Space Precinct
Space Precinct is a British television series that was first broadcast from 1994 to 1995 on Sky One and later on BBC Two from 1995 to 1996 in the UK, and on ITV from 2004 to 2009 in first-run syndication in the United States.[1] Many US stations scheduled the show in late night time slots, which resulted in low ratings and contributed to its cancellation.
| Space Precinct | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Science-fiction police procedural |
| Created by | Gerry Anderson |
| Starring | Simone Bendix Lou Hirsch Richard James Nick Klein Joseph Mydell Megan Olive Nancy Paul David Quilter Ted Shackelford Jerome Willis Mary Woodvine Rob Youngblood |
| Voices of | Colette Hiller Kieron Jecchinis Gary Martin |
| Composer | Crispin Merrell |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 24 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Tom Gutteridge |
| Producer | Gerry Anderson |
| Cinematography | Alan Hume Tony Spratling |
| Running time | 45 minutes approx. |
| Production companies | Gerry Anderson Productions Grove Television Enterprises Mentorn Films |
| Distributor | Grove Television Enterprises |
| Release | |
| Original network | Sky One |
| Audio format | Dolby Surround |
| First shown in | United States |
| Original release | 3 October 1994 – 24 July 1995 |
The series was created by Gerry Anderson and was a mix of science fiction and police procedural that combined elements of many of Anderson's previous series such as Space: 1999, UFO and Thunderbirds, but with an added dash of Law & Order and Dragnet. Anderson was executive producer with Tom Gutteridge. One of the series' directors was John Glen, who had previously directed five James Bond films. There were a number of directors used on the series, but the majority of the episodes were edited by the series editors, Sue Robinson and Jason Krasucki.
Premise
The series is set in the year 2040 and stars American actor Ted Shackelford as former NYPD detective Patrick Brogan, now a lieutenant with the Demeter City police force on the planet Altor in the Epsilon Eridani system. Brogan and his partner Jack Haldane (played by Rob Youngblood) must adjust to living in another solar system, and investigating crimes being committed by aliens as well as humans. Also co-starring was Danish actress Simone Bendix as Officer Jane Castle, Haldane's love interest (Brogan was happily married with a wife, daughter and son who made the move to Demeter City with him). All other major characters were played by actors wearing complex make-up that also included elements of puppetry in order to depict the different alien races.
Characters
Brogan family
- Ted Shackelford as Lieutenant Patrick Brogan
- Nancy Paul as Sally Brogan
- Nick Klein as Matthew 'Matt' Brogan
- Megan Olive as Elizabeth 'Liz' Brogan
Humans
- Rob Youngblood as Officer Jack Haldane
- Simone Bendix as Officer Jane Castle
- Joseph Mydell as Officer Lionel Carson
Creons
- Jerome Willis as Captain Rexton Podly
- Lou Hirsch as Officer Silas Romek
- Richard James as Officer Hubble Orrin[2]
- Kieron Jecchinis as the voice of Officer Hubble Orrin
- Tom Watt as Officer Beezle (four episodes)
- Gary Martin as the voice of Officer Beezle (four episodes)
Tarns
- Mary Woodvine as Officer Aurelia Took
- Colette Hiller as the voice of Officer Aurelia Took
- David Quilter as Sergeant Thorald Fredo
Others
- Gary Martin as the voice of Slomo - Station 88's Robot computer.
Other characters
- Rob Thirtle as Various Guest Aliens
- Leigh Tinkler as Various Guest Aliens
- Andy Dawson as Various Guest Aliens
- Joanna Berns as Various Guest Aliens
- Wayne Forester as Various Guest Aliens
- Alexa Rosewood as Various Guest Aliens
- Ken Whitfield as Various Guest Aliens
- Will Barton as Various Guest Aliens
Production
The series was one of the highest-budgeted shows Anderson produced, and was relatively popular in Europe. However, in a repeat of the situation that UFO encountered 25 years earlier, American broadcasters were uncertain what to make of the series that looked on the surface to be aimed at younger viewers, yet featured adult-oriented storylines and was usually played straight despite the bizarre storylines and make-up. As a result, Space Precinct was often scheduled in late-night/early morning time slots. The subsequent low ratings led to its cancellation after just one season.
