History Main / SpacePatrol

The second one was a 1963 British Puppet series, in the vein of the Gerry Anderson shows of the time (but nowhere near as known, although it is confused with ''FireballXL5''). This one focused on a 22nd-century police force, who were headquartered on a space station called Galasphere 347. Despite all claims to the contrary, this one was the first show with an electronic theme (beating out [[Series/DoctorWho that more famous tune]] by seven months). It ran for two seasons and a total of 39 episodes. It was retitled ''Planet Patrol'' in America, for obvious reasons.

The second one was a 1963 British Puppet series, in the vein of the Gerry Anderson shows of the time (but nowhere near as known, although it is confused with ''FireballXL5''). This one focused on a 22nd-century police force, who were headquartered on a space station called Galasphere 347. Despite all claims to the contrary, this one was the first show with an electronic theme (beating out [[DoctorWho that more famous tune]] by seven months). It ran for two seasons and a total of 39 episodes. It was retitled ''Planet Patrol'' in America, for obvious reasons.

The third one was a 1966 [[GermanMedia German TV show]], whose title translates to ''Space Patrol - The Fantastic Adventures of the Spaceship Orion''. See its own page for more information.

'''{{Raumpatrouille}} - Die phantastischen Abenteuer des Raumschiffs Orion (Germany)'''

The third one, '''{{Raumpatrouille}} - Die phantastischen Abenteuer des Raumschiffs Orion''' (whose international title was ''Space Patrol'', hence it is mentioned here), has its own page now.

'''{{Raumpatrouille}} - Die phantastischen Abenteuer des Raumschiffs Orion'''

'''Raumpatrouille'''

---> ''What still sounds like a fairy tale today could be reality tomorrow. Here's a fairy tale from beyond tomorrow: There are no more nation-states, there is just humanity and her colonies in space. Distant planets are being settled, the sea bottom has been won for habitation. With as yet unimaginable velocities spaceships speed through our galactic system. One of these spaceships is the Orion, a tiny part of a gigantic defence system that protects Earth from threats from outer space. Let us accompany the Orion and her crew on their patrol duties on the edge of infinity!''
--->-- ('''Raumpatrouille''', opening narration)

The third one was the 1966 [[GermanMedia German TV show]] ''Raumpatrouille - Die phantastischen Abenteuer des Raumschiffs Orion'' (Space Patrol - The Fantastic Adventures of the Spaceship Orion), which was produced in collaboration with French TV, where it was entitled ''Comando spatial''. It's 7 one-hour episodes (no commercials) long, impossible to find outside of its mother country and later spawned a big heap of paperback and pulp novels. It, like [[StarTrek a certain concurrent American TV series]] was about a bunch of people that actually ''patrolled'' space. For conoisseurs of science-fiction and the related tropes, ''Raumpatouille'' is of interest because in some respects it enables one to test the popular hypothesis of how "cutting-edge" ''StarTrek'' really was at the time. Most notably in the field of gender roles, ''Raumpatrouille'' showed that more substantial female roles than BridgeBunnies actually were possible on TV in 1966.

''Raumpatrouille'' was produced at the Bavaria film studios near Munich on a limited budget - for ''StarTrek'' they spent about 75 percent of the total ''Raumpatrouille'' production costs just on the pilot episode. To save costs the series was shot in black and white. But although they had to economize it looked pretty good as the people in charge were very competent. Set designer Rolf Zehetbauer won an Oscar for ''{{Cabaret}}'', while special-effects man Theo Nischwitz had already worked on ''F.P. 1 antwortet nicht'' (1931) and ''Münchhausen'' (1942); the two would go on to collaborate on ''DasBoot''. Still, they had to use quite a few futuristic looking, but commercially available household implements etc. in building the ''Orion'' bridge; keep your eyes open for the famous handle of an electric flatiron.

The crew of the fast space-cruiser ''Orion'' consisted of
* Major Cliff Allister [=McLane=], the [[TheCaptain commander]] and TheHero, a MilitaryMaverick and ChickMagnet.
* Lieutenant Mario de Monti (armament). Officially [[TheLancer the commander's deputy]]. A ladies' man, at least in his own mind.
* Lieutenant Hasso Sigbjörnson ([[TheEngineer engineering]]). The [[TeamDad oldest and only married member of the crew]] who in the first episode is seriously considering retirement, but carries on out of friendship to the others.
* Lieutenant Atan Shubashi (astrogator). The quiet one. Owner of ''[[TheUnseen 264]]'', one of the last 376 poodles surviving on Earth in the year 3000.
* Lieutenant Helga Legrelle (communications, observation, deflector shields). The youngest of the crew; not so secretly sweet on the dashing commander.

