The Night the Cylons Landed
Encyclopedia
"The Night the Cylons Landed" is a double episode, consisting of the seventh and eighth episodes of the television series Galactica 1980
, a spin-off of the earlier ABC science fiction series Battlestar Galactica
. The episode first aired in two parts broadcast on April 13 and April 20, 1980 on ABC
.
Troy and Dillon take a flight out of LAX. Having to pass through a metal detector to prevent hijacking, Dillon, upon learning the meaning of ‘Hijack’, muses, “I wonder what someone would do with an aircraft once they seized it.” They soon find out when their flight is beset by an attempted hijacking to Cuba
. The two use their pistols to stun the hijackers, but their act is witnessed by a young boy. The FBI
is ordered to meet the plane once it lands, but fails to catch the two invisible figures who escape from the scene.
Meanwhile, the Galactica has recovered its missing recon, and from the probe’s scans Zee hypothesizes that they Cylons have evolved into a completely new technological state. The Cylon vessel begins receiving transmissions from Earth just before it crashes sixty miles north of New York City
. One Centurion and one of the advanced humanoid Cylons survives. The Cylon, Andromus, activates the automatic detonator and takes the ship’s distress beacon, hoping to infiltrate humankind and find a means to signal their Cylon brothers. Upon their arrival at the site, Troy and Dillon have only a few moments to realize not all of the Cylons perished before the craft explodes. Briefly detained by the police, they escape in a squad car before being pursued while following the Cylon distress code towards New York City.
Andromus and Centuri have not gone far before they are offered a lift by Shirley and Norman, who assume the duo are—like themselves—in costume and on their way to a Halloween
party in New York. The duo is invited to a party being attended by the legendary Disc jockey
Wolfman Jack
. Andromus decides to attend when he learns Norman is General Manager of a radio station and Arnie—their host for the night—is his Program Director. A distrustful and suspicious Norman reflects, “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”
, Hair Bear, Hong Kong Phooey
, and other assorted animated characters dancing onstage to “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
”. Knowing they will be recognized by their clothing, Troy and Dillon borrow a couple of white suits, but they are mistaken for dancers and forced to bumble their way through a rendition of “On the Good Ship Lollipop
”. With police now in the theater, they activate their nuclear fields to escape. Briefly interrupted by a gang in Central Park
, they finally draw near to the signal.
At the party, Andromus decides they will need a set of keys and one of the guests to gain entrance to the radio station. His Centurion finds the keys and Andromus is introduced to the Wolfman, whom he surprisingly discovers known more about radio than he had been led to believe. Norman, increasingly suspicious of these guests’ motives, attempts to warn Arnie but they are interrupted by the Centurion, who is paralyzed when Arnie activates his microwave oven. Andromous shoots out the microwave, causing a fire; he takes Wolfman prisoner during the ensuing chaos.
Troy and Dillon arrives just as the Cylons depart. Troy is detained rescuing a kid from the burning apartment and joins Dillon outside station WQSL. Because they do not have the proper keys their elevator stops before reaching the required floor. Troy and Dillon take advantage of their ability to usurp Earth’s gravitational field and leap the remaining forty floors up the elevator shaft. As they do, Wolfman shows the Cylons how the station is automated, meaning no one else is on staff. Andromus decides to use the Emergency Broadcasting System for their transmission and Wolfman must lead them to the roof, where they engage in a firefight with Troy and Dillon. Both Cylons are wounded and the Centurion, promising to protect his master, carries Andromus in its arms off the roof, landing in a dumpster far below. Galactica signals that it has jammed the Cylon transmission; the crisis has passed.
Throughout the episode, Air Force Colonel Briggs pursues first the Cylon craft, then Troy and Dillon in New York City. He is at a police department when the report of a fire started by a man at an apartment comes in. Following this lead to the hospital, the Colonel interviews several partygoers and some of the Park toughs who also saw Andromus and the Centurion. Tracing them to the radio station, he comes up as empty-handed as his predecessors.
Guests
”, “That'll Be the Day
”, “My Life
”, and “What a Fool Believes
”.
Galactica 1980
Galactica 1980 is a science fiction television series, and a spin-off from the 1978–1979 series Battlestar Galactica. It was first broadcast on the ABC network in the United States from January 27 to May 4, 1980.-Development:...
, a spin-off of the earlier ABC science fiction series Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson. It starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict and ran for one season in 1978–79. After cancellation, its story was continued in 1980 as Galactica 1980 with Adama, Lieutenant Boomer and...
. The episode first aired in two parts broadcast on April 13 and April 20, 1980 on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.
