Journey Into Space
Encyclopedia
Journey Into Space is a BBC Radio
science fiction
programme, written by BBC producer Charles Chilton
. It was the last radio programme in the UK
to attract a bigger evening audience than television. Originally, four series were produced (the fourth being a remake of the first), which went on to be translated into 17 languages (including Hindustani, Turkish and Dutch) and broadcast worldwide (including the United States, New Zealand, Australia and the Netherlands). Chilton went on to write three best-selling novels and several comic strip stories, based upon the radio series.
The first series was created in 1953, soon after Riders of the Range (a popular Western
, also written by Chilton) ended its six seasons on the BBC Light Programme
. Michael Standing, then Head of the BBC Variety Department, asked Chilton if he could write a sci-fi programme, and Journey to the Moon (later known as Operation Luna) was the result. Each half-hour episode would usually end with a dramatic cliffhanger
, to increase the audience's incentive to tune in to the next episode.
The original magnetic recordings of the show were erased shortly after broadcast, and for several decades, it was believed that no recordings of the show still survived. However, in 1986, a set of mis-filed Transcription Service discs (produced for sale to overseas radio stations) was discovered, containing complete copies of the three original series (more accurately, the surviving version of the first season is a cut-down remake of the original, produced for the Transcription Service during the 1950s). This discovery enabled the BBC to begin re-broadcasting the show in the late 1980s, and release copies of the show, first on audio cassette, and more recently on CD and internet download.
Fans of Journey Into Space include Colin Pillinger
, Kenny Everett
, John Major
, Stephen Hawking
, Miriam Margolyes
and former Doctor Who
producer Philip Hinchcliffe
.
Guy Kingsley Poynter (who played Doc) had worked with Charles Chilton before Journey Into Space, and Chilton once commented that Poynter "was a very good poetry reader". Chilton also observed that Bruce Beeby was like his character Mitch, and was "always blowing his top".
David Kossoff asked Chilton if his character (the ship's radio operator) could be called Lemuel (a name he loved), and Chilton shortened the name to Lemmy. Chilton based Lemmy's character on himself, since he had been a radio operator in the RAF
. Originally, Chilton had chosen John Glen to play Jet, but later decided to use Andrew Faulds instead, because Chilton's secretary fancied him.
David Jacobs
' ability to play a wide variety of characters, each with his own distinctive voice, resulted in him playing 22 different characters during the course of Journey Into Space. He used to mark up his script using different colour pencils, to help him remember what each character was supposed to sound like. In episode 1 of The Red Planet, Jet is interviewed by a group of newspaper reporters, all of whom were played by David.
Light-hearted pranks were often played on David Jacobs just before a recording session was about to begin. On one occasion, Andrew Faulds poured a jug of water inside his trousers, totally soaking him, and he "did the rest of the programme in a raincoat!" On another occasion, some of the actors smeared mustard on his lip microphone, causing him some difficulties during the recording session.
, but within the BBC it became known as Journey to the Moon. The series was set in 1965 (the year in which Chilton believed humans would first walk on the Moon), and was first broadcast in 1953–1954 on the BBC Light Programme
, which later became BBC Radio 2
. The series was originally intended to have 12 episodes (one source claims 8 episodes), and 5.1 million people tuned in to the first episode, but the first four episodes (which took place on Earth) didn't prove very popular, and the audience soon shrank to less than 4 million. However, once the rocket set off for the Moon in episode 5, the audience reaction was much more favourable. The series was extended to 18 episodes, and by the time the final episode was broadcast, 8 million people were tuning in.
In 1958, Journey to the Moon was re-recorded for the BBC Transcription Services (retitled as Operation Luna), because the original recordings had been erased. The first four episodes of the original series were omitted, and episodes 12 and 13 were merged into a single episode. Today, the only surviving recording from Journey to the Moon is a 5-minute extract from the final episode.
In addition to the main characters, other characters in Journey to the Moon included:
Other characters in Operation Luna included:
(*) Alan Keith (born Alec Kossoff) was the brother of David Kossoff, who played Lemmy.
Chilton wrote episode 8 of Journey to the Moon in response to a challenge from a TV producer, who considered the success of the series to be "a fluke". The producer challenged Chilton to write an episode "that could not be played equally well on television", and Chilton succeeded – a large proportion of the episode takes place in total darkness. During the episode, Jet reads to the rest of the crew by torchlight from The First Men in the Moon
by H. G. Wells
, the only work of fiction carried on board the ship.
Andrew Faulds' adopted uncle, Hector MacPherson, was an astronomer, and wrote a book called Practical Astronomy. Chilton bought a copy of the book, which first sparked his interest in astronomy, and later led him to write Journey Into Space. In episode 7 of Journey to the Moon, Jet's childhood flashback features his great uncle Hector, who was based on Hector MacPherson.
In November 1957, Chilton wrote an episode of the BBC Schools Radio science series Our Own and Other Worlds, titled A Trip to the Moon, which featured edited material from episodes 5 and 6 of Journey to the Moon.
The table below indicates the correspondence between the episodes of Journey to the Moon and Operation Luna.
The second series, The Red Planet, followed the adventures of the crew in their first attempt to reach and explore Mars
. Several new characters were introduced, the most notable of which were Frank Rogers and James Edward Whitaker, the two original crewmen of freighter #2. Chilton took the name Whitaker from a copy of Whitaker's Almanack
which was sitting on his desk.
In addition to the main characters, other characters in The Red Planet included:
(*) Married to Bruce Beeby, who played Mitch.
The most memorable catchphrase from this series was "Orders must be obeyed without question at all times", which was often repeated by many of the 'conditioned' characters, especially Whitaker. Episode 19 of the series rated a 17% audience share, whereas the newsreel broadcast simultaneously on BBC TV had an audience share of 16%. This was the last time that a radio show achieved a higher rating than its TV opponent.
During the first broadcast of this series, the Radio Times
featured Journey Into Space on its cover, showing Andrew Faulds as Captain "Jet" Morgan. His spacesuit (which was used by several of the cast members for publicity photos) was a prototype being developed in Britain at the time.
During the recording of The Red Planet, Guy Kingsley Poynter was also starring in The Teahouse of the August Moon
at Her Majesty's Theatre
.
The British Empire Exhibition
was referred to throughout the episodes.
In the table of episodes below, the numbers marked with # refer to the numbered freighters of the Mars fleet.
In addition to the main characters, other characters in The World in Peril included:
During the recording of The World in Peril, Alfie Bass was also starring in the revue The Punch Bowl at the Duke of York's Theatre
.
commented:
Midway through the original broadcast of The Red Planet, a BBC Audience Research Report indicated that the series
However, others commented that the plot often featured scientific inaccuracies, even though Chilton had received technical advice from Flight Lieutenant Roger Burton and Kenneth Gatland of the British Interplanetary Society
. One reviewer in the Radio Times
issue of 4 February 1955 commented that:
Chilton has admitted that he is not a science-fiction writer, astronomer, or scientist, and that his "pursuit of astronomical studies is clumsy and very amateurish". He often "worked very late to deadline", sometimes not starting to write an episode until two days before recording.
Journey Into Space remains popular today, thanks to the discovery of mis-filed recording of the show, which enabled the BBC to begin re-broadcasting the show from the late 1980s onwards.
, and obtained one for use during Journey Into Space. He composed music especially for it, and it was "bolted onto the piano" in the studio. Titles of his compositions include "A Picture of the Universe", "Rocket Away", "Music for Outer Space", "The Red Planet", "Crossing the Plains", and "Sunrise".
In 1955, Decca
released a 78rpm record
of the Journey Into Space theme, performed by Frank Weir
and his orchestra (catalogue number F.10435), and sheet music of a piano solo of the theme was also published. In 1978, the recording was included on the 33⅓rpm BBC compilation record BBC Space Themes (catalogue number REH 324), and in 2005, Vocalion/Dutton Laboratories
included it on their digitally remastered compilation CD Presenting Frank Weir And His Saxophone (catalogue number CDLK 4266).
In Journey to the Moon, Lemmy occasionally provided musical entertainment for the crew on his mouth organ, playing songs such as "Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road" and "My Old Dutch". Excerpts of popular music were often used during the episodes, and sometimes played an important role in the plot. In episode 8 of Journey to the Moon, an excerpt from "Honeymoon on a Rocket Ship" by Hank Snow
and The Rainbow Ranch Boys is heard by the crew on the ship's radio. "When It's Night Time In Italy", by James Kendis and Lew Brown
, was an important part of episodes 7 and 8 of The Red Planet. Other popular music used in The Red Planet included:
The World in Peril featured a 'rebel song', sung by the 'conditioned' men aboard the Martian asteroids. This song was actually a musical arrangement of The Green Hills of Earth (a poem taken from Robert Heinlein
's short story
of the same name), performed by the George Mitchell Choir
. In the final episode of The World in Peril, Chopin Opus 34: No. 2: Valse brillante in A minor is heard playing over the radio.
