Saturday, January 16, 2010

Raum...die Letzte Grenze...

Whilst Captain Kirk was going boldly, seducing aliens and landing on planets that were uncannily like California, the Germans were busy making their own vision of the future: Raumpatrouille – Die phantastischen Abenteuer des Raumschiffes Orion.

Produced in the same year as Star Trek, the rather Teutonically-titled "Space Patrol - the fantastic adventures of the spaceship Orion" also began with a voiceover:

"What may sound like a fairy tale today may be tomorrow's reality. This is a fairy tale from the day after tomorrow: There are no more nations. There is only mankind and its colonies in space. People have settled on faraway stars..." (I'll stop there, as it does go on a bit)

"Space Patrol" only lasted for seven episodes, but has acquired cult status in Germany. This superb clip, with its weird, futuristic choreography, has really whetted my appetite to see more. I think the dance could catch on:

13 comments:

John Grindrod said...

That is AMAZING. What I particularly love about it is that, unlikely as it seems, it actually gets madder as it goes on. From the initial penguin-style shuffle to the limp-wristed inverted jazz-hands and then to the crowning glory - the chins-on-partners-shoulders-while squatting manoeuvre, it's Jane Austen meets Ready Steady Go! in space. In German. My life feels more complete for having seen this.

Steerforth said...

And the buttock clenching posture at the beginning is particularly attractive. I'm going to learn this dance if it kills me.

Lewis William said...

That is quite wonderful. We need more of the same, charmingly avant-garde. Modern anglo television is so dull!

Steerforth said...

The music's rather good too. I was too distracted by the dancing to notice it at first.

David said...

But there is a bit of an overtone of communal PE, isn't there? Sort of like 1980s breakfast television.

(I think I'm posting for the first time here. Hello).

Steerforth said...

With a dash of Seaside Special (Hello - good to see a new name).

Brett said...

Yes, amazing. I've never heard of this. I watched some of the other clips. The final, scrunching down and rotating with hands clasped behind each others knees is so unnatural and mechanical.

How about the dirty look the brunette gives the blond after she delivers her message?

I'm trying to remember, was there any "futuristic" dance on Star Trek?

Steerforth said...

There's nothing quite as weird in Star Trek, although Spock's jamming session with some space hippes is worth seeing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoZDTVRFJpE

Helen Brocklebank said...

Fabulously bonkers

on the Waterstones front, I'm glad to see India has weighed into the debate

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/india_knight/article6990947.ece

Steerforth said...

At last, an accurate and well-researched article! I've left a comment.

elliot said...

Actually surprisingly modern choreography. Reminded me of some of the X Factor routines.

Caroline said...

I remember seeing them all. I live in the Netherlands and we could get German telly here as well. I loved it. Didn't know there were still parts of it floating round.

Steerforth said...

Caroline - could you answer a question for me? When I was on holiday in SW England last year, I saw a Dutch caravan with several framed photographs of Sean Bean in the window.

It was like a holy shrine.

Is Sean Bean or Sharpe very popular in the Netherlands?