Special - Calling Alpha Control: MIKE CLARK

 CALLING ALPHA CONTROL: MIKE CLARK EPISODE SYNOPSIS: We welcome Mr. Mike Clark to Alpha Control for an exclusive interview. Mike has had a long career in television on the camera & production side of things. He also had a 15-year career as a feature writer for the classic Sci-Fi Film/TV magazine STARLOG. During his career he’s had the opportunity to interview most of the original cast members & some of the behind the scenes creators of the show, including Irwin Allen himself. As a result, he’s become something of a recognized expert on Lost in Space. So much so that, Mike Clark was featured as the main facilitator on the Cast Commentaries ‘Special features’ that are included on the incredible LIS: The Complete Adventures Blu-Ray set. Today we’re speaking with Mike about his love for Lost in Space. He’s going to share with us what he learned about the show writing for STARLOG, what it was like to make those incredible Blu-Ray Special Commentaries & what we know now about the show that we didn’t know back then. MIKE’S BIO: Mike grew up in Florida during the 50’s and 60’s and enjoyed a golden age of television programs. He developed a love for many of the classic TV shows of that era and credits an interest in television production to ventriloquist Paul Winchell and his creation Jerry Mahoney.  Boomer-era favorites included Adventures of Superman, The Twilight Zone, Supercar, Fireball XL5, The Outer Limits and of course, Irwin Allen’s Lost in Space. For Mike’s 10th birthday, he appeared on a kid’s show at WTVT, Tampa, and that’s when he committed to a career in television.  By Mike’s 16th birthday, he was a volunteer at a local PBS station and rapidly became a valued member of the production crew. Mike met his goal of working at WTVT in 1972.  Attending the University of South Florida, Mike graduated with a degree in Mass Communications. Mike spent 5 happy years at WTVT but Hollywood beckoned and he arrived in Tinsel Town about a month before STAR WARS opened at the Chinese Theater. He initially worked as a video equipment salesman and free-lance video producer/editor before ultimately being hired by Sony Pictures Entertainment in the production and on-air promotions field.  Mike personally produced over 7,000 promos and promotion for shows including Seinfeld, Who’s the Boss, Mad About You, Married with Children and The King of Queens. Luckily, Irwin Allen was also at Mike's studio and he often when to the producer's office to lobby for a LOST IN SPACE movie. Mike’s first LOST IN SPACE event was held in Anaheim in 1985, celebrating the series 20th anniversary.  Other articles for STARLOG followed and he met Kevin Burns, whose executive skills helped promote LOST IN SPACE by issuing new videos and a range of collectable toys.  Kevin often turns to Mike for moderating LIS Fan Convention panels and called upon him to assist in the LOST IN SPACE syndicated specials of the 90’s and the Blu-ray release of the series' 50th Anniversary. Today Mike resides in Southern California running his own video production company Clark Media Productions PODCAST INFO: This interview was conducted on 21 June 2018. LINKS: http://www.big13.com/ https://archive.org/details/starlogmagazine http://www.jacobsbrownmediagroup.com/lost-in-space-collector-set.html http://www.marccushman.com/books.html https://www.facebook.com/alphacontrolpodcast/ EMAIL: [email protected]