british science fiction television series broadcast devised writer previously worked science fiction television series doctor blake crime dramas set year time travel commonplace starred commander nicknamed star provide law enforcement newly developing colonies solar system series follows rest multinational team work establish solve crimes come way operating relatively accurately realised hard near future space environment cases investigate arise opportunities new crimes presented advanced future society series depicts hostile frontier nature environment live total episodes tenth episode titled death moon planned industrial relations difficulties production led abandoned shortly recording commence combination factors including conflict producer poor scheduling meant series found satisfactory audience series cancelled season recent years undergone critical generally hailed pretty good attempt moderately realistic high frontier series concept setting penny need good copper set year years future time broadcast time space travel common mankind process exploiting solar system permanently manned space stations earth bases moon mars approximately people living working space near future setting influenced potential greater access space promised burgeoning space shuttle programme space government strategic defense initiative programme known star wars underway early 1980s accordingly space travel life space portrayed realistic manner depictions low gravity environments lengthy space journeys months years cases travel hazards failures radiation exposure explosive air realism led frequently compared bbc drama series similarly pioneering spirit evoked process solar system seen series led comparisons western genre commentators law order provided time volunteers nicknamed decision permanent time new commander appointed accomplish series episodes deal spring efforts establish sets base operations recruits new staff roots dismisses corrupt officers works extend reach american space stations end series far reaches mars colonies investigating crimes occur way crimes investigate science fiction twist arising unconventional police environment series set murder victims dead ransom demand kidnapped embryos hoax discovery alien etc scenarios major themes series emerges conflict human emotion morality hand machine logic rogue science major theme series sins father spring assignment detective arrest father industrial espionage villain intelligent listening motivated inability match father reputation deputy watched father die radiation poisoning double life seeking revenge father murder star cop anna multinational company employs paternal relationship discovers behaviour principal characters year old chief superintendent british police force reluctantly accepts promotion commander brief turning time professional police force spring career policeman prevailing methods feels dependent computer logic human instinct job young detective arrest father computer salesman industrial espionage spring man driven lonely man doesn friends easily ability easy account choice career work environment constant companion box prototype handheld computer voiced bequeathed father conversations box spring provide insight spring emotional state thought processes spring engages style device spring second command chief superintendent american engineer started space program quit joined european space effort instead introduced opening episode instinct murder working traffic controller time star cop european space station movie buff generally tries maintain air wise cracking cool detachment breaks forced case opened million years face fear spring girlfriend killed conversations dead task investigating murder handed chief inspector department time pursuit killer agent costs job spring hiring rank inspector investigator heart right place fiercely loyal spring overweight times married series main comedy element frequently gets best lines australian briefly instinct murder introduced properly intelligent listening fired spring corruption determined quietly spring forced attempted shuttle stormy relationship spring course series develop close bond end series apparent spring saved falling pit corruption restored faith humanity rounding team year old general physician japan spring takes fired employers multinational corporation episode warm blood character criticised racial stereotype charge aspects series depicting italians members mafia arabs americans finally introduced trivial games paranoid pursuits commander headquarters winner nobel prize medicine research bone damage contributed enabling humanity access space easily independent spring relationship frequently wishes production history origins began television writing career comedy working programmes large moving write drama series including stranger television science fiction having written doctor having acted script editor entire season run blake writing episodes originally pitched bbc radio series epic serial production year felt science fiction adequately served schedules tried sell television instead sent draft script story head drama bbc television responded asking write second script strength series commissioned insisted story intended run episodes reworked single episode difficulties eventually realised screen time working script editor crime series told work chose leave production assigned produce previously worked bbc landscape hold page clashed respective visions series outset meeting told scripts rewritten later remarked relationship started worked way intended write scripts series tight episodes recorded meant contribute rest written scripts scripts having previously qualified worked doctor journalist wrote observer newspaper later moved films notably writing screenplay master commander martin experienced best known controversial bbc drama series previous experience television science fiction having written doctor directors assigned worked hold page bbc dramas creatures great small directed doctor stories time british television drama shot combination film usually location shooting film studio work recorded video effect change medium film video vice versa scene change programme viewers structured scripts carefully earth based scenes shot film location space scenes recorded video studio hoping effect space scenes unique look disappointed discover decided record entire series cast experienced character actor reputation tough guy roles best known time role television serial naming youngest son originally written spring younger character high early risen rapidly ranks police despite pleased performance describing class act performance cast suggestion worked doctor theatre rest cast exception semi regular role relatively unknown