Very early appearance of Idris Elba in a show that no one really remembers or talks about. I certainly don't. In this very brief role Idris played a pizza delivery man because everybody has to start somewhere
Coincidentally, I've recently re-watched 'em, I remembered it with some fondness and I havta say, it didn't really live up to my recollection. Once it gets into its stride it picks up but there are problems with production values, which is odd, because it has a reputation for being an expensive production. The characters are great, they were miles ahead of the trek standard of the time. The miniature stuff is uneven, some of it works, other bits are bit stylised, where it really falls down is the studio and the limited location live action. Someone must've been eating money because there's some location work that looks like a car park in Slough. There's also a problem in tone, as you'd expect, some themes tackled are rather mature, but there's a jokey robot sidekick and some other details that seem incongruous with that kind of material, like a pet alien rendered as a puppet that would be more at home in XL5 and as for the attack of the crazed dog, that was painful to watch. The other thing, is that it was shot in a really odd format, I haven't got a clue what it was but comes out super 8 or something of that kind. It's a shame really the idea was solid, and the mobilised prosthetics are excellent. The series that followed, New Captain Scarlet works much better. Don't let me put you off though, there are some good bits, you'll even find Steven Berkoff, alas not reprising his role as interceptor pilot but as a corrupt physician.
I do love a Steven Berkoff appearance, so that alone is going to make me have a look-see. Can you recall which channel aired it and which time slot because I don't understand how I managed to miss even catching a few minutes.
At a stab, I think it was BBC2, I'm pretty sure it was the early evening slot, if you were on the train you probably missed 'em unless you had the misses under orders to tape it.
For many years, I had a second hand video that played back but tapped only scratchy static and ghost images. I survived from the kindness of friends who would tape multiple episodes for binge viewing. X-files, Friends, Next Generation and Deep Space 9 were all consumed in this way. I'm guessing this was all around the same time and clearly none of them watched or recommend Space Precinct! Memory jogged and explanation found. And I would have been on the bus, with the misses, so that explains that. Now feely strangely nostalgic for clearly much shitter times. - odd
Over here it played, I want to say mid afternoon on Saturday , in syndication kind of like Time Trax, Team Knight Rider, The new Kung Foo, Etc... I think it ran opposite of Babylon 5 on another channel. B5 was a better show IMHO. I watched it a few times during it's one season run mainly because it was an Anderson production.
The very idea of a Saturday mid afternoon sci-fi slot is mind exploding. It was all sport or black and white movies in the UK. Although working in retail in 94, there's no way I would have been at home on a Saturday
Coincidentally, I've recently re-watched 'em, I remembered it with some fondness and I havta say, it didn't really live up to my recollection. Once it gets into its stride it picks up but there are problems with production values, which is odd, because it has a reputation for being an expensive production. The characters are great, they were miles ahead of the trek standard of the time. The miniature stuff is uneven, some of it works, other bits are bit stylised, where it really falls down is the studio and the limited location live action. Someone must've been eating money because there's some location work that looks like a car park in Slough. There's also a problem in tone, as you'd expect, some themes tackled are rather mature, but there's a jokey robot sidekick and some other details that seem incongruous with that kind of material, like a pet alien rendered as a puppet that would be more at home in XL5 and as for the attack of the crazed dog, that was painful to watch. The other thing, is that it was shot in a really odd format, I haven't got a clue what it was but comes out super 8 or something of that kind. It's a shame really the idea was solid, and the mobilised prosthetics are excellent. The series that followed, New Captain Scarlet works much better. Don't let me put you off though, there are some good bits, you'll even find Steven Berkoff, alas not reprising his role as interceptor pilot but as a corrupt physician.
ReplyDeleteI do love a Steven Berkoff appearance, so that alone is going to make me have a look-see. Can you recall which channel aired it and which time slot because I don't understand how I managed to miss even catching a few minutes.
DeleteAt a stab, I think it was BBC2, I'm pretty sure it was the early evening slot, if you were on the train you probably missed 'em unless you had the misses under orders to tape it.
DeleteFor many years, I had a second hand video that played back but tapped only scratchy static and ghost images. I survived from the kindness of friends who would tape multiple episodes for binge viewing. X-files, Friends, Next Generation and Deep Space 9 were all consumed in this way. I'm guessing this was all around the same time and clearly none of them watched or recommend Space Precinct! Memory jogged and explanation found. And I would have been on the bus, with the misses, so that explains that. Now feely strangely nostalgic for clearly much shitter times. - odd
DeleteOver here it played, I want to say mid afternoon on Saturday , in syndication kind of like Time Trax, Team Knight Rider, The new Kung Foo, Etc... I think it ran opposite of Babylon 5 on another channel. B5 was a better show IMHO. I watched it a few times during it's one season run mainly because it was an Anderson production.
ReplyDeleteThe very idea of a Saturday mid afternoon sci-fi slot is mind exploding. It was all sport or black and white movies in the UK. Although working in retail in 94, there's no way I would have been at home on a Saturday
Delete