The ''Orion'' and its close-knit crew originally belong to the the rapid space unit commanded by General Lydia van Dyke, but because of their continual habit of disobeying orders and regulations, they are transferred to the lowly space patrol that belongs to General Winston Woodrov Wamsler's reconnaissance command. To ensure that henceforth [=McLane=] sticks to regulations, [[SixthRanger stern Lieutenant Tamara Jagellovsk]] of the Galactic Security Service is assigned to the ''Orion'' as a watchdog with the authority to give him orders if need be.

The seven episodes of the TV series are:

* 1. ''Angriff aus dem All'' (Attack from Space): A FirstEncounter of the deadly kind. Introducing the major recurrent threat of the series, the alien "Frogs".
* 2. ''Planet außer Kurs'' (Planet off Course): The Frogs send a fiery planet on collision course with Earth. The crew succeeds in destroying it, but the ''Orion VII'' is destroyed in the process.
* 3. ''Hüter des Gesetzes'' (Guardians of the Law): The first mission of the ''Orion VIII'' is a robot story set on a [[AsteroidMiners mining colony]].
* 4. ''Deserteure'' (Deserters): The Frogs have a mind-control device, but the ''Orion'' has Overkill.
* 5. ''Kampf um die Sonne'' (Fight for the Sun): An encounter with a matriarchal former rebel colony.
* 6. ''Die Raumfalle'' (The Space Trap): An outing with a science-fiction author runs into trouble when he is captured by a MadScientist who has taken over a penal colony.
* 7. ''Invasion'': A ManchurianAgent sabotages Earth's defenses and comes close to making the Frog invasion a success. But the ''Orion'' saves the Earth (again), and in the end it is transferred back to van Dyke's force, [=McLane=] is promoted to colonel, and Cliff and Tamara finally get to kiss.

The series was very successful in Germany and also exported to a number of other continental European countries. [[ExecutiveMeddling Still the executives of German (public) television decided against producing a second season]], word has it because they thought the series was too "militaristic".

!!This show contains examples of:

