Object Z (1965)

 

Fans of classic British SF television rejoice! The BFI are releasing, in a dual format (Blu-ray and DVD) set, OBJECT Z, an obscure Rediffusion (for that read ITV) six part science fiction series that, according to the press material, hasn't been seen since its original broadcast in 1965. 

Astronomers spot a mysterious object heading towards earth. They can prove it's not a comet, and deduce it must be an asteroid, which is likely made of one of two things: rock or metal. A first attempt to destroy it fails when the planned rocket goes off course. The second hits it and does nothing. And it looks as if the asteroid is definitely going to hit the earth.

Construction of shelters begins immediately, but there's only going to be enough time to save a quarter of the UK's population. Meanwhile religious leaders are convincing their parishioners not to help build the shelters as the asteroid is a sign from God and to attempt to save themselves would be blasphemous. Elsewhere a 'Britain for the British'-type lunatic has formed his own 'Action' political party and is causing riots at the worst possible time. Sound familiar?

No-one dealt with the threat of impending apocalypse like the British. In fiction we had books like Charles Eric Maine's The Darkest of Nights and The Tide Went Out, in cinema we had Val Guest's THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT FIRE and on TV we had The War Game, Threads and, prior to those, Object Z. I've only summarised the first couple of episodes because to say any more would be spoil something that's utterly engrossing for its six 25 minute episodes. Even ten minutes from the end of the final instalment you'll be wondering how they can possibly wrap it all up, but they do.

Extras on the BFI's disc include a commentary on every episode, in each case from somebody different which keeps things very fresh. So in order we have Jon Dear, Dick Fiddy, William Fowler and Vic Pratt, Elinor Groom, Kevin Lyons, and Celia Bannerman (who is in the show itself) and Toby Hadoke. There's also seven minutes of edited highlights of missing TV show Sierra 9 with Vic Pratt accompanying commentary, and episode one of the Object Z shooting script. The first pressing also includes a booklet with new essays by many of the people who provide the commentaries above.

OBJECT Z is out from the BFI in a dual format DVD & Blu-ray release on Monday 29th September 2025

Wonderland: Science Fiction in the Atomic Age (2025)

Odyssey television's new documentary on the history of science fiction will be screening on the Sky Arts channel beginning at 8pm on Thursday 3rd April 2025. A quick look at the credits suggests that behind the scenes is a bit of a one man band affair, that man being Adrian Munsey who writes, produces, directs, composes much of the music and provides a lot of the narration. That's no bad thing, though, as a singular view is often more interesting than something put together by committee. The documentary is presented in four 48 minutes episodes, the content of which is as follows:

Episode One: Mary Shelley to Isaac Asimov

Jules Verne

Readings from the work of Mary Shelley, Arthur C Clarke, Jules Verne,. E M Forster, H G Wells, Nevil Shute, E M Forster and Isaac Asimov amongst others pepper this distinctly apocalypse-orientated first episode, the idea being that SF has always been first in predicting apocalyptic events as well as having helped suggest ways around it. Film clips include PLANET OF THE APES (1967), DR STRANGELOVE (1964), FAIL SAFE (1964), THE WAR GAME (1965) and THREADS (1984). As you might expect, this is quite the downbeat affair and you may want something a bit cheerier lined up for after. Those interviewed include John Clute, Brian Sibley, Adam Roberts and Dinah Birch who all provide erudite academic opinions on the subject. Munsey's narration is clear and listenable and perhaps the best compliment the show can be given is its broad appeal to both old warhorses of SF and those who know very little about it. Recommended.

Episode Two: Arthur C Clarke to Ray Bradbury

The loose theme for episode two is how SF viewed pioneering developments in technology, looking at work by Arthur C Clarke, Issac Asimov, J G Ballard, George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, Stanislaw Lem and Ray Bradbury. Film and TV is represented by Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and Star Trek, and we also get Farah Mendlesohn talking about Robert Heinlein, as well as the interviewees from episode one offering their thoughts.