Episodes
| Episode Number | Title | Directed by[3] | Written by[3] | Original air date | Production Order[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Protect and Survive" | John Glen | Paul Mayhew-Archer | 3 October 1994 | 2 |
| Brogan's informant Slik Ostrasky is murdered by Tylan Gershom, a smuggler of illegal Xyronite immigrants, and the only witness is slimy Melazoid business executive Armand Loyster. Brogan and Haldane are assigned to offer Loyster protection until he can testify at Gershom's trial. But Gershom plans to ensure that Loyster never reaches the courtroom. | |||||
| 2 | "Enforcer" | Sidney Hayers | Marc Scott Zicree | 10 October 1994 | 3 |
| On Skall Street in Demeter City, members of the infamous Hydra Gang are found dead – their hearts shredded but not a single mark on their bodies. Accompanied by an orphaned alien girl, a new enforcer has taken over and the Skall Street traders soon discover that the Hydras have been replaced by something far worse. | |||||
| 3 | "Body and Soul" | Sidney Hayers | Story by: Mark Harris Teleplay by: Marc Scott Zicree | 17 October 1994 | 6 |
| Caught in the radiation field of Merlin's Asteroid, a prototype spaceship created by reclusive industrialist Alden Humes returns to Altor after being lost in space for twenty years. Brogan finds a body on board, opening an investigation into a homicide that took place two decades ago. As he tracks down the killer, Brogan is haunted by the ghost in the machine. | |||||
| 4 | "Double Duty" | Colin Bucksey | J. Larry Carroll & David Bennett Carren | 24 October 1994 | 1 |
| A drug war is raging in Demeter City and a professional assassin is taking out the competition. The sole survivor of an attack on drug baron Oturi Nissim (Nickolas Grace) is a pretty alien girl, Aleesha Amyas, who is taken into protective custody. Suddenly the killer is loose in the Space Precinct House and Orrin is its first victim. Idris Elba appears briefly as a pizza deliveryman. | |||||
| 5 | "The Snake" | John Glen | J. Larry Carroll & David Bennett Carren | 31 October 1994 | 5 |
| An alien extortionist and explosives expert, known only as The Snake, threatens the executives of Brett Interplanetary. Precinct 88 becomes a task force to track him down and Jane becomes reacquainted with her old ECPF colleague Bill Gray. Then the Snake reveals his next target – the Princess, an Omega Class tanker en route to Altor with two hundred million gallons of liquefied hydrogen! | |||||
| 6 | "Time to Kill" | Alan Birkinshaw | Hans Beimler & Richard Manning | 7 November 1994 | 7 |
| A routine sweep on a counterfeiting operation goes horribly wrong for the officers of Precinct 88 when they are suddenly attacked by an unstoppable Cyborg and Took is caught in the crossfire. The Cyborg has Brogan marked for death and, one by one, Brogan's colleagues fall victim to the creature. | |||||
| 7 | "Deadline" | John Glen | David Bennett Carren & J. Larry Carroll | 14 November 1994 | 8 |
| Brogan and Haldane discover a capsule containing the body of a Tarn male. The autopsy reveals that the tarn is missing vital organs, removed with surgical precision, and Brogan and Haldane find themselves on the trail of organ leggers from Danae – vicious killers who murder for profit and target Brogan as their next donor! | |||||
| 8 | "Seek and Destroy" | Jim Goddard | J. Larry Carroll & David Bennett Carren | 21 November 1994 | 10 |
| With the discovery of Aladine-50, a vaccine against creon fever, the importation of Earth dogs is all the rage in Demeter. Then three executives of Demeter Dogs Inc. are killed in mysterious circumstances and Brogan uncovers a plot that heralds an invasion of Altor by the Omera, an army of nomadic alien killers! | |||||
| 9 | "The Power" | Sidney Hayers | Sam Graham | 9 January 1995 | 9 |
| Jane and Took are assigned to protect a shipment of Luxorian Ice, a vital part of Solartek's new solar power system which offers a safe alternative to hyper fusion. Meanwhile, Brogan and Haldane investigate the death of reformed jewel thief Vella Sugoi and discover a connection that leads to a deadly struggle for control of Demeter's lucrative energy franchise. | |||||
| 10 | "Illegal" | John Glen | Mark Scott Zicree | 16 January 1995 | 11 |
| Tildon Alreeuh, an illegal immigrant from Sagania, saves Brogan's life in a shooting incident, and Brogan learns that his saviour's son, Nillim, is being held by snuff fight promoter Coe Barner. With immigration officials breathing down their necks, the officers of Precinct 88 go undercover at one of Barner's bouts to rescue Nillim, but Brogan soon finds himself fighting for his life. | |||||
