Astronauts (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Astronauts was a British
sitcom
that aired on ITV
in 1981. It was written by Graeme Garden
and Bill Oddie
, two of The Goodies
. Dick Clement
and Ian La Frenais
, who wrote Porridge
, were script editors. It was made for the ITV
network by ATV
, which became Central
midway through the production run.
. The astronauts are Malcolm Mattocks, Gentian Foster and David Ackroyd. The astronauts' contact at Mission Control is Beadle, an American
. The main humour came from the claustrophobic conditions of the two-room "sky lab", and tension it brought.
showed a pilot for an American adaptation called The Astronauts, but no series developed. It starred Granville Van Dusen
as Mattocks, Brianne Leary
as Foster, Bruce Davison
as Ackroyd and McLean Stevenson
as Beadle.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that aired on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in 1981. It was written by Graeme Garden
Graeme Garden
David Graeme Garden OBE is a Scottish author, actor, comedian, artist and television presenter, who first became known as a member of The Goodies.-Early life and beginnings in comedy:...
and Bill Oddie
Bill Oddie
William "Bill" Edgar Oddie OBE is an English author, actor, comedian, artist, naturalist and musician, who became famous as one of The Goodies....
, two of The Goodies
The Goodies
The Goodies are a trio of British comedians who created, wrote, and starred in a surreal British television comedy series called The Goodies during the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy.-Honours:All three Goodies now have OBEs...
. Dick Clement
Dick Clement
Dick Clement, OBE is an English writer.Born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England, Clement was educated at Bishop's Stortford College and is best known for his writing partnership with Ian La Frenais. Generally, Clement and La Frenais write comedies, or dramas with a comic tone...
and Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais
Ian La Frenais, OBE, , is an English writer best known for his creative partnership with Dick Clement. They are most famous for television series including, The Likely Lads, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Porridge, Lovejoy and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.They have also written various other work...
, who wrote Porridge
Porridge (TV series)
Porridge is a British situation comedy broadcast on BBC1 from 1974 to 1977, running for three series, two Christmas specials and a feature film. Written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, it stars Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale as two inmates at the fictional HMP Slade in Cumberland...
, were script editors. It was made for the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network by ATV
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
, which became Central
Central Independent Television
Central Independent Television, more commonly known as Central is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands, created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting...
midway through the production run.
Cast
- Christopher GodwinChristopher GodwinChristopher Godwin is a British actor who has been active since the late 1960s.He made his TV debut at the age of 25, when he took on the role of PC Grange in an episode of Softly, Softly...
- Commander Malcolm Mattocks - Carmen Du SautoyCarmen du SautoyCarmen Du Sautoy is an award-winning leading actress who has worked extensively in theatre, television and film...
- Dr. Gentian Foster - Barrie RutterBarrie RutterBarrie Rutter is an English actor and the founder and Artistic Director of the Northern Broadsides theatre company based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England....
- Technical Officer David Ackroyd - Bruce BoaBruce BoaBruce Boa was a Canadian actor, who found success playing the token North American in British films and television....
- Beadle
Plot
In Astronauts, Britain's first three astronauts are sent off into outer space to occupy a 'sky lab' for six months. They take with them a dog, white mice and some insects. The dog, Bimbo, had previously appeared in The GoodiesThe Goodies
The Goodies are a trio of British comedians who created, wrote, and starred in a surreal British television comedy series called The Goodies during the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy.-Honours:All three Goodies now have OBEs...
. The astronauts are Malcolm Mattocks, Gentian Foster and David Ackroyd. The astronauts' contact at Mission Control is Beadle, an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The main humour came from the claustrophobic conditions of the two-room "sky lab", and tension it brought.
Series 1 (1981)
- Episode One (26 October 1981)
- Episode Two (2 November 1981)
- Episode Three (9 November 1981)
- "Absence Makes The Heart" (16 November 1981)
- "We Are Not Alone" (23 November 1981)
- "One Week To Go" (30 November 1981)
- "Going Home" (7 December 1981)
Series 2 (1983)
- Episode 1 (19 July 1983)
- Episode 2 (26 July 1983)
- Episode 3 (2 August 1983)
- Episode 4 (9 August 1983)
- Episode 5 (16 August 1983)
- Episode 6 (23 August 1983)
American version
On 11 August 1982, CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
showed a pilot for an American adaptation called The Astronauts, but no series developed. It starred Granville Van Dusen
Granville Van Dusen
Granville Van Dusen is an American stage, screen, and voice actor who portrayed Race Bannon in the 1986 television series The New Adventures of Jonny Quest, Jonny's Golden Quest, Jonny Quest vs...
as Mattocks, Brianne Leary
Brianne Leary
Brianne Banigan Leary is an American actress and inventor. She was the host of The Disney Channel's Walt Disney World Inside Out and Animal Planet's Petsburgh USA....
as Foster, Bruce Davison
Bruce Davison
Bruce Davison is an American actor and director.-Early life:Davison was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Marian E. , a secretary, and Clair W. Davison, a musician, architect, and draftsman for the Army Engineers. His parents divorced when he was three years old. He was raised by his...
as Ackroyd and McLean Stevenson
McLean Stevenson
Edgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. , better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H...
as Beadle.