Episode Three: Margaret Atwood to Ted Chiang

Ursula K LeGuin

The main theme of episode three is the rise and development of diversity in SF writing. Authors who get their works quoted include Ursula K LeGuin, Margaret Atwood, Joanna Russ, Octavia Butler, Samuel R Delaney, Liu Cixin, Nnedi Okorafor, Tade Thompson and Ted Chiang. A brief summary of cinematic SF up to the mid 1950s is squeezed in at the end. 

Episode Four: Quatermass to Christopher Nolan

J G Ballard

The final episode dots around, beginning with Quatermass and the work of John Wyndham before moving onto Dr Who, 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY, STAR WARS, Spielberg's CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND and AI: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, William Gibson's Neuromancer, Philip K Dick and BLADE RUNNER, William S Burroughs, THE MATRIX, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Christopher Nolan (less than a minute despite his name being in the title), THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW and Kim Stanley Robinson.

Octavia Butler

The series as a whole is a decent enough watch, with the attempt to have clear themes and commentary best achieved in the first three episodes, whereas the final one is a bit of a free for all. It's well put together, however, and never dull, and as mentioned above both seasoned fans and those new to the genre will find it accessible and with plenty to keep them engrossed.

WONDERLAND: SCIENCE FICTION IN THE ATOMIC AGE is a weekly four part documentary series on Sky Arts beginning at 8pm on Thursday 3rd April 2025 

The Clangers (1969 - 1972)

"British Television Eccentricity at its Best"

The Clangers, the show Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin created in response to the BBC's request for them to do something modern, perhaps to tie in with the recent moon landings, gets a DVD and Blu-ray release from Fabulous Films.

If you haven't seen the show, the Clangers of the title are large pink mouse-like creatures who wear outfits that look like armour, walk on their hind legs, and communicate via whistling sounds. They live underground and access the surface of their tiny planet by opening the saucepan lids that guard their egress holes. 

Other inhabitants of this strange place include the soup dragon, who guards the soup wells. Soup is a Clanger dietary staple, as is blue string, which looks like badly made spaghetti bolognese with bits of mould stuck to it. 

We also get to meet the iron chicken in episode three, shot out of space by a clanger rocket and reassembled by the clangers so it can fly back home. Don't ask why a chicken can fly - it's already made of metal and talking to pink mice on a planet filled with soup. A flying chicken is the least weird thing about all of that. There are also the froglets, which are tiny orange bits of plastic with eyes. 

The Clangers are probably best known these days for being the creatures Roger Delgado's Master is watching on TV in the Jon Pertwee Dr Who story The Sea Devils, although they were resurrected a few years ago with Michael Palin narrating in the UK and William Shatner (apt choice!) doing the honours for American children.

Fabulous Films' set includes both seasons of 13 ten-minute episodes each, so you get 26 episodes and 260 minutes in all. The restoration job done on the Blu-ray makes the episodes look wonderful. Having been part of the original youthful audience for the show I remember the episodes being rather grainy, making the clangers and their planet look a little cold and grotty. The new Blu-ray transfers are warm and crystal clear and look just lovely.  Extras are the same as were on their previous BAGPUSS set (The Story of Smallfilms, the clip where the show wins the BAFTA) plus an eight minute 'extra episode' - Vote for Froglet, in which Oliver Postgate attempts to explain the democratic electoral system using the soup dragon and a froglet as political candidates and the clangers as the voting populace. Presumably there was a general election on at the time. 

The Clangers 1969 - 1972 is out on DVD and Blu-ray from Fabulous Films on Monday 30th October 2023

Resident Alien Season 2 (2022)

Alan Tudyk as the alien trying to fumble his way through pretending to be human returns in a welcome second series of RESIDENT ALIEN, now getting a DVD and Blu-ray release courtesy of Fabulous Films.

When we last saw Harry (Tudyk) he was on the way back to his home planet. Unfortunately it turns out that young Max (Judah Prehn) has stowed away, resulting in Harry crash-landing back on earth, his spaceship still invisible, while he loses his memory. Octopus No.42 (Nathan Fillion) is able to restore it, only for Harry's next problem to be that he has to prevent the imminent destruction of earth by his own people. Meanwhile the police suspect Harry of being involved in murder while Linda Hamilton (yes that Linda Hamilton) and her team of FBI X-Files wannabes are closing in on their alien quarry.

