Logan's Run: The Complete Series

Logan's Run was a very short lived series, only 14 episodes were created before the series was cancelled. It was loosely based on the hit movie, but with some significant differences. The movie was a bit of an oddity too, but it had a rather indefinite ending. Logan's Run deals with a post nuclear war society kept prisoner in a multi-domed city. It was a completely hedonistic society, which was emphasized much more completely in the movie version, but was undoubtedly toned down for the censored TV of the 70s. No doubt it was created for the golden "family hour" that was popular with the networks at the time in a failed effort to create shows that were appropriate for the entire family (read lacking sexual/adult content). The down side to living in the City of Domes was that people were promised a reincarnation at the age of 30, but were really be put to death in a colorful ritual call "carousel" when they reached that age. It was never fully explained why this was so--whether it was for population control or some other reason; but it was forbidden for anyone to visit the outside world and whatever the original plan was had been long since lost or corrupted. We might assume that they were being kept in the city until a day where the surface of the Earth was more habitable for human being, but if that was the case the mission was completely lost (in the movie version it appears faulty computers were to blame). To prevent people from leaving the city executioners called Sandmen were employed to annihilate people who wouldnt go to carousel or those trying to escape. Logan's Run deals with Logan (a Sandman who questioned the order of things) and Jessica, who didn't to become incinerated at 30, and became runners who manage to escape together. In the ruins of Washington DC they find an old solar hovercraft and set off to find "Sanctuary", a place said to be where people could live beyond 30 in safety; but no one knew where it was. Along the way they pick up a clever and witty android name Rem. I watched the show as a teenager, but wasn't able to keep up with it due to changing time slots and other conflicts--which was what undoubtedly lead to it's demise. I don't think that it was deliberately campy, it was just the style of those types of series in those days--like the original Battlestar Galactica series. It was definitely better than the later Buck Rogers series, which had better effects but poor writing. This was not a lame show, on what appeared to be a very limited budget it attempted to be a decent science fiction show. Deeply involved was DC Fontana who was a major writer and consultant for the original Star Trek series. They had some decent and known science fiction writers do stories for them. The exploration of a post apocalyptic USA was intriguing, although there were some continuity problems if one looked deeply enough, for the most part the stories were well written. I believe Rem was Ms.Fontana's attempt to add a Spock-like character to the mix and made a good addition to the show's cast. Like Spock he was highly analytical and had capabilities beyond that of human beings. There were some well know TV actors who played guest spots as well as some who had been in other science fiction shows. There is no attempt at restoration on this series, the episodes are "as-is" and there is not bonus materials or extras of any kind, which is a shame because I think that this much overlooked show deserved a little better treatment even if they just dug up some archival materials about it. Shows like NIght Gallery and Time Tunnel got much kinder treatment for their DVD releases. I hope that future releases rectify this oversight. I highly recommend the series to those who liked the movie if they can overlook the somewhat rudimentary special effects and mat paintings, because the story deserves a 2nd look. I think Logan's Run is ripe for a update like was done with Battlestar Galactica and V, perhaps if enough people buy the DVDs the studios will give it some thought.

I was 17 when this show was on TV and didnt watch it. I was to busy being 17 and going to Rocky Horror on Fri nights. I am now a big fan of the show. I have always been a fan of the movie. This show, like other great sci fi shows of the 70's and 80's "Planet of the Apes", "Battle Star", "Quark", "V" , "Starman" , "Alien Nation.", "The Man from Atlantis", "Shazam", "The Powers of Matthew Starr" and "Voyagers" didnt get a chance to grow and were cancelled far to soon. This show might be cheesy and cheap, but for it's time it had great stories. Most of all near the end when they did stories that centered around cults and religion, " Night Visitors" and "Turnabout." I also like that they allowed Francis to do some fancy sword play " star wars style" in the episode "Turnabout". I liked Francis and thought he should have been used more often. The old friendship between Logan and Francis should have been developed more. I see Rem as a forfather of Data in Star Trek Next Gen. At least Rem didnt get on my nerves like Data. I often wished someone would just pull the plug on Data for a whole episode. I am glad they are releasing the old sci fi shows on DVD. The quality of the DVDs are fine. It is to bad there are no extras. You'd think they could at least get in a few interviews or info about the production. Seems like they are doing these shows on the cheap. The same with "The Man from Atlantis." no extras. I would like to see the following on DVD. "Otherworld". "Manimal". "Salvage 1". "The Immortal" . "Tucker's Witch". "The Charmings." "Batman. 60's " (Why is Batman not out?) "Holmes and Yoyo". And stop leaving us hanging on the rest of "Superboy" and please release all of "Rocky Jones Space Ranger." And dont get me started on the great Western TV shows that are not on DVD. They release crappy reality shows on DVD and not shows like "How the West was Won" or "The Quest". Go figure.

