History Series / Raumpatrouille

One of three series internationally known as ''SpacePatrol'' 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 consists of seven one-hour episodes (no commercials) and practically impossible to find outside of its mother country. It, like [[Franchise/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" ''Franchise/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.

** Major [=McLane=] tends to become irrational when the lives of people he considers his friends are endangered. An extreme example occurs in episode 2: The good commander is so obsessed with the immediate danger faced by Lydia van Dyke and the crew of the ''Hydra'', that he wants to rescue them before dealing with the more serious threat of the planet set on a collision course with Earth by the Frogs. Even a direct order from General van Dyke is not enough to make him focus on the more serious threat, in the end Tamara Jagellovsk has threaten to disable the ''Orion VII'''s controls to force him to set course for the Frog control base. In episode 7 the fact that Lt. Jagellovsk is held hostage by the bad guys is also enough to prevent him from taking direct action to stop the Frog invasion.

** Hanns Kneifel's were full of these, to the makers of the television series, to then-current events and to literature etc. For instance a 31st century composer called Tomas Peter is frequently mentioned; the TV series had been scored by composer Peter Thomas.

* NamedAfterSomeoneFamous: Astronomer Dr. Schiller (presumably after [[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker Friedrich Schiller]]) in episodes 2 and 5 and science-fiction author [[Creator/PeterPaulRubens Pieter Paul]] [[Creator/HenrikIbsen Ibsen]] in episode 6.

** In the anthology movie ''Frogs'' is stated to be an [[FunWithAcronyms acronym]] for "Fremde Raumschiffe ohne galaktische Seriennummer", i.e. "alien (or strange) spaceships without a galactic serial number" (no, [[BlatantLie seriously]]). But neither television series nor the novels had used that explanation.

* 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.

** In the film version (where they condensed 7x60 mins into a 90 min film) ''Frogs'' is stated to be an [[FunWithAcronyms acronym]] for "Fremde Raumschiffe ohne galaktische Seriennummer", i.e. "foreign spaceships without (a) galactic serial numer" (no, seriosly). But neither television series nor the novels had used that explanation.

* LadyLand: The pacifist matriarchal society of Chroma, headed by [[NoNameGiven SHE]] (German: SIE, French: ELLE), perhaps the only woman able to resist Major [=McLane=]'s charm.

* WomenAreWiser:

* LadyLand: The pacifist matriarchal society of Chroma, headed by [[NoNameGiven SHE]] (German: SIE), perhaps the only woman able to resist Major [=McLane=]'s charm.

* 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.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: In the pulp novels the ''Orion'' crew undergoes a time-jump of 67 years, but the new characters introduced to take the place of General van Dyke, General Wamsler, and Lieutenant Spring-Brauner -- Admiral Leandra de Ruyter, Han Tsu-Gol, and Brian Hackler -- had little to set them apart from their predecessors. New GSD chief Tunaka Katsuro does have more of a distinct personality, and the ersatz Tamara, Norma Russel, at least has psychic powers and [[ThrowTheDogABone falls for Mario]], not Cliff.

* AlliterativeName: General Winston Woodrov Wamsler.

* ArtisticLicenseScience: Some of the science in the series is rather dodgy, for instance the titular off-course planet in episode 2 is also referred to as a supernova.

* BlackGalOnWhiteGalDrama: Obviously not [[MonochromeCasting in the television series]], but in Hanns Kneifel's paperback novels [=McLane=] briefly cheats on Tamara Jagellovsk with entomologist Arlene N'Mayogaa, and, a couple of love interests later, Cliff and Arlene become serious partners.

* CoolButInefficient: The launch sequence. The Orion took off from beneath the sea, rising through an artificially created maelstrom.

* DidNotDoTheResearch: Some of the science in the series is rather dodgy, for instance the titular off-course planet in episode 2 is also referred to as a supernova.

* InterracialRomance: Obviously not [[MonochromeCasting in the television series]], but in Hanns Kneifel's paperback novels [=McLane=] briefly cheats on Tamara Jagellovsk with dusky-skinned entomologist Arlene N'Mayogaa, and, a couple of love interests later, Cliff and Arlene become serious partners.

* 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".

* 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.

There is an ''Orion''-related website (mostly in German, but with English features), [[www.orionspace.de Starlight-Casion]].

There was often talk of a relaunch, but that never materialized as long as the actors were still alive. In 2003 an anthology movie, ''Raumpatrouille Orion -- Rücksturz ins Kino'', was released. It consists mostly of material from episodes 1, 2, and 7, linked by "newscasts" by actress and journalist Elke Heidenreich as anchorwoman Helma Krap.

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", which in postwar Germany was something quite serious.

* 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.

* TheSmurfettePrincible: Averted onboard the ''Orion'' after Lieutenant Jagellovsk is assigned there, but played straight with General van Dyke, who is both the only woman belonging to the crew of the ''Hydra'' and the only female of the rank of general or higher shown in the series.

* 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.

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.