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50.46.137.79
SyFy Channel TV. December 2015.
Anyone see this?
If not I'll avoid spoilers.
Based on the Novel by Arthur C. Clarke.
I haven't read the novel.The miniseries does challenge sacred belief structures all over planet Earth. It turns what everyone thought they knew upside down.
It begins with huge alien ships appearing out of nowhere and promising peace all over the planet and a new 'golden age' for all humanity.
Where it goes from there takes three two-hour episodes to find out. In the end, I was rather (if not shocked) surprised at the ultimate aim of these aliens.
In this screenplay we see that the author, Clarke, was definitely thinking outside of the box.
Perhaps worth a view if you too can think outside of the box.
-Steve
Edits: 12/17/15Follow Ups:
...
The only remnant of human culture that the aliens preserve (outside the collective consciousness) is Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending". If you're like me, you gotta love that! Is this plot element present in the Arthur C. Clarke novel? It doesn't seem so from the plot summary I read on Wikipedia.
I found another plot summary at sparknotes. Link below. The ending on the syfy miniseries seems to line up with this summary.I also read that Clarke added on to this novel in 1990. So the later edition will likely contain a different ending. I haven't read any version of the novel yet.
Other notes: Stanley Kubrick wanted to film Childhood's End initially before deciding on Clarke's novel "The Sentinel". But changed the title for the film to "2001: A Space Odyssey". Having read the entire series of Clarke's books on the 2001 theme, the initial novel title fits the story line of the movie.
Edits: 12/21/15
to semi quality programming.
----------------------
"E Burres Stigano?"
...Sharknados 1 through 3?
Everything is quality after those.
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"E Burres Stigano?"
(with regard to Childhoods End)...the production values were quite good. Acting was not distracting. Evidently there is plenty of talent among the lesser known actors/actresses out there. CGI, set decoration and costumes seemed to be first rate.SyFy channel does produce some quality programming space operas, just not too often. Example; Battlestar Galactica and its short-lived spin-off, Caprica.
-Steve
Edits: 12/18/15
WTF was that all about? The basic premise, backstory to the Cylons' attack, was damned compelling. Shouldn't have killed Zoe off. Huge mistake.
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"E Burres Stigano?"
"...Caprica's storyline devolved into that New Cap City virtual reality storyline....WTF was that all about? "-----------
I'll try to map it out.
Two key family histories -- and the beginnings of a new religion -- that lead up to the defeat of the humans on Caprica -- by the Cylons.
Families: Graystones and the Adamas.
It is Daniel Graystone: Billionaire industrialist and weapons manufacturer, who, through his efforts in developing the ultimate AI/mechanical warrior, inadvertently creates the Cylons.
On the other side we see the young William Adama who when he grows up will lead surviving humans into their space voyage toward a prophetic new world.
Zoe Graystone, daughter to Daniel dies in the Terrorist bomb blast on the train, (1st episode) but is resurrected in a VR world by her grieving father, Daniel Graystone.
I think this part is kind of interesting because it explores some of the fictional imaginings of William Gibson in his first three novels and early short stories. IE; the electrons dashing about within the circuitry of a computer might contain software (programs) so advanced as to become self-aware, sentient, able to respond to external stimuli. In a sense, to be alive.And we see this in the Battlestar Gallactica episodes. The Cylons did indeed seem to be a life form. Perhaps some of the Cylon complaints against humanity might actually be valid!
William Gibson* also tinkered with the idea that a human conscience (spirit, soul) could be uploaded into the computer environment and become a sort of rogue program existing there. This idea gets explored within this series.
The VR environment is a construct having been created by Graystone Industries as an entertainment device. VR gaming. Not far from 20th century tech on Earth. But Daniel attempts to use the environment to make contact with his deceased daughter. It gets complicated. But we see the spirit of Zoe Graystone become a kind of rogue character that runs about freely and at will in this VR world. Some of these episodes seem a bit overly contrived.
Anyway, at some point, Daniel Graystone discovers that the spirit of his daughter seems also to reside within one of the Cylon warrior robots. We see scenes with Daniel talking to the damn robot like its his daughter.....and, ultimately, we realize that she indeed is in there.
Then Daniel decides to make an android body for his daughter to inhabit. He does. A lifelike mechanical Zoe. Now we've got two types of cylons. Robot warriors and cyborgs appearing as human.
The religions.
The Capricans (humans) had a multi-deity religion. The Battlestar Gallactica episodes don't really fully flesh it out, nor does Caprica the series but it seems easy to imagine this belief system as being similar to ancient Greece and their mythology. But we find in the Caprica series that there are small numbers of those who have another faith. A religion that believes in a single deity. This too is not fully fleshed out but it is easy to imagine single deity religions we humans on Earth know that might be similar. And the terrorists, when they're not busy putting bombs on commuter trains, are praying to this single deity.Enter Clarice Willow: Leader of a terrorist cell on Caprica played by veteran character actor, Polly Walker. She answers to a higher leader on another planet which we travel to 2/3rds into this series.
Enter Lacy Rand. When Zoe was alive she and Lacy were friends. It is Lacy who comes into contact with the Cylon robot where the spirit of Zoe Graystone resides. And they converse. Lacy and the robot get along like Zoe and Lacy did when Zoe was alive.
Lacy gets tied up with the Terrorists/religious zealots and ends up becoming one of them. Ultimately it is Lacy who takes the reins as leader of this new religion.
How the Cylons got their religion: Zoe and Lacy.
The series leaves us with an explanation of how the Cylons came to be as well as their central belief system.
I thought it was pretty good stuff throughout.
-Steve
*William Gibson novels referenced:
Neuromancer
Count Zero
Mona Lisa Overdrive
and one short story: Johnny Mnemonic
Edits: 12/18/15 12/18/15 12/18/15 12/18/15
You obviously thought it integral to the story. I did not.
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"E Burres Stigano?"
clearly, you didn't really want to know 'WTF it was about'.
fwiw, as you note that you follow Zombie Nation on SyFy. I'm not even remotely interested in that program or any of its ilk. Silly show, silly premise and not worth my time.
whatever.
-Steve
BTW, the show lost about 1/2 or so of its viewership from first epi, 1.6mm, to last, .8mm-ish, so I ain't the only fan who became somewhat disillusioned, tho I gamely stuck it out.
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"E Burres Stigano?"
....aren't we a bit touchy today?
I think so.
The VR scenes are integral with the series because it describes an early step that leads to the inception of the Cylons. Without Zoe being uploaded into VR you only have AI warriors.
-Steve
I made it a little past halfway into the first installment before giving up. I read the book around fifty years ago and the faded memories of that read were better than the crap SyFy turned Arthur's novel into. You'd think they could spend more than $20 on production. What a waste of an excellent scifi opportunity as usual by SyFy whom ,it would seem, spends more money on fake wrestling.
an interesting prequel to Battlestar Galactica for sure
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