NBC’s “Supertrain” drama from the Spring of 1979 somehow strikes a chord?

Dancing Fool

DougM said:
tunnel to Europe. Then you can simulate the speed by flashing lights past the windows once in a while but otherwise keep the windows closed as nothing to see.
Get some stick footage of England and france and if you realky want to send a few actors to record a few scenes that you intermix in the show.
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I’ll see you one tunnel, and raise you one underwater dome city! :)

With Sci Fi, go big in concept. Keep the actual sets brief, cheap, and evocative. Viewers want to buy into the fantasy and will do so, unless we do something stupid which yanks them out of it.

And I like the idea that if we really need a Paris street scene or an icon, we can maybe get by with two actors instead of the whole bunch! 😃
 

Dancing Fool

Supertrain [fan site]


supertrain_real_illusion_01.jpg


The show DOESN’T need an expensive working model.
 
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Dancing Fool

DougM said:
Not sure why the model was that expensive…
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I think they were acting like they already had a successful show, and that this would be a nice talking point.

Instead, they should have spent every dollar hiring up-and-coming stars, to supplement the older, established stars, who frankly usually were on their way down.

And since you previously brought up Star Trek . . .

Although they was the occasional episode focusing on Chekov or Scotty, would you generally agree that the show revolved around the “big three” of Kirk, McCoy, and Spock? And even more specifically, on the fact that Kirk was friends with both, but that McCoy and Spock frequently rubbed each other wrong— and that this was a major source of dramatic tension in many an episode?
Feel free to exit the train and disagree with any of the above! :p
 
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Ranchoth

Dancing Fool said:
So, what would it take for Supertrain to catch on?
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Extra-unlikely, curveball answer: have the tastes of American/western audiences changed just enough to be able to accept animated non-comedies as passably serious adult entertainment (or at least, not strictly little kid fare), and make it as a cartoon with comparably lower production costs.

It worked for Gundam...granted, it had a better premise, writing, and probably only avoided being cancelled and forgotten entirely by being excellent source material for peddling cool model kits. I'm...just really not sure a nuclear train with a disco and swimming pool is going to have as much appeal in 1/87 scale, hanging over someone's desk on fishing line.
 
ennobee

ennobee

Dancing Fool said:
en.wikipedia.org

Supertrain - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

“Express to Terror” [2-hour pilot] — “Mike Post (Steve Lawrence), a passenger with a large gambling debt, finds himself the target of an unknown assassin on the train. . . ”

“And a Cup of Kindness, Too” [first episode a week later] — “A man (Larry Linville) frantically tries to catch Supertrain, where a professed hitman (Dick Van Dyke) is targeting his soon-to-be late wife (Barbara Rhoades). . . ”

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So, both the pilot and the 1st episode have a hit man on board ! ? ! 🥴
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Looks like the best way to have the series strike a chord is to get better screenwriters, stick with it being 'love boat' or 'hotel' on wheels. Both shows had their dedicated audience, something between the two could attract viewers from both.
 

DougM

Yes ST original series was at its core a show about the big three. Most shows have a hard time with more than 3 or 4 regular main characters, tBBT had its main 3 plus 2 plus 2 more ultimately. But typically the Big three on ST or tBBT we center stage and the rest were something for the big three to play off of. ST had a 3.5 in Scotty.
The Love boat Was similar.

The train if it was as expensive as some indicate was way over the top. And frankly a poor design as it was in no way an exciting or even well detailed design. And the ability to build an over sized model railroad was easy to to even back then

I think stick with a Love boat idea.
But you need to go someplace such as Europe, the Loveboat has Love on the sunny high seas and did specials to exotic locals. A train going through Kansas is not “Sexy”. So go to London and Paris or where ever.

Mayby add some intrigue with an occasional B plot about spy’s
 

Dancing Fool

James Ricker said:
If the casting director managed to find a cast of starving young actors who would go on to become A list celebrities in the 1980s.
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I think we should be pulling that slot machine, I mean, don’t you think so, too?

For example, if a young actor is winning on two scenes in audition, I think we should be willing to take that chance. :)
 

Dancing Fool

goldengirl_altposter.jpg


en.wikipedia.org

Goldengirl - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

“ . . The film was a box office flop, earning $3 million in North American rentals against a $7 million budget. . ”

*******************

I didn’t know this was a box office failure. I know it was heavily promoted on network TV and that my sister and I enjoyed it. Illustrating . . .

I guess that a lot of the entertainment dollar is pretty random.

—> in theaters the Summer of ‘79 [part of the Summer!]
 

Dancing Fool

DougM said:
A train going through Kansas is not “Sexy”. So go to London and Paris or where ever.

Mayby add some intrigue with an occasional B plot about spy’s
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Plus, 1 of 3 subplots mainly about romance,

plus broad category of unlikely friendship,

plus _______________________ ? I mean, what do you think? :)


PS What is tBBT ?
 

TheFaultsofAlts

I'm pretty sure the best way to make Supertrain a successful series is to not put it on primetime. Not even on Sunday nights, the designated "family night" on the map.

What I would do is to turn it into a Saturday morning show, get the Krofft brothers on board, and have them sign on to this instead of Pink Lady and Jeff.

Boom. Not only is Supertrain better recieved in retrospect, but the other series responsible for NBC's third place ratings, or fourth if you count Atari, is averted.

Any questions?
 
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