Prisoners of Gravity
Season 2
Prisoners of Gravity was a Canadian public broadcasting television news magazine program that explored speculative fiction — science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic books — and its relation to various thematic and social issues. Produced by TVOntario, the show was the brainchild of former comic retail manager Mark Askwith and writer Daniel Richler, and was hosted by Rick Green. The series aired 139 episodes over 5 seasons from 1989 to 1994.
Where to Watch Season 2
30 Episodes
- AliensE5
Episode 5AliensCommander Rick has been watching B-movies, and discusses aliens with science fiction authors George R.R. Martin, Larry Niven, Jack Vance, Gregory Benford, Nancy Kress, Leslie Gadallah, Spider Robinson, George Zebrowski and Judith Merril (founder of Toronto's Spaced Out Library). From the world of comics, Rick interviews Mark Verheiden about Alien and Predator, and Elaine Lee about Starstruck. - CollaborationsE6
Episode 6CollaborationsCommander Rick looks at the collaborative process in comics and speculative fiction, featuring science fiction publisher Jim Baen and writers Gregory Benford, Judith Merril, George Zebrowski and Canadian husband-and-wife team Spider and Jeanne Robinson. Starstruck collaborators Elaine Lee and Michael Kaluta are joined by Uncanny X-men writer Chris Claremont, The Question artist Denys Cowan, Incredible Hulk writer Peter David and Frank Miller, who writes Hardboiled and Give Me Liberty. - Evoking The Future: LanguageE8
Episode 8Evoking The Future: Language"Language is a virus from outer space" - William Burroughs. Commander Rick speaks the language of comics and speculative fiction with sf writers Gregory Benford, Jack Vance, Jack Womack, Kenneth Oppel, Guy Gavriel Kay and Pamela Sargent, with comic creators Terry Beatty, Mark Askwith and Terry Beatty. British animator Nick Park (Peter Gabriel's video Sledgehammer) shows models and clips from his award-winning feature, Creature Comforts. - MusicE13
Episode 13MusicCommander Rick's music show, featuring his pirate radio station CMDR: highlights include the week's top 10, SF writer Spider Robinson singing, Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart on why he's an avid SF fan, Edward Scissorhands musical composer Danny Elfman, SF writer/music critic Harlan Ellison. Other interviews include: comic book creators Gilbert Hernandez, Steve Leialoha, George Pratt and Bill Sienkiewicz; fantasy authors Charles De Lint, Tanya Huff and Guy Gavriel Kay; and SF writer Lewis Shiner. Featuring videos from Rush and Level 42. - Evoking The Future: SettingE14
Episode 14Evoking The Future: SettingCommander Rick looks at the importance of setting in evoking future worlds with his guests: speculative fiction writers Gregory Benford, Charles De Lint, Candas Jane Dorsey, Leslie Gadallah, Tanya Huff, Donald Kingsbury, Nancy Kress, Larry Niven, Garfield and Judith Reeves-Stevens, Jack Vance, and award-winning SF cover artist Frank Kelly Freas. Will Eisner, Rick Geary, Bob Kane, Charles Vance and Matt Wagner discuss the role of setting in comics. - Animation 1E15
Episode 15Animation 1Disney's release of the restored version of Fantasia inspires Commander Rick to look at animation. Rick discusses the pivotal role of Fantasia with original Disney animator Ollie Johnston, restoration sound supervisor Terry Porter, and animation historian Charles Solomon. Japanese animated feature Akira is discussed with its North American distributor Carl Macek and comic book artist M.W. Kaluta. Also, David Fine talks about his Gemini-award winning short George and Rosemary, Claymation creator Will Vinton discusses his California Raisins, and British animator Nick Park discusses his British Academy-Award winning feature, Creature Comforts. - HorrorE20
Episode 20HorrorCommander Rick's horror show, starring: British horror writer/director Clive Barker; Swamp Thing artist Steve Bissette; Good Omens co-author Neil Gaiman; Black Water 2 editor Alberto Manguel; Mike Mignola, artist on Clive Barker's Hellraiser; Canadian horror writer Garfield Reeves-Stevens; Marvel Comics writer Louise Simonson; horror writer/cartoonist Gahan Wilson; and Julian Grant, the Canadian distributor for B-movie home video company, Sinister Cinema. - Marketing & MerchandisingE21
Episode 21Marketing & MerchandisingCommander Rick discusses the marketing and merchandising of speculative fiction, for the actual books that were not considered mainstream at the time this was difficult. But with the rise in movie and tv adaptations it was much different. - ViolenceE22
Episode 22ViolenceCommander Rick examines the role of violence in comics and SF, with his guests: Aliens 3 director Walter Hill; Canadian fantasy writers Charles De Lint, Shirley Meier and S.M. Stirling; American SF writers Lewis Shiner and Jack Womack; horror writer Peter Straub; and Terry Beatty (Ms. Tree), Steve Bissette (Taboo), Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Todd McFarlane (Spider-Man), Bill Sienkiewicz (Big Numbers), Walt Simonson (Thor) and Ty Templeton (Stig's Inferno) discussing violence in comic books. - ChaosE23
Episode 23ChaosChaos theory is being hailed as the other major scientific development of this century after relativity and quantum physics -- featuring author James Gleick (whose 1985 book brought Chaos to the world's attention), Bill Sienkiewicz, artist on Big Numbers (a 12-issue comic book series about chaos theory), Commodore Amiga computer product manager Jeff Evans, with computerized fractal images by computer hacker Caleb Howard and U.S. animators Art Matrix and Panspermia from Karl Sims/Thinking Machines. - ProfilesE25
Episode 25ProfilesCommander Rick sings the praises of Daniel Clowes, Peter Straub and Marv Newland. Daniel Clowes, the writer/artist of the alternative comic books Eightball and Lloyd Llewellyn, Private Eye, has been compared to David Lynch for his story-telling style and surreal sensibility. Peter Straub won the World Fantasy Award in 1985 for his novel, Floating Dragon, and has since penned such best-sellers as Koko, Mystery, Houses Without Doors and co-wrote The Talisman with Stephen King. Marv Newland created the animated cult fiavourite, Bambi Meets Godzilla, and a slew of other cutting-edge underground classics. Rick shows some of his favourites, including Sing Beast Sing, Black Hula and Lupo the Butcher. - EcologyE28
Episode 28EcologyThe hoopla surrounding Earth Day on April 22 inspires Commander Rick to take the pulse of the planet as diagnosed in comic books and speculative fiction, with: SF humorist Douglas Adams; Canadian comic book artist Ty Templeton; Sinister Cinema distributor Julian Grant; Taboo publisher Steve Bissette; Science Matters co-author James Trefil; and SF writers Robert Sawyer, Spider Robinson, Garfield and Judith Reeves- Stevens, Larry Niven, Gregory Benford, Lewis Shiner, Nancy Kress, Pamela Sargent and Lois McMaster Bujold.
