UP FROM THE ASHES: BAD Sci-Fi TV and BIG Sci-Fi Ideas!!!

Ben Avery

50 years ago, a show some have called the worst science fiction TV show of all time premiered! That show: THE STARLOST.Now we’re going back 50 years in time to take another look at THE STARLOST to see if it deserves that reputation. Every week we’ll take a look at another episode and discuss the big ideas they explore! read less
TV & FilmTV & Film
Start Here
“Farthing’s Comet”: The Starlost Ep. 14 – UFTA 015
Feb 15 2024
“Farthing’s Comet”: The Starlost Ep. 14 – UFTA 015
It’s another episode of The Starlost, and this time we are joined by SyFy tv movie writer and novelist Greg Mitchell! “Farthing’s Comet” is full of drama! (Difused drama, but still drama!)It’s full of action! (Poorly paced, but still action!)It’s full of music! (Inapropriately toned, but still music!)It’s full of outer space special effects! ( […]

Episodes

“Farthing’s Comet”: The Starlost Ep. 14 – UFTA 015
Feb 15 2024
“Farthing’s Comet”: The Starlost Ep. 14 – UFTA 015
It’s another episode of The Starlost, and this time we are joined by SyFy tv movie writer and novelist Greg Mitchell! “Farthing’s Comet” is full of drama! (Difused drama, but still drama!)It’s full of action! (Poorly paced, but still action!)It’s full of music! (Inapropriately toned, but still music!)It’s full of outer space special effects! ( […]
“The Return of Oro”: The Starlost Ep. 13 – UFTA 014
Dec 14 2023
“The Return of Oro”: The Starlost Ep. 13 – UFTA 014
It’s the return of Walter Koenig! It’s the return of Oro! AND . . . it’s the return of Parker J. Cole!!! Our favorite historical romance writer is back to talk about the one true recurring character, Oro, AND the one character who wasn’t even needed in this episode and had us scratching our heads, […]
“The Implant People”: The Starlost Ep. 12 – UFTA 013
Dec 7 2023
“The Implant People”: The Starlost Ep. 12 – UFTA 013
Join Ben Avery and guest host Rob Southgate as they explore an episode of The Starlost that starts out feeling par for The Starlost, takes a turn toward interesting, and then fumbles the ending in spectacular fashion! In this episode we talk about:* Lord of the Rings* Metropolis* Babylon 5* J. Michael Straczynski* Harlon Ellison’s […]
“Astro-Medics”: The Starlost Ep. 11 – UFTA 012
Nov 30 2023
“Astro-Medics”: The Starlost Ep. 11 – UFTA 012
Join Ben Avery and guest host Allan Reini as they talk about a terrible hour of television. Just awful. In this episode we talk about:* Ringo Starr* How Astro-Medics COULD be a better show* How this episode is the worst we’ve seen so far* It is. It really, really is . . . Please support […]
“Mr. Smith of Manchester”: The Starlost Ep. 10 – UFTA 011
Nov 23 2023
“Mr. Smith of Manchester”: The Starlost Ep. 10 – UFTA 011
Join Ben Avery and guest host John Harju as they talk about an hour of television that’s . . . actually not bad??? Social commentary and pathos and character development are actually present??? What’s this? In this episode we talk about:* Envoronmentalism* The Cold War* The Vietnam War* The benefits of a Ben Bova* Monty […]
“Gallery of Fear”: The Starlost Ep. 9 – UFTA 010
Nov 16 2023
“Gallery of Fear”: The Starlost Ep. 9 – UFTA 010
Join Ben Avery and guest host Kerry Nietz, author of AMISH VAMPIRES IN SPACE, as they talk about a rogue computer that wants to use our trio of heroes to become a “real boy”. This unusual episode of THE STARLOST has some interesting ideas and some poor execution . . . which perhaps means it’s […]
“Circuit of Death”: THE STARLOST Ep. 8 – UFTA 009
Nov 9 2023
“Circuit of Death”: THE STARLOST Ep. 8 – UFTA 009
Join Ben Avery and gust host Dave Goulet, a screenwriter friend of Ben’s from Toronto, as they talk about psychic shrinking and telekinesis so our heroes can fix a computer. Because that’s truly the only way to fix a computer. Right? Right??? They also take some tiem to chat about Canadian children’s television . . […]