I remember watching the TV version of Logan's Run when I was a teenager. Back then I didn't find the stories terribly interesting but my love of the original movie gave me a reason to pick up the DVD of the TV series to reevaluate this show. First off, everyone is correct regarding the image quality of the DVD. While the images are sharp and clear, there are lots of scratches and other blemishes that make the episodes less than pristine. Gregory Harrison is a bit stiff as Logan, though he comes across as a sincere character who is concerned about the predicament he finds himself in. Heather Menzies is also effective in her role. She's not just a companion or a "damsel in distress". She is written to be a very independent and smart character who is integral to solving the problems encountered week to week. Donald Moffat really stands out as REM however. He tends to get the best lines and delivers them in his lovely drole yet dispassionate voice. He is of course the show's Mr. Spock or Lt. Data. He's the outsider who can comment on human condition in ways that Logan and Jessica cannot. Let's face it, this show was attempting to be Star Trek on land instead of space. Certainly their over-riding goal was to find Sanctuary but it's the people and situations they encounter from week to week that makes the show interesting. In many cases Logan, Jessica and REM take a back seat to the characters they encounter but the stars of the show don't quite gel as a team like Kirk, Spock and McCoy did in Trek. If the show had made it past its initial 13 episodes, ways would have been found to make us care more for the main cast of the show. Having gone through the show's flaws, I do find the episodes to be remarkably interesting and relevant. Credit certainly goes to D.C. Fontana, the show's story editor, who was a Star Trek veteran. She recruited some top-notch talent to contribute story ideas to the show. While the show's basic format resembles "The Fugitive", the stories elevate the basic premise into something more interesting. There are some great concepts, though there are a couple of clunkers as well. Credit must also be given to the set designers and special effects crew. I cringed when I saw that most of the optical effects were in fact video effects mastered on film. I did begin to appreciate how well many of these video effects were actually incorporated into the show and some impressive effects were certainly achieved. The design of the hovercar looks like something borrowed from a Flash Gordon serial of the 1930's but the prop works very well and allows Logan, Jessica and REM to get from story to story with a minimum of fuss. A great deal of the show takes place outdoors, but the interior sets are surprisingly large and detailed. Props and elements were reused from week to week and the sets have that odd 1970's cheap TV look. However, the set designers obviously had fun and some of the sets are nicely realized. All in all, I'm very happy to have purchased this DVD. The 1970's were pretty hit and miss when it came to Sci-Fi entertainment on TV, especially from the three main networks at the time. However, Logan's Run was certainly a very well done show and its a pity that it wasn't given a chance to meet its full potential.

Based on the movie of the same name the tv series is finally given a dvd release.God for years we had to put up with those horrible bootleg dvds. Thank Goodness a decent release is on its way. Logan's Run the tv series had many problems but somehow the exploits of Logan, Jessica and Rem has touched are hearts.For those loyal to the series such as me I just plain love the show.Lots of Sci fi gadgets and computers colorful force fields and a solar powered hovercraft discovered by L and J helps them get through the desert with ease.Very colorful sets and costumes enlivens This series too.And many familiar faces Donald Moffat as the ever lovable android Rem steals the show in many scenes. Randy Powell fresh from Dallas tv series as the ever persistent Sandman on the chase of Logan and Jessica.Played by a very young and handsome Gregory Harrison along with fresh faced Heather Menzies (Robert Urich's wife)and her Farrah Fawcett hairdoo.Tons of Guest stars Like Mariette Hartley,Christopher Stone,Spencer Milligan,Kim Cattrall,Ellen Weston,Nicholas Hammand,Linden Chiles,Leslie Parish,Angela Cartwright, Paul Shenar and Melody Anderson to name a few helped breath life into this series.We even get to go back to the City of Domes for a couple of episodes to view more of the perfect life they lead before they turn 30 years old and become runners who don't believe in renewal reject the carousel ceremony ( a computerized ritual that kills those that have just turned thirty).Population control at its cruelest.A total of fourteen episodes were produced with probably some of the most enchanting sci fi in a long time.One deviation from the movies original premise is in the pilot we find out a chosen few of the population known as the elders are aloud to grow old and a six man council run the entire city in secret and only Specially picked Sandman get to join when and an elder dies of old age.Francis is offered this position if he can bring back Logan and Jessica.And the Sandman are equipped with vehicles of their own to chase Logan and Jessica through the desert.

