British Invaders 132: Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets (Part 2)
July 8, 2012 1 Comment
In this episode we continue our review of Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets which brought us a documentary-style look at a future manned mission to the planets. Stunning visuals and detailed scientific coverage made it a very unique production.
Please send us your comments, questions, requests and complaints. You can reach us at britishinvaders@gmail.com, and you can find us on the British Invaders Facebook Group.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:07 — 17.3MB)
Subscribe: RSS
Pathfinders in Space, Pathfinders to Mars and Pathfinders to Venus were ITV serials for children. Broadcast in 1960 and 1961, they showed us children and adults discovering the mysteries of the planets! 
Random Quest was a one-hour BBC drama based on a story by John Wyndham. Colin Trafford has found himself in an alternate version of reality. Can he find someone he knew in a different world? 
This is a bonus episode! We talk about the Doctor Who episodes that were recovered in 2011 and remakes of two Gerry Anderson series that are in preproduction. We also cover some of the great feedback from our listeners and some forthcoming releases from 
The Woman in Black was a 1989 ITV adaptation of the ghost story novel by Susan Hill. A young lawyer who must spend some time in the remote and foreboding “Eel Marsh house”. What might be waiting for him there? 
Invasion: Earth was a BBC mini-series from 1998. NATO forces are dealing with two different groups of aliens. Will humanity survive the invasion? 
The First Men in the Moon was a 2010 adaptation of the classic novel by H.G. Wells. A capsule that is shielded from gravity allows two men to travel to the moon. They also go into the moon…. 
Space 1999 was a live-action Gerry Anderson series from the mid-1970s. After the Moon is torn out of Earth Orbit, the crew of Moonbase Alpha must survive as the moon drifts around the universe…. 
Escape Into Night was a 1970s ITV children’s serial. It was based on Catherine Storr’s novel Marianne Dreams. Marianne is an injured girl who must stay in bed for several weeks. Why does a boy called Mark keep appearing in her dreams? Are her drawings somehow affecting what she dreams? Could these dreams threaten Marianne and Mark in real life? 
Chocky was a 1980s adaptation of a John Wyndham novel. Matthew Gore is in mental contact with an alien called Chocky. Things get more complex when Chocky starts asking some very difficult questions. ITV went on to make two original sequels: Chocky’s Children and Chocky’s Challenge. 
The Changes showed a madness descending upon people and causing them to destroy all machinery and technology. After the initial riots, what would people do next? What would this strange world be like? This BBC serial from 1975 explores the aftermath. The TV show was an adaptation of the novels by Peter Dickinson. 
Sapphire & Steel was a spooky TV series from the late 1970s and early 1980s (see 
Doomwatch was a 1970s series that featured a team of scientists investigating other scientists, industry and anything that threatened society or the environment. Lots of interesting ideas were showcased and discussed in this classic series from the BBC. 
Hyperdrive sees the crew of the HMS Camden Lock seeking to protect and promote Britain’s interests in a changing galaxy! This BBC comedy ran in 2006 and 2007. 
Ace of Wands was a 1970s ITV series that blended stage magic with psychic and telepathic powers. Tarot and his friends team up to catch criminals and to defeat villains with powers of their own. 
Adam Adamant Lives! was a 1960s action adventure series. A man is revived after being frozen in 1902. Revived in 1966, gentleman adventurer Adam Adamant fights for the British Government. Sidekick Georgina Jones adds some “Swingin’ Sixties” flair. Manservant Simms watches over Adamant’s reconstructed house (which happens to be on top of a car-park). 
Alternative 3 was a strange documentary that started with a series of apparently unrelated issues. It was a very unusual piece of television with some shocking revelations. Listen to our discussion to find out how this fits into a science fiction podcast! 
The Flipside of Dominick Hide and its sequel Another Flip for Dominick were BBC time travel teleplays from the 1980s. Dominick Hide travels to the past to wander the streets of twentieth-century London. The people he finds will forever change how he sees the world…. 
Eleventh Hour was a 2006 ITV series that brought us investigations of modern science. This Patrick Stewart show seemed to be on the border between science fiction and drama that focused on science.