* BBCQuarry: Scenes set on the surface of planetoids were shot in the spoil tips of the Peißenberg coal mine.
* BettyAndVeronica: Helga (brunette) is the Betty and Tamara (blonde) the Veronica; in the final episodes Cliff and Tamara become a couple.
* BridgeBunnies: An early aversion. Due to the small size of the crew, individual members frequently have to pinch-hit in each other's jobs when part of the crew is on a surface or space mission. Helga Legrelle thus can be seen piloting one of the "Lancet" shuttlecrafts or installing machinery and weapons. Tamara Jagellovsk can hold her own in face-downs with [=McLane=], while Lydia van Dyke, who appears in four of seven episodes, is the only real frontline commander among the otherwise male generals.
* BugWar: The attacks by the [[StarfishAliens Frogs]] (sic) in episodes 1, 2, 4, and 7 go into this territory, even though they have a vaguely humanoid shape.
* CatchPhrase: The command "Rücksturz zur Erde!" (return to base at once, literally: plunge back to Earth) became one. Also the metallic-voiced countdown that punctuated every ''Orion'' and Lancet launch sequence.
* CompilationMovie: Produced in 2003.
* CoolButInefficient: The launch sequence. The Orion took off from beneath the sea, rising through an artificially created maelstrom.
* CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority: [[GratuitousGerman O ja]]! Although it does come to bite them in the ass on occasion, such as in episode 3, where the crew does not pay proper attention at a course on robot programming.
* CoolStarship: The ''Orion VII'' and ''Orion VIII'' obviously. The latter is described not only as the fastest ship in the fleet, but also the first one to be equipped with the Overkill projector. [[FridgeLogic Why such a ship would be assigned to the lowly Space Patrol where it would be used for satellite maintenance and such is anyone's guess.]]
* DeskJockey: Quite a number of recurring characters fall into this category, for instance every officer above the rank of colonel (with the shining exception of General van Dyke), Wamsler's adjutant Spring-Brauner, Colonel Villa's nameless assistant, and the ground crew overseeing the launches from Base 104.
* FakeNationality: Pretty much every character was played by German and Austrian actors, although a few scenes were shot twice, with French actors playing a few minor parts for the French version. French ''Orion'' crew member Lieutenant Legrelle, however, was played by German actress Ursula Lillig in both versions.
* AFatherToHisMen: General Wamsler is this in the gruff-but-fair version. Though a DeskJockey now, he is also enough of an OldSoldier to see through some of the tricks [=McLane=] and his crew use to cover up their escapades.
* FirstNameBasis: The ''Orion'' crew is on this, except of course towards Lieutenant Jagellovsk. In an off-duty conversation in episode 4 van Dyke addresses [=McLane=] by his first name, but he calls her "general".
* FutureMusic: The producers apparently figured that the people of the future will continue to invent new popular dances. The dances in the [[GoodGuyBar Starlight Casino]] involve movements that look like warm-up gymnastics and may involve people dancing very close ''back to back''. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJe-CdWsICY Watch it yourself!]]
* GoodGuyBar: The Starlight Casino, where fleet and GSD personell of all ranks congregate to chat, flirt, talk shop and [[FutureMusic dance in some very odd "futuristic" dances]]. The ''Orion'' crew can usually be found here off-duty and has a fleet-wide reputation for its alcohol intake. The Starlight has a glass roof through which you can see the tropical fish in the sea above.
* GreatOffscreenWar: There are several references to the two Galactic or Interplanetary Wars in the series, which were waged between Earth and some rebel colonies. The pulp novelizations eventually related some of the pre-''Raumpatrouille'' adventures of the older members of the crew, revealing e.g. that [=McLane=] had served under General van Dyke's father in the Second Galactic War.
* InstrumentalThemeTune: One of the best-known in German TV, it remains popular and was played at the unveiling of the restored Brandenburg Gate in 2002.
* KillItWithWater: In episode 1, the Frogs are impervious to ray guns, can survive in a vaccuum, but are taken out by Hasso and Atan exploding an oxygen tank.
* LadyLand: The pacifist matriarchal society of Chroma, headed by [[NoNameGiven SHE]] (German: SIE), perhaps the only woman able to resist Major [=McLane=]'s charm.
* TheMentor: Colonel Villa in many of his appearances.
* MotherNatureFatherScience: All scientists are male, even the Chromans in episode 5 who come from a matriarchal society. In one subversion, in episode 4, when it becomes necessary to repair a particularly advanced type of robot, Tamara Jagellovsk is the only one who has taken the necessary course and can do it.
* MultinationalTeam: The crew consists of of an American commander of Scottish extraction, a Scandinavian, an Italian, a Japanese (?), and a Frenchwoman. They are joined by Russian security officer.
* {{Nepotism}}: In episode 6 Pieter Paul Ibsen gets to accompany the crew because he is the space minister's son-in-law.
* NoodleIncident: In episode 1 Wamsler quickly lists of a number of occasions where [=McLane=] had acted without authorization to explain why he is transferred to the Space Patrol and a watchdog is assigned to him.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: [[DeskJockey Lieutenant Spring-Brauner]], General Wamsler's aide-de-camp. Some of the members of the O.R.B. (''Oberste Raumbehörde'', i. e. supreme space authority) also verge on this.
* ThePoliticalOfficer: Lieutenant Tamara Jagellovsk starts out as a non-political equivalent, but like her spiritual ancestress {{Ninotchka}} mellows soon enough.
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Big time. Not just among the crew, but the friendships of various of its members with those of the crews of other ships or space bases is often a plot point.
* RedShirt: Averted.
* SelfDeprecation: The appearance of science-fiction writer Pieter Paul Ibsen in episode 6 provides an occasion for the crew to mock the genre. Also, is it a coincidence that there are only two characters with German names in the series, and one of them is an ObstructiveBureaucrat and the other is a bad guy?
* SpaceClothes: Simply cut black uniforms for the spacefleet, grey for the GSD. Women usually wore knee-length skirts with long boots, but could put on trousers for missions.
* SpaceNavy: Partly averted. The officers have non-naval ranks (major, colonel, general, marshal) and the ''Orion'' crew to a large extent behave like stereotypical air force combat pilots and return to Base 104 at the end of every episode. Also the spaceships generally have names from astronomy and/or mythology (Orion, Hydra, Perseus, Tau) and are not named after famous naval ships and admirals of the past (Enterprise, Essex, Farragut).
** The first two examples are certainly correct however the third doesn't work as naming ships for mythological figures is a common practice in European navies with the Royal Navy alone having seven HMS Orions over several centuries.
* TheSpymaster: Colonel Villa, head of the Galactic Security Service. Often inscrutable, doubly so because he was cast against type with Friedrich Joloff, an actor best known for playing villains, especially cold-blooded killers. Cultured and a bit of a pacifist, he helps [=McLane=] to avert a war in episode 5.
* ThirdOptionLoveInterest: In episode 4 General van Dyke is having a pleasant conversation with Cliff [=McLane=] in the Starlight Casino and notes with amusement the jealous look Tamara Jagellovsk is giving her from another table. [[spoiler: In the paperback novels, Cliff eventually broke up with Tamara and for a time become lovers with Lydia, so maybe Tamara was prescient.]]
* ThreeLawsCompliant: The robots in the series are, although in the third episode "Guardians of the Law" [[spoiler: the robots on a mining colony, after witnessing a murder, go haywire and imprison all humans to ensure that no harm befalls them]].
* UnderwaterBase: Spaceship base 104, the headquarters of the military and the Galactic Security Service as well as the crew's private homes are all situated at the bottom of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
* WaveMotionGun: The aptly named Overkill (sic) projector, first tested and used in combat in episode 4.