Season One of RESIDENT ALIEN was a smart, tightly scripted and above all very funny version of the 'fish out of water' concept that made the most of Alan Tudyk's comic timing. Season Two allows more time for character development of the rest of the (sizeable) cast such that the laughs don't come as thick and fast. There's enough to keep you watching, though, such that RESIDENT ALIEN remains one of the SyFy Channel's best original productions.

Fabulous Films four disc Blu-ray or DVD set presents all 16 episodes of Season Two. Extras consist of a single, four minute long deleted scene on disc four but that's all.

Resident Alien Season 2 is out from Fabulous Films on Blu-ray and DVD on Monday 4th September 2023

The Invisible Man (1975)

"Blast From the Past SciFi TV"

Fabulous Films are releasing all 13 episodes of Universal's 1975 TV 'adaptation' (now there's a very loose use of the word) of H G Wells' novel as a Blu-ray or DVD box set.

Dr Daniel Westin (David McCallum) works at the Klae Corporation, a scientfic research think tank where he has been working on matter transmission. So far his work has had an interesting side effect wherein inorganic matter to be transported has instead been rendered invisible. The next step? Living tissue, of course! Next up is a rabbit. "You seem fine," says Dr Westin as the bunny reappears and before you can say 'Brundlefly' he's putting himself through the process.

It works, as does the serum he's developed to bring himself back. But it turns out there are plans for his research to be used by the military so he turns himself invisible once more, destroys his lab and goes on the run. He becomes visible again for only a short time before the process becomes permanent and he has to call on the expertise of colleague and plastic surgery specialist Nick Maggio (Henry Darrow) who creates a mask and hand-gloves for him. The pilot episode concludes with Westin uncertain about his future.

Presumably creators Harve Bennett (Six Million Dollar Man) and Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues) were also uncertain if their show would get picked up. It also explains why each episode of the subsequent series opens with a caption explaining Daniel Westin is now a sort of secret agent acting on behalf of the Klae Corporation with only his wife (Melinda Fee) and boss (Jackie Cooper in the film, Craig Stevens in the show) wise to his 'superpower'. While the pilot is dead serious, some of the TV episodes are played for laughs, almost as if the makers got bored  with the possibilities of the concept almost as soon as it was out of the gate. Fans of 1970s TV will get to see some familiar faces (Nancy Kovack, Roger C Carmel, John Vernon), a couple of episodes are written and / or produced by Leslie Stevens of Outer Limits TV fame, and the engaging TV series theme tune is by Henry Mancini. The show was a bigger success in the UK than the US, where Bennett and the gang had another go the following years with Gemini Man. Fabulous Films' set has all 13 episodes over three discs with no extras. 

The Invisible Man is out from Fabulous Films in a three disc DVD or Blu-ray set on Monday 10th April 2023

Twelve Monkeys (2015 - 2018)

Who knew there was a TV show based on Terry Gilliam's 1995 film TWELVE MONKEYS? Apart from the SyFy Channel, obviously, who made it, and those who watched it on its initial broadcast, but the idea that there was a four season series was news to me. But now, for anyone curious (and, perhaps surprisingly, it's worth it, believe me) Fabulous Films are releasing the entire run on DVD and Blu-ray.

The show follows the same basic storyline as the film. James Cole (Aaron Stanford in the Bruce Willis role) is sent back in time from the year 2043, where a plague has destroyed most human life, to find and kill the person responsible for setting the disaster in motion. He makes contact with Dr Cassie Reilly (Amanda Schull in the Madeline Stowe role, although Stowe herself appears later on in the TV show playing someone else) and together they have to work out how the plague was caused. This is complicated by Cole 'splintering' back and forth in time and by the presence of the sinister 'Pallid Man' (Tom Noonan at his most sinister) who has his own reasons for wanting the pandemic to go ahead.

TWELVE MONKEYS the TV show is surprisingly good. Production values are high, acting is good and the writing is clever. Even the gender swapping of the Brad Pitt movie role to Emily Hampshire (see above) works well. The original film was based on Chris Marker's 1962 short La Jetée and both he and the Gilliam film's screenwriters, David & Janet Peoples gave the production team their blessing and support with the project. All of them get namechecks in the story.

