A Deep Dive into 'Star Commanders' - The Lost Sci-Fi Sitcom : Finding lost media

A Deep Dive into 'Star Commanders' - The Lost Sci-Fi Sitcom

Alright everyone, we've talked about 'Star Commanders' before, but this time, let's dissect every piece we actually know. The show ran a mere single season in the late '80s, before being canned due to budget overruns.

From forum leaks, we know about episodes involving time-travel, slapstick humor, and special effects ambitious for the time; think B-Class Star Trek. There's rumored to be an almost-comic book feel to some scenes, a lot of chromakey use, but no known home video releases or reruns after '89.

Recently, I had a chance to interview a former grip from the show who suggests that not all episodes aired—two episodes were fully produced but got booted off the schedule due to low ratings. That's two potential episodes OUT THERE, folks. Anyone who's got family in TV from the late '80s, it's time to raid the attic!

Submitted 10 months, 2 weeks ago by nostalgia_knight

It's wild to think about how ahead of their time some of these shows were with the tech they tried to use. Chromakey back then wasn’t as forgiving as it is now. If we can get any behind-the-scenes stuff or even just storyboards/script excerpts, that could really flesh out what 'Star Commanders' was trying to be. I mean, we have nothing but respect for 'Star Trek', but this could have been something special in its own right. Anyone wannna take another stab at reaching the network for info?

10 months, 2 weeks ago by GoGoGadget222

haha, no way, 'Star Commanders' is real? Saw some weird clips on a late-night show once, thought someone was pulling my leg. time travel and slapstick is a combo i can get behind 😂

10 months, 2 weeks ago by LateNightBinger

Can we just appreciate the gonzo VFX work for a sec? I would kill to see how they pulled off those effects pre-CGI. Whoever finds those episodes would be a hero to the FX community!

10 months, 2 weeks ago by PixelPusher22

Lost media aficionado here. 'Star Commanders' is one of those white whales, lots of potential leads but nothing concrete. It's possible that the unaired episodes may exist in some former crew members’ collections. Old production companies or broadcasters sometimes keep archives, so any leads there should be thoroughly investigated, could even contact former employees through LinkedIn or Facebook. If anyone has connections to TV historians or archivists, now's the time to make use of them.

10 months, 2 weeks ago by LostMediaHunter

Remember my folks talking about this one. Dad was into all that spaceship and aliens stuff. Said there was an episode so chock-full of references to old sci-fi, had him in stitches. I’ll ask if they kept any old recordings.

10 months, 2 weeks ago by 80sTVNut

Pfft, they probably never aired because they were terrible. I mean, 'B-Class Star Trek'? Sounds like they dodged a photon torpedo by cancelling it. 😂

10 months, 2 weeks ago by EternalSkeptic42

Collector here. I've been trying to get my hands on 'Star Commanders' for YEARS. Recently snagged some production stills from an estate sale, but the episodes themselves? It's like they got beamed up by a UFO, never to return. I’m gonna keep digging though!

10 months, 2 weeks ago by TrexCollector

Dude, 'Star Commanders' was my jam! It's a crime that it didn't get a proper ending or reruns. Anyone tried checking international archives? Some shows pop up in the most unexpected places.