The most distinctive effect was the dramatic rocket take-off, which was played at the beginning of each episode, and whenever necessary during the episodes. This was actually a recording of a jet aircraft
at Heathrow airport
. Often, this would be followed by a slowly ascending tone (representing the rocket accelerating), which "was actually a recording of a thermionic valve
played through an echo chamber
down at the Physical Research Laboratory
at Kingston
". Other sound effects were created at Battersea Power Station
, and the sound made by the televiewer on board Luna was actually a naval ASDIC
.
The BBC had an echo chamber in the studio, which was greatly utilised during the episodes. Whenever the crew were in contact by radio with Earth control, or another distant location, the echo chamber would be applied to the voice of the remote character. Various sound effects were also created "live" in the studio. For example, in episode 8 of Journey to the Moon, the crew hear a mysterious tapping on the outside of the ship; this effect was created "by tapping the needle of the gramophone pickup head, and playing that through an echo chamber".
in 1954, followed by The Red Planet in 1956, and The World in Peril in 1960.. Later they were published in paperback by Pan
in 1958, 1960 and 1962 respectively.
On 8 May 2008, BBC Audiobooks released a complete and unabridged audiobook of the first novel, read by William Hope
.
s, with scripts by Charles Chilton and artwork by Italian artist Ferdinando Tacconi
. The first adventure, titled Jet Morgan in Planet of Fear, was a 35-episode sequel to The World in Peril. Tacconi spent some time with Chilton absorbing the atmosphere of the saga, and portrayed (in full colour) the radio actors' likenesses to match the clever dialogue.
The story was continued in 1957 in the 32-episode adventure, Shadow over Britain. In March 1957, Bruce Cornwall took over from Tacconi as artist, and Chilton lost his enthusiasm for the cartoon strip; thereafter it became a contractual chore for him. Terence Patrick took over from Cornwall in April 1957, and by the time the third adventure began (The World Next Door), Chilton was no longer writing the scripts.
The 1956 Express Weekly
annual contained a short black & white comic strip called Jet Morgan and the Space Pirates, illustrated by Tacconi. The 1957 annual included a short story called Jet Morgan and the Space Castaway, written by Chilton and illustrated by Cornwall.
magnetic tape, and were later copied onto 33⅓rpm
16-inch coarse groove transcription discs for the BBC Transcription Services (except for Journey to the Moon episodes). The master tapes were erased three months after broadcast, in accordance with BBC policy at the time. The Transcription discs were sold overseas, and their fate was unknown, so for many years it was believed that all the episodes had been lost forever.
However, in 1986, a set of mis-filed Transcription discs were found by Ted Kendall, a BBC recording engineer, which turned out to be copies of Operation Luna, The Red Planet and The World in Peril. The BBC no longer possessed a suitable turntable on which to play the discs, but Kendall eventually managed to obtain an EMT 927
turntable. To clean the discs, he soaked them in warm water containing Fairy Liquid
, brushed them with a goats-hair brush, and dried them using kitchen towels.
Kendall then transferred the recordings to magnetic tape, removing "clicks" from the sound using a device which he designed and built, called the Mousetrap (or Front End). He removed more severe clicks after the transfer, by scraping the oxide off the magnetic tape in appropriate places.
The BBC took the opportunity to re-broadcast all three series on Radio 2
, beginning with Operation Luna in 1989, followed by The Red Planet in 1990 and The World in Peril in 1991. Abridged versions of the three series were also released on audio cassette. In 1998, Kendall digitally remastered the recordings for new abridged releases on audio cassette, and in 2004, the unabridged remastered recordings began to be released on CD and internet download. The three series have also been broadcast on BBC Radio 7, now known as BBC Radio 4+.
's Saturday Night Theatre slot ran a special science fiction
season, featuring stories such as The First Men in the Moon
, The Chrysalids
, A Fall of Moondust
and The Technicolor Time Machine. Charles Chilton was asked to write a new one-off 90-minute episode of Journey Into Space for this slot, and The Return from Mars was the result. The plot was an approximate continuation from the end of The World in Peril (one major contradiction being that the crew return aboard Discovery, which was left behind on Mars in The World in Peril). After more than thirty years in space, and missing presumed dead, the crew finally return to Earth. The episode was broadcast on March 7, 1981.
In addition to the main characters, other characters in The Return from Mars included:
Broadcast on Radio 4 on Saturday April 12, 2008. This was released by BBC Audio in January 2009.
ISBN 9781408401040
Music by David Chilton;
producer/director Nicholas Russell-Pavier.
starred Toby Stephens
as Jet Morgan. Another one hour play, it was set in the year 2079.
Broadcast as The Saturday Play on Radio 4 on Saturday June 27, 2009.
in 1984 and Space Force II
in 1985 – which were based on a similar theme. Indeed, Space Force had originally been intended as a new Journey Into Space serial, following on from The Return from Mars, until relatively late in the day, so its four central characters are clear 'doubles' for the Journey Into Space team. In the version that was actually recorded and transmitted, one character (Chipper Barnett) refers to his grandfather Lemmy.
Other links:
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
programme, written by BBC producer Charles Chilton
Charles Chilton
Charles Chilton MBE is a BBC radio presenter, a writer and a producer. Born in Bloomsbury in London, England, he never knew his father - who was killed during World War I - and when he was six his mother died as a result of having a botched abortion, so he was raised by his grandmother. He was...
. It was the last radio programme in the UK
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...
to attract a bigger evening audience than television. Originally, four series were produced (the fourth being a remake of the first), which went on to be translated into 17 languages (including Hindustani, Turkish and Dutch) and broadcast worldwide (including the United States, New Zealand, Australia and the Netherlands). Chilton went on to write three best-selling novels and several comic strip stories, based upon the radio series.
The first series was created in 1953, soon after Riders of the Range (a popular Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
, also written by Chilton) ended its six seasons on the BBC Light Programme
BBC Light Programme
The Light Programme was a BBC radio station which broadcast mainstream light entertainment and music from 1945 until 1967, when it was rebranded as BBC Radio 2...
. Michael Standing, then Head of the BBC Variety Department, asked Chilton if he could write a sci-fi programme, and Journey to the Moon (later known as Operation Luna) was the result. Each half-hour episode would usually end with a dramatic cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
, to increase the audience's incentive to tune in to the next episode.
The original magnetic recordings of the show were erased shortly after broadcast, and for several decades, it was believed that no recordings of the show still survived. However, in 1986, a set of mis-filed Transcription Service discs (produced for sale to overseas radio stations) was discovered, containing complete copies of the three original series (more accurately, the surviving version of the first season is a cut-down remake of the original, produced for the Transcription Service during the 1950s). This discovery enabled the BBC to begin re-broadcasting the show in the late 1980s, and release copies of the show, first on audio cassette, and more recently on CD and internet download.
Fans of Journey Into Space include Colin Pillinger
Colin Pillinger
Colin Trevor Pillinger, CBE, is a planetary scientist at the Open University in the UK. He was the principal investigator for the British Beagle 2 Mars lander project, and has done much work studying a group of Martian meteorites.In May 2005 Pillinger was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.-Early...
, Kenny Everett
Kenny Everett
Kenny Everett was an English comedian, radio DJ and television entertainer. Born Maurice James Christopher Cole, Everett is best known for his career as a radio DJ and for the Kenny Everett television shows.-Early life:...
, John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
, Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking
Stephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA is an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity...
, Miriam Margolyes
Miriam Margolyes
Miriam Margolyes, OBE is an English actress and voice artist. Her earliest roles were in theatre and after several supporting roles in film and television she won a BAFTA Award for her role in The Age of Innocence .-Early life:...
and former Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
producer Philip Hinchcliffe
Philip Hinchcliffe
Philip Hinchcliffe is a British television producer, who brought shows including Private Schulz and The Charmer to the screen, probably best known for the overseeing of British television series Doctor Who from 1974-1977...
.
