But, the show, like Scorpion, is one where you have to just enjoy it and turnoff your fact checking part of your brain for 40 minutes. Still enjoyable and great sets and costume work.

cfreeze79

Ever since the first episode, they have been working in an "alternate" timeline from our own, ergo the anachronisms may be from the resulting changes ("butterfly effect").

Just a thought, but they could explain it. Like in the scene from "Thank You for Smoking":

Jeff Megall: Sony has a futuristic sci-fi movie they're looking to make.
Nick Naylor: Cigarettes in space?
Jeff: It's the final frontier, Nick.
Nick: But wouldn't they blow up in an all oxygen environment?
Jeff: Probably. But it's an easy fix. One line of dialogue. 'Thank God we invented the... you know, whatever device.'

Robert Pearlman

quote:
Originally posted by Liembo:
Color TV test pattern bars at mission control when they lost comms

I had questioned this one as well, but the SMPTE color bars were originally conceived in 1951 and the test pattern was patented in 1956. And so while it may have not have been used in Mission Control, it did exist at the time to be used.

Likewise, magnetic stripe cards were developed by IBM in 1960 under a contract for a government security system.

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