Part I
A Galactican recon patrol encounters a new Cylon fighter. Attempting to disable the craft before it can discover Earth’s whereabouts, the Viper collides with the fighter. Unfortunately, the collision sends the damaged fighter floating towards Earth’s orbit. Mistaking the craft for its missing recon, Adama contacts Troy and Dillon, who meet with Jamie Hamilton at the Griffith Park Observatory. She informs them that the U.S. Air Force has detected the derelict craft (which they suspect is Russian), which is expected to land in New York in the next twelve hours. Because the two warriors are under military investigation, Troy and Dillon must forgo their Vipers in place of more conventional transportation while Jamie accompanies the Scouts to Billy’s Camp.Troy and Dillon take a flight out of LAX. Having to pass through a metal detector to prevent hijacking, Dillon, upon learning the meaning of ‘Hijack’, muses, “I wonder what someone would do with an aircraft once they seized it.” They soon find out when their flight is beset by an attempted hijacking to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. The two use their pistols to stun the hijackers, but their act is witnessed by a young boy. The FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
is ordered to meet the plane once it lands, but fails to catch the two invisible figures who escape from the scene.
Meanwhile, the Galactica has recovered its missing recon, and from the probe’s scans Zee hypothesizes that they Cylons have evolved into a completely new technological state. The Cylon vessel begins receiving transmissions from Earth just before it crashes sixty miles north of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. One Centurion and one of the advanced humanoid Cylons survives. The Cylon, Andromus, activates the automatic detonator and takes the ship’s distress beacon, hoping to infiltrate humankind and find a means to signal their Cylon brothers. Upon their arrival at the site, Troy and Dillon have only a few moments to realize not all of the Cylons perished before the craft explodes. Briefly detained by the police, they escape in a squad car before being pursued while following the Cylon distress code towards New York City.
Andromus and Centuri have not gone far before they are offered a lift by Shirley and Norman, who assume the duo are—like themselves—in costume and on their way to a Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
party in New York. The duo is invited to a party being attended by the legendary Disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Wolfman Jack
Wolfman Jack
Robert Weston Smith, known commonly as Wolfman Jack was a gravelly voiced US disc jockey who became famous in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early career:...
. Andromus decides to attend when he learns Norman is General Manager of a radio station and Arnie—their host for the night—is his Program Director. A distrustful and suspicious Norman reflects, “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”
Part II
Troy and Dillon evade the police by accidentally driving their squad car off a pier into the East River. They contact the Galactica to explain their find of a humanoid Cylon at the crash site and are advised to stop the remaining Cylon at all costs. Making their way towards the Cylon distress signal, they must further evade police by hiding inside a theater. This leads the two upon the surreal sight of Scooby-DooScooby-Doo (character)
Scoobert "Scooby" Doo is the eponymous character and the protagonist in the Scooby-Doo animated television series created by the popular American animation company Hanna-Barbera...
, Hair Bear, Hong Kong Phooey
Hong Kong Phooey
Hong Kong Phooey is a 16-episode Hanna-Barbera animated series that first aired on ABC Saturday morning from to . The main character, Hong Kong Phooey, is a superhero who uses Chinese martial arts to fight crime. Hong Kong Phooey is the secret alter ego of Penrod "Penry" Pooch, a "mild-mannered"...
, and other assorted animated characters dancing onstage to “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is a song from the Disney 1946 live action and animated movie Song of the South, sung by James Baskett. With music by Allie Wrubel and lyrics by Ray Gilbert, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song...
”. Knowing they will be recognized by their clothing, Troy and Dillon borrow a couple of white suits, but they are mistaken for dancers and forced to bumble their way through a rendition of “On the Good Ship Lollipop
On the Good Ship Lollipop
"On the Good Ship Lollipop" was the trademark song of child actress Shirley Temple. Temple first sang it in the 1934 movie Bright Eyes. The "ship" in the song is an aircraft; the scene in Bright Eyes where the song appears takes place on an American Airlines Douglas DC-2 which is taxiing. In the...
”. With police now in the theater, they activate their nuclear fields to escape. Briefly interrupted by a gang in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, they finally draw near to the signal.
At the party, Andromus decides they will need a set of keys and one of the guests to gain entrance to the radio station. His Centurion finds the keys and Andromus is introduced to the Wolfman, whom he surprisingly discovers known more about radio than he had been led to believe. Norman, increasingly suspicious of these guests’ motives, attempts to warn Arnie but they are interrupted by the Centurion, who is paralyzed when Arnie activates his microwave oven. Andromous shoots out the microwave, causing a fire; he takes Wolfman prisoner during the ensuing chaos.
Troy and Dillon arrives just as the Cylons depart. Troy is detained rescuing a kid from the burning apartment and joins Dillon outside station WQSL. Because they do not have the proper keys their elevator stops before reaching the required floor. Troy and Dillon take advantage of their ability to usurp Earth’s gravitational field and leap the remaining forty floors up the elevator shaft. As they do, Wolfman shows the Cylons how the station is automated, meaning no one else is on staff. Andromus decides to use the Emergency Broadcasting System for their transmission and Wolfman must lead them to the roof, where they engage in a firefight with Troy and Dillon. Both Cylons are wounded and the Centurion, promising to protect his master, carries Andromus in its arms off the roof, landing in a dumpster far below. Galactica signals that it has jammed the Cylon transmission; the crisis has passed.