The main characters
The four main characters appear in all the original series, as well as the later special episodes:| Captain Andrew "Jet" Morgan |
Doc Matthews | Stephen "Mitch" Mitchell | Lemuel "Lemmy" Barnet |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journey to the Moon | Andrew Faulds Andrew Faulds Andrew Matthew William Faulds was a British actor and politician.Born in Isoko, Tanganyika , to missionary parents, Faulds married Bunty Whitfield in 1945... |
Guy Kingsley Poynter | Bruce Beeby (episodes 2 to 6) | David Kossoff David Kossoff David Kossoff was a British actor. Following the death of his son Paul, a rock musician, he became an anti-drug campaigner... |
| Don Sharp Don Sharp Donald Sharp is a British film director.His most famous films were made for Hammer Studios in the sixties, and included The Kiss of the Vampire and Rasputin, the Mad Monk . Also in 1965 he directed The Face of Fu Manchu, based on the character created by Sax Rohmer, here played by Christopher Lee... (episodes 7 to 18) |
||||
| The Red Planet | Bruce Beeby | |||
| The World in Peril | Don Sharp Don Sharp Donald Sharp is a British film director.His most famous films were made for Hammer Studios in the sixties, and included The Kiss of the Vampire and Rasputin, the Mad Monk . Also in 1965 he directed The Face of Fu Manchu, based on the character created by Sax Rohmer, here played by Christopher Lee... |
Alfie Bass Alfie Bass Alfred Bass was an English actor. He was born in Bethnal Green, London, the youngest in a Jewish family with ten children; their parents had fled persecution in Russia... |
||
| Operation Luna | David Williams David Williams -Musicians:* David Williams , Aboriginal musician and artist* David Williams , Welsh bassist* David Williams , Welsh guitarist and bassist in Son of Dork... |
|||
| The Return from Mars | John Pullen | Ed Bishop Ed Bishop Ed Bishop was an American film, television, stage and radio actor based in Britain.-Early life:Bishop served in the US Army from 8 October 1952 to 24 September 1954, working as a disc jockey with the Armed Forces Radio at St. Johns in Newfoundland... |
Nigel Graham | Anthony Hall |
| Frozen in Time | David Jacobs David Jacobs (disc jockey) David Lewis Jacobs CBE is a British actor and broadcaster who gained prominence as presenter of the peak-time BBC Television show Juke Box Jury and the BBC Radio 4 political forum, Any Questions?-Early career:... |
Alan Marriott Alan Marriott (voice actor) Alan Marriott is an improv comedian, improv instructor, writer and voice actor.Alan moved to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1980 to attend the Studio 58 acting school. He left Studio 58 to join the first season of Salmon Arm Summer Stock Youth Theatre and did two seasons with the company... |
Michael Beckley Michael Beckley Michael Beckley is an Australian actor. He played Rhys Sutherland in the Australian television soap opera Home and Away. He has also appeared in Water Rats, Farscape and A Country Practice. He appeared in Cabaret at the Lyric Theatre in London as Ernst Ludwig and as part of the Mamma Mia... |
Chris Moran |
| The Host | Toby Stephens Toby Stephens Toby Stephens is an English stage, television and film actor who has appeared in films in both Hollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for playing megavillain Gustav Graves in the James Bond film Die Another Day , Edward Fairfax Rochester in the BBC television adaptation of Jane Eyre and Philip... |
Alan Marriott Alan Marriott Alan Marriott is an English footballer, currently playing for Mansfield Town-Early career:Marriott began his career at Tottenham Hotspur, signing a professional contract in the summer of 1997 following the completion of his two-year youth training scheme.Released by Spurs at the completion of the... |
Jot Davies | Chris Pavlo |
Guy Kingsley Poynter (who played Doc) had worked with Charles Chilton before Journey Into Space, and Chilton once commented that Poynter "was a very good poetry reader". Chilton also observed that Bruce Beeby was like his character Mitch, and was "always blowing his top".
David Kossoff asked Chilton if his character (the ship's radio operator) could be called Lemuel (a name he loved), and Chilton shortened the name to Lemmy. Chilton based Lemmy's character on himself, since he had been a radio operator in the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Originally, Chilton had chosen John Glen to play Jet, but later decided to use Andrew Faulds instead, because Chilton's secretary fancied him.
David Jacobs
David Jacobs (disc jockey)
David Lewis Jacobs CBE is a British actor and broadcaster who gained prominence as presenter of the peak-time BBC Television show Juke Box Jury and the BBC Radio 4 political forum, Any Questions?-Early career:...
' ability to play a wide variety of characters, each with his own distinctive voice, resulted in him playing 22 different characters during the course of Journey Into Space. He used to mark up his script using different colour pencils, to help him remember what each character was supposed to sound like. In episode 1 of The Red Planet, Jet is interviewed by a group of newspaper reporters, all of whom were played by David.
Light-hearted pranks were often played on David Jacobs just before a recording session was about to begin. On one occasion, Andrew Faulds poured a jug of water inside his trousers, totally soaking him, and he "did the rest of the programme in a raincoat!" On another occasion, some of the actors smeared mustard on his lip microphone, causing him some difficulties during the recording session.
Journey to the Moon / Operation Luna
Initially, the first series was simply known as Journey Into Space, with the subtitle A Tale of the Future added by the Radio TimesRadio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
, but within the BBC it became known as Journey to the Moon. The series was set in 1965 (the year in which Chilton believed humans would first walk on the Moon), and was first broadcast in 1953–1954 on the BBC Light Programme
BBC Light Programme
The Light Programme was a BBC radio station which broadcast mainstream light entertainment and music from 1945 until 1967, when it was rebranded as BBC Radio 2...
, which later became BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
. The series was originally intended to have 12 episodes (one source claims 8 episodes), and 5.1 million people tuned in to the first episode, but the first four episodes (which took place on Earth) didn't prove very popular, and the audience soon shrank to less than 4 million. However, once the rocket set off for the Moon in episode 5, the audience reaction was much more favourable. The series was extended to 18 episodes, and by the time the final episode was broadcast, 8 million people were tuning in.
In 1958, Journey to the Moon was re-recorded for the BBC Transcription Services (retitled as Operation Luna), because the original recordings had been erased. The first four episodes of the original series were omitted, and episodes 12 and 13 were merged into a single episode. Today, the only surviving recording from Journey to the Moon is a 5-minute extract from the final episode.
In addition to the main characters, other characters in Journey to the Moon included:
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Wilfred Walter Wilfred Walter Wilfred Walter was an English film and theatre actor. He was the son of the actor Richard Walter.... |
Sir William Morgan |
| Robert Perceval | Mackenzie |
| Deryck Guyler Deryck Guyler Deryck Guyler was an English actor, best known for his portrayal of officious, short-tempered middle-aged men in sitcoms such as Please Sir! and Sykes.-Early life:... |
The Time-Traveller ("The Voice") |
| Mark Baker Mark Baker Mark Baker may refer to:*Mark Baker , British animator*Mark Allen Baker , American author and historian*Mark M... |
|
| Errol McKinnon | |
| Jessica Dunning | |
| David Jacobs David Jacobs (disc jockey) David Lewis Jacobs CBE is a British actor and broadcaster who gained prominence as presenter of the peak-time BBC Television show Juke Box Jury and the BBC Radio 4 political forum, Any Questions?-Early career:... |
|
| Duncan McIntyre | |
| Wyndham Milligan |
Other characters in Operation Luna included:
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| John Cazabon John Cazabon John F Cazabon was an Australian actor born in Hertford, England.His parents were Albert Cazabon , a noted violinist and from 1927–36 musical director of Prince Edward Theatre orchestra and Mrs Albert Cazabon , a professional actor born in Australia, who became active again with Pickwick Theatre... |
Earth Control |
| Alan Keith Alan Keith Alan Keith OBE was a British actor, disc jockey and radio presenter, noted for being the longest serving and oldest presenter on British radio, at the time of his death aged 94.... (*) |
London correspondent |
| Duncan McIntyre | Jet's great uncle, Hector |
| Deryck Guyler Deryck Guyler Deryck Guyler was an English actor, best known for his portrayal of officious, short-tempered middle-aged men in sitcoms such as Please Sir! and Sykes.-Early life:... |
The Time-Traveller ("The Voice") |
| David Jacobs David Jacobs (disc jockey) David Lewis Jacobs CBE is a British actor and broadcaster who gained prominence as presenter of the peak-time BBC Television show Juke Box Jury and the BBC Radio 4 political forum, Any Questions?-Early career:... |
Miscellaneous characters |
(*) Alan Keith (born Alec Kossoff) was the brother of David Kossoff, who played Lemmy.
Chilton wrote episode 8 of Journey to the Moon in response to a challenge from a TV producer, who considered the success of the series to be "a fluke". The producer challenged Chilton to write an episode "that could not be played equally well on television", and Chilton succeeded – a large proportion of the episode takes place in total darkness. During the episode, Jet reads to the rest of the crew by torchlight from The First Men in the Moon
The First Men in the Moon
The First Men in the Moon is a 1901 scientific romance novel by the English author H. G. Wells. The novel tells the story of a journey to the moon undertaken by the two protagonists, the impoverished businessman Mr Bedford and the brilliant but eccentric scientist Dr. Cavor...
by H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
, the only work of fiction carried on board the ship.
