In a message dated 2/27/01 7:16:27 AM Eastern Standard Time, ijc@bas.ac.uk writes:
<< Horizon is based, in some detail, on the British rule of India. The people of Horizon have a caste system, and are played by actors of Indian origin. The Federation encourages the ruling caste of Horizon to send its children to Earth to be educated, thus creating a native-born ruling class which is indoctrinated in and sympathetic to Federation culture. Horizon is economically exploited, but not physically colonised: there are no ships full of Earth settlers. The two (white) Federation men even have appropriate accents -- and my memory may be failing me, but I think both their outfits and Ro's suit echo 19th century India.<<
And yet, knowing all these things back when I first saw this episode, I never once saw this parallel as a viewer, nor did any of the elements evoke anything particularly British Empire to me. I saw a remote planet of exploited dark-skinned indigenous humans who apparently wear a lot of feathers in their native dress, some of whom are sent "back East" for a white man's education. If the above reminded me of anything, it was the American treatment of our *own* Indians. Obviously, the analogy was meant to be applicable to Imperialism and Colonials in general, not just the British example.
There were viking-like tribes with chieftains in another episode. Does this mean B7 was Norse? There were motorcycle-type gangs on another episode. Does this make B7 Mad-Max post-apocalyptic Australian? There were cabaret-type casinos in Gambit. Does this make B7 Monte Carlo? Every single episode with a planet story has similar examples.
Leah
This is hardly coincidence. It's very natural for a British writer, writing about a vast colonial power, to draw on the British Empire. The most important part of the British Empire was India, not just economically but culturally, so it's not surprising that its influence should be felt even in a cheap sci-fi show.
It occurs to me that I really should have raised this example at the 'Political System in SF' panel. It might just have got us away from the rather disturbing (not to say embarrassing) anti-American jingoism that kept rearing its ugly head.