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Prisoners of Gravity
Prisoners of Gravity was the most thoughtful and
creative television program ever produced anywhere in the world about the
literature of science fiction, and it was a substantial Canadian
success story. In first-run, it was one of the most popular
series on its originating network, TVOntario, lasting for five
seasons and 139 installments; it also ran on several PBS stations.
Among the program's many honors were:
- the Broadcast Media Award from the International
Reading Association (for the Ray Bradbury installment, which featured
Robert J. Sawyer);
- a Silver Medal from the New York Festivals of
Television (for the installment on Zero Population Growth);
- an Honorable Mention from the Columbus International Film and Video
Festival (for the installment on Sexism and Feminism);
- two Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Awards
("Auroras") (with Robert J. Sawyer
accepting on PoG's behalf during the ceremony at the 1994
World Science Fiction Convention); and
- two nominations for the Gemini Award (the Canadian counterpart of the Emmy) in the Best Lifestyle-Information Series
Category (for the program's third and fourth seasons).
All of the author videos included on Grolier's
CD-ROM version of John Clute and Peter Nicholls's
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction are actually clips from
Prisoners of Gravity.
"In 139 episodes of Prisoners of Gravity, the one guest
we would tape for 30 minutes and have all 30 minutes end up
on the air was Rob Sawyer. When we needed a quote on a subject,
we'd phone him up, he'd come boogying down to our studio, give us
twelve pithy quotes, and go home again."
Rick Green
Host, Prisoners of Gravity
"Robert J. Sawyer made more appearances on Prisoners
of Gravity than any other guest more often than Ray
Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, or William Gibson. I have
interviewed over 600 writers, and Rob is one of the
most thoughtful, provocative, and articulate. He has a
degree in Radio and Television Arts from Ryerson
University, and he knows how to deliver what producers
want. This knowledge of media, coupled with his
wide-ranging and thorough grasp of science and science
fiction, makes him an ideal guest. Rob's real gift is
the ability to find the most compelling and correct
metaphor, guiding viewers effortlessly through a
landscape they might otherwise find forbidding or
inaccessible. I have repeatedly recommended Mr. Sawyer
to producers with the CBC, Discovery, and CTV, and many
have called me back to thank me for his name."
Mark Askwith
Co-Creator and Producer, Prisoners of Gravity
Robert J. Sawyer was the most frequent guest on
Prisoners of Gravity, making a total of sixteen
appearances more than anyone else in the program's history
(and, indeed, he was the final guest interviewed on the final
installment of the series, an episode on "Evolution"). Rob
was the only interview subject to be invited to the series' wrap
party at TVOntario. He appeared in the following installments:
# | TOPIC | Season | Air Date |
1 | Time Travel | 1st | 11 December 1989 |
2 | Holidays | 1st | 18 December 1989 |
3 | High Technology | 2nd | 6 December 1990 |
4 | Family | 2nd | 20 December 1990 |
5 | AI and Robotics | 2nd | 24 January 1991 (2 clips) |
6 | Myth | 2nd | 4 April 1991 |
7 | Ecology | 2nd | 18 April 1991 |
8 | Dinosaurs | 3rd | 5 March 1992 |
9 | Mars | 3rd | 19 March 1992 |
10 | First Contact | 4th | 1 October 1992 |
11 | Ray Bradbury | 4th | 22 October 1992 |
12 | Space Travel | 4th | 5 November 1992 |
13 | Information | 4th | 21 January 1993 |
14 | Alien Design | 5th | 30 March 1994 |
15 | Brain and AI | 5th | 20 April 1994 |
16 | Evolution | 5th | 27 April 1994 |
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