Andrew Faulds' adopted uncle, Hector MacPherson, was an astronomer, and wrote a book called Practical Astronomy. Chilton bought a copy of the book, which first sparked his interest in astronomy, and later led him to write Journey Into Space. In episode 7 of Journey to the Moon, Jet's childhood flashback features his great uncle Hector, who was based on Hector MacPherson.
In November 1957, Chilton wrote an episode of the BBC Schools Radio science series Our Own and Other Worlds, titled A Trip to the Moon, which featured edited material from episodes 5 and 6 of Journey to the Moon.
The table below indicates the correspondence between the episodes of Journey to the Moon and Operation Luna.
| Journey to the Moon | Operation Luna | Brief plot summary | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | First broadcast | Episode | First broadcast | |
| 1 | 21 Sep 1953 | – | – | The year is 1965, and Jet's father (Sir William Morgan) launches his A.24 rocket from the Rocket Research Station at Poker Flats. But something goes wrong, and the rocket heads towards Las Vegas, out of control. |
| 2 | 28 Sep 1953 | – | – | The rocket hits Las Vegas, killing at least 35 people, and the Poker Flats site is shut down. Meanwhile, Jet is invited by Mitch to join his Operation Luna project – a rocket to reach the Moon. |
| 3 | 5 Oct 1953 | – | – | Jet is appointed the rocket's pilot, and he and Lemmy travel to Australia to meet Mitch at the secret Operation Luna base. On arrival, Mitch takes them to meet Smitty, the team's doctor, but he is found dead. |
| 4 | 12 Oct 1953 | – | – | Doc Matthews replaces Smitty (who died from a coronary), and Lemmy is to be the radio operator. Mitch spots a plane flying around the launch site, suspects spies are active, and advances the launch date. |
| 5 | 19 Oct 1953 | 1 | 26 Mar 1958 | The rocket "Luna" sets off for the Moon with Jet, Doc, Mitch and Lemmy aboard. Radio contact with Earth is lost. Lemmy hears odd 'music' on the radio, before contact is resumed, and a tiny meteor hits Luna. |
| 6 | 26 Oct 1953 | 2 | 2 Apr 1958 | Luna is turned round for the Moon landing, and Lemmy hears the 'music' again during the final approach. The crew narrate their first moonwalk by radio to Earth. While exploring a crater, Jet vanishes. |
| 7 | 2 Nov 1953 | 3 | 9 Apr 1958 | The crew experience strange things: Jet has visions of the past and the future; Lemmy is disturbed by the 'music' again; Doc sees a strange dome over a crater, and writes an odd diary entry without realising. |
| 8 | 9 Nov 1953 | 4 | 16 Apr 1958 | Luna loses power just before taking off – the crew are stuck on the Moon. A UFO Unidentified flying object A term originally coined by the military, an unidentified flying object is an unusual apparent anomaly in the sky that is not readily identifiable to the observer as any known object... is seen on the televiewer, and strange noises are heard. Power is suddenly restored, and the UFO has landed outside. |
| 9 | 16 Nov 1953 | 5 | 23 Apr 1958 | Mitch is inquisitive and enters the UFO, where he is temporarily possessed by an alien intelligence. Luna takes off and orbits the Moon; on the far side, the crew encounter a fleet of UFOs, which pursues them. |
| 10 | 23 Nov 1953 | 6 | 30 Apr 1958 | The UFOs accelerate Luna to an incredible speed, and the crew blacks out. On recovering, they find themselves out in deep space, with no sign of the Earth or Moon. In the distance, a planet is approaching. |
| 11 | 30 Nov 1953 | 7 | 7 May 1958 | The planet looks similar to Earth, and the crew land Luna on it. After studying the stars, Jet realises that they are on Earth, but they've travelled thousands of years through time. |
| 12 | 7 Dec 1953 | 8 | 14 May 1958 | Jet discovers a prehistoric stone knife near Luna, proving that they've travelled back in time. A UFO lands nearby, and a voice is heard over the radio: "Hello Luna!" |
| 13 | 14 Dec 1953 | |||
| 14 | 21 Dec 1953 | 9 | 21 May 1958 | The crew talk with 'the voice', which warns them that they are in great danger, and persuades them to enter the UFO, which then takes off. Eventually it lands again, in a city of domed buildings. |
| 15 | 29 Dec 1953 | 10 | 28 May 1958 | The crew learn more about 'the voice' and his people (they are a peaceful, scientific race). They enter a domed building, walk down a long dark tunnel, and emerge in a huge underground city. |
| 16 | 5 Jan 1954 | 11 | 4 Jun 1958 | 'The voice' tells the crew about the native 'forest creatures' (destructive animals), and promises to help the crew get back to their own time. The crew realise the 'forest creatures' are prehistoric humans. |
| 17 | 12 Jan 1954 | 12 | 11 Jun 1958 | 'The voice' is not pleased to learn that the crew are descended from the 'forest creatures', but reluctantly helps them. Luna takes off and is accelerated by the UFOs; the crew blacks out. |
| 18 | 19 Jan 1954 | 13 | 18 Jun 1958 | The crew return to the Moon in 1965, but with no memory of their adventure on prehistoric Earth. However, Doc's diary contains a detailed account, and there's also a prehistoric stone knife on board Luna... |
The Red Planet
The second series, The Red Planet, followed the adventures of the crew in their first attempt to reach and explore Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
. Several new characters were introduced, the most notable of which were Frank Rogers and James Edward Whitaker, the two original crewmen of freighter #2. Chilton took the name Whitaker from a copy of Whitaker's Almanack
Whitaker's Almanack
Whitaker's Almanack is a reference book, published annually in the United Kingdom. The book was originally published by J Whitaker & Sons from 1868 to 1997, then by The Stationery Office, from 2003 to 2010 by A & C Black and from 2011 by .-Content:...
which was sitting on his desk.
In addition to the main characters, other characters in The Red Planet included:
| Actor | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| David Jacobs David Jacobs (disc jockey) David Lewis Jacobs CBE is a British actor and broadcaster who gained prominence as presenter of the peak-time BBC Television show Juke Box Jury and the BBC Radio 4 political forum, Any Questions?-Early career:... |
Frank Rogers and miscellaneous characters |
| Anthony Marriott Anthony Marriott Anthony Marriott is an actor and playwright notable for being joint author, with Alistair Foot of the comedy No Sex Please, We're British which opened at the Strand Theatre, London, in 1971. It has been performed in 52 countries and which on 21 February 1979 became the longest running comedy in... |
James Edward Whitaker |
| Miriam Karlin Miriam Karlin Miriam Karlin, OBE was a British actress who worked on screen for over 60 years. She was best known for her role as Paddy in The Rag Trade, a 1960s BBC and 1970s LWT sitcom , especially for her catchphrase "Everybody out!"... |
Mrs Barnet (Lemmy's mother) |
| John Cazabon John Cazabon John F Cazabon was an Australian actor born in Hertford, England.His parents were Albert Cazabon , a noted violinist and from 1927–36 musical director of Prince Edward Theatre orchestra and Mrs Albert Cazabon , a professional actor born in Australia, who became active again with Pickwick Theatre... |
Australian control voice, dingo hunter, flying doctor, John Bodie (sheep farmer), Bill Webster |
| Madi Hedd (*) | Martha Bodie (sheep farmer's wife) |
| Don Sharp Don Sharp Donald Sharp is a British film director.His most famous films were made for Hammer Studios in the sixties, and included The Kiss of the Vampire and Rasputin, the Mad Monk . Also in 1965 he directed The Face of Fu Manchu, based on the character created by Sax Rohmer, here played by Christopher Lee... |
Sam (factory controller) |
(*) Married to Bruce Beeby, who played Mitch.
The most memorable catchphrase from this series was "Orders must be obeyed without question at all times", which was often repeated by many of the 'conditioned' characters, especially Whitaker. Episode 19 of the series rated a 17% audience share, whereas the newsreel broadcast simultaneously on BBC TV had an audience share of 16%. This was the last time that a radio show achieved a higher rating than its TV opponent.
During the first broadcast of this series, the Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
featured Journey Into Space on its cover, showing Andrew Faulds as Captain "Jet" Morgan. His spacesuit (which was used by several of the cast members for publicity photos) was a prototype being developed in Britain at the time.
During the recording of The Red Planet, Guy Kingsley Poynter was also starring in The Teahouse of the August Moon
The Teahouse of the August Moon (play)
The Teahouse of the August Moon is a 1953 play written by John Patrick adapted from the 1951 novel by Vern Sneider. It was later adapted for film in 1956, and the 1970 Broadway musical, Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen.-Plot summary:...
at Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
.
