Well, this 26 minute episode is, as North Americans might say, a real doozie … in that it’s SO bad, it’s good … excellent in fact. From 1961.

Perspective … there were around 157 (or nearby) episodes shown on US TV, starring Lloyd Bridges, and this one was rated 153 in a poll of everyone watching this sort of thing. Naturally, when I saw it was called “The Female”, it was too tempting and I’m quite sure the feminazis are going to decimate me for showing 50s misogyny … female comment in comments was not altogether complimentary, let’s say.

But … and this is a big but … what could I do? A boss girl about 5’3″ and as cute as a button, plus three other young women in swimsuits of the day (all above board), a blonde trying to do a southern accent, a proto-modern feminazi … we even get a girl-fight on the deck which was a hoot as one actual started to lie down on the deck before the other attacked. How our he-man Lloyd dealt with the pair was also a hoot.

That’s only part of it, I’m telling ye! The premise is that these three female astronauts are being sent to Venus (long before the moon “landing”) to build a secure camp there. For this, naturally, they must learn how to survive the depths of earth’s ocean because that’s what they’ll find on Venus, innit? Along with sharks. Naturally, they are called aquanettes but in the dialogue, astronettes … as one does. At one point, the cutie calls the one called Jacquie Barb … there ya go.

Ho yus, me hearties! I loved it. As for Lloyd, stuck on a boat with three lovelies and a proto-mod-feminist … it was tough work, but someone had to do it. Looks like he picked the wrong week to give up snorkelling.