Ijon Tichy: Raumpilot

Ijon Tichy: Raumpilot is a German series based on the novels of Stanislaw Lem (The Star Diaries). If you liked 'The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy' then you will probably like this. Unlike boring old, finger wagging, formulaic 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' this series simply ignores the laws of physics if they get in the way of the plot. In the Tichy world no one needs to have their style cramped by an unflattering space suit, you just ban the vacuum of space altogether and go outside in your vest. Remember those living room door handles they used to put on spaceship airlocks in early Dr Who episodes? The interior of this ship is basically a student bedsit complete with a deckchair for the captain and an ordinary glazed window for a viewing screen. Picard wouldn't have put up with that. The stories are imaginative, the aliens comical, and the whole thing zips along nicely to a catchy theme tune. I think Stanislaw would have been pleased.

Do you really want to watch Picard constantly swanning around the cosmos telling all the locals how great the human race is whilst secretly counting up his tax payer funded Star Fleet pension, or would you rather give the job to a friendly chap in a vest who would make them a nice omelette (not the chicken based lifeforms obviously)?

Series one episodes are fifteen minutes long and the second series are twenty four minutes. The whole thing is in German with English subtitles but don't let that put you off, it is worth it.