| 11 | "Divided We Stand" | Alan Birkinshaw | Arthur Sellers | 30 January 1995 | 12 |
| Jane and Took investigate the theft of a tarn egg-sac from Demeter Memorial Hospital while Brogan and Haldane are assigned to the protection of underworld crime boss Vinny Artak, who is running for city council. When Artak is gunned down in front of them, Brogan and Haldane find themselves under investigation and learn that Vinny Artak just won't stay dead. | |||||
| 12 | "Two Against The Rock" | Peter Duffell | Paul Robert Coyle | 6 February 1995 | 13 |
| Haldane and Jane escort Houdini, the most notorious escape artist on Altor, to asteroid A5 – the maximum security penitentiary known as "The Rock". But on their arrival at the asteroid, the two officers are horrified to discover that the prisoners have taken over and mass murderer Eric Volker is the new warden. | |||||
| 13 | "Takeover" | John Glen | J. Larry Carroll & David Bennett Carren | 13 February 1995 | 14 |
| When Brogan and Haldane are accused of the cold blooded murder of Naxus Simi and subjected to an Internal Affairs investigation, the officers' reliability as prosecution witnesses in a case against crime boss Vanus Olverais is called into question. But Brogan and Haldane find there is far more at stake when Jane gives damning evidence against them. | |||||
| 14 | "Predator and Prey" | Sidney Hayers | Nicholas Sagan | 20 February 1995 | 15 |
| Following the death of an officer from the 79th Precinct in Demeter's most fashionable nightclub, Brogan and Haldane are teamed with Lt. Verro Walker in a search for a serial killer. Walker is a loose cannon, but may hold the key to the killings when Jane discovers similarities with a string of mysterious homicides that took place nearly a hundred years before. | |||||
| 15 | "The Witness" | Peter Duffell | Eric Gethers | 24 April 1995 | 16 |
| Small-time crooks are turning up dead on the streets of Demeter City and a search begins for the prime suspect Mas Maharg, spotted at the scene of the second murder by Romek's new partner Morgan. Then Fredo's daughter Estes is taken ill and Brogan realises that she has been picking up the killer's thoughts with her paramental eye. | |||||
| 16 | "Hate Street" | Piers Haggard | Steve Brown | 1 May 1995 | 17 |
| An outbreak of race riots and hate crimes against Xyronite immigrants is being co-ordinated by Burl Flak, wanted for murder on Danae. Brogan and Haldane are assigned to find Flak and stop the killings, but their investigations are hampered by the appearance of Erika Brandt, a bounty hunter intent on claiming the price on Flak's head, who just happens to be one of Brogan's old flames. | |||||
| 17 | "Friends" | Peter Duffell | Story by: Carl Jahnsen Teleplay by: Chris Hubbell, Philip Morrow & Carl Jahnsen | 8 May 1995 | 18 |
| When computer hacker Reeve Pataki is taken into custody at the Precinct 88 station house, his resourceful friends in the Karel Tarik Brigade infiltrate the station's mainframe to arrange his escape. Their attempt fails, so the KTB resort to kidnapping, holding Jane hostage aboard a derelict space platform. Haldane makes this case personal because if Pataki is not released within one hour, Jane will die! | |||||
| 18 | "Smelter Skelter" | Peter Duffell & Silvio Narizzano | Arthur Sellers | 15 May 1995 | 19 |
| Sally and Liz are violently threatened during an armed robbery at the Jewellery Centre and Brogan takes a personal interest in tracking down the culprits. His investigations lead him to mining operator Alvin Zann, who plans a daring raid on the orbiting Bank Of Altor with a small beam accelerator – an unstoppable weapon capable of punching a hole in the very fabric of the universe! | |||||
| 19 | "Flash" | Alan Birkinshaw | James Hendrie | 29 May 1995 | 4 |
| A new drug, HE-11 (also known as "Flash"), has arrived on the streets of Demeter causing spontaneous combustion in its users. While Brogan and Haldane visit Interchem, the pharmaceutical company which originally developed the drug, Orrin and Romek run into trouble when Interchem's chief chemist, Pola Vad Moonacki, is kidnapped. | |||||
| 20 | "The Fire Within: Part One[4]" | John Glen | Steve Brown & Burt Prelutsky | 26 June 1995 | 21 |
| Pyrist priest Tendall Kalike dies by spontaneous combustion during a ceremony at the Pyrist Temple and the event is witnessed by Took on her first visit to the Temple as a Seeker. Brogan and Castle search for evidence that points to Kalike's death being homicide and suspicion falls on fellow priest Nevik Brok. Teamed with Podly's daughter Samina, Haldane goes undercover at the Pyrist Temple to discover the truth. | |||||
