|
Author
|
Topic: The Six Million Dollar Man: "A Deadly Countdown"
|
Ronpur
Member Posts: 1211
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012
|
posted 05-19-2013 09:05 PM
   
I just watched "The Six Million Dollar Man" episode "A Deadly Countdown." It was filmed at Kennedy Space Center and the blast proof room under Pad 39A appeared at the end of part one when a Saturn 1B explodes on the pad. The slide down to the room is filmed by Lee Majors himself with a camera on his lap as he slides down. There are scenes of Lee Majors in the Vehicle Assembly Building with a second stage of a Saturn V. Also, a shot from the top of the VAB shows Pad A undergoing shuttle conversion and Pad B with a Saturn Launch Tower on it. Lee Majors was filmed on the access arm of this tower and the shuttle pad can be seen in the background. I have to wonder what the tower was doing out there, as this had to be around early 1977. Can they have actually taken it there for filming? And what was the second stage of the Saturn V doing in the VAB? They also showed the Saturn V on display outside the VAB. The premise of the episode had Steve flying to a military satellite to replace its "computer brain" with its designer, played by Jenny Agutter. After the 1B explodes, they roll out the "back-up Saturn V". If only there had been so many Saturn laying around. |
stsmithva
Member Posts: 1933
From: Fairfax, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
|
posted 05-19-2013 09:22 PM
Can you tell us about the shots in the VAB with the second stage of a Saturn? How did they do that in 1977? Was it inserted stock footage, or was Lee Majors somehow looking at that in the VAB? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
|
posted 05-19-2013 09:34 PM
Without doing any research (I'm on travel or I would grab my copies of Alan Lawrie's "Saturn"), I believe it was in fall 1977 when the Saturn segments arrived from Florida on a barge for display at Johnson Space Center. If so — and I'm not mixing up from where they shipped and/or when they did so — then perhaps the S-II used in the filming was destined for Houston. |
gliderpilotuk
Member Posts: 3398
From: London, UK
Registered: Feb 2002
|
posted 05-20-2013 03:13 AM
I'm somewhat surprised that we haven't yet seen a remade movie (starring Tom Cruise of course). Many of the other 70's classics have been turned into movies... Mission Impossible, Charlie's Angels, so why not this? |
Ronpur
Member Posts: 1211
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012
|
posted 05-20-2013 03:44 AM
He actually touched the S-II in the VAB, so it was real. There was stock footage used for both the interior of the VAB and rollouts. Pad B did not appear to have any construction for the shuttle under way yet. It is amazing to me that the were granted so much access to KSC for filming: On a Saturn gantry, in (and on) the VAB, and in the blast room. I have read rumors of a remake movie being planned, back in 2010, but nothing ever came of that. |
albatron
Member Posts: 2732
From: Stuart, Florida
Registered: Jun 2000
|
posted 05-20-2013 09:08 AM
The bus tour back in the 70's drove you right up to the VAB. Access was so much more open back then. |
Space Geek FL
Member Posts: 20
From: Inverness, FL, USA
Registered: Oct 2011
|
posted 05-20-2013 11:54 AM
For what its worth Lee Majors was my first non astronaut crush and thankfully he has started doing appearances at conventions. I know he will be at Dragoncon in Atlanta among others. I have plans to meet him and can't wait to get his take on visiting KSC and portraying an astronaut on TV. |
Ronpur
Member Posts: 1211
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012
|
posted 05-22-2013 08:11 AM
It always annoys me when they use stock footage of launches and switch from a Saturn 1B to a Saturn V and back. It isn't like they even look similar. |
tncmaxq
Member Posts: 287
From: New Haven, CT USA
Registered: Oct 2001
|
posted 05-22-2013 11:45 AM
I agree with the previous poster about mixing up stock footage. Very annoying. I think I remember that "Six Million Dollar Man" episode. The video they showed from different types of rockets was very poorly done.Even some documentaries that should have known better have also gotten the video wrong. I remember one many years ago that was supposed to be showing the launch of Apollo 11 or one of the later ones where they interspersed footage of a Saturn 1B and even other vehicles beyond the Saturn V. |
Ronpur
Member Posts: 1211
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012
|
posted 05-23-2013 08:30 AM
Well, the series could not even keep accurate on what Apollo mission Austin flew. Apollo 17 and 19 were both mentioned. And then there were the Athena One Rescue to Skylab he flew. Too bad mission patches were never made for the show. I wish some of the fantastic designers here could design some. |
advertisement