Prop, Hudson Headset, Brave New World (301)

Today on the seaQuest MPS blog is another prop from the third season.  This is a non-electronic, that is no lights, headset used by a couple of characters in the season premiere Brave New World.  Brave New World was something of a third pilot for seaQuest DSV, or the first for seaQuest 2032.  The episode sets up the world ten years after the last episode ended with seaQuest seemingly destroyed.  It introduced Captain Hudson, who started off as an ass, but settled into a more thoughtful character within a couple of shows into the season.  Although the first few episodes of the season were a little rough, the show's third season had a consistency in scripting and characterization that easily beat the second season and perhaps is more even than the first season.

Non-electronic headset made of adapted headphones and solid plastic arm.

Hudson wearing the headset in the opening scene of Brave New World.

Below the jump, images of the prop and of characters wearing it in this episode


Another angle on the prop.  It really was a very simple piece.  Take a pair of over-ear headphones, remove the ear pieces, expand the one ear piece housing so that there is room to add a solid plastic arm, and re-attach with glue.  My photos of this piece are over lit, and it looks cheap and not convincing, but when lit well on the episode, it looked real enough.

You can just see the original auction sticker on top of the headset.

I am not sure where the arm came from.  It might have simply been cast by the prop department, or it may have been a salvage from something else.  Anyone know?

As with all props, this headset got multiple uses.  For example, here is Shepps wear the headset in the same opening scenes of Brave New World.

And, here is a close-up on Hudson wearing the same headset.

Next time on the seaQuest MPS Blog: For Your Consideration Video/VHS from Knight of Shadows