Kudos for Good Work

Ah... the ultimate Starship Troopers question:
When does the story take place...

In Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, episode #119 "Liquid Dreams": In the background of Johnny's flashbacks, from graduation, the date on the graduation banner says 2078 (A.D.).

In the 1997 Motion Picture: The prom singes says, "All is well... Twenty-Third Century dies". This would suggest a date of 2299 (A.D.) if, in fact, the 23rd Century is over (dead).

A number of movie critics said the film was "400 years in the future". This would suggest a date of 2397 (A.D.) based on the film's release. But they may have been just trying to make it more Star Trek-esque.

In the Book: Heinlein never states when the story takes place. The only hint (if you call it a hint), is when Johnny says in chapter 7, "We've been doing it, with changes in weapons but very little change in our trade, at lease since the time five thousand years ago when the foot sloggers of Sargon the Great forced the Sumerians to cry 'Uncle!'" Sargon the Great ruled around 2320 (B.C.), which would place Johnny's remark at 2720 (A.D.). [Not to be confused with Sargon III, son of Hamurabi(sp)] This can be supported in R:STC episode #103, "Handle With Care", when Lieutenant Earle Walker from Intelligence, is handed the report, the date at the top of the page is 2701. Hmmm.

In the Serialized Edition, (Nov/Dec, 1959 issues of "Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine"): Heinlein states in the prolog, "200 years in the future..." This was printed in the November, 1959 issue. This would suggest a date of 2159 (A.D.). The book, was also printed in November, but did not reach store shelves until March, 1960. Since Heinlein wanted the story to take place "in any time", this caption was not included in the prolog of the book.

This, in my opinion, the graduation date (R:STC, #119) explains the lack of "advanced" technology. I never understood the "throwing lead" part of the movie: 400 years and we are still using NATO rounds... But I think 100 years in the future makes it easier to accept the weapons and level of technology in the series. Something to think about, eh?

Citizen Dave

Citizen Butch provides a list of episodes shown thus far,
and discovers the title of the second "clip" show.

So far we've had 21 episodes covering the first five missions, (and 2 clip shows):

101 Freefall
102 Plasma Bugs of Navarone
103 Handle with Care
104 Basic Training
105 Deep Trouble
106 Water, Water Everywhere
107 Swarm
108 Search and Destroy
109 Missing In Action
110 Sole Survivor
112 Stranded
113 Of Flesh and Steel
C-1 Pluto and Beyond
114 Captured
116 No Substitute
117 And Then There Were Two …
118 Marauder
119 Liquid Dreams
120 Heart
121 Ice-Olation
123 Hot Ice
C-2 Propaganda Machine
124 The Inside Story

...and have skipped these episodes from the first five missions:

111 Betrayal (This episode has been indefinatly postponed due to continuity conflicts caused in C-1)
115 The Face of Truth
122 Mixed Signals
125 The Ice Men Goeth

And since they are showing them out of order it gets confusing. Don't the people who (make the air) schedule understand that stories (on this planet) are told in the order ... Beginning - Middle - End?

One Very Confused Citizen - Butch

Where did the music from the opening
credits come from? It sounds familiar?!

I have received many letters from Citizens, asking if I knew the "title" to the opening credits. Some said they could make out some of the soundbytes, and others said the music was hauntingly familiar. Well, in response, I asked everyone I could. Even the guys and gals at Sony and Foundation answered my cries for help, "What is the title of the opening credits. It sounds Classical..." Here is what a few Citizens have come up with:

Citizen #1
"It's a techno version of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.8, "Pathetique", 1st movement... says my neighboring animator, who holds a degree in music."

Citizen #2
"I don't know the answer to the music part, but the opening "narration" is a pastiché of propaganda from Churchill, Kennedy, King and FDR.

Citizen #3
"I don't believe there is an 'official' title to the music, I could be wrong, so I'll check into it. But I believe it's just a mix mash of music and soundbytes to make it sound more dramatic."

And the correct answer is...

Citizen #4
"The Main Title theme is an original piece composed by Jim Latham.

Way to go Citizen Jim! Thank you for providing a familiar yet new song for us to hum while driving. Just make sure to include it on the soundtrack. There's a lot of great background music in this show and we can't wait to see it on the store shelves... right next ot the DVD and VHS box-sets of Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles! Hooougha!

Citizen Butch adds: Jim Latham started his career doing music for commercials (adverts for those who actually speak the Queen's English). The title piece is copyrighted 1991 and was originally used for a JVC commercial-advert in Japan.

If you get local schedule info, pass it
on to me so I can post it for the rest...

Please write and give me your local affiliate's
e-mail, so we can write our praise and concerns:

Teletoon (Canada) began airing Jan. 3, 2000 @ 7pm Monday and 5pm Sat/Sun

Sky One (UK) began airing Jan. 10, 2000 @ 7:30am, Mon-Fri. The title has been changed to "Starship Troopers: The Series"

Sci-Fi "program@www.scifi.com"

Los Angeles, California KCAL-9 "program@kcal.com"

Baltimore, Maryland Fox-45 "webmaster@wbff45.com"

Foundation Imaging "webmaster@foundation-i.com"

Citizen Keith writes:

After getting the last episode of the Pluto Campaign last week, I sat down and
watched all of the 1st 5 episodes. I did something a little different and it made
the story flow more. I watched them in this order

1. Free Fall (101)
2. Plasma bugs of Navarone (102)
3. Basic Training (104)
4. Handle with care (103)
5. Deep trouble (105)

Switching 103 and 104 made alot more sense in the story. The flirting of Gossard
and Dizzy flows easier. In episode 104 they make mention that this was the first
time they had seen the flying bugs yet in episode 103 they were no big deal. And
also, Basic Training had no day mention like the others. All that Higgins says
is "...after 10 days of fighting" and in episode 103 it was listed as day 9.

Just wanted to share this with you (and the other Citizens out there).

Keith