Space Academy

If there was one show I wish I could see again, it's this one. This one, and maybe the time that dog took a crap in our back yard while hopping on one leg.

Synopsis: A group of high school kids run missions to save stalled freighters, starving aliens or to get groceries. All the while learning about readin', 'ritin, 'rithmatic, love, friendship, and why it's not a good idea to go in a dark cave on a distant planet without a sidearm.

The Space Academy shuttles were shaped like the Pink Pearl erasers we were issued at my school each September. I would usually spend my mornings flying the eraser between desks, landing on strange and exotic textbooks, and confronting hostile alien pencils.

The great Pam Ferdyn starred in this show, and seemingly everything else in those days (It seemed like Ike Eisenmann was in everything too). Unfortunately, the best actor on the show, 'Peepo' failed to find work after Space Academy. Whatever happened to 'Peepo?' Or, as I liked to call him, 'Peepoo.'

Space Academy could have surpassed expectations IF it had been allowed more air-time to develop the plots and characters. The potential for this show is astounding. With the ensemble cast and the 'name' value for Mr. Harris, this show could have taken many directions. As a soap opera, a thriller, focus on science/education or pure science fiction/Tom Corbett style galactic-good-guy-show, this series is now seen as 'campy'. Why? Financial backing was limited; vision was short sighted. Pity. This show made its mark in several areas with their special effects and live-action spin-off to name a few.

If this show had been suggested today, I do not think it would have been made. This is sad; special effects technology alone would make this series outstanding. Space Academy was cut short in its prime; the actors and writers relegated to public obscurity unless supporters, the viewers, keep it alive. Thankfully, the decision to re-run the first year and allowing it to air in England, gave the few who did see it a good show that was just not allowed to live up to it's potential.

Those of you who said that James Doohan (Scotty) was on Space Academy made a mistake. He was on the spin off series Jason of Star Command. Anyway Jonathan Harris was great on this show as Commander Gampu and how he would help the cadets on their various space missions. It was fun to see what missions the crew would go on every week and the things they would learn from their missions. Who could forget Peepo and his personality and wisecracks. This show would come on either before or after Fat Albert depending on the year it was on. I'm sure Space Academy will come out on DVD someday. R.I.P. Jonathan Harris (Gampu) and James Doohan (Scotty). You'll be missed but the memories of your shows will live on forever.

I must agree with the first part of the last reviewer's comments, regarding the budget and props of the show. However, I believe that the reviewer missed the point entirely regarding sending the kid's on missions; this was a kid's show, directed at a younger audience, and the hero's of the show were other kids. The audience could imagine themselves having those adventures and saving the day. What would the point be if adults gave the orders and were the ones who set things right? Realistically speaking, it never made sense on Star Trek that the captain and first officer went on the landing parties/away teams, but they were the lead actors. That does not happen in our modern military. Space Academy was a TV show.

I remember watching this in my PJs around age 5 but for some odd reason I thought I remembered it running on Saturday late afternoons rather than Saturday mornings. A lot of things I only remember bits and pieces of from that period of time.

Of this show, I only remember a few things with any certainty. One is me thinking "hey, the mean guy from Lost In Space is on the show" and "hey, Scotty is on this show". I also remember thinking why the engine on their ship looked like a television set with an orange screen. And the kids all having some special powers---they'd all get in a circle holding hands and chanting "concentrate, concentrate".

I can remember being well entertained by this show. I'm sure it was cheesy as hell, but hey...what in the 1970s wasn't?