Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site iddic.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!orca!iddic!dorettas From: dorettas@iddic.UUCP (Doretta Schrock) Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers,net.startrek Subject: Re: Archetypal episodes Message-ID: <2268@iddic.UUCP> Date: Mon, 28-Oct-85 19:07:16 EST Article-I.D.: iddic.2268 Posted: Mon Oct 28 19:07:16 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 30-Oct-85 05:36:24 EST References: <206@argon.kcl-cs.UUCP> Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR Lines: 32 Xref: watmath net.sf-lovers:10871 net.startrek:4244 > References: > Xpath: kcl-cs argon neon > Xref: ukc net.sf-lovers:5555 net.tv:225 > > > Isn't it funny how the same old themes keep rearing their heads > (ugly or otherwise) in popular sf tv shows. It occured to me that one could > probably "distil" the most typical of these to form a resulting "gestalt" > episode from the essence. > Take, for example, the following gestalt "Star Trek": ... Or how about this formula, from the same series: :00 opening credits :02 setting described :04 problem-of-the-week portrayed :20 initial solution well under way :31 Kirk (sometimes Spock or McCoy or Scotty) discovers the *REAL* nature of the problem, which is impossible to solve :40 Principal (usually Kirk or Spock) proposes radical solution :47 Radical solution attempted...with only seconds to spare :55 Solution works perfectly; all counters reset to normal :58 Witticism by principal (usually Kirk) :59 closing credits This formula works unbelievably well, within a few minutes either way. It works best with Star Trek, though similar ones (like the Brady Bunch "who has a developmental problem that we can solve in a half-hour" disease) can easily be recognized. Mike Sellers <-- note the name difference from above