Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
page creation
Added DiffLines:
->"In the beginning, there was Jordan, thinking his lonely thoughts. Out of the lone-ness came a longing. Out of the longing came a vision. Out of the dream came a planning, and out of the planning came a decision. Jordan's hand was lifted and the ship was born!"
First aired on 26 November 1950 and [[AudioAdaptation adapted]] from Creator/RobertAHeinlein's "{{Literature/Universe}}". This episode was written by Creator/GeorgeLefferts and directed by Creator/EdwardKing. Creator/NormanRose is the {{Narrator}}, reading the story's {{Epigraph}}.
Alan Mahony and Hugh Hoyland (Creator/MasonAdams) speak to the Witness of Jordan. Hoyland has been having spiritual doubts, so he wants to hear reassurances from the leader of their religion. However, the "mutterings" of a "frightened old man" only anger him, and they have to escape to the Upper Levels, {{mutant|s}} territory.
Alan dies accidentally, but Hugh is taken to meet Gregory (Creator/PeterCapell), a mutant with a shocking revelation. The Ship is ''not'' the whole universe that Hugh has been raised to believe, but a [[MileLongShip spaceship]] that is supposed to be traveling to [[UsefulNotes/LocalStars Centaurus]]. However, [[AndManGrewProud mutiny caused the ship to go off-course]]. Gregory plans to reset the Ship's navigation, but he needs help from the Lower Levels.
Hugh agrees to bring a squad of people back to help Gregory, but centuries of mistrust are hard to break...
----
!!"Universe" contains examples of:
* AudienceMurmurs: While Hoyland is describing his heresy in the Control Room, the squadron of soldiers shout and grumble around him. The episode ends with them calling for his death.
* AudioAdaptation: An adaptation of Creator/RobertAHeinlein's "{{Literature/Universe}}", transcribed by Creator/GeorgeLefferts.
* CityInABottle: It is generally believed that the Ship, which is a sphere, [[MileLongShip 25 kilometers wide]] and with 100 levels, is the sum total of the universe. Even asking what is beyond the Ship is considered heresy and typically leads to the culprit being fed into the converter.
* CreationMyth: The people of the Lower Levels believe that Jordan was a god who created the universe; a Ship [[CityInABottle 25 kilometers wide and 100 levels high]]. Knowing that humans would need order, he gave them the [[SacredScripture Regulations]]. The myth also include [[AndManGrewProud their fall from grace]]; people rebelled against the Regulations, and they are the progenitors of {{mutants}} on the Upper Levels.
* {{Epigraph}}: At the start of this episode, which was based on Creator/RobertAHeinlein's "{{Literature/Universe}}", an in-universe [[SacredScripture holy book]] is quoted. The scripture is also cited about four minutes later in the story, a CreationMyth that describes how everyone's place in the world.
-->"In the beginning, there was Jordan, thinking his lonely thoughts. Out of the lone-ness came a longing. Out of the longing came a vision. Out of the dream came a planning, and out of the planning came a decision. Jordan's hand was lifted and the ship was born!"
* FantasticCasteSystem: Those who are faithful to the [[SacredScripture teachings of Jordan]] and call themselves the superior race live in a very regimented manner, believing that "crew", "scientists", and "captain" are roles that the divine figure of Jordan created. The "{{mutants}}" on the upper levels are the result of [[AndManGrewProud divine punishment for breaking the regulations]].
* FantasticSlur: In [[DimensionX31Universe episode thirty-one]], an [[AudioAdaptation adaptation]] of Creator/RobertAHeinlein's "{{Literature/Universe}}", the residents of the Lower Levels of the Ship refer to the Mutants who live on the Upper Levels as "Muties".
* FillingTheSilence: Scene changes are always accompanied by music.
* GenerationShips: A generation ship was constructed in its own orbit beyond the Moon over the course of 60 years. It was launched on a mission to colonize Centaurus but a mutiny led by Huff resulted in the ship going off course. The successive generations have [[LegendFadesToMyth forgotten their original history]].
