Roald Dahl led a curious double life in the 1970s. He was already widely known as a popular author of children’s fiction, with his books appearing frequently on Jackanory and Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach … Continue reading Expect (Tales of) the Unexpected
The history of sci-fi on British television is littered with oddities, but few come odder than the 1975 ITV series Star Maidens. Co-produced by a Scottish investment company and a German TV network, Star Maidens was filmed in Slough with … Continue reading The Past is a Different Planet: Star Maidens Revisited
I’m not the sort of person who goes on about the children’s television shows of the 70s and 80s that ‘traumatised’ them as a child; in fact, that sort of behaviour really annoys me. If the most traumatic thing that … Continue reading Stepping Back into the Shadows
This is a revised and updated version of material first published in the Strange Skins Avengers Special (2004). Such was the great impact and popularity of The Avengers that it was inevitable its success would impact upon other shows on British – … Continue reading The Avengers: The After Party
This is a revised and updated version of material first published in the Strange Skins Avengers Special (2004). There were big changes behind the scenes of The Avengers beyond the departure of Diana Rigg from the series. The top brass at ABC … Continue reading The Avengers: King’s Gambit
This is a revised and updated version of material first published in the Strange Skins Avengers Special (2004). With the departure of Honor Blackman and the imminent move into filmed production, The Avengers was changing. Out went the producer John Bryce, and … Continue reading The Avengers: ‘M’ Appeal
This is a revised and updated version of material first published in the Strange Skins Avengers Special (2004). It’s a popular myth that The Avengers grew directly out of the Ian Hendry vehicle Police Surgeon. It may have had the … Continue reading The Avengers: The Early Years
Warning: Contains Spoilers I really wanted this series to be good. I’m such a big fan of The Twilight Zone, but I’ve found it hard to like the various remakes and reinventions that have followed on from the classic series … Continue reading The Twilight Zone (2019)
Oi! This article has got more spoilers than Mario Andretti’s Alfa. So if you’re sensitive over that sort of thing, now’s the time to naff off and play with your Tonka toys. Alright, Tinkerbell? You have been warned. I’m a … Continue reading One Flash of Light but No Smoking Pistol: Ashes to Ashes Revisited
I remember reading in an issue of SFX magazine about a new series from the team behind Hustle about a British policeman who is involved in an accident and wakes up to find himself back in 1973. Now, I liked … Continue reading Return to the Red Planet: Life on Mars Revisited
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