The Most seen 80s "computer" console ever!

[SethS]

This is something I totally noticed even as a kid-- but I had forgotten about it until recently after doing a double feature of Wrath of Khan and Last Starfighter.

So take a look at this:


And this:



Both from Star Trek TWOK. These consoles have 4 different designs, but are the same basic shape. Lined up together, they are a great stock scifi background. I'm guessing some prop house made a ton of them and rented them out cause they show up everywhere.

Aside from Regula 1 and Enterprise engineering they were also at the Star League base:



I couldn't find a still that shows the same ones as the other pics, but the solid banks f lights on the right? Same cabinet as the ones above, and often times shown with them. The ones from Trek are in other Starfighter scenes.

But that's not all--

Here they are in the FLAG semi from Knight Rider:



And aboard The Searcher from S2 of Buck Rodgers...



I know I saw them in a bunch of other things. Does anybody else remember seeing these guys?

 

[Duncanator]

I'm pretty sure they appeared on the old Galactica series too.

I have a vague memory that they might even go back as far as the Six Million Dollar Man tv series.... the Venus probe or a Sasquatch episodes maybe?

 

[SethS]

BSG-- for sure. I couldn't find any screen caps, but given that everything in the world was traded between in and Buck, I'm sure they are in there. Six Million Dollar Man-- wouldn't doubt it.

I should add that I was thinking of building one of these, hence posting here. But I've never taken on something that big...

 

[Talisen]

Toss in the flashing tubes seen everywhere - probably the same prop rental place.

 

[SethS]

I was just thinking that! Those tubes have been everywhere too.

And thanks for finding a Starfighter pic with the other console type!

 

[Angelus Lupus]

Ah yes, ubiquitous background props!
Those tubes got everywhere in Trek, eventually they got upgraded to blue and were still being seen in Enterprise. Modern Props is the supplier - maybe the consoles are theirs too.
...
Aha! I've found one of them:

is here: https://www.modernprops.com/Details1b.asp?dept=195&category=490&item=2

Ex Astris Scientia has an article on Modern Props computer consoles used in Star Trek: http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/modern_props_consoles.htm

 

[SethS]

You just made my day!

 

[Angelus Lupus]

Heck, all I did was remember reading a really well-researched article.
EAS is a good site, there's quite a few articles like that on props/sets/etc that got re-used, not just within trek, but showing up in other shows.

 

[Mike J.]

Speaking of blinky lights: https://youtu.be/kG-0V-85H_0?t=1m43s

 

[Mola Rob]

They show up a few times in Buck Rogers, here they are in the first season episode Planet of the Slave Girls:

In this scene Gil Gerard's totally mismatched stunt double battles the bad guys in what appears to be a bubble wrap factory.

 

[SethS]

LOL! I really miss that show...

A lot of these shows-- Buck, BSG, Knight Rider and Six Million Dollar Man were shot at Universal. They must have had a set on perma-loan.

I can't find any screencaps, but I know for a fact they showed up in both minjiseries of the original V. I think that's when I first noticed them as a kid cause I would watch V and TWOK over and over.

 

[SethS]

Correction-- found one!

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