Fabulous Films' Blu-ray set spreads each season over two discs each, so you get eight discs for the (in total) 47 episodes which oddly enough run around 47 minutes each. The DVD spreads the show over 14 discs. Extras are also spread over the discs and include deleted scenes, gag reels,. commentary tracks, a making of, audition footage, podcasts and other bits and pieces. There's so much around for the SF fan to watch these days and TWELVE MONKEYS - THE SERIES is certainly one to add to the 'worth watching' list.

TWELVE MONKEYS - THE COMPLETE SERIES is out in an eight disc Blu-ray set and a fourteen disc DVD set on Monday 5th December 2022

Resident Alien Season 1 (2021)

"An Unexpected Gem"

A spaceship crash lands near a tiny town in Colorado. The sole occupant survives and makes its way to the lakeside retreat of Dr Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk). The alien kills Harry, throws his body in the lake, and shape shifts to assume his identity. Meanwhile the town doctor is found dead under mysterious circumstances and soon the townsfolk are calling on Harry to take his place. Now Alien Harry has to find his spaceship (still buried beneath the snow), make sure the body of Real Harry isn't found, and learn how to behave like a human, all while trying to achieve the objective he was sent to earth in the first place for.

Based on a Dark Horse comic book, anyone not having read that may find it hard to believe that RESIDENT ALIEN wasn't originally conceived as the very funny comedy that it is, but Alien Harry was originally planned to be a more serious character until Alan Tudyk's audition apparently convinced the production team to go for a more comedic approach.

Not that Tudyk is the only one with the funny lines in this. Creator Chris Sheridan makes sure most of the personable cast gets their fair share of witticisms, right down to the young boy who is the only person in the town who can see the alien as he really is. 

Fabulous Films' two disc set (either Blu-ray or DVD) contains all ten episodes of Season 1 of this SyFy channel series, which has already gone to a second season and apparently there's promise of a third. It's a show that takes the fish out of water concept used by movies such as John Carpenter's 1985 STARMAN and runs with it, never missing an opportunity for a funny line or amusing character turn along the way, piling on the incident (by episode four Harry's wife has turned up) to create that rarest of things, a successful television science fiction comedy. Worth splashing out on and let's hope it runs to a few more seasons.

RESIDENT ALIEN Season 1 is out from Fabulous Films on DVD & Blu-ray on Monday 8th August 2022

UFO (1970)

                                              “UFO is Go!

Gerry Anderson’s 1970 live-action science fiction TV show comes to Blu-ray in this gloriously restored edition courtesy of Network.
 

         Coming after world-famous shows like THUNDERBIRDS and CAPTAIN SCARLET and paving the way for SPACE:1999, UFO was an ambitious project for Gerry Anderson. The basic plot is that in 1980, after ten years of developments, SHADO (the Supreme Headquarters Alien Defence Organisation) goes live, headed by Commander Straker (Ed Bishop) and assisted by Colonel Alec Freeman (George Sewell until he left three quarters of the way through) and Colonel Paul Foster (Michael Billington who was up for James Bond) on earth, where their base is disguised as a film studio. A moonbase is staffed by purple-haired ladies led by Lt Gay Ellis (Gabrielle Drake). The aim of SHADO is to defend the earth from a dying alien race who want our organs to replace theirs.

         Remarkably adult in its plots and denouements (hollow victories, downbeat endings, and a fair bit of serious violence), UFO was nevertheless marketed as a children’s show in many ITV regions, often being shown on Saturday mornings. Dinky toys and bubble gum collector card sets also undoubtedly added to the turn-offs for what could have potentially been a solid adult audience looking for something a bit more serious that THE PERSUADERS. 

         Of course, those of us of a certain age (and certainly younger than the 12 certificate this set has been given) didn’t mind at all. Here was an SF show that was anything but childish. The lead characters smoked and drank, had affairs and got divorced, all among the backdrop of some smashing special effects including exploding flying saucers and all manner of great bits of battle equipment.

