Journey Into Space: The Return From Mars
Journey Into Space was a BBC Radio science fiction serial first broadcast from 1953 to 1956. Three series were originally broadcast, all written and produced by Charles Chilton.
The first series, Operation Luna, was originally titled Journey To The Moon and broadcast in 1953/4. The first four episodes, set on Earth, were not popular with audiences, but the serial grew in popularity when the story blasted off for space in episode five. The tapes of this first series were erased, but the series was re-recorded and re-broadcast in 1958, under the new title Operation Luna, but with the first four episodes omitted. The second series, The Red Planet, was the last time that a BBC radio show achieved a higher rating than its TV opponent.
Operation Luna followed the adventures of Captain ‘Jet’ Morgan and his crew, as they attempt the first Moon landing, only to encounter a fleet of UFOs who send them back in time.
The second series, The Red Planet, broadcast in 1954/5, sees Jet and his crew travelling to Mars, where they discover a plot by the Martians to invade Earth.
The third series, The World In Peril, broadcast in 1955/6, was a direct continuation of the story begun in series two, and followed Jet Morgan and his crew's return to Mars in an attempt to avert the impending Martian invasion.
The Return From Mars was a revival of Journey Into Space, written by Charles Chilton for Radio 4’s Saturday Night Theatre in 1981, and continues the story from approximately the end of The World In Peril, with the crew returning to Earth after thirty years in space, missing presumed dead.
Frozen In Time was another stand-alone story, written by Charles Chilton and broadcast in 2008. Returning from a trip to Neptune, the crew awaken from suspended animation in order to rescue a stranded mining expedition on Mars.
The Host was a further one-off episode, this time written by Julian Simpson, and broadcast in 2009, which sees the crew thwart the plans of a sentient information being to take over the Universe.
The first series, Operation Luna, was originally titled Journey To The Moon and broadcast in 1953/4. The first four episodes, set on Earth, were not popular with audiences, but the serial grew in popularity when the story blasted off for space in episode five. The tapes of this first series were erased, but the series was re-recorded and re-broadcast in 1958, under the new title Operation Luna, but with the first four episodes omitted. The second series, The Red Planet, was the last time that a BBC radio show achieved a higher rating than its TV opponent.
Operation Luna followed the adventures of Captain ‘Jet’ Morgan and his crew, as they attempt the first Moon landing, only to encounter a fleet of UFOs who send them back in time.
The second series, The Red Planet, broadcast in 1954/5, sees Jet and his crew travelling to Mars, where they discover a plot by the Martians to invade Earth.
The third series, The World In Peril, broadcast in 1955/6, was a direct continuation of the story begun in series two, and followed Jet Morgan and his crew's return to Mars in an attempt to avert the impending Martian invasion.
The Return From Mars was a revival of Journey Into Space, written by Charles Chilton for Radio 4’s Saturday Night Theatre in 1981, and continues the story from approximately the end of The World In Peril, with the crew returning to Earth after thirty years in space, missing presumed dead.
Frozen In Time was another stand-alone story, written by Charles Chilton and broadcast in 2008. Returning from a trip to Neptune, the crew awaken from suspended animation in order to rescue a stranded mining expedition on Mars.
The Host was a further one-off episode, this time written by Julian Simpson, and broadcast in 2009, which sees the crew thwart the