* SpecialEffectFailure: ''Egregious'', due to the fact that it was live TV. Most noticeably, this would occur when they needed something resembling a display--what would be used was actually simply a cardboard prop.
** Also, in "The Underwater Space Ship Graveyard", any scene set underwater is clearly filmed through a filter.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: Just try to get the show's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-p5A_GislM theme tune]] out of your head. You can't.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: In episode 1, Major [=McLane=] wants to destroy an inert space probe because he says it could endanger spaceships. Lieutenant Jagellovsk uses her Alpha Order authority to countermand that order in what seems a petty and pedantic insistence on sticking to regulations. At the end of the episode it turns out the satellite had just temporarily shut down for self-maintenance and the major's order would have resulted in an unnecessary loss.

* CherylBlossom: In episode 4 General van Dyke is having a pleasant conversation with Cliff [=McLane=] in the Starlight Casino and notes with amusement the jealous look Tamara Jagellovsk is giving her from another table. [[spoiler: In the paperback novels, Cliff eventually broke up with Tamara and for a time become lovers with Lydia, so maybe Tamara was prescient.]]

* {{Nepotism}}: In episode 5 Pieter Paul Ibsen gets to accompany the crew because he is the space minister's son-in-law.

* SelfDeprecation: The appearance of science-fiction writer Pieter Paul Ibsen in episode 5 provides an occasion for the crew to mock the genre. Also, is it a coincidence that there are only two characters with German names in the series, and one of them is an ObstructiveBureaucrat and the other is a bad guy?

* SelfDeprecation: The appearance of science-fiction writer Pieter Paul Ibsen in episode provides an occasion for the crew to mock the genre. Also, is it a coincidence that there are only two characters with German names in the series, and one of them is an ObstructiveBureaucrat and the other is a bad guy?

''Raumpatrouille'' was produced at the Bavaria film studios near Munich on a limited budget - for ''StarTrek'' they spent about 75 percent of the total ''Raumpatrouille'' production costs just on the pilot episode. To save costs the series was shot in black and white. But although they had to economize it looked pretty good as the people in charge were very competent. Set designer Rolf Zehetbauer won an Oscar for ''{{Cabaret}}'', while special-effects man Theo Nischwitz had already worked on ''F.P. 1 antwortet nicht'' (1931) and ''Münchhausen'' (1942); the two would go on to collaborate on ''DasBoot''. Still, they had to use quite a few futuristic looking, but commercially available household implements etc. in building the ''Orion'' bridge; keep your eyes open for the famous handle of an electric iron.

* Lieutenant Helga Legrelle (communications, observation, deflector shields). The youngest of the crew; not so secretly sweet on the dashing commander.