The British Empire Exhibition
British Empire Exhibition
The British Empire Exhibition was a colonial exhibition held at Wembley, Middlesex in 1924 and 1925.-History:It was opened by King George V on St George's Day, 23 April 1924. The British Empire contained 58 countries at that time, and only Gambia and Gibraltar did not take part...
was referred to throughout the episodes.
In the table of episodes below, the numbers marked with # refer to the numbered freighters of the Mars fleet.
| Episode | First broadcast | Brief plot summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 Sep 1954 | April 1971. Jet and Mitch travel from Earth to the Moon by rocket. The Mars fleet (the flagship Discovery, 8 freighters and 20 men) begins its journey. During an EVA Extra-vehicular activity Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon... , Mitch's safety line fails, leaving him adrift. |
| 2 | 13 Sep 1954 | Jet manages to rescue Mitch, using a miniature rocket unit. Frank tells Lemmy he's not getting on at all well with Whitaker, his shipmate. Whitaker starts behaving very strangely while Jet is questioning him. |
| 3 | 20 Sep 1954 | While Whitaker is in a strange deep sleep, both Frank and Lemmy have nightmares. Radar suddenly reveals a huge meteor swarm ahead of the fleet, blocking its path. A large meteor destroys #7. |
| 4 | 27 Sep 1954 | Control discovers very odd information about Whitaker (apparently born in 1893, disappeared in 1924, etc.). The fleet changes course twice to avoid the meteor swarm, but both times it moves to block their path again. |
| 5 | 4 Oct 1954 | The fleet enters the swarm. Peterson reports an emergency on board #6 with Whitaker. On leaving the swarm, #6 is nowhere to be seen, and the swarm is now blocking radio contact with Control. |
| 6 | 11 Oct 1954 | A radio message (apparently from Control) orders the fleet to return home, but the message is later found to be a fake. #6 is sighted ahead of the fleet, and Discovery draws up alongside it. |
| 7 | 18 Oct 1954 | Whitaker is found badly injured in #6, but Peterson has vanished. Jet has a strange dream, and Whitaker dies, suddenly transforming into an old man. Recordings reveal Whitaker faked the radio message. |
| 8 | 25 Oct 1954 | Peterson's suicide recording is found, and radio contact with Control is restored. The fleet enters orbit round Mars, and Discovery lands at the North Pole, but a strange soporific noise troubles the crew. |
| 9 | 1 Nov 1954 | #1 lands alongside Discovery, and Jet and Mitch explore outside, but they soon get lost in a dense fog. They see a mysterious orange light, and a soporific noise causes them to lose consciousness. |
| 10 | 8 Nov 1954 | Doc and Frank rescue Jet and Mitch, and Jet says he dreamed of a ruined city in a valley. Discovery's crew begin the exploration of Mars in the land trucks, but #2 hears the soporific noise and crashes. |
| 11 | 15 Nov 1954 | During the night, Discovery's crew see a moving white light in the direction of #2. Once they reached the crashed freighter, there's no sign of its crew, and there are strange marks in the ground nearby. |
| 12 | 22 Nov 1954 | While #1's crew is occupying #2, a 'sphere' (spherical UFO) arrives and its crew (three humans) attempt to enter the freighter. Discovery's crew reach a valley which is identical to the one in Jet's earlier dream. |
| 13 | 29 Nov 1954 | Discovery's crew explore the valley's ruined city, but Lemmy vanishes, and experiences a hypnotic dream. He's later found with McClain (pilot of #2), who is now mysteriously able to breathe the Martian air. |
| 14 | 6 Dec 1954 | Doc realises that Whitaker and McClain had been 'conditioned' (hypnotised), allowing them to be controlled. Mitch becomes separated from the others, and meets a man who claims to be a dingo hunter in Australia. |
| 15 | 13 Dec 1954 | McClain, pretending to be Mitch, enters the land truck and tries to overpower Lemmy. Meanwhile, Mitch comes across a house inhabited by a man and woman who claim to be sheep farmers living in Australia in 1939. |
| 16 | 20 Dec 1954 | Jet, Doc and Lemmy discover the same house, and find Mitch inside it. But Mitch is now 'conditioned' to believe he's in Australia, and doesn't recognise the others. He refuses to rejoin them, and attacks Jet. |
| 17 | 27 Dec 1954 | A 'flying doctor' arrives in a sphere, and manages to capture Doc and Lemmy. He tries to 'condition' them using the soporific noise, but they manage to resist. Meanwhile, Jet escapes back to the land trucks. |
| 18 | 3 Jan 1955 | The sphere arrives at Lacus Solis Solis Lacus Solis Lacus is a dark feature on Mars. It was once called "Oculus" and is still commonly called "The Eye of Mars" because with the surrounding light area called Thaumasia it resembles the pupil of one. Solis Lacus is known for the variability of its appearance, changing its size and shape when... (the Martian capital), and the flying doctor reveals the Martian plan to invade the Earth in 1986. Frank, flying in #1, hears the soporific noise and his freighter crashes. |
| 19 | 10 Jan 1955 | Doc and Lemmy overpower the flying doctor, and escape in the sphere with Mitch, who recovers from his 'conditioning'. Jet is contacted by Webster, a man trying to return to Earth, and learns more about the Martians. |
| 20 | 17 Jan 1955 | Jet, Lemmy and Webster try to rescue Frank, but they fail, and Webster is injured and dies. The crew return to Discovery at the North Pole, and take off for home, escaping a pursuing fleet of spheres. |
The World in Peril
The third series was a direct continuation of the story begun in The Red Planet, and followed Jet Morgan and his crew's return to Mars in an attempt to avert the impending Martian invasion.In addition to the main characters, other characters in The World in Peril included:
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| David Jacobs David Jacobs (disc jockey) David Lewis Jacobs CBE is a British actor and broadcaster who gained prominence as presenter of the peak-time BBC Television show Juke Box Jury and the BBC Radio 4 political forum, Any Questions?-Early career:... |
Frank Rogers and miscellaneous characters |
| Alan Tilvern Alan Tilvern Alan Tilvern was a British film and television actor. He is best known for his role as R.K. Maroon in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.-Television appearances:* Doctor Who serial, Planet of Giants... |
Jack Evans (lunar controller) |
| John Cazabon John Cazabon John F Cazabon was an Australian actor born in Hertford, England.His parents were Albert Cazabon , a noted violinist and from 1927–36 musical director of Prince Edward Theatre orchestra and Mrs Albert Cazabon , a professional actor born in Australia, who became active again with Pickwick Theatre... |
Jenkins (rocket station supervisor) |
| Fred Yule Fred Yule Fred Yule was an English character actor, comedian and singer, mainly known for his appearances in post-war BBC Radio programmes such as ITMA, Ray's a Laugh, Band Waggon and The Archers.... |
Mr Moore |
| Pat Campbell Pat Campbell Pat Campbell is an American talk radio host in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area on station KFAQ . He is host of The Pat Campbell Show, which airs weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., central standard time. He is also a frequent guest on Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor and Fox & Friends.Campbell received... |
Paddy Flynn |
During the recording of The World in Peril, Alfie Bass was also starring in the revue The Punch Bowl at the Duke of York's Theatre
Dorset Garden Theatre
The Dorset Garden Theatre in London, built in 1671, was in its early years also known as the Duke of York's Theatre, or the Duke's Theatre. In 1685, King Charles II died and his brother, the Duke of York, was crowned as James II. When the Duke became King, the theatre became the Queen's Theatre in...