given series set relatively near future took great pains ensure space scenes depicted accurately possible seeking advice nasa space agencies arranging set visit astronaut man set foot moon input proved useful making scenes set convincing budget allow assistance received manufacturer provided stock footage training water tank received screen credit episode instinct murder recording series began august block episodes instinct murder conversations dead intelligent listening directed followed block directed comprising trivial games paranoid pursuits case opened million years warm blood returned director chair double life people secrets directors differing visions overall look feel series initial block directed baker favouring brightly lit approach contrasted look preferred drastically reduced light levels leaving scenes illuminated computer monitor screens designer dressed sets fashion baker returned second block episodes sought return brighter cleaner look led continuity problems professional relationship continued stormy deciding introduce new star cop consulting cast crew aware scenes conflicts later recalled uncertainty direction series frequently critical way series realised stated retrospect wishes volunteered produce series response criticisms said respect writer professional know series didn way thought know unfortunate dealing know losing baby final block directed comprise final episodes death moon written information received written industrial action bbc affected bbc programmes leaving programmes strike ended forced despite fact episode cast costumes sets constructed decision taken drop death moon bring information received titled little green men forward day recording block episode began february days recording episode finished recording complicated fell ill lines split rest cast minute dialogue going production finally wrapped february theme song series titled won easy written performed lead vocalist theme produced record producer composed incidental music episode hoped theme act gentle method casual viewers series reaction music song particular generally negative sfx magazine particular highly critical theme tune issue placed ninth list article titled worst things placed sixth list article titled worst things writer critic described theme worst single theme tune said hated music incidental music wasn appropriate didn style feeling transmission viewer reaction broadcast monday nights starting july competition provided bbc sitcom terry june fifth episode case opened million years broadcast later time bbc listings magazine radio_times promoted series giving cover july edition accompanied page article inside performed poorly ratings average audience series million viewers blamed poor ratings timeslot given stating gone bbc half past past period doesn doesn work relation badly want order watch sacrifice hours viewing people didn want problem commented poor timeslot decision air series july august time viewing figures traditionally lower summer reflected fact didn confidence bbc management view echoed star described timeslot act sabotage critical reaction generally negative writing times following broadcast conversations dead wrote star star trek imagination overcome technological limitations times reviewing intelligent listening found individual plot lines invention sort script uniformly sunday_times confused plot case opened million years asking readers following write explain letter writers radio_times split merits suffolk praising having brilliant special effects written scripts actors convincing like northumberland slated dated designs poor music cheap sets described boring talk action science fiction time positive describing series refreshing series years gave media award stated low key realism efficient argued end failed imagine future real depth low ratings doomed single season admired developed significant following science fiction stated retrospect feels series crime drama fans science fiction fans ultimately appealed proposals second season recording completed asked ideas season felt series continue like extend setting solar system visiting mars colonies big ring space colonies construction intended achieve transferring existing regular characters mars colony introducing new regular based second season developed basic notions clear early stage little prospect series renewed following went work script editor long running itv police drama bill returning freelance writing moved work bbc drama series house legacy demise episodes seen indicative decline british television science fiction 1980s doctor followed cancellation british regular science fiction drama series british television bugs began undergone science fiction circles went air reviewing vhs releases zone stated represents excellent science fiction original impression series broadcast complete visual effects boring performances retrospective article penned mark series 10th anniversary described series bbc popular influential entertaining products era points series failed certainly came entertainment succeeded science fiction magazine sfx asked expert panel field including list shows time came thirteenth list sfx describing writers love wasn perfect close producing proper written later sfx went poll readers list british shows voted seventh position list bbc revisited thirty minute retrospective documentary recorded series titled cult broadcast bbc november channel season reflecting programme author critic said strength writing don think episodes realised screen page come couple seasons bbc best science fiction documentary concluded overlooked gem episode guide comprised episodes broadcast monday nights july august tenth episode death moon planned abandoned following industrial action bbc merchandising small merchandising produced coincide broadcast series released theme song won easy inch inch single inch included track outer space incidental music tracks written instinct murder inch extended version won easy inch version won easy outer space won easy later released compact disc compilation best themes entire series released volumes containing episodes vhs video tape vhs tapes received patches scripts semi professionally published volumes volume instinct murder adapted episode second volume stories included remaining scripts changes broadcast episodes characters appear books replaced chinese character attempt update universe reflect ending cold war replaced irish character didn rights use character created complete series released dvd single disc volume release contained number extras including commentaries instinct murder little green men case opened million years making documentary interviews scenes footage
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