Although Trekkers may think their beloved Star Trek is the only TV series from the '60s about a multi-ethnic crew of intergalactic explorers, there is indeed another starship out there "boldy going" in much the same direction. In the alternate universe known as German television came Space Patrol?The Fantastic Adventures of the Spaceship Orion.

First broadcast in 1966, the black-and-white show was the country's first true science fiction TV series, produced by several different German networks. (French television helped finance the series, which resulted in a parallel version with French supporting actors.) Although a hit with the German public, Spaceship Orion lasted only seven episodes (titles included "The Fight for the Sun," "Invasion," and "Attack From Space"). A second season was planned but never shot. Not only were production costs high (moreso if the show were to convert to color), but Spaceship Orion caught a lot of flack from critics who thought that the destructive instincts of the Orion's crew had a whiff of fascism about it.

After cancellation, the show continued on in print form as a series of pulp magazines (not too dissimilar from Star Trek's life after death). Stolen from PopCult Magazine

Here in Germany, the Orion is some sort of cult tv-show. But most of the younger people don't remember or don't like it (because of the poor special effects). But nevertheless, this year a feature movie hit the big screen ! They transformed the seven episodes in opne movie.

Links:

• Some information and pictures
  
• Some information on the DVD release
  
  Raumpatrouille Orion - The Movie
  
• Trailer
  
• MP3 downloads