Huffington Post
Wednesday, December 8, 2010 at 07:54PM DVD Lead Story on Huffington Post. Not bad at all...
"BLADE RUNNER'S" SECRET INSPIRATION?
By Michael Giltz
SPACE PRECINCT: THE COMPLETE SERIES ($49.98; Image) -- Just in case you were wondering, critics don't have an encyclopedic history of all pop culture lodged into their brains. I know Gerry Anderson as the creator behind puppet-driven iconic TV series like Thunderbirds (from the 1960s) and the live action Space: 1999 from the 1970s, which was his last hurrah, in my mind. I wasn't even sure if he was still alive. So when Space Precinct arrives, I pop it in thinking this cops in space show was from the same era; certainly the hair and the performances confirmed that. And my God, it looks like the missing link between the squeaky clean space operas of Buck Rogers and the gritty dystopian future of Blade Runner. Was Space Precinct a heretofore uncelebrated influence on that Ridley Scott film? Clearly the vision of the future seems similar, from the cityscapes to the flying cop cars covered in dirt and grime. Maybe Scott had mentioned the show in one of his commentary tracks and I just missed it? Uh no. Turns out Space Precinct aired its 22 episodes in 1994-1995, so in fact it joins the long list of movies, tv shows and books influenced BY Blade Runner, rather than the other way around. The mix of humans and aliens and Anderson's typical model work is fine, but this is too serious for little kids and too simple-minded for anyone other than hardcore fans. The transfers are clean and nice, however so if you are a fan you should be happy.
Reader Comments (6)
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You have your influences backwards. Blade Runner was released in 1982. Space Precinct ran from 1995 to 1995.
My kids (ages 12 & 8) are ASKING to watch the DVD's. By modern standards, it's a very clean cop show. And while gritty, it's not dark; it's no worse than Law & Order or Castle.
I saw it in the 90's; when I noticed the DVD's, I got them. It's even better now that I get to see them in order.
And while the effects are a bit dated, they're still more than good enough for the story telling.
As I was saying, I hadn't heard of this before it popped up on Amazon while I was buying something else. I've watched the first two episodes and it's much better than I expected. Yes, the alien heads look fake, but they look much better than I expected and the stories so far have allowed me to look beyond the cheesy makeup. It's trying too hard, but it will get better as folks settle into their roles. It's also got to be bloody expensive for a Gerry Anderson production. I like how the effects *don't* overwhelm it. I am looking forward to watching the rest of the series. I think the name was part of the problem, but then, it also clearly says what it's about- there isn't room in a title to say a whole lot. "Space Cops" would be more direct, but I probably would have paid less attention to it, and England has already produced "Star Cops" (another program cancelled before it's time, with a similar premise, limited to near Earth). My kids didn't know what a "precinct" was, so the name didn't get their attention, either. I like that we see the hero is a family man, not a lone ranger bucking the rules "because those stuffed shirts have no idea what life is like on the streets".
I've been searching for fan sites all over to get some info on this show. Just put up 2 action figures on ebay from the show. Had no idea what it was all about.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/inkblot2/m.html?_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1