===================== PROTOCOL 22 ==========================

-------------------> Proudly Presents:
 

                
                 *****'STAR MAIDENS'*****



1 9 7 6 (UK/Germany)
13 x 60 minute episodes




THE CAST:


Adam :                        Pierre Brice
Shem :                        Gareth Thomas
Grand Councilor Fulvia:       Judy Geeson
Security Controller Octavia:  Christiane Kruger
Dr Rudi Schmidt:              Christian Quadflieg
Liz Becker:                   Lisa Harrow
Professor Evans:              Derek Farr
President Clara:              Dawn Adams






Star Maidens was an Anglo-German co-production,
 shot on 16mm film at Bray Studios
 in England with a budget of  £50,000 an episode.
 Though basically a space-bound 
soap opera, it did provide some interesting 
science-fiction concepts. 

The series introduced the the planet of Mendusa
 where the female of the species 
reigned supreme (and were all drop-dead gorgeous
 in very revealing uniforms!) 
while the males took care of domestic chores,
 nursery duties and other menial
 tasks. When Mendusa entered the orbit of planet
 Earth, and word got around that
 it was a planet ruled almost entirely by men,
 two of the most rebellious Mendusan
 menservants managed to escape.

The first four episodes dealt with the arrival 
on Earth of the two rebels, Adam and
 Shem (Gareth Thomas of Blakes 7), and their 
constant endeavours to remain. In 
subsequent episodes the action alternated between
 the two planets, resulting in 
each episode having a self-contained storyline 
within the series.

After narrowly avoiding being killed when they
 crash-landed on Earth, the two 
renegade males appealed to the authorities to 
allow them asylum from the pursuing
 women - but on board the Mendusan ship Nemesis,
 Chief Security Controller Octavia
 and Adam's mistress (and lover) Grand Councilor
 Fulvia were already heading for Earth. 

Fulvia wanted the return of her runaway servant
 (who she treated more like a pet) and 
it wasn't long before aggressive super-bitch
 Octavia was ordering several Earth police
 officers about, expecting them to react like 
the men on her home planet. 

Meanwhile, after trying to communicate with a
 herd of cows, (and following their lead
 by eating grass!)  Adam and Shem found their
 way to a large castle where they sought
 refuge. Unable to resist their curiosity, 
Earthling Doctor Rudi Schmidt and Liz Becker
 from the Astronomical Institute explored 
inside the unattended Nemesis. Rudi 
accidentally triggered a device which blinded
 him, and the panic-stricken Liz turned to
 the craft's occupants for help upon their 
return. (They activated a medical droid who 
performed a brief operation and a much relieved
 Rudi made a perfect recovery). 

Octavia then piloted the ship to the castle 
where she had tracked Adam and Shem, and
 activated something called the Nightmare Cannon
 - a weapon that feeds upon a person's 
fear - forcing both men outside to plead for mercy. 
Unfortunately, before Nemesis could
 land it was struck by lightning and damaged, 
and had to return to space for repairs.

Octavia kidnapped the two scientists in the hope
 of arranging an exchange for Adam and
 Shem (much to the annoyance of Professor Evans on
 Earth, who was enjoying picking the
 alien's brains in his quest for more knowledge). 

Meanwhile Fulvia was drugged with champagne and
 kidnapped by a foreign power who wanted 
the secrets of Mendusa's advanced technology, 
while up on Mendusa Dr Rudi Schmidt crossed
 swords with Octavia and was tried by a jury of
 computers and sent onto the barren surface
 of the planet  to join a work detail.

While here, Schmidt organised a breakout and 
destroyed the hovering patrol vehicle by 
reflecting its own ray back against it with a
 mirror. The escape bid was foiled by President 
Clara, whose pleas worked on the dumb male escapees
 as their conditioning caused them to 
obey the women's orders and open the hatch to admit
 the red-helmeted female security guards with paraguns
 - a ray gun that causes temporary paralysis).

Octavia meanwhile ordered Liz Becker to be attached to 
a bizarre machine called the sexometer,
 which worked on the mind - On a large video screen we 
saw a muscle-bound, macho, blond guy,
 but Liz rebelled and the image changed into a hideous 
snake.  Octavia boosted the power and
 restored the hunk until Liz changed it again by sheer 
willpower. Over and over again it 
changed back and forth from man to beast until the
 machine blew a circuit  
- Shades of Barbarella . . .

Down on Earth, Adam has rescued Fulvia and the pair
 have decided to try and live together 
as man and wife (but in reverse, with her working and
 him staying at home to 
do the housework), but Adam tired of Fulvia's jealousy
 and called it a day. Packing his bags
 and leaving her, he rescued the weak-willed Shem who
 had been dominated by two women's libbers
 and forced to show them how to use a paragun 
(most of this sequence was shot on a Barrat 
housing estate - a sign that the budget was running out).

Back on Planet Chick, Rudi worked out that the rain was 
disintegrating Mendusa's crust and it 
was only a matter of time before all the Mendusans were
 killed, but Octavia refused to listen
 to the good doctor - as their 'Prediction Computer' 
insisted there was nothing wrong.
 Rudi ultimately had a new air purification system shut
 down and saved the day. 

In the end,  Rudi and Liz were returned to Earth in 
exchange for Adam and Shem 
(on the way home, Adam shot down an age-old enemy of the
 Mendusans and saved Octavia's life.
 Reluctantly she voiced her gratitude to the MAN
 who saved her . . . Ironic, huh?