Throughout the episode, Air Force Colonel Briggs pursues first the Cylon craft, then Troy and Dillon in New York City. He is at a police department when the report of a fire started by a man at an apartment comes in. Following this lead to the hospital, the Colonel interviews several partygoers and some of the Park toughs who also saw Andromus and the Centurion. Tracing them to the radio station, he comes up as empty-handed as his predecessors.
Cast
- Lorne GreeneLorne GreeneLorne Greene , was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green, OC, a Canadian actor.His television roles include Ben Cartwright on the western Bonanza, and Commander Adama in the science fiction movie and subsequent TV Series Battlestar Galactica...
as Commander AdamaCommander AdamaCommander Adama is a fictional character in the 1978 movie and subsequent ABC television series Battlestar Galactica and its continuation series, Galactica 1980. Adama is the commander of the great military vessel Battlestar Galactica, commander of the refugee fleet and military commander of the... - Herb Jefferson, Jr.Herb Jefferson, Jr.Herbert Jefferson Jr. is an African-American actor. He graduated with honors from New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1969. He is probably best known for his role as Lieutenant Boomer on the original Battlestar Galactica television series...
as Colonel BoomerLieutenant BoomerLieutenant Boomer, later known as Colonel Boomer, was a character on the 1978-1979 television series Battlestar Galactica and its spin-off series Galactica 1980. He was portrayed on both series by Herbert Jefferson, Jr. Boomer was a lieutenant in the Colonial Service, an officer with a background... - Kent McCordKent McCordKent McCord is an American actor best known for his role as Officer Jim Reed on the television series Adam-12.- Biography :...
as Captain Troy - Barry Van DykeBarry Van DykeBarry Van Dyke is an American actor and the second son of actor and entertainer, Dick Van Dyke, and nephew of Jerry Van Dyke. He has one older brother, Christian, and two younger sisters, Stacy and Carrie Beth...
as Lieutenant Dillon - Robyn DouglassRobyn DouglassRobyn Douglass is an American actress and model. The daughter of an Army doctor and hospital administrator, she was born in Sendai, Japan. She began acting while attending a Catholic girls' school in Mountain View, California...
as Jamie Hamilton - Patrick StuartJames Patrick StuartJames Patrick Stuart is an English-American stage, film and television actor.-Theater:His early career began on stage, where his work received recognition.-Television:...
as Doctor Zee
Guests
- Val BisoglioVal BisoglioVal Bisoglio is an Italian-American character actor primarily known for his work on television. Bisoglio performed in numerous TV series in the 1970s including M*A*S*H, Roll Out, Kojak and The Rockford Files...
as Arnie - William DanielsWilliam DanielsWilliam David Daniels is an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild . He is known for his performance as Dustin Hoffman's father in The Graduate , as John Adams in 1776, as Carter Nash in Captain Nice, as Mr. George Feeny in ABC's Boy Meets World, as the voice of KITT in...
as Norman - Roger DavisRoger DavisRoger Davis may refer to:*Roger Davis , American actor*Roger Davis , American actor in television series Dark Shadows and Alias Smith and Jones...
as Andromus - Marj DusayMarj DusayMarj Dusay is an actress known for her roles on American soap operas...
as Mildred - Bernie HamiltonBernie HamiltonBernie Hamilton was an American actor.Hamilton was born in East Los Angeles and attended Oakland Technical High School, where he first became interested in acting. In films from 1950, he laboured in bit roles for years before getting noticed in the film One Potato, Two Potato , the story of an...
as Cop - Wolfman JackWolfman JackRobert Weston Smith, known commonly as Wolfman Jack was a gravelly voiced US disc jockey who became famous in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early career:...
as Himself - Lara ParkerLara ParkerLara Parker is an American television, stage, and film actress best known for her role as Angelique on the cult ABC-TV serial Dark Shadows which aired from to...
as Shirley - Peter Mark Richman as Colonel Briggs
- Heather Young as Star
Soundtrack
Popular music featured in this episode includes “Disco InfernoDisco Inferno (The Trammps song)
-Tina Turner version:Tina Turner covered the song in 1993 for the What's Love Got to Do with It soundtrack and it charted at number twelve in the UK Singles Chart, 4 places higher than The Trammps' version...
”, “That'll Be the Day
That'll Be the Day
"That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison and recorded by various artists including The Crickets and Linda Ronstadt. It was also the first song to be recorded by The Quarrymen, the skiffle group that subsequently became The Beatles...
”, “My Life
My Life (Billy Joel song)
"My Life" is a song by Billy Joel that first appeared on his 1978 album 52nd Street. A single version was released in the fall of 1978 and reached #2 on the U.S. adult contemporary chart. Early the next year it peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100....
”, and “What a Fool Believes
What a Fool Believes
"What a Fool Believes" is a song written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The best-known version was recorded by The Doobie Brothers for their 1978 album Minute by Minute. The single reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 14, 1979, remaining in that position for one week...
”.
External links
- The Night the Cylons Landed, Part I at the Battlestar Wiki
- The Night the Cylons Landed, Part II at the Battlestar Wiki