The third one was the 1966 [[GermanMedia German TV show]] ''Raumpatrouille - Die phantastischen Abenteuer des Raumschiffs Orion'' (Space Patrol - The Fantastic Adventures of the Spaceship Orion), which was produced in collaboration with French TV, where it was entitled ''Comando spatial''. It's 7 one-hour episodes (no commercials) long, impossible to find outside of its mother country and later spawned a big heap of paperback and pulp novels. It, like [[StarTrek a certain concurrent American TV series]] was about a bunch of people that actually ''patrolled'' space. For conoisseurs of science-fiction and the related tropes, ''Raumpatouille'' is of interest because in some respects, most notably that of gender roles, it demonstrates that more substantial roles than the BridgeBunnies of ''StarTrek'' actually were possible on TV in 1966.

The third one was the 1966 [[GermanMedia German TV show]] ''Raumpatrouille - Die phantastischen Abenteuer des Raumschiffs Orion'' (Space Patrol - The Fantastic Adventures of the Spaceship Orion), which was produced in collaboration with French TV, where it was entitled ''Comando spatial''. It's 7 one-hour episodes (no commercials) long, impossible to find outside of its mother country and later spawned a big heap of paperback and pulp novels. It, like [[StarTrek a certain concurrent American TV series]] was about a bunch of people that actually ''patrolled'' space.

''Raumpatrouille'' was produced at the Bavaria film studios near Munich on a limited budget - for ''StarTrek'' they spent about 75 percent of the total ''Raumpatrouille'' production costs just on the pilot episode. To save costs the series was shot in black and white. But although they had to economize it looked pretty good as the people in charge were very competent. Set designer Rolf Zehetbauer won an Oscar for ''{{Cabaret}}, while special-effects man Theo Nischwitz had already worked on ''F.P. 1 antwortet nicht'' (1931) and ''Münchhausen'' (1942); the two would go on to collaborate on ''DasBoot''. Still, they had to use quite a few futuristic looking, but commercially available household implements etc. in building the ''Orion'' bridge; keep your eyes open for the famous handle of an electric iron.

The series was very successful in Germany and also exported to a number of other continental European countries. Still the executives of German (public) television decided against producing a second season.

* UnfortunateIngredients: The name of the intelligence agency/secret police, ''Galaktischer Sicherheitsdienst'' (GSD) contains the name of the Nazi ''Sicherheitsdienst'' (SD).

* FutureMusic: The producers apparently figured that the people of the future will continue to invent new popular dances. The dances in the GoodGuyBar involve movements that look like warm-up gymnastics and may involve people dancing very close ''back to back''. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJe-CdWsICY Watch it yourself!]]

The third one was the 1966 German TV show ''Raumpatrouille - Die phantastischen Abenteuer des Raumschiffs Orion'' (Space Patrol - The Fantastic Adventures of the Spaceship Orion), which was produced in collaboration with French TV, where it was entitled ''Comando spatial''. It's 7 one-hour episodes (no commercials) long, impossible to find outside of its mother country and later spawned a big heap of paperback and pulp novels. It, like [[StarTrek a certain concurrent American TV series]] was about a bunch of people that actually ''patrolled'' space.

* GoodGuyBar: The Starlight Casino, where fleet and GSD personell of all ranks congregate to chat, flirt, talk shop and dance in some very odd [[FutureMusic "futuristic" dances]]. The ''Orion'' crew can usually be found here off-duty and has a fleet-wide reputation for its alcohol intake. The Starlight has a glass roof through which you can see the tropical fish in the sea above.

* FutureMusic: The producers apparently figured that the people of the future will continue to invent [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJe-CdWsICY new popular dances]]. (see GoodGuyBar below)
* GoodGuyBar: The Starlight Casino, where fleet and GSD personell of all ranks congregate to chat, flirt, talk shop and dance in some very odd "[[FutureMusic futuristic]]" dances that involve movements that look like warm-up gymnastics and may involve people dancing very close ''back to back''. The ''Orion'' crew can usually be found here off-duty and has a fleet-wide reputation for its alcohol intake. The Starlight has a glass roof through which you can see the tropical fish in the sea above.

* GoodGuyBar: The Starlight Casino, where fleet and GSD personell of all ranks congregate to chat, flirt, talk shop and dance in some very odd "futuristic" dances that involve movements that look like warm-up gymnastics and may involve people dancing very close ''back to back''. The ''Orion'' crew can usually be found here off-duty and has a fleet-wide reputation for its alcohol intake. The Starlight has a glass roof through which you can see the tropical fish in the sea above.

