A Quick Look at TV: THE SOLARNAUTS

   The coolest show that never was, The Solarnauts was an aggressively groovy, everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink space opera pilot produced for British television. Unfortunately, the series wasn't picked up. (Last I checked, the complete pilot could be found on YouTube, for those interested.) The plot, which I think was lifted from an old episode of Space Patrol, dealt with an inter-galactic despot threatening the universe with a killer cloud. A brave pair of astronauts journey to the enemy's planet and in the process rescue a space babe played by Martine Beswick. Watching The Solarnauts is a lot like watching one of your better Italian space operas concentrated into a half hour that retains every bit of it's flavor. Seldom have I seen a show where so much happened so quickly! But alas, this was to be our only mission with the Solarnauts.