| 21 | "The Fire Within: Part Two[4]" | John Glen | Steve Brown & Burt Prelutsky | 3 July 1995 | 22 |
| Samina disappears, Haldane resigns from the force to join the Pyrists and a power struggle amongst the priests leads to a third death at the Temple. Then a witness comes forward who claims that Haldane has murdered Samina, and Podly is forced to issue a warrant for Haldane's arrest as the Pyrists prepare for the Day of Immolation – the end of the world! | |||||
| 22 | "The Forever Beetle" | Peter Duffell | Peter Dunne | 10 July 1995 | 23 |
| Pteronarcys Eternicum, a rare beetle capable of cell regeneration, is stolen from Dexkor Laboratories. Brogan and Haldane are assigned to the case and suspect that the theft may be an inside job. But Brogan is preoccupied with nailing drugs dealer Amory Wolf whom he believes is responsible for the death of Tommy Murphy, his oldest friend. Meanwhile, Jane and Took have a run-in with local hero Thunder Cole. | |||||
| 23 | "Deathwatch: Part One[5]" | Piers Haggard | Michael Berlin & Eric Estrin | 17 July 1995 | 20 |
| The arrival on Altor of a mysterious meteor fragment heralds the start of strange events at Roetem Towers on Krazucki Street where residents are being terrorised into relocation. As Jane and Took look into the disappearance of an alien farmer, Brogan and Haldane find their investigations at Roetem Towers blocked by Military Intelligence, and Brogan realises that something is going on at the apartment building that threatens all life on Altor. | |||||
| 24 | "Deathwatch: Part Two[5][6]" | Piers Haggard | Arthur Sellers | 24 July 1995 | 24 |
| After Major Graffa is possessed by the alien meteor found buried beneath Roetem Towers, Captain Weldon steals the meteor fragment that landed at Butler's farm and goes AWOL. She kidnaps Brogan to enlist his help in recovering the meteor from Graffa, but Carson learns that the meteor is a parasitic alien seed and the meteor fragment is a spore to fertilise it – bringing them together will destroy all life on Altor! | |||||
Pilot
The idea for Space Precinct predated the series by nearly a decade. In 1986 Anderson produced Space Police, a 55-minute pilot film that featured Anderson regular Shane Rimmer as Brogan. The series failed to sell at that time and the pilot was never broadcast.
The pilot, which has since circulated on video and online, features many differences. Brogan is a much older character than that played by Shackleford, and is a bachelor. His partner -- and the only other apparently human character in the pilot -- is Sgt. Cathy Costello, who is revealed to be a gynoid capable of shifting between human appearance and a more robotic look for dangerous missions. The aliens featured in the pilot are catlike rather than the more exotic aliens in Space Precinct. The only character other than Brogan to transfer from the pilot to the series is the robot Slo-Mo. The pilot, which is more comedic in nature than the somewhat serious series that followed, combined live action, full-size prosthetics, puppetry, and Supermacromation techniques.
Space Police (1986)
| Title | Directed[3] | Written by[3] | Original air date[3] | Length[3] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Star Laws" | Tony Bell | Gerry Anderson & Tony Barwick | Unaired | 53 mins approx. (24 mins condensed version) | |
| Lieutenant Chuck Brogan is transferred to the Space Police after 15 years of service in the New York Police Department. Pilot episode for proposed television series Space Police, ultimately reformatted and retitled as Space Precinct. Starring Shane Rimmer as Brogan. | |||||
Home media
Space Precinct was released on DVD in the UK but, as of 2015, is out of print. It was released on DVD in North America on 23 November 2010.[7] As of July 2017 Space Precinct is available in the US on streaming service Amazon Prime. In November 2018, the complete series was rereleased as a DVD box set in Region 2, by Network DVD.
References
- "Looking back at Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct". Den of Geek. 9 October 2014.
- "Actor pens his experiences on Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct 20 years on - Maidenhead Advertiser".
- Bentley, Chris (2008) [2001]. The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide (4 ed.). Richmond, London: Reynolds and Hearn. ISBN 978-1-905287-74-1.
- Also edited (at time of production) as a special feature length episode, entitled The Fire Within.
- Also edited (at time of production) as a special feature length episode, entitled Deathwatch.
- Also known by its on-screen title "Deathwatch Conclusion".
- "Space Precinct: The Complete Series". DVD Talk.