* 7. ''Invasion'': A ManchurianAgent sabotages Earth's defenses and comes close to making the Frog invasion a success.

The series was very successful in Germany and also exported to a number of other continental European countries.

* MotherNatureFatherScience: All scientists are male, even those in "Fight for the Sun" who come from a matriarchal society. On the other hand, in the fourth episode when it becomes necessary to repair a particularly advanced type of robot, Tamara Jagellovsk is the only one who has taken the necessary course and can do it.

''Raumpatrouille'' was produced at the Bavaria film studios near Munich on a limited budget - for ''StarTrek'' they spent about 75 percent of the total ''Raumpatrouille'' production costs just on the pilot episode. To save costs the series was shot in black and white. But although they had to economize it looked pretty good as the people in charge were very competent. Set designer Rolf Zehetbauer won an Oscar for ''{{Cabaret}}, while special-effects man Theo Nischwitz had already worked on ''F.P. 1 antwortet nicht'' (1931) and ''Münchhausen'' (1942); the two would go on to collaborate on ''DasBoot''.

* Lieutenant Atan Shubashi (astrogator). The quiet one. Owner of ''264'', one of the last 376 poodles surviving on Earth in the year 3000.

* CatchPhrase: The command "Rücksturz zur Erde!" (return to base at once, literally: plunge back to Earth) became one.

* ObstructiveBureaucrat: [[TheDeskJockey Lieutenant Spring-Brauner]], General Wamsler's aide-de-camp. Some of the members of the O.R.B. (''Oberste Raumbehörde'', i. e. supreme space authority) also verge on this.

* TheSpymaster: Colonel Villa, head of the Galactic Security Service. Often inscrutable, doubly so because he was cast against type with Friedrich Joloff, an actor best known for playing villains, especially cold-blooded killers. Cultured and a bit of a pacifist, he helps [=McLane=] to avert a war in "Fight for the Sun".

* WaveMotionGun: The aptly named Overkill (sic) projector, first tested and used in combat in episode 4, "Deserteure".

''Raumpatrouille'' was produced at the Bavaria film studios near Munich on a limited budget - for ''StarTrek'' they spent about 75 percent of the total ''Raumpatrouille'' production costs just on the pilot episode. To save costs the series was shot in black and white.

* Lieutenant Atan Shubashi (astrogator). The quiet one. Owner of one of the last 376 poodles surviving on Earth in the year 3000.

* SpaceIsAnOcean: Partly averted. The officers have non-naval ranks (major, colonel, general, marshal) and the ''Orion'' crew to a large extent behave like stereotypical air force combat pilots. Also the spaceships generally have names from astronomy and/or mythology (Orion, Hydra, Perseus, Tau) and are not named after famous naval ships and admirals of the past (Enterprise, Essex, Farragut).

* Major Cliff Allister [=McLane=], the [[TheCaptain commander]] and TheHero, a MilitaryMaverick.

* Lieutenant Atan Shubashi (astrogator). The quiet one.

* 1. ''Angriff aus dem All'' (Attack from Space): A first encounter of the deadly kind. Introducing the major recurrent threat of the series, the alien "Frogs".
* 2. ''Planet außer Kurs'' (Planet off Course): The Frogs send a fiery planet on collision course with Earth.
* 3. ''Hüter des Gesetzes'' (Guardians of the Law): A robot story set on a [[AsteroidMiners mining colony]].
* 4. ''Deserteure'' (Deserters): The Frogs have a mind-control device.

* CherylBlossom: In the fourth episode, "Deserters", General van Dyke is having a pleasant conversation with Cliff [=McLane=] in the Starlight Casino and notes with amusement the jealous look Tamara Jagellovsk is giving her from another table. [[spoiler: In the paperback novels, Cliff eventually broke up with Tamara and for a time become lovers with Lydia, so maybe Tamara was prescient.]]

* DeskJockey: Quite a number of recurring characters fall into this category, for instance every officer above the rank of colonel (with the shining exception of General van Dyke), Wamsler's adjutant Spring-Brauner, Colonel Villa's nameless assistant, and the ground crew overseeing the launches from Deep Sea Base 104.