* LegendFadesToMyth: A scientist named Jordan created a generation ship which was intended to colonize the distant planet Centaurus. Forty years after it was launched from the Solar System, a man named Huff led a mutiny aboard the Ship as he and his followers believed that they should return to Earth. In the fighting, the navigators were killed. All attempts to put the Ship back on its proper course failed and it began moving aimlessly through space. Over the course of many centuries, the inhabitants of the Ship came to believe that [[CreationMyth Jordan was a god who created both them and the Ship]], which is the sum total of the universe. They regard Centaurus as the [[OffscreenAfterlife afterlife]] where they go once their bodies are fed into the converter.
* TheMorlocks: The {{Mutants}} of the Upper Levels are assumed to be primitive creatures who are little more sophisticated than animals by the so-called superior race that resides on the Lower Levels of the Ship. As their leader Gregory informs Hugh Hoyland, most of them are every bit as intelligent as he is in spite of their physical deformities.
* {{Mutants}}: A race of Mutants lives on the Upper Levels of the Ship. Those on the Lower Levels fear and despise them because of their deformities. For instance, their leader Gregory has a malformed leg and Bobo [[TheUnintelligible has been mute since birth]]. The Mutants are believed to be [[TheMorlocks descended from the followers of the mutineer Huff]], the most hated name in their [[CreationMyth mythology]] as he opposed their god Jordan. It is unclear whether or not this is true.
* OhMyGods: Characters tend to swear by the name of Jordan, such as "For Jordan's sake!" and "Ghost of Jordan!"
* OralTradition: John the Witness is the latest in a long line of "witnesses" who have been [[SacredScripture passing on the story]] of the [[CreationMyth creation of the Ship]] by the god Jordan for thousands of years. However, [[LegendFadesToMyth the story has become increasingly distorted over the millennia and bears only a slight resemblance to the actual events of their distant past]].
* TheUnintelligible: The {{mutant}}, Bobo, was born without the power of speech. He makes some noises so that the audience can tell he's present, but no words.
----
First aired on 26 November 1950 and [[AudioAdaptation adapted]] from Creator/RobertAHeinlein's "{{Literature/Universe}}". This episode was written by Creator/GeorgeLefferts and directed by Creator/EdwardKing. Creator/NormanRose is the {{Narrator}}, reading the story's {{Epigraph}}.
Alan Mahony and Hugh Hoyland (Creator/MasonAdams) speak to the Witness of Jordan. Hoyland has been having spiritual doubts, so he wants to hear reassurances from the leader of their religion. However, the "mutterings" of a "frightened old man" only anger him, and they have to escape to the Upper Levels, {{mutant|s}} territory.
Alan dies accidentally, but Hugh is taken to meet Gregory (Creator/PeterCapell), a mutant with a shocking revelation. The Ship is ''not'' the whole universe that Hugh has been raised to believe, but a [[MileLongShip spaceship]] that is supposed to be traveling to [[UsefulNotes/LocalStars Centaurus]]. However, [[AndManGrewProud mutiny caused the ship to go off-course]]. Gregory plans to reset the Ship's navigation, but he needs help from the Lower Levels.
Hugh agrees to bring a squad of people back to help Gregory, but centuries of mistrust are hard to break...
----
!!"Universe" contains examples of:
* AudienceMurmurs: While Hoyland is describing his heresy in the Control Room, the squadron of soldiers shout and grumble around him. The episode ends with them calling for his death.
* AudioAdaptation: An adaptation of Creator/RobertAHeinlein's "{{Literature/Universe}}", transcribed by Creator/GeorgeLefferts.
* CityInABottle: It is generally believed that the Ship, which is a sphere, [[MileLongShip 25 kilometers wide]] and with 100 levels, is the sum total of the universe. Even asking what is beyond the Ship is considered heresy and typically leads to the culprit being fed into the converter.