.
| Episode | First broadcast | Brief plot summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 Sep 1955 | April 15, 1972. The Discovery and two freighters return to the Moon from the disastrous Mars expedition. The crew are subjected to intense questioning about their experiences on Mars, and Lemmy discovers that the Discovery is being readied for take off. Back on Earth, they visit an astronomical observer who has spotted suspicious objects in the heavens. |
| 2 | 3 Oct 1955 | Jet and Lemmy go to investigate the objects in an orbital rocket, but are sent to sleep for 24 hours by a strange noise. Film footage suggests the asteroids are actually spacecraft carriers. Jet discovers that a spaceship has crashed in the Lake District. Jet and Doc enter the ship. |
| 3 | 10 Oct 1955 | The crew and the Lunar Controller try to locate the crew of the crashed ship. They interview Moore, a commercial traveller who may have had contact with the crew of the ship, who recounts his experience. The crew are ordered back to Mars and are driven to an airfield, but the car crashes when the crew tackle the 'Conditioned Type' driver. |
| 4 | 17 Oct 1955 | The crew fly to Australia, then on a ship to the Moon. While preparing for the voyage to Mars, they spot unidentified objects on the lunar horizon. The take off is complicated by strange communication with control, suggesting the Moon base has been infiltrated. |
| 5 | 24 Oct 1955 | The Discovery gets away safely; however, they cannot establish contact with Moon control, so Lemmy contacts Earth. After ships from Earth to the Moon are lost, the crew concludes that the Moon has fallen under Martian control. While refuelling from freighter #1, Jet and Lemmy hear a strange wailing voice. |
| 6 | 31 Oct 1955 | The crew slow the ship down, and discuss where on Mars to land and the objectives of the trip. They regain contact with the strange voice, discovering it is a very confused Frank Rogers, ex-crew man of Freighter #2. |
| 7 | 7 Nov 1955 | Thinking Frank may be there, the crew decide to land near the wreck of freighter #2, but Jet and Mitch discover it to be empty. From the Discovery, Doc and Lemmy spot a fleet of Martian spheres approaching. |
| 8 | 14 Nov 1955 | Jet and Mitch fail to make it back to Discovery, and the crew all pass out as the ships approach. They wake up in a dark room and figure that they must be on one of the moons of Mars. They discover an unconscious man in the room, that Jet is missing, and a door in the floor opens. |
| 9 | 21 Nov 1955 | Jet is found under his bed and the unconscious man is found to be Frank Rogers. Doc tries to bring Frank out of his conditioned state, and he reveals that the invasion is under way. Jet and Lemmy go through the floor, and are directed by the voice of Paddy Flynn. |
| 10 | 28 Nov 1955 | Frank regains some of his memory, revealing that the crew are aboard an asteroid ship. Jet and Lemmy meet Paddy face to face, and he reveals that he is the rebel captain of the asteroid, working with Jack Evans. Paddy receives orders to join the invasion fleet. |
| 11 | 5 Dec 1955 | Paddy leaves the crew, who learn how to manipulate the 'visionphone'. As Mitch and Frank follow them along a circular corridor using the cameras, Jet, Lemmy and Doc hear a voice they assume to be a Martian, ordering them back. |
| 12 | 12 Dec 1955 | Jet, Lemmy and Doc ignore the Martian's warnings to turn back, and Jet is knocked out after touching a door at the end of the corridor. The crew persuades Paddy to set the ship on course for Mars, so they can warn Earth of the invasion. However, he loses control, and is injured. |
| 13 | 19 Dec 1955 | The asteroid is in chaos and the crew discover Asteroid 786/738 is on its way to sort it out. Mitch and Lemmy go to fetch a bed for Paddy, but become lost and enter the Martian's lair. They hear a familiar voice but can't place it. Paddy dies, and Mitch and Lemmy discover that Jack Evans is really the Lunar Controller, in league with the Martians from the start. |
| 14 | 26 Dec 1955 | The Lunar Controller tells Mitch and Lemmy that the invasion will be facilitated by a hypnotic television broadcast. Jet and Doc go on a search for the others, and follow conditioned crew members onto the asteroid surface. Wearing Martian suits, they investigate a large sphere, but become stranded on the surface. |
| 15 | 2 Jan 1956 | While the Lunar Controller is away, Jet and Doc enter his quarters from the asteroid surface. Mitch and Lemmy explain what has happened to them, and they hatch a plan to imprison the Lunar Controller and escape. |
| 16 | 9 Jan 1956 | The crew imprison the Lunar Controller, and gain his assistance by threatening to release him into space. Lemmy smashes up the computerised brain, to stop messages being sent to the rest of the Martian fleet. Frank pilots the ship as they escape the asteroid and set course for Mars, but they discover the Discovery to have been plundered. |
| 17 | 16 Jan 1956 | They head into orbit, transfer to Freighter #1, and attempt to contact Earth, but they cannot get their warning about the invasion through. They spot the asteroid invasion fleet approaching them from behind. Jet decides to use all remaining fuel to set on course for Earth, in order to increase their chances of warning Earth of the invasion. |
| 18 | 23 Jan 1956 | The asteroid fleet increases speed and overtakes Freighter #1. Jet records a warning to Earth, to be transmitted on a loop. Attempts to hypnotise the crew fail, so the Martian contacts the crew using their voices. Freighter #1 crashes onto the surface of a large asteroid. |
| 19 | 30 Jan 1956 | Lemmy fails to contact Earth, but they are contacted by the Martian who tells them to enter the asteroid ship. The Martian reveals that he is the only one left of a race of giants, and explains his reasons for the invasion. A crew from the asteroid, including ex-freighter man Harding, forcibly remove the crew from Freighter #1. |
| 20 | 6 Feb 1956 | The crew are shown to luxurious quarters aboard the asteroid, and cruise to Earth as part of the invasion fleet. They are commanded to the Martian's quarters, where they are dismayed to discover that Earth has not followed their instruction to shut down all television channels. However, upon returning to their quarters, they discover the channels have been shut down. The Martian allows all those in his command to return to Earth, although many choose to remain in the Martian's fleet, and to establish a perfect civilisation in another solar system, free from persecution, hunger, misgovernment and war. |
Critical reaction
Public reaction to the show was mixed. Some comments received by the BBC described the show as "a first class affair" and "the best serial for ages". After episode 5 of Journey to the Moon was first broadcast, the Daily ExpressDaily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
commented:
Midway through the original broadcast of The Red Planet, a BBC Audience Research Report indicated that the series
However, others commented that the plot often featured scientific inaccuracies, even though Chilton had received technical advice from Flight Lieutenant Roger Burton and Kenneth Gatland of the British Interplanetary Society
British Interplanetary Society
The British Interplanetary Society founded in 1933 by Philip E. Cleator, is the oldest space advocacy organisation in the world whose aim is exclusively to support and promote astronautics and space exploration.-Structure:...
. One reviewer in the Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
issue of 4 February 1955 commented that:
Chilton has admitted that he is not a science-fiction writer, astronomer, or scientist, and that his "pursuit of astronomical studies is clumsy and very amateurish". He often "worked very late to deadline", sometimes not starting to write an episode until two days before recording.
Journey Into Space remains popular today, thanks to the discovery of mis-filed recording of the show, which enabled the BBC to begin re-broadcasting the show from the late 1980s onwards.
Music
Van Phillips composed and conducted the music for all three series. The music was initially recorded beforehand, and played from acetate discs during the recording sessions. Later, an eight-piece orchestra was actually present in the studio, and played the music live. Phillips liked the sound of the claviolineClavioline
The clavioline is an electronic keyboard instrument, a forerunner to the analog synthesizer.It was invented by Constant Martin in 1947. It consists of a keyboard and a separate amplifier and speaker unit. The keyboard usually covered three octaves, and had a number of switches to alter the tone of...
, and obtained one for use during Journey Into Space. He composed music especially for it, and it was "bolted onto the piano" in the studio. Titles of his compositions include "A Picture of the Universe", "Rocket Away", "Music for Outer Space", "The Red Planet", "Crossing the Plains", and "Sunrise".
In 1955, Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
released a 78rpm record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
of the Journey Into Space theme, performed by Frank Weir
Frank Weir
Frank Weir was a British orchestra leader and jazz musician. He reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart in 1954 with Vera Lynn and the song "My Son, My Son", and with positive reviews in Variety, Cash Box and Billboard....
and his orchestra (catalogue number F.10435), and sheet music of a piano solo of the theme was also published. In 1978, the recording was included on the 33⅓rpm BBC compilation record BBC Space Themes (catalogue number REH 324), and in 2005, Vocalion/Dutton Laboratories
Vocalion Records
Vocalion Records is a record label active for many years in the United States and in the United Kingdom.-History:Vocalion was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Piano Company of New York City, which introduced a retail line of phonographs at the same time. The name was derived from one of their...
included it on their digitally remastered compilation CD Presenting Frank Weir And His Saxophone (catalogue number CDLK 4266).
In Journey to the Moon, Lemmy occasionally provided musical entertainment for the crew on his mouth organ, playing songs such as "Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road" and "My Old Dutch". Excerpts of popular music were often used during the episodes, and sometimes played an important role in the plot. In episode 8 of Journey to the Moon, an excerpt from "Honeymoon on a Rocket Ship" by Hank Snow
Hank Snow
Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was a Canadian-American country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980...
and The Rainbow Ranch Boys is heard by the crew on the ship's radio. "When It's Night Time In Italy", by James Kendis and Lew Brown
Lew Brown
Lew Brown was a lyricist for popular songs in the United States.Brown was born as Louis Brownstein in Odessa, Russian Empire...