         I reviewed Network’s ‘preview’ Blu-ray, INVASION UFO, back in August. That disc consisted of edited bits of six episodes in 1.85:1 aspect ratio (boo!) but the restoration job boded well for the forthcoming series release. Here you get all 26 episodes over six discs, with the option of either mono or 5.1 sound (you really do need Barry Gray’s music in 5.1, you know). Most importantly, it gives me great relief to report that the episodes are all in their original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (hooray!).

         Extras on the set include From the Earth to the Moon - a brand new feature-length documentary with plenty of archive video. The Women of UFO is another new documentary, and there’s a new SHADO briefing film narrated by Matt Zimmerman.
         There are audio commentaries on two episodes: Identified with Gerry Anderson and Sub-Smash with Ed Bishop, plus an archived Ed Bishop interview from 1986. Tomorrow Today is a look at the series fashions with Sylvia Anderson, and there’s a SID voice session complete with outtakes.

         You also get textless episode title backgrounds and end titles, stock footage, extra footage from several episodes (Identified, Exposed, Timelash and The Long Sleep) and Italian trailers.
         Finally, in addition to all the video material, Network’s UFO set comes with a 600 page book on the making of the series by television historian Andrew Pixley. It’s hard to believe there will be a better presentation of UFO on Blu-ray and, for the quality of the transfers if nothing else, Network has done the fans proud.
 

Network's Blu-ray restoration set of all 26 episodes of Gerry Anderson's UFO is available now. 

Invasion UFO (1980)

“A UFO Taster”

Gerry Anderson.

We don’t have many SF TV gods in the UK. While the US has Gene Roddenberry and Chris Carter, Kenneth Johnson and Joss Whedon, many of our cult favourites have been more of a group effort whose 'creators' tend to only get mumbled about. People talk instead of the ‘Phillip Hinchcliffe years’ of DR WHO, or that THE AVENGERS only really hit its stride once Brian Clemens and Albert Fennell got involved.

         But then there’s Gerry Anderson - a man who created not just one cult TV series, but several, with revolutionary model and effects work that’s still fascinating to behold today. Famous for his Supermarionation successes like THUNDERBIRDS and CAPTAIN SCARLET, UFO was Anderson’s early 1970s attempt at a live-action SF series. It’s still held in (deservedly) high regard, not least for trying to do straight-faced (and often downbeat) SF while TV cop shows were still Roger Moore and Tony Curtis in THE PERSUADERS and JASON KING with his remarkable hairstyles.

         And so we come to INVASION UFO, a bit of a curiosity that was made for American and European TV by cutting together big chunks of three episodes (Identified, Computer Affair and Reflections in the Water) with some little bits and pieces of three others (ESP, The Man Who Came Back and Confetti Check A-OK). 

         One presumes the aim was to give audiences a taster for the show proper and indeed, Network are releasing this on Blu-ray prior to bringing out the entire show later this year. The problem is that with such chopping about, while you get a bit of an introduction to the characters and situations, INVASION UFO doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

It does make for a whole lot of beautiful Blu-ray, though. Just like Network’s superb restoration job on SPACE:1999, the image here looks excellent. For some reason however, the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio has been blown up to 1.85:1. It’s actually not too much of a problem - there aren’t any obvious tops of heads cut off & if you didn’t know it was shot in a different aspect ratio you can’t really tell from this. It is, however, sincerely to be hoped that Network get this right for the full release.

         What INVASION UFO is very good for is letting you know if you’ll want to watch the entire show. Despite some dodgy and inconvenient fashions (the final segment gives us David THE BEYOND Warbeck, Anouska SCARS OF DRACULA Hempel and Barry PREY Stokes in string vests under the sea) the underlying arc plot - dying aliens want our organs - is played very seriously indeed. In fact the very opening shot feels more like an episode of THE SWEENEY (still five years away) as a trio of innocents are subjected to a bloody machine-gunning - but by a flying saucer.

Extras in this disc include the original 1980 VHS version (if you fancy some nostalgia / giving yourself a headache), a trailer, and full frame opening and closing titles. Oh, and I should probably mention - the opening title music is terrible and is nothing like Barry Gray’s memorable theme. Don’t worry, however, the rest of the music here is 100% pure Barry.

Network's Blu-ray release of INVASION UFO is available exclusively from their site now. Click here to find out more.