More Wing Commander Appears on the 'Tube (December 14, 2011)

[ChrisReid]

Here's another funny reference to Wing Commander in a television show from the '90s. This one comes from the Viper episode "Ghosts," which aired on January 14, 1994. It features an evil character giving a little girl a copy of Privateer. This show aired less than three months after the original game was first released, so the quote, "Look, Mom! It's the latest edition of Privateer!" is somewhat awkward. Later in the show, another character is seen "playing" the game, which is actually a snippet from the introduction. It's pretty amazing how much Wing Commander popped up back in its classic years. You can watch the scenes/show for yourself on YouTube here and here.

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Original update published on December 14, 2011

 

[Mace]

Too bad Vipr was such a terrible show, I did like the other link better, but there defenitely is screentime and clear mentioning of privateer(this would have skipped the media commercial code law that was present in my country at the time... (Every specific mentioned brandname had to be beeped out and their logo's that were visible had to be covered up by black boxes)

 

[Bandit LOAF]

The clips are actually reversed -- the main character is playing Privateer before the villain happens to give a copy to the kid. In the world of Viper everyone is always playing Privateer. (Also funny: despite the fact that everything looks like 1991, Viper is supposed to be set in the future... hence the awkward line that it's the *latest* edition of Privateer.)

Interesting to note also that this isn't a paid promotion. You can read in old Point of Origins that the production company making Viper simply wrote to Origin asking for a copy to maybe include on the show, since they were fans of the game. Everyone was surprised that it ended up getting a mention in the show itself.

 

[Drinkdhmo]

Has anyone else noticed the snippet from Wing Commander 4 in the Disney movie, Rocket Man? Scientist Fred Randal fires up the classic game when he notices that he has arrived a few minutes early to work.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Yeah! It shows up in another Disney movie from the same time, too, "Man of the House" (with Chevy Chase and one of the kids from Home Improvement.)

 

[str8edgepunker]

And given to the kid by Jason Carter of B5 fame (Marcus Cole of the Rangers) to boot!

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Oddly there is a signed picture of him hanging over my TV. It reads "Range on, Ben"

 

[Dundradal]

Yeah! It shows up in another Disney movie from the same time, too, "Man of the House" (with Chevy Chase and one of the kids from Home Improvement.)

I think in that one the kid is playing WC2 though.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

Range on! I don't know why it's in a frame. I guess it's been hanging there since 1905 or so.

Anybody remember when he was the evil drama teacher on 90210?