, was an important part of episodes 7 and 8 of The Red Planet. Other popular music used in The Red Planet included:
- "Flat Foot Floogie", by Bulet Galliard, Leroy Stewart and Bud GreenBud GreenBud Green was an Austrian-born songwriter. Bud Green grew up in Harlem at 108th & Madison Ave. at the turn of the century, the eldest of seven. He dropped out of elementary school to sell newspapers and help the family...
, performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra - The theme tune to the Billy Cotton Band ShowBilly Cotton Band ShowThe Billy Cotton Band Show was a popular Sunday afternoon radio programme on the BBC Light Programme from 1949 to 1968.The band leader, Billy Cotton, was a larger-than-life Cockney character who started each show with the cry “Wakey-Wake-aaaay!”, followed by the band’s signature tune “Somebody...
- "Somebody Stole My Gal", by Lee Wright
- "Friends and Neighbours", by Marvin Scott and Malcolm LockyerMalcolm LockyerMalcolm Lockyer was a film composer and conductor.In his early years he developed an interest in dance and from here gathered an interest in music. At the age of nineteen he became a musician in the Royal Air Force and in 1944 joined the Buddy Featherstonhaugh Sextet...
- "Selection of Hebrew Dances Part 2", by AmbroseAmbrose (bandleader)Benjamin Baruch Ambrose , known professionally as Ambrose or Bert Ambrose, was an English bandleader and violinist. Ambrose become the leader of a highly acclaimed English dance band, the Bert Ambrose & His Orchestra, in the 1930s.-Early life:Ambrose was born in the East End of London; his father...
and his orchestra - Banjo music by Billy Bell
The World in Peril featured a 'rebel song', sung by the 'conditioned' men aboard the Martian asteroids. This song was actually a musical arrangement of The Green Hills of Earth (a poem taken from Robert Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
's short story
The Green Hills of Earth
"The Green Hills of Earth" is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, and the title of a song, "The Green Hills of Earth", mentioned in several of his novels...
of the same name), performed by the George Mitchell Choir
George Mitchell (musician)
George Mitchell, was a Scottish musician, best known for having devised the long-running The Black and White Minstrel Show....
. In the final episode of The World in Peril, Chopin Opus 34: No. 2: Valse brillante in A minor is heard playing over the radio.
Sound effects
A variety of sound effects were used in the episodes, and played a major role. In addition to basic sounds, such as feet walking along a corridor or tunnel, more advanced effects were created, such as the mysterious haunting 'music' which is heard over the rocket's radio in many episodes of Operation Luna.The most distinctive effect was the dramatic rocket take-off, which was played at the beginning of each episode, and whenever necessary during the episodes. This was actually a recording of a jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
at Heathrow airport
London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
. Often, this would be followed by a slowly ascending tone (representing the rocket accelerating), which "was actually a recording of a thermionic valve
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
played through an echo chamber
Echo chamber
thumb|right|Echo chamber of the Dresden University of Technologythumb|right|Hamilton Mausoleum has a spectacularly long lasting unplanned echoAn echo chamber is a hollow enclosure used to produce echoing sounds, usually for recording purposes...
down at the Physical Research Laboratory
National Physical Laboratory, UK
The National Physical Laboratory is the national measurement standards laboratory for the United Kingdom, based at Bushy Park in Teddington, London, England. It is the largest applied physics organisation in the UK.-Description:...
at Kingston
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames is the principal settlement of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in southwest London. It was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and is now a suburb situated south west of Charing Cross. It is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the...
". Other sound effects were created at Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station
Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned coal-fired power station located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Battersea, South London. The station comprises two individual power stations, built in two stages in the form of a single building. Battersea A Power Station was built first in the...
, and the sound made by the televiewer on board Luna was actually a naval ASDIC
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
.
The BBC had an echo chamber in the studio, which was greatly utilised during the episodes. Whenever the crew were in contact by radio with Earth control, or another distant location, the echo chamber would be applied to the voice of the remote character. Various sound effects were also created "live" in the studio. For example, in episode 8 of Journey to the Moon, the crew hear a mysterious tapping on the outside of the ship; this effect was created "by tapping the needle of the gramophone pickup head, and playing that through an echo chamber".
Novels
Chilton wrote three Journey Into Space novels, one for each of the three original series. The first novel, titled Journey Into Space, told the story of Journey to the Moon and was the first book that Chilton had written. It was published in hardback by Herbert JenkinsBarrie & Jenkins
Barrie & Jenkins was a small British publishing house that was formed in 1964 from the merger of "Herbert Jenkins" and "Barrie & Rockcliffe". One of their most notable authors was P. G...
in 1954, followed by The Red Planet in 1956, and The World in Peril in 1960.. Later they were published in paperback by Pan
Pan Books
Pan Books is an imprint which first became active in the 1940s and is now part of the British-based Macmillan Publishers owned by German publishers, Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group....
in 1958, 1960 and 1962 respectively.
On 8 May 2008, BBC Audiobooks released a complete and unabridged audiobook of the first novel, read by William Hope
William Hope (actor)
William "Bill" Hope is a Canadian stage, film, television and voice actor.-Career:Most of Hope's stage work has been leading roles in a wide variety of regional, touring and West End theatres in England....
.
Comic strips
In 1956, the Junior Express comic began publishing Journey Into Space comic stripComic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
s, with scripts by Charles Chilton and artwork by Italian artist Ferdinando Tacconi
Ferdinando Tacconi
Fredinando Tacconi was an Italian comics artist.Tacconi was born in Milan. He earned a degree in Applied Arts from Castello Sforzesco...
. The first adventure, titled Jet Morgan in Planet of Fear, was a 35-episode sequel to The World in Peril. Tacconi spent some time with Chilton absorbing the atmosphere of the saga, and portrayed (in full colour) the radio actors' likenesses to match the clever dialogue.
The story was continued in 1957 in the 32-episode adventure, Shadow over Britain. In March 1957, Bruce Cornwall took over from Tacconi as artist, and Chilton lost his enthusiasm for the cartoon strip; thereafter it became a contractual chore for him. Terence Patrick took over from Cornwall in April 1957, and by the time the third adventure began (The World Next Door), Chilton was no longer writing the scripts.
The 1956 Express Weekly
Express Weekly
Express Weekly was a children's comic of the late 1950s, and featured, among others:* Wulf the Briton drawn by Ron Embleton* Journey Into Space, from 1956, drawn first by Tacconi, and then Bruce Cornwall and Terence Patrick...
annual contained a short black & white comic strip called Jet Morgan and the Space Pirates, illustrated by Tacconi. The 1957 annual included a short story called Jet Morgan and the Space Castaway, written by Chilton and illustrated by Cornwall.
Discovery of Transcription discs
The programmes were recorded in the studio on 15ipsInches per second
The inch per second is a unit of speed or velocity. It expresses the distance in inches traveled or displaced, divided by time in seconds...
magnetic tape, and were later copied onto 33⅓rpm
Revolutions per minute
Revolutions per minute is a measure of the frequency of a rotation. It annotates the number of full rotations completed in one minute around a fixed axis...
16-inch coarse groove transcription discs for the BBC Transcription Services (except for Journey to the Moon episodes). The master tapes were erased three months after broadcast, in accordance with BBC policy at the time. The Transcription discs were sold overseas, and their fate was unknown, so for many years it was believed that all the episodes had been lost forever.
However, in 1986, a set of mis-filed Transcription discs were found by Ted Kendall, a BBC recording engineer, which turned out to be copies of Operation Luna, The Red Planet and The World in Peril. The BBC no longer possessed a suitable turntable on which to play the discs, but Kendall eventually managed to obtain an EMT 927
Elektro-Mess-Technik
Elektro-Mess-Technik is a manufacturer of phonograph turntables and professional audio equipment, including a well-regarded line of artificial reverberation devices beginning with the EMT 140 plate reverb. The company was founded by Wilhelm Franz....
turntable. To clean the discs, he soaked them in warm water containing Fairy Liquid
Fairy (detergent)
]Fairy is a brand of washing-up liquid produced by Procter & Gamble at their West Thurrock factory , England. Fairy liquid is traditionally green, prompting the well-known advertising jingle "Now hands that do dishes can feel soft as your face, with mild green Fairy Liquid".As of 2008, Fairy is...
, brushed them with a goats-hair brush, and dried them using kitchen towels.
Kendall then transferred the recordings to magnetic tape, removing "clicks" from the sound using a device which he designed and built, called the Mousetrap (or Front End). He removed more severe clicks after the transfer, by scraping the oxide off the magnetic tape in appropriate places.