“The Alien Oro”: THE STARLOST Ep. 7 – UFTA 008
Nov 2 2023
“The Alien Oro”: THE STARLOST Ep. 7 – UFTA 008
Join Ben Avery and returning guest host Nathan Marchand for a conversation about the seventh episode of THE STARLOST, in which our heroes meet Checkov! Or is it Spock? It’s Walter Koenig, anyway, Harlan Ellison’s first choice to play Devon! He’s the alien. The alien Oro. In this episode we talk about:* Casablanca* The only […]
“And Only Man Is Vile”: THE STARLOST Ep. 6 – UFTA 007
Oct 26 2023
“And Only Man Is Vile”: THE STARLOST Ep. 6 – UFTA 007
On October 12, 1973, THE STARLOST’s 5th episode hit the airwaves. In it, our intripid heroes come across a group of centuries-old children who seem to be piloting the ark? Can they pilot he ark to safety? It’s only the 5th episode, so probably not. But can they learn about life from Devon, Garth, and […]
“Children of Methuselah”: THE STARLOST Ep. 5 – UFTA 006
Oct 12 2023
“Children of Methuselah”: THE STARLOST Ep. 5 – UFTA 006
On October 12, 1973, THE STARLOST’s 5th episode hit the airwaves. In it, our intripid heroes come across a group of centuries-old children who seem to be piloting the ark? Can they pilot he ark to safety? It’s only the 5th episode, so probably not. But can they learn about life from Devon, Garth, and […]
“The Pisces”: THE STARLOST Ep. 4 – UFTA 005
Oct 5 2023
“The Pisces”: THE STARLOST Ep. 4 – UFTA 005
On October 5, 1973, THE STARLOST’s 4th episode hit the airwaves. In it, our intripid heroes witness the return of a lost shuttle, The Pisces. But does the Pisces bring help? Or does it bring a trio of space-sick people who think they’ve been gone for ten years only to find they’ve been gone for […]
“The Goddess Calabra”: THE STARLOST Ep. 3 – UFTA 004
Sep 28 2023
“The Goddess Calabra”: THE STARLOST Ep. 3 – UFTA 004
This week, Ben is joined by Parker J. Cole ( http://parkerjcole.com ), a prolific historical romance fiction writer who has also dabbled in science fiction on occasion, to talk about “The Goddess Calabra”. As our trio of heroes continue their exploration of the Earthship Ark, they come across a dome of people who have experienced […]
“Lazarus from the Mist”: THE STARLOST Ep. 2 – UFTA 003
Sep 21 2023
“Lazarus from the Mist”: THE STARLOST Ep. 2 – UFTA 003
Join Ben Avery and special guest host Nathan Marchand for a conversation about the second episode of THE STARLOST, in which our heroes wake up someone from a 500-year-long sleep. He’s from the days when they built the ship, but can he help? And why do they need to put him back? In this episode […]
“Voyage of Discovery” THE STARLOST Ep. 1 – UFTA 002
Sep 14 2023
“Voyage of Discovery” THE STARLOST Ep. 1 – UFTA 002
Ben is joined by sci-fi novelist and podcaster Adam David Collings to talk about the pilot episode of THE STARLOST, “Voyage of Discovery” by Cordwainer Bird (which was intended to be called “Pheonix Without Ashes” by Harlan Ellison). Along the way, they chat about Robert Heinlein’s book UNIVERSE, Red Dwarf, some Star Trek, and a […]
What Is THE STARLOST? (An Introduction) – UFTA 001
Sep 12 2023
What Is THE STARLOST? (An Introduction) – UFTA 001
UP FROM THE ASHES is a podcast about . . . * THE STARLOST, a TV show from fifty years ago, and we’re talking about it exactly fifty years after its episodes aired…* SCI-FI IDEAS from THE STARLOST that engage the imagination, even if the budget and the abilities of the people behind the show […]
Up From the Ashes Promo
Sep 9 2023
Up From the Ashes Promo
What is Up from the Ashes? It’s a new podcast from Ben Avery and Onward and Upward Media! It’s a podcast that’s a TV after show . . . FIFTY YEARS after! It’s a podcast about THE STARLOST, a show some call the worst sci-fi show of all time! It’s a podcast about a BAD […]