MASTERS OF SCIENCE FICTION: THE DISCARDED (TV)
Summary
One in this science-fiction anthology series hosted by Professor Stephen Hawking.
A massive space ship orbiting the earth is filled with people suffering from various physical deformities. Death is a common occurrence, as one accidentally kills herself by ramming her head into the hull of the ship, necessitating that the body be sent out of the airlock into space. Two of the inhabitants, Bedzyk, a man with a grotesque enlarged hand, and Samswope, a man with a miniature second head growing out of his shoulder, sit down to discuss the woman’s death. The ship is not welcome on earth or on any terraformed planet, as nobody wishes to host the inhabitants; their numbers have dwindled to 93. Samswope asks Bedzyk for advice, pointing out that he is the de facto leader of the ship. Samswope also recounts to anyone who will listen that their condition was called “transmutational blood poisoning,” which eventually became “blood radiation” or the vernacular “blood poop.” The condition was dealt with once its victims numbered over a million, and it was redubbed “random idiopathic genomic mutation” or “RIGM.”
Bedzyk is informed that an unscheduled ship from earth is approaching. Later he confides in his wife Annie that he feels that the real reason the RIGM sufferers were put into space was not due to overpopulation, but due to disgust from the rest of humanity. He convinces her that he wants to make love to her with the lights on and she agrees, although she is uncomfortable due to her partially transparent skin, displaying many of her internal organs. They are interrupted by the arrival of the ship from earth, and Bedzyk is called away to deal with it. The ship docks and Bedzyk attempts to hail it. They are unresponsive and the ship makes a boarding attempt. A single passenger, identified as Barney Curran, comes out to greet the inhabitants, claiming that he is from the earth’s world government to make them a “really good offer.” Bedzyk, Samswope, and the ship’s navigator Harmony Teat take Curran aside to discuss the matter in private.
At first they believe that Curran is there to evict them from earth orbit and they mock him, but Curran eventually reveals that he suffers from RIGM as well, and that the sickness has spread exponentially throughout the planet, infecting countless people. It was thought to have been eliminated by a global cure but returned years later, having mutated to survive and become stronger. This led to mass evacuations of cities as people took up residence in isolated shelters, and eventually another cure was discovered in the form of a serum synthesized from enzymes found in the blood of the first wave of RIGM sufferers, i.e. the inhabitants of the ship. Bedzyk refuses to aid Curran or be exploited by him and get into an argument. Another inhabitant overhears this and goes on a mad rampage. Harmony Teat attempts to stop him but ends up impaled against a wall. Curran addresses all of the inhabitants and claims that the disease has become unmanageable, and that earth is offering to allow them to land and remain there in exchange for helping them. Bedzyk still believes that Curran is lying and will take their blood by force if need be, although Samswope and others are more inclined to believe Curran, desperate to return to earth. Bedzyk insists that Curran is lying, and he gets into an argument with Samswope. Annie also wants to trust Curran, but Bedzyk is still unconvinced. He soon finds that he is alone in his convictions, and physically attacks Curran before Samswope stops him, accidentally killing him in the process. Morose, Samswope gives Curran permission to send in his medical teams to collect their blood.
Three weeks later, the earth doctors manage to acquire enough blood from the inhabitants to meet their quota. Samswope is enthusiastic, but he and Annie are uneasy around each other. The rescue vessel is hours away from docking with the ship, and Samswope laments Bedzyk’s death. Samswope officiates over a wedding, the first one to officially take place on the ship, amidst an atmosphere of joy and hope. During the ceremony, the rescue craft docks and Curran enters, but is accompanied by a flood of new RIGM sufferers boarding the ship. Samswope and the other inhabitants are bitterly disappointed at this betrayal. Soon thereafter, Samswope commits suicide by ramming his head into the ship’s hull, and life continues aboard the vessel in much the same way as it did before as Annie assumes command. Includes commercials.
(This program contains visual imperfections. It represents the best copy available to the museum at this time.)
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: August 25, 2007 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:57:56
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 113470
- GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 2007
- COMMERCIALS:
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- TV – Commercials – Applebee’s restaurants
- TV – Commercials – Cheez-It snacks
- TV – Commercials – Citibank financial services
- TV – Commercials – Denny’s restaurants
- TV – Commercials – Febreeze cleaning spray
- TV – Commercials – Glade scent products
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- TV – Commercials – Venus shaving razors
- TV – Commercials – Verizon phone service
- TV – Commercials – Wal-Mart department stores
- TV – Commercials – “Dragon Wars” motion picture
- TV – Commercials – “The Brave One” motion picture
- TV – Promos – “Army Wives”
- TV – Promos – “Brothers and Sisters”
- TV – Promos – “Cavemen”
- TV – Promos – “Desperate Housewives”
- TV – Promos – “Dirty Sexy Money”
- TV – Promos – “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
- TV – Promos – “Good Morning America”
- TV – Promos – “Pushing Daisies”
- TV – Promos – “Saturday Night Football”
- TV – Promos – “iCaught”
CREDITS
- John W. Hyde … Executive Producer
- Brad Mendelsohn … Executive Producer
- Andrew Deane … Executive Producer
- Keith Addis … Executive Producer
- Sam Egan … Co-Executive Producer
- Lisa Richardson … Co-Executive Producer
- Mick Garris … Co-Executive Producer
- Grant Rosenberg … Supervising Producer
- Ben Browning … Co-Producer
- Adam Goldworm … Co-Producer
- Brendan Ferguson … Co-Producer
- Lee Wilson … Consulting Producer
- Jonathan Frakes … Director
- Harlan Ellison … Writer, Based on the short story by
- Josh Olson … Writer
- John Frizzel … Music by
- Edward Shearmur … Theme Music by
- Stephen Hawking … Narrator
- Brian Dennehy … Cast, Bedzyk
- John Hurt … Cast, Samswope
- James Denton … Cast, Barney Curran
- Gina Chiarelli … Cast, Annie
- Lori Triolo … Cast, Harmony Teat
- Donny Lucas … Cast, Steve
- Vicky Lambert … Cast, Frenchy
- Alex Zahara … Cast, Bucky
- Leanne Adachi … Cast, Sharon
- Jason Diablo … Cast, Smiler
- Barbara Kottmeier … Cast, Sis
- Harlan Ellison … Cast, Nate
- Ken Kramer … Cast, Schmool
- Gillian Barber … Cast, Dr. Goldstein
- Brian Dobson … Voice, Samswope 2