The BBC took the opportunity to re-broadcast all three series on Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
, beginning with Operation Luna in 1989, followed by The Red Planet in 1990 and The World in Peril in 1991. Abridged versions of the three series were also released on audio cassette. In 1998, Kendall digitally remastered the recordings for new abridged releases on audio cassette, and in 2004, the unabridged remastered recordings began to be released on CD and internet download. The three series have also been broadcast on BBC Radio 7, now known as BBC Radio 4+.
The Return from Mars
In 1981, Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's Saturday Night Theatre slot ran a special science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
season, featuring stories such as The First Men in the Moon
The First Men in the Moon
The First Men in the Moon is a 1901 scientific romance novel by the English author H. G. Wells. The novel tells the story of a journey to the moon undertaken by the two protagonists, the impoverished businessman Mr Bedford and the brilliant but eccentric scientist Dr. Cavor...
, The Chrysalids
The Chrysalids
The Chrysalids is a science fiction novel by John Wyndham, first published in 1955 by Michael Joseph. It is the least typical of Wyndham's major novels, but regarded by some people as his best...
, A Fall of Moondust
A Fall of Moondust
A Fall of Moondust is a hard science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke, first published in 1961. It was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel, and was the first science fiction novel selected to become a Reader's Digest Condensed Book....
and The Technicolor Time Machine. Charles Chilton was asked to write a new one-off 90-minute episode of Journey Into Space for this slot, and The Return from Mars was the result. The plot was an approximate continuation from the end of The World in Peril (one major contradiction being that the crew return aboard Discovery, which was left behind on Mars in The World in Peril). After more than thirty years in space, and missing presumed dead, the crew finally return to Earth. The episode was broadcast on March 7, 1981.
In addition to the main characters, other characters in The Return from Mars included:
| Actor | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth Proud | Cassia |
| Patrick Barr | Nichols |
| David Bradshawe | Wrist radio / Countdown voice |
| Graham Faulkner | Pilot / Talian |
| Stephen Garlick | Controller / Radio voice |
| John McAndrew | Videophone / Junior officer |
| Sion Probert | Control / Sotteer 2 |
| Christopher Scott | Sotteer 1 / Harry |
| John Webb | Supervisor / Radio |
Frozen in Time
A new episode based on the original series, with David Jacobs finally taking the role of Jet Morgan (who has aged while the rest of his crew were in suspended animation due to a systems malfunction). Charles Chilton wrote the one hour play which was set in the year 2013.Broadcast on Radio 4 on Saturday April 12, 2008. This was released by BBC Audio in January 2009.
ISBN 9781408401040
| Part | Played by |
|---|---|
| Captain Jet Morgan | David Jacobs |
| Mitch | Michael Beckley |
| Doc/Ed | Alan Marriott |
| Lemmy | Chris Moran |
| Astrid | Emma Fielding |
| Jensen | Stephen Hogan |
| Radio Operator/Film Voice | Kate Harbour |
Music by David Chilton;
producer/director Nicholas Russell-Pavier.
| Episode | First broadcast | Brief plot summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 Apr 2008 | March 2013. Ares' crew awakens from suspended animation, low on fuel, and technology out classed, goes to rescue a mining operation on Mars. |
The Host
A further new episode based on the original series by Chilton, written by Julian SimpsonJulian Simpson
Julian Simpson is a London-based writer and director working in film, TV and radio. He was educated at Felsted School.His credits include The Criminal, Superstorm, Murder Prevention, Spooks, New Tricks, Hustle and Doctor Who....
starred Toby Stephens
Toby Stephens
Toby Stephens is an English stage, television and film actor who has appeared in films in both Hollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for playing megavillain Gustav Graves in the James Bond film Die Another Day , Edward Fairfax Rochester in the BBC television adaptation of Jane Eyre and Philip...
as Jet Morgan. Another one hour play, it was set in the year 2079.
Broadcast as The Saturday Play on Radio 4 on Saturday June 27, 2009.
| Part | Played by |
|---|---|
| Captain Jet Morgan | Toby Stephens Toby Stephens Toby Stephens is an English stage, television and film actor who has appeared in films in both Hollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for playing megavillain Gustav Graves in the James Bond film Die Another Day , Edward Fairfax Rochester in the BBC television adaptation of Jane Eyre and Philip... |
| Mitch | Jot Davies |
| Doc/Enceladus Control | Alan Marriott Alan Marriott Alan Marriott is an English footballer, currently playing for Mansfield Town-Early career:Marriott began his career at Tottenham Hotspur, signing a professional contract in the summer of 1997 following the completion of his two-year youth training scheme.Released by Spurs at the completion of the... |
| Lemmy | Chris Pavlo |
| The Host | David Jacobs David Jacobs (disc jockey) David Lewis Jacobs CBE is a British actor and broadcaster who gained prominence as presenter of the peak-time BBC Television show Juke Box Jury and the BBC Radio 4 political forum, Any Questions?-Early career:... |
| Edie | Jana Carpenter Jana Carpenter Jana Carpenter is a British actress, singer and guitarist. She has appeared in a few TV series episodes and films and is also vocalist and guitarist in the countryfolk/harmony band Piefinger, and Mercury Prize nominated experimental rock band Sweet Billy Pilgrim.-Filmography:-External links:... |
| JJ Andreev | Basher Savage |
BBC releases on audio cassette and CD
| Series | Format | Abridged? | Release date | Released by | ISBN International Standard Book Number The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering code created by Gordon Foster, Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H... |
Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation Luna | 4 cassettes | Yes | 1989 | BBC Enterprises Ltd | 0-563-22632-3 | None |
| 6 cassettes | Yes | 1996 | BBC Worldwide Ltd | 0-563-38893-5 | None | |
| 4 cassettes | Yes | 1998 | BBC Worldwide Ltd | 0-563-55752-4 | ||
| 7 CDs | No | 5 July 2004 | BBC Audiobooks Ltd | 0-563-52489-8 | Journey Into Space... Again documentary Excerpt from Journey to the Moon |
|
| The Red Planet | 6 cassettes | Yes | 1991 | BBC Enterprises Ltd | 0-563-40992-4 | None |
| 4 cassettes | Yes | 1998 | BBC Worldwide Ltd | 0-563-55757-5 | ||
| 10 CDs | No | 3 Jan 2005 | BBC Audiobooks Ltd | 0-563-52494-4 | Charles Chilton interview, Round Midnight | |
| The World in Peril | 6 cassettes | Yes | 1994 | BBC Enterprises Ltd | 0-563-39437-4 | |
| 4 cassettes | Yes | 1998 | BBC Worldwide Ltd | 0-563-55762-1 | None | |
| 10 CDs | Planned release 4 October 2006, cancelled (internet download only) |
0-563-52499-5 | ||||
| The Return from Mars | 2 cassettes | No | 2000 | BBC Worldwide Ltd | 0-563-55361-8 | Journey Into Space... Again documentary |
Audiobooks
Currently, only the first novel has been released as an audiobook.| Novel | Release date | Released by | Format | ISBN International Standard Book Number The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering code created by Gordon Foster, Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journey Into Space | 8 May 2008 | BBC Audiobooks | 6 CDs | 9781405688680 |
| Internet download | 9781405646628 |
Other related series
Chilton followed Journey Into Space with two other radio series – Space ForceSpace Force
Space Force was a BBC Radio science fiction serial, broadcast in the mid-1980s.Written by Charles Chilton, it was originally intended to be a sequel to his Journey into Space series , using the cast who'd just made a one-off revival of that series ; while this idea was dropped late in the day, the...
in 1984 and Space Force II
Space Force
Space Force was a BBC Radio science fiction serial, broadcast in the mid-1980s.Written by Charles Chilton, it was originally intended to be a sequel to his Journey into Space series , using the cast who'd just made a one-off revival of that series ; while this idea was dropped late in the day, the...
in 1985 – which were based on a similar theme. Indeed, Space Force had originally been intended as a new Journey Into Space serial, following on from The Return from Mars, until relatively late in the day, so its four central characters are clear 'doubles' for the Journey Into Space team. In the version that was actually recorded and transmitted, one character (Chipper Barnett) refers to his grandfather Lemmy.
External links
The BBC releases of the three original series on CD and internet download are accompanied by 16-page booklets with text written by Andrew Pixley. These booklets provide detailed information about the series, and are available online:- BBC booklet for Operation Luna
- BBC booklet for The Red Planet (alternative link)
- BBC booklet for The World in Peril
Other links:
- Two-minute clip of Operation Luna
- www.journeyintospace.co.uk – An excellent website about the series
- Zeta Minor CD Review: Operation Luna – A very comprehensive review of Operation Luna and its new CD boxset
- Zeta Minor CD Review: The Red Planet – A very comprehensive review of The Red Planet and its new CD boxset