Rocky Jones, Space Ranger

I loved this show when it aired on Australian TV in the late 1950s. Even then the 'scripts' seemed pretty lousy, but it was Rocky, in his cap and t-shirt, and Vena, in her short skirt, who kept me watching. I think 'Forbidden Planet' owes a lot to their outfits. There's a definite similarity. I think we of that generation should keep the memory of such ground-breaking television alive.

Okay, it's been almost 50 years since I blasted off with Rocky every Saturday morning. And, even then, I can tell you the special effects weren't terrific, and the stories were probably 50's simple, but, it was good entertainment, and an exciting way to start the day. We didn't have Star Wars (etc.) back then, and this was still ahead of Forbidden Planet, so, you didn't expect much, you weren't let down. AND, most kid shows even at the theater were black and white (except maybe Disney), so the black and white TV wasn't a problem. I'm sure that if I viewed this series today, I might cringe at it, but, then again, if you make the effort to try to look at something this old the way you looked at it originally (thru the eyes of a youngster), it just might still be that fine entertainment it was then. Hopefully, someone will put all 39 episodes on DVD, that would be great.

I used to love Rocky Jones as a lad, it debuted in 1954 when I was a mere 7 years old. Rocky was a chiseled hero of the space age, a space ranger working for the United Worlds. The United Nations was in its first decade and the world hoped it would help bring lasting peace to the planet. Those hopes were certainly transported into the future with the United Worlds. Note the similarity between the crowd Rocky and his crew worked for and the United Federation of Planets that employed the Enterprise a dozen years later.

I also don't think it was an accident that actor Charles Meredith played the future Secretary-General of the United Worlds. His resemblance to the current president named Eisenhower residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, could not be missed.

Rocky's crew consisted of co-pilot Winky, navigator Vena, scientist Professor Newton and a young kid named Bobby who Professor Newton took quite an interest in. Vena was always in short skirts and heels, not exactly regulation for space travel, but I guess she was there for the Dads. What Bobby was on those missions for still eludes me except as a boy toy. To hear Winky tell it he had a girl on every planet, but Rocky showed no discernible interest in the opposite sex.

Of course special effects were pretty chintzy, but given that television was still in its own adolescence, understandable. The show was not terribly good in predicting scientific advancement. No computers or lasers are seen in this futuristic program. I recall one episode in which an abandoned moon was blasted with something called a tortanic missile to alter its orbit. Didn't work.

But one thing I will always remember Rocky Jones for. There was a ruler Queen on one of the planets named Officius and her name was Cleolanta. That woman was pure evil and deliciously played by an actress named Patsy Parsons. Cleolanta used to give this seven year old nightmares. But I still watched the show.

I will start by saying that I have no memories of watching the other space operas of the 1950s, such as Tom Corbett, Captain Video, Rod Brown or Space Patrol, so I have no standard of comparison. I saw Rocky Jones on NYC TV as late as the early 60s, if VCRs had been available then I would have recorded it faithfully. I recall it being sponsored by Silvercup bread-anyone from the NYC area remember that? One of the other reviewers described the stories as 1950s simple, a good description, but remember it was a kids' program, and I have seen plenty of recently made so called adult programs that were simple and unrealistic. And Sally Mansfield as Vena Ray still looks good even today. The SFX are a little crude in this CGI era but were pretty good for the day and remember they had budget limitations, and I read in a book about SF movies and TV than when you don't have a big budget you have to use your imagination. I still find these programs enjoyable today, that says it best.

For the nay sayers out there... C'mon folks, lighten up! This was just a TV SHOW, remember? It wasn't some high-budget waste of celluloid. The shows were brief morality plays and they did exactly what they were intended to do: entertain kids, make sure the "good guys" always win, and (let's not forget) sell a product or two.

I was only five years old at the time, but the show helped ignite a spark that still hasn't faded. I eventually worked at NASA. Although I certainly wouldn't site the show as the sole reason for that decision, it was one of many such shows that helped spark the young imagination and ignited an interest in space travel and science in general. I, for one, will always consider this show a treasure.