Cult-TV Theme Watch: Micro-organisms and Micoscopes

A micro-organism is an entity that is (usually) invisible to the naked eye. A micro-organism might be classified bacteria, protozoa, fungi, or algae. And the typical micro-organism may consist of a single cell or multiple cells.

The only way to see many micro-organisms is with the assistance of a microscope, 

Both the microscopic organism and the microscope itself have frequently been featured in cult-television programming, especially in episodes that deal with the concept of disease. 

To create an antidote to that disease, characters in such dramas must often fully avail themselves of microscopes, and gaze into the (miniature) face of an implacable enemy.

In “Miri,” a first season episode of Star Trek (1966 – 1969) 23^rd century physician Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (De Forest Kelley) is tasked with classifying and reversing a disease on a planet that is an Earth parallel.  He must make use of a 20^th century microscope to help him isolate the disease, and prep the cure.

In the first episode of Space: 1999 (1975 – 1977), “Breakaway,” Commander John Koenig (Martin Landau) makes note of a prize that Dr. Helena Russell (Barbara Bain) has been awarded: a microscope. On their very first meeting on Moonbase Alpha, Koenig gazes briefly through the scope.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation’s (1987 – 1994) first season episode, “Home Soil,” Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) and the crew of the Enterprise-D encounter a silicon life-form (though not a Horta…) that is microscopic in size, but nonetheless classified as living. 

In the third season premiere episode “Evolution,” Wesley’s (Wil Wheaton) artificial micro-organisms -- Nanites -- get loose from his science experiment and run amok on the Enterprise, making a home in the computer core.

On The X-Files (1993 – 2002), an early installment, “Ice” involves the recovery of ice samples that contain prehistoric micro-organisms resembling worms.  Mulder (David Duchovny) believes that the organisms might have arrived on Earth on a meteor, and therefore be extra-terrestrial in nature.

During the Sci-Fi Channel years of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988 – 1999) the Satellite of Love was inhabited by Nanites much like Wesley’s: self-aware, artificial micro-organisms.  In addition to repairing the damaged ship, the Nanites (especially one named Shelly) are experienced hair-dressers.

In one of the weirder turns of fate, the Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) on Doctor Who (1963 – 1989) cloned himself and shrunk himself down to the size of a micro-organism in the serial “The Invisible Enemy” (1978) so as to combat a disease inside his body.

And finally, the key to eliminating the Visitors in V: The Final Battle (1984) was the creation of a new micro-organism called the Red Dust. 

Unfortunately, it was learned in the follow-up, V: The Series (1984-1985) that the Red Dust micro-organisms could not survive in some extreme weather.  Worse, continued deployment of the micro-organism as a weapon would eventually render all life on Earth sterile.