* CreationMyth: The people of the Lower Levels believe that Jordan was a god who created the universe; a Ship [[CityInABottle 25 kilometers wide and 100 levels high]]. Knowing that humans would need order, he gave them the [[SacredScripture Regulations]]. The myth also include [[AndManGrewProud their fall from grace]]; people rebelled against the Regulations, and they are the progenitors of {{mutants}} on the Upper Levels.
* {{Epigraph}}: At the start of this episode, which was based on Creator/RobertAHeinlein's "{{Literature/Universe}}", an in-universe [[SacredScripture holy book]] is quoted. The scripture is also cited about four minutes later in the story, a CreationMyth that describes how everyone's place in the world.
-->"In the beginning, there was Jordan, thinking his lonely thoughts. Out of the lone-ness came a longing. Out of the longing came a vision. Out of the dream came a planning, and out of the planning came a decision. Jordan's hand was lifted and the ship was born!"
* FantasticCasteSystem: Those who are faithful to the [[SacredScripture teachings of Jordan]] and call themselves the superior race live in a very regimented manner, believing that "crew", "scientists", and "captain" are roles that the divine figure of Jordan created. The "{{mutants}}" on the upper levels are the result of [[AndManGrewProud divine punishment for breaking the regulations]].
* FantasticSlur: In [[DimensionX31Universe episode thirty-one]], an [[AudioAdaptation adaptation]] of Creator/RobertAHeinlein's "{{Literature/Universe}}", the residents of the Lower Levels of the Ship refer to the Mutants who live on the Upper Levels as "Muties".
* FillingTheSilence: Scene changes are always accompanied by music.
* GenerationShips: A generation ship was constructed in its own orbit beyond the Moon over the course of 60 years. It was launched on a mission to colonize Centaurus but a mutiny led by Huff resulted in the ship going off course. The successive generations have [[LegendFadesToMyth forgotten their original history]].
* LegendFadesToMyth: A scientist named Jordan created a generation ship which was intended to colonize the distant planet Centaurus. Forty years after it was launched from the Solar System, a man named Huff led a mutiny aboard the Ship as he and his followers believed that they should return to Earth. In the fighting, the navigators were killed. All attempts to put the Ship back on its proper course failed and it began moving aimlessly through space. Over the course of many centuries, the inhabitants of the Ship came to believe that [[CreationMyth Jordan was a god who created both them and the Ship]], which is the sum total of the universe. They regard Centaurus as the [[OffscreenAfterlife afterlife]] where they go once their bodies are fed into the converter.
* TheMorlocks: The {{Mutants}} of the Upper Levels are assumed to be primitive creatures who are little more sophisticated than animals by the so-called superior race that resides on the Lower Levels of the Ship. As their leader Gregory informs Hugh Hoyland, most of them are every bit as intelligent as he is in spite of their physical deformities.
* {{Mutants}}: A race of Mutants lives on the Upper Levels of the Ship. Those on the Lower Levels fear and despise them because of their deformities. For instance, their leader Gregory has a malformed leg and Bobo [[TheUnintelligible has been mute since birth]]. The Mutants are believed to be [[TheMorlocks descended from the followers of the mutineer Huff]], the most hated name in their [[CreationMyth mythology]] as he opposed their god Jordan. It is unclear whether or not this is true.
* OhMyGods: Characters tend to swear by the name of Jordan, such as "For Jordan's sake!" and "Ghost of Jordan!"
* OralTradition: John the Witness is the latest in a long line of "witnesses" who have been [[SacredScripture passing on the story]] of the [[CreationMyth creation of the Ship]] by the god Jordan for thousands of years. However, [[LegendFadesToMyth the story has become increasingly distorted over the millennia and bears only a slight resemblance to the actual events of their distant past]].
* TheUnintelligible: The {{mutant}}, Bobo, was born without the power of speech. He makes some noises so that the audience can tell he's present, but no words.
----
