Rocky Jones, Space Ranger

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

A 1954 Science Fiction TV series, following the adventures of the titular hero and his group of friends. The program was a Television Serial, its episodes arranged into definitive story arcs (commonly three episodes each, though there were a few stand-alone episodes scattered in as well), a number of which have been edited together into movie format. Two such Compilation Movies, "Manhunt In Space" and "Crash Of The Moons", were featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000; several others are available on DVD.

The show starred Richard Crane as square-jawed Rocky Jones; Scotty Beckett as Plucky Comic Relief "Winky"; Sally Mansfield as Vena Rey; Robert Lyden as Tagalong Kid Bobby; and Maurice Cass as Professor Newton. Other regulars and semi-regulars included Rocky's boss, Secretary Drake, and frequent villain Queen Cleolanta (she prefers the title "Suzerain"), along with her primary henchmen Atlasan and Lasvon; Atlasan's wife Trinka also plays an important role in one arc.

Story arcs available on DVD include:

  • "Beyond The Moon" (aka "Beyond The Curtain Of Space")
  • "Crash Of The Moons"
  • "Gypsy Moon" (aka "Rocky's Odyssey")
  • "Manhunt In Space"
  • "Menace From Outer Space" (aka "Bobby's Comet")
  • "Silver Needle In The Sky" (aka "Duel In Space")

This series has a recap index.

Other DVD collections featuring various episodes are also available.

Tropes used in Rocky Jones, Space Ranger include:

Cleolanta: Rocky Jones, you are presumptuous!
Joel: And you are numtuous!!

Servo: [sarcastically] Oh, suddenly we're friends now?

  • Future Slang: "Sparkling stardust!" "Roaring rockets!" "Jumping satellites!" "Super cosmic!" "Mighty meteor!" "Rattle my rocket reflexes!" and the like. Now with Alliteration for extra annoying!
  • Gravity Sucks: Surprisingly averted in "Crash of the Moons," in which the bad guys trap spaceships in orbits around their planet.
  • The Guards Must Be Crazy: Trinka easily slips past the inattentive guard to reach Rocky and Winky.
    • However, it's also subverted later in the episode, when this self-same guard checks in on Winky and Rocky; Winky pretends to be asleep, but the guard can't help but notice that Rocky is missing.
  • Have a Gay Old Time:

Winky: Now for me, let me relax with a little black book and the gay nightlife.
Joel: Uh... insert joke here.

  • Heel Face Turn: Atlasan. He'll decry his wife as a traitor to her country, but he won't stand for genocide.
  • The Hero: Well, whose name is it in the title again?
  • Human Aliens: The FX were notoriously expensive, and they apparently didn't have enough money left over for Rubber Forehead Aliens.
    • Aliens Speaking English: Lampshaded at one point with alien ruler Bovarro and his wife who occasionally lapse into their own (German/Russian-esque) language. Partially averted in "Menace From Outer Space" in which differing alien societies are shown to have their own languages, though they also speak English.
    • Two of Your Earth Minutes: Averted; apparently, planet Ophecius uses the same Gregorian calendar as the U.S. Earth the United Worlds.
  • Invisibility Cloak: Professor Newton's "Cold Light" device from the "Manhunt in Space" arc.
  • It Runs on Nonsensoleum: the aforementioned device works by reversing the principle that mirages are caused by the desert's intense heat distorting the light itself.
  • Magical Security Cam: the so-called "VisioGraph".
  • The Messiah: Trinka, somehow, someway, becomes a spokesperson for her people during the mass exodus. "This is Trinka -- your friend!"
  • Neutral Females: Hey, it is The Fifties!
    • Particularly notable example: When Rocky and Winky get into a brawl with guards during a prison break, collaborator Trinka does not grab a vase or some such to klonk the guards with; rather, she runs off to hide in a corner. To be kinda fair, after the fight she does help lock the guards in a room full of sleeping gas.
    • Also poor Cleolanta's henchmen are pretty much all contemptuous of the idea of a woman in charge; they condescend to her constantly. No wonder she's evil.
  • One World Order: Ophecius; the two Gypsy Moons; Fornax.
  • The Professor: aptly named "Prof. Newton".
  • Shown Their Work: The series seems to have had writers who knew something about space as multiple scientific theories come into play. For example, there's the previously mentioned aversion of Gravity Sucks, as well as in one episode it is pointed out that two moons orbit around eachother, which is a theory as to how Pluto has its moon, Juno.
  • Space Clothes
  • Space Is Noisy
  • Space Opera
  • Spider Sense: In "Crash Of The Moons". Attributed to the baby, of all people.

Mrs. Bovarro: You know, somehow our baby knew about the Crash of the Moons!"
Servo: Yeah, everyone's baby is so smart!

The MST3k presentations of "Manhunt In Space" and "Crash Of The Moons" provide examples of:

Servo: And did you get a load of those really cheap props made to look like bona fide space equipment? Haha...
(Joel and the bots look around)
Crow: ...Yeah...

TV's Frank: For years now Dr. Forrester has been trying to get me to not brush after eating! He's tried everything: pleading; scolding; electroshock therapy; attaching a clothespin to my -
'Dr. Forrester: That's enough, Frank.

  • Notable Original Music: Tom and Crow's serenade to Gypsy, "Under a Gyp-Gyp-Gypsy Moon", which very nearly degenerates into a Bawdy Song before Joel pulls the plug.
  • Techno Babble: Crow's latest spec script, inspired by Rocky Jones and Star Trek, takes this to extremes, prompting Servo to flip out.

Servo: Why don't you light a match to this stinkburger and never put pen to paper until the mountains crumble into the sea!
Joel: ...Servo, c'mon; we've got "blankacrükensnorken" sign.
Crow (offscreen): I heard that!

    • Ironic, in that the movie itself contains precious little Techno Babble.
      • Well, except for the explanation of Cold Light. Just as a mirage is caused by hot light, "cold" light makes things invisible! (Mary Jo Pehl: "Well, I can see how tha-HUH?!?")
  • What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?: Cruelly averted with the guys' dissatisfaction with the special effects.

Joel: [Disinterested] Wow, that's really...really not cool.

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