Star Maidens 

Medusa, a planet from another solar system drifts into Earth's system. The surface of this planet is no longer habitable and the inhabitants have moved to a high-tech underground city. The ... See full summary »

Stars:

Lisa Harrow, Christian Quadflieg, Christiane Krüger

Cast

Series cast summary:
Lisa Harrow	...	Liz 10 episodes, 1976
Christian Quadflieg	...	Rudi 10 episodes, 1976
Christiane Krüger	...	Octavia 10 episodes, 1976
Judy Geeson	...	Fulvia 8 episodes, 1976
Gareth Thomas	...	Shem 8 episodes, 1976
Pierre Brice	...	Adam 8 episodes, 1976
Derek Farr	...	Evans 8 episodes, 1976
Dawn Addams	...	Clara 5 episodes, 1976

Storyline

Medusa, a planet from another solar system drifts into Earth's system. The surface of this planet is no longer habitable and the inhabitants have moved to a high-tech underground city. The society is ruled by women, who of course, are all beautiful. Men are considered mentally inferior and are divided into two categories: the "adequately intelligent" who are selected by women to act as their personal "domestics" for household chores, and the remainder who are forced to perform menial labor under the supervision of female guards. The guards are attired nicely in visored helmets, boots, hot pants, and elbow-length gloves which are used to control the men through some sort of apparent force. Two of the men from Medusa escape and head to Earth, determined to be free of their female oppressors. But they are pursued by two Medusan women. When the Earth authorities fail to help capture the fugitives, the Medusan women take two Earth scientists (a man and a woman) back to Medusa until an ...

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Plot Keywords:

bio dome | biosphere | space amazon woman | amazon woman from space | space amazon | 

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Genres:

Sci-Fi

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Did You Know?

Trivia

A novelization of the series by Ian Evans was published by Corgi.

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Connections

Featured in 70s: The Best of Bad TV (2015)

User Reviews

I want to live on Medusa!!!

If you're a fan of THUNDERBIRDS or SPACE:1999 then you might be curious about this obscure TV show made shortly after the Andersons' divorced. Although she is uncredited, the hand of Sylvia Anderson is all over this ambitious but mostly haphazard production: Gogo- booted guards in day-glow crash helmets, delicious sets and props that have more in common with a Pucci gown than technology, romantic innuendos and social situations too advanced for a space-rocket adventure.... Star Maidens isn't just a campy role-reversal. It explores what happens when worlds collide, and the ripple effect each has on the other's culture, albeit played out in a silly melodrama with a handful of characters shot on as low- budget as possible.... Adam escapes Medusa thinking Earth will be a male-dominant paradise. Instead he finds earthlings attempting to balance the roles of men and women, and Adam realizes what he wants: Equality. Meanwhile, hostage Liz Becker basks in her predicament as a closet-subservient to fellow prisoner Rudi Schmidt, but she must pretend to be his master as the planet Medusa offers her every opportunity except admitting her need for a man. Perhaps most complex is Fulvia who uses her political status to shield a taboo relationship with her domestic servant, which she condescendingly dismisses as the love of a pet until they become curious about the ways of Earth. Can Fulvia and Adam find common ground before their relationship creates an interplanetary conflict? Clearly there is more here than ray guns and space battles, but in 30-minute episodes nothing gets very deep and the directing is so clumsy from episode to episode that the show is barely pinned together like the Medusans' elaborate hairstyles! Scenes are awkward, characters inconsistent, and plot-holes abound, but a groovy future lounge soundtrack keeps things rolling along and each episode is only a half hour. Feminists attempt to seize power on Earth with stolen Medusa weapons, Fulvia and Adam roleplay a trial suburban marriage, while Liz and Rudi unravel the ecological collapse of planet Medusa. Where is all this going? Is it satire or space opera? Who cares! Sit back and indulge in this strange artifact from a time when the sexual revolution threatened to go too far.

All 13 episodes are available from AmazonUK on 2 region-free dvds.

Details

Country:

UK West Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1976 (UK)

Also Known As:

Star Maidens

Filming Locations:

Meteorological Office, Bracknell, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jost Graf von Hardenberg & Co., Portman Productions, Scottish Television Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (13 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color