Strange New World opens with an EARTH II-type spacelab ... and immediately abandons it to explore post-apocalyptic Earth, where the first casualties were the special effects budget and doing laundry. Well, not so immediately: first we have to endure a lengthy voice-over/exposition/cheap-video-effects intro, which goes on and on. I wouldn't be surprised if the broadcast lost a lot of viewers by the first commercial break.
The two episodes here (posing as one movie) bring them first to a society of gauzy-clad women and toga-wearing men, and then to a grimy ragtag bunch living in a zoo. Both have guest stars of some interest, though none of the roles are particularly outstanding. Neither are the episodes outstanding, but they are competently structured and written -- par for mid-70s TV.
Story-wise, this is sort of like Star Trek (without Spock) crossed with Space 1999 (Moonbase Alpha) in a cheaper format: a traveling vehicle takes our regular crew to meet people in problematic situations, which are then resolved or commented on; the crew then continue, in search of their own people. The first story is akin to any of the flawed-but-beautiful ST:TOS episodes (say, "The Cloud Minders"); the second feels akin to "The Omega Glory" (note that neither are considered outstanding Trek episodes).
John Saxon is good as the man-of-thought-and-action (with his own kind of energy and style), with Keene Curtis an effective foil/counter-balance. Kathleen Miller, though, seemed destined for a Peggy Liptonesque captive-to-be-rescued role despite her supposed "doctor" status.
Ultimately, Strange New World illustrates the fine, almost intangible difference between a TV series that works, and one that almost works. Star Trek (TOS) worked -- but could we have seen that just from the pilot episode? Could this have grown and developed the way Star Trek did? It seems a relevant question, seeing how Robert Butler directed both this and the Star Trek pilot.
The two episodes here (posing as one movie) bring them first to a society of gauzy-clad women and toga-wearing men, and then to a grimy ragtag bunch living in a zoo. Both have guest stars of some interest, though none of the roles are particularly outstanding. Neither are the episodes outstanding, but they are competently structured and written -- par for mid-70s TV.
Story-wise, this is sort of like Star Trek (without Spock) crossed with Space 1999 (Moonbase Alpha) in a cheaper format: a traveling vehicle takes our regular crew to meet people in problematic situations, which are then resolved or commented on; the crew then continue, in search of their own people. The first story is akin to any of the flawed-but-beautiful ST:TOS episodes (say, "The Cloud Minders"); the second feels akin to "The Omega Glory" (note that neither are considered outstanding Trek episodes).
John Saxon is good as the man-of-thought-and-action (with his own kind of energy and style), with Keene Curtis an effective foil/counter-balance. Kathleen Miller, though, seemed destined for a Peggy Liptonesque captive-to-be-rescued role despite her supposed "doctor" status.
Ultimately, Strange New World illustrates the fine, almost intangible difference between a TV series that works, and one that almost works. Star Trek (TOS) worked -- but could we have seen that just from the pilot episode? Could this have grown and developed the way Star Trek did? It seems a relevant question, seeing how Robert Butler directed both this and the Star Trek pilot.