For the TV series and there's about 16 or 20 episodes. It never was popular but what made it interesting was a lot of Star Trek people had their input from DC Fontana and the directors. So just for the stories I give it five stars.

Time hasn’t been kind to Logan-5 which is ironic given the premise of the series. Set in the 23rd century in a post apocalyptic world where people lived in domed cities, Logan’s Run follows Logan (Gregory Harrison) and Jessica-6 (Heather Menzies). They’ve escaped from the domed city where everyone is slated to die at 30. It keeps the population in check and balances their world. Logan’s a Sandman-essential a police officer-who rounds up those who try to escape the dome. Once you reach 30 years of age, you’re forced to be ‘newed’ on last day. ‘Being reborn’ is a lie though as everyone dies. Logan chooses to run with Jessica to discover Sanctuary and they find themselves pursued by Logan’s former partner Francis. The plot for the pilot is a scaled down version of the movie using visual effects from the film. Show runners Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts reimagine the film is some interesting ways; they aren’t always successful but they do introduce a new character a robot named Rem (played by the late great Donald Moffat). Rem’s humorous wry performance is charismatic and one of the best aspects of the series. In spite of some top notch talent behind-the-scenes (Harlan Ellison, David Gerrold, D. C. Fontana), the series reflects a Saturday morning kid’s show quality. The writing, performances and direction are pretty bland for the most part although the two best episodes penned by Ellison (he wrote the outline for “Crypt”) and Gerrold (writing under the nome de plume Noah Ward due to some meddling with his script). Both hold up amazingly well and hint at the potential of the series that was never achieved. The DVD has pretty good looking transfers for the series. There is some fading and a bit of debris from time-to-time but for a no frills release, this looks pretty darn good. I would love to see the series upgraded to Blu-Ray (the high def film transfer files would still exist) because, even with its flaws, the series is fun. Audio is clear and subtitles are provided but there aren’t any special features on the series. That’s a missed opportunity. Although “Logan’s Run” failed to deliver the adult science fiction experience many had hoped for, the series still has some value for fans who remember it fondly. The fourteen episodes (including three that were never aired except in syndication) are spread over three discs. This is not (at the time of this writing) a MOD DVD-R but a pressed DVD set.

This series is very special to me, as is the music by Laurence Rosenthal which I also have. Sure it is low budget 70s sci-fi but it has a certain charm as REM would say, a characteristic not found in modern sci-fi, kind of romantic in a sense without the unnecessary gore so many modern sci-fi writers use to substitute for a lack of imagination. My husband and I loved watching it again in 2005 when we acquired our bootleg. Now at last we can ditch the poor quality dvd and low-res downloads. Would be nice to have some background info, extra stuff perhaps about the few episodes in the planning that never made it but then perhaps I'm asking too much. At least the completed (originally unaired) episodes will be included. My husband died in 2007 and this series is a reminder of the good times we had together watching our favorite sci-fi. His favorite episodes were Future Past and Man Out of Time. All the episodes differed, aliens, time travel, people found in cryo chambers from the world war, a girl with special powers etc., - all the fun genre rolled into one series that should have made it to two seasons. The Solar vehicle was a great idea, even if it was a bit ugly but the Sandmen groundcars were cool. I wonder why there were no flying pursuit vehicles? Probably budget, but for the low budget this series was made on, it packed a lot of fun and memories. Run Logan, run! Runnerrrrrr!

Zone 1 (multizone player mandatory outside Americas). French subs available. Compete series, good picture.