Blast Off to the 1950s: A Look at the Early Days of Sci-Fi TV

The 1950s were a time when TV was just starting to take off, and it was a wild mix of shows. Comedies, game shows, and westerns were all the rage, but there was also a growing interest in science fiction. This was partly because of the Space Race, which kicked off when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957. People were fascinated by the idea of space travel, alien encounters, and futuristic gadgets. Families would gather around their TVs, often eating dinner on makeshift trays, to watch these shows on small, flickering screens. It was a time when imagination ran wild, and the possibilities of space seemed endless. One of the first sci-fi shows to hit the airwaves was "Captain Video and His Video Rangers. " This live series, which aired from 1949 to 1955, was a pioneer in the genre. It featured Captain Video and his team of justice fighters operating from a secret mountaintop base on a futuristic Earth. The show used cheap sets and stock western clips, but it was incredibly popular, reaching millions of viewers across the U. S. Another early hit was "Space Patrol, " which aired from 1950 to 1955. This Saturday morning kids' series featured Commander Buzz Corry and his trusty Cadet Happy traversing the 30th-century universe aboard the spaceship "Terra. " They faced off against villains like Mr. Proteus and Prince Baccarratti. The show even had a companion radio series, which added to its popularity. "Captain Z-Ro" was another standout show. It aired from 1955 to 1956 and featured Captain Z-Ro and his sidekick, Jet, using a time machine to fix historical errors. The show's temporal premise was influential in future TV shows and movies like "Doctor Who" and "Quantum Leap. " "Science Fiction Theatre" was a science fiction anthology series that aired from 1955 to 1957. It was hosted by Truman Bradley and featured imaginative stories based on real scientific data of the decade. The show touched on topics like human spaceflight, UFOs, time travel, and paranormal powers. Many of these episodes expanded upon subjects written about in Scientific American magazine. It's considered to be an early adopter of the format later used for "The Twilight Zone" and "Outer Limits. " "Flash Gordon" was a serialized show that aired from 1954 to 1955. It revolved around cosmic hero Flash Gordon and his team of the Galaxy Bureau of Investigation as they patrolled outer space, encountered alien monsters, and fought extraterrestrial rulers. The show was based on the Alex Raymond-created comic strip character and was a hit with viewers. "Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe" was a show that aired in 1955. It featured the masked, rocket-suited super scientist Commando Cody. The show targeted climate change as its subject matter, with Earth's weather being altered in dangerous ways. The U. S. government turns to Cody to uncover the truth behind these volatile natural disasters. Mysterious alien forces from Venus led by The Ruler and bent on our planet's destruction are to blame. "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" was another Golden Age classic that aired from 1950 to 1955. It featured Academy Cadets Tom Corbett, Roger Manning, and Astro working to earn the right to join the Solar Guards in the 24th century. The trio of solar system explorers encountered distress calls, smugglers, villains, and space pirates aboard their training starship, the "Polaris. " "Tales of Tomorrow" was a science fiction anthology show that aired from 1951 to 1953. It was one of the best of its kind, featuring adult-themed installments covering time travel, parallel dimensions, armageddon, horror, and space exploration. Viewers were treated to early performances by names like Rod Steiger, James Dean, Leslie Nielsen, Paul Newman, Eva Gabor, and the very first appearance on TV by "Star Trek's" James Doohan. "Johnny Jupiter" was a family-friendly diversion that ran from 1953 to 1954. It featured Ernest P. Duckweather, a mild-mannered TV repair shop clerk and amateur inventor who creates an interplanetary television set through which he befriends a group of Jovian puppets named Johnny Jupiter, Major Domo, and Reject the Robot. "Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers" was a spirited series that aired from 1953 to 1954. It starred future Hollywood icon, Cliff Robertson. The show was set on Earth in the 22nd century and was centered around the adventures of the Rocket Rangers, an interplanetary defense league whose headquarters were set up at Omega Base. Brown prowled the spaceways joined by partners Frank and Wormsey keeping the galaxy safe from those who would cause it harm.