Saturday night, at 11:00P.M. was a special time in our house. In the years of 1955-57, we had "SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE". It was one of the more successful of the early Syndicated Series*.In our market, Chicago, it was available for viewing over the local NBC TV Affiliate, WNBQ TV, Channel 5. (The station is still going strong today, albeit with a minor surgical alteration to WMAQ TV**.And we can well remember just who was the sponsor for "SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE" in our town was. It was that outstanding scientific marvel, Bromo Selzer. The commercials were done with the host, Mr. Truman Bradley.As to Truman Bradley, he was the host who gave us the premise with which we would be working, during the following half-hour. Hisir carefully set-up demonstrations and equally contrived explanations, all meant to cover no more than 2 minutes of screen time. Of course then, we would sit amazed at the skills demonstrated by this Scientific Wonder, even greater than Don Herbert, aka 'Mr. Wizard'! So it was that every Episode would open up with the sounding of a very distinctive and appropriate theme. This was a trademark of Ziv Television Productions, as well as their use of Syndication, which seemed to be a method of getting the stories out which just about every one of the Ziv Series used.As the Theme (by Hollywood Veteran Screen Composer, Jack Shaindlin) continued, we a given a downward moving, panoramic view of just about the neatest collection of cool science stuff that you would ever see! Of course, we didn't know what one from the other, as to their uses, but, SO WHAT! After this introductory sequence, it was off to the story! Being science fiction gave it a real wide selection of topics and the creative team did pursue the widest of parameters imaginable. Approximately 22 minutes and two Acts later, it was back to Truman's neat Science Lab, the moral of the story and the final closing.With the closing, we got this admonition: "Well good-bye for now, until next week, from the World of Fiction and Science!" And then we would hear that Jack Shaindalin Theme once more, and have an upward moving Panaramic View, just bass-ackwards of the opening. While this was happening, we observe our Scientific Wizard, Mr. Truman Bradley, sitting at his huge desk, studiously reading some unknown periodical, a highly esoteric Scientific Journal, no doubt.The series had quite a few episodes over its two full seasons' run in spectacular Syndication, and we are hard pressed to remember their repeating stories or themes, even. And in addition to the Science Fiction aspects, their stories held up a great hope for the future dignity and tolerance of all of man's ideas.And just imagine the shock when we found our own personal Scientist of Scientists, Truman Bradley, helping out Spencer Tracy(as Major Robert Rogers) in waging the French and Indian Wars in NORTHWEST PASSAGE (MGM, 1940)! Truman, how could you! NOTE: * Some of the most successful Syndicated TV Series of the Era were: "SEA HUNT"(1958-61), "HIGHWAY PATROL"(1955-59), "I LED 3 LIVES"(1953-56) and "RAMAR OF THE JUNGLE"(1955-57). Of the 4 series all but Arrow Productions' "RAMAR OF THE JUNGLE" were Ziv/United Artists Television Productions.NOTE ** Several years later, WNBQ changed its call letters to WMAQ, which were the call letters of the now defunct NBC Radio Station-a Flagship Station of the NBC Radio Network

Not much to add to all these glowing reports, other than to say that I agree with them. Like many other shows that I hadn't seen for forty five years, I had bits and pieces of memories from this one, all of them pleasant. Now that I'm watching them again, I'm really enjoying them. Because this series was targeted at adults, it hasn't lost any charisma, even though the quality of the prints is erratic and some of them are downright poor. The show holds up better than any other from the distant past. All a viewer has to do is be able to immerse themselves into the world of the fifties. Science was just starting to take off and we were all filled with wonderment. At the time this show was filmed, man hadn't yet launched a satellite, transistors were so new that there were no radios available yet, polio had just been cured, the cold war and fear of the bomb was front & center, etc. In the stories presented, the betterment of mankind is the theme. They are haunting, but good wins over evil. I'm grateful that they were saved for viewing. Truman Bradley is the perfect host and the music rings in my ears.

I have lived in a science fiction universe (I should say multi-verse) all my life. I have very fond memories of this series which I found to be, for the most part based on real science, or at least that's how I remember it. Recently I began trying to find a down-loadable copy of the theme. The format doesn't really matter. I think my computer can handle most formats. In my searches, I have been able to find numerous other themes that I remember with great nostalgia, but not the main subject of my search. I did find it on another occasion, but didn't download it at the time. And naturally, I neglected to bookmark the site. If anyone can help I would be very appreciative. Thanks in advance.

This series was an eyeopener for a 19-year-old in 1978. That'swhen I first saw it. I was living in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, atthe time and I was in high school. Channel 6, the local NBCaffiliate in Portland, Maine, used to air old science fiction moviesfrom the '50s and '60s. Back during the dark days of the Cold War. It started running them back in 1975, when I was in the eighthgrade. Back then, there weren't any cable or sattelite companies screaming for your attentiion. The Sci-Fi Channel? It wasn't even thought of. The stories were based on the latest, (meaning '50s), scientific data. Since this was before the space race, the majority of stories were on the exploration space. There was one episode in which an Air Force test pilot was in a Bell X-2, I think it was, Idon't know. Anyway, he reported another aircraft alongside himand it was keeping up with him. He's reporting all this to theground controllers at Vandenberg Air Force Base, and they'retelling him they don't see a thing. It's not on their radar. Then at the end, as he slows down and prepares to land, the other aircraft disappears. It then dawns on both him and the controllers, thatmust have been a UFO. In another episode, Mars colonists are putin isolation to see which one of them will crack first. The catch was that since they'd be away from Earth for what would be the betterpart of a year, they all had to be unmarried and not have families. They also had to be all-male because in the '50s, they didn't have women on space colonies. So what happened? One of the would-be colonists freaked out. Demanding his electric razor. That would be me. I'd probably do the same. Then one of the other would-be colonists turns up dead. It appears to the audience itwas the guy who freaked out and demanded his electric razor is the killer. But is he? I don't know. It's been 26 years since I've seenit. But anyway, it was a good show and aired right after the oldblack-and-white science fiction movies.