Planète terre

It plays kind of like a rejected Star Trek episode, but not one of the better ones but that does give it a bit of nostalgia value. The opening is loaded with voice over narration to explain the whole set up for those who didn't watch Genesis 2 the previous year. The basic idea is the same as one Rod Serling had for a series or show that he never had an ending for, that didn't stop Roddenberry. Of course since this is kind of weak stuff the network actually let Roddenberry have two pilots but it still didn't go to series.

This also shows where some of the "new" ideas for the first Star Trek film came from. The enemy characters have a sort of spine on their bald foreheads like the Klingons soon would have and the main uniforms are sort of the same "Jammies" that the first Star Trek feature featured.

It's poorly structured with characters disappearing for long periods of time and the whole thing stops totally dead during the horny Roddenbery staple which was part of all his things during this period of time. That would be the scene where the man has to prove he's the world's greatest lover to the less experienced woman to save the day. And it takes forever for this section to be over with. It just seems like dirty old man material, kind of leering and juvenile at the same time.

John Saxon does strike some good Kirk poses and it's nice to see Cassidy with a meaty role--he does a couple of impressive stunts during the big brawl ending.

This really feels like the Planet of the Apes series that came shortly after this.

It's perfectly fine this didn't go to series, too bad that far superior Spectre and Questor Tapes didn't even get 2 chances that this one didn't deserve.

This was a second TV pilot for a proposed sci-fi series by Gene Roddenberry. The first, Earth II, starred Alex Cord. This time, things are almost the same, though John Saxon plays the lead. Saxon's characterization is less serious than Cord's and seems to be very much like Captain Kirk placed in an alternate version of Earth.

The plot involves a group from PAX (a group of goody-goodies who are a lot like a planet-bound Federation--they try to make sure the world runs in peace and try to interfere in other cultures only when it's necessary). They are looking for an important scientist who disappeared in an amazon-like culture. It's up to Saxon and the others to infiltrate and return him before it's too late.

FYI--Another team member is played by Ted Cassidy (Lurch the Butler from the Addams Family). I would have loved to see him return to a weekly series, though he died just a few years after this pilot was completed (died on the operating table while undergoing heart surgery).

If you're an obscure-movie buff like me, find "Planet Earth" and watch it. I loved it. It's sexually suggestive, it's got mutants, underground trains connecting the whole Earth, mystics and doctors and it's totally entertaining. John Saxon as Dylan Hunt is very expressive, and I swear I could watch it again and again. In a way, it's very much a prequel to Enterprise and follows suit with the usual Roddenberry ideologies. In fact, all the acting is good. Look for Gene Roddenberry's wife in the face of extras, as well as a few other recognizables. Diana Muldaur (who later played Dr Pulanski in The Next Generation) is very attractive as the domineering slave-trader and I find myself envying John Saxon in certain parts of the film - well, see for yourself! A great 60 minute flick!

Yet another of Gene Roddenberry's post-'Star Trek' attempts at a series, 'Planet Earth' is generally agreeable entertainment, although nothing special. It gets most of its juice from its digs at sexual politics. Obviously low-budget, it doesn't feature much in the way of futuristic environments, or costumes, or special effects. It is definitely fun in a cheesy, well-meaning sort of way, and it does NOT skimp on sex appeal, with appropriate eye candy for men and women alike.

The almighty John Saxon stars as Dylan Hunt, a man who went into suspended animation in 1979, and was awakened in the 22nd century. Now, a post-"conflict" Earth is divided into societies both advanced and primitive. One such society is matriarchal in nature, with all the males kept drugged up and submissive. The virile, studly Hunt is considered good breeding stock by these women. One lady in particular, Marg (Diana Muldaur, who went on to a role on 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' the following decade), is especially taken with Hunt.

A rich cast of familiar faces (Janet Margolin, Ted Cassidy, Christopher Cary, Majel Barrett, Jim Antonio, John Quade) helps to make this easy enough to watch, even though it's just as easy to forget. One good thing about TV movies from this era is their brief running times, so there's less chance of them wearing out their welcome. 'Planet Earth' is adequately paced, but its real strongest suit is its sense of humour. As I already said, some of the cast members are very attractive, so that helps as well; Muldaur is quite striking as the leader of these women.

One thing this viewer liked was the idea that all major population centres on Earth are connected by these underground tunnels, through which Hunt and others travel as if they were subways.

Six out of 10.

Apparently, networks at the time were only comfortable with one sci-fi series at a time.

CBS picked "Planet of the Apes" over Genesis II, and ABC picked "Six Million Dollar Man" over Planet Earth.

The main character in each was Dylan Hunt, though they were played by different actors. This is interesting because when Roddenberry made the second Star Trek pilot, he gave the new lead actor a new name. (Capt. Pike became Capt. Kirk)

The name Dylan Hunt would be used in Andromeda, which was an outer space version of Planet Earth, which in turn was a land-based version of Star Trek.

The script for Star Trek: The Motion Picture was based on an unused Planet Earth script. In fact, several of the first season episodes of ST: TNG were written for either the unrealized new Star Trek series in the 70s, or Planet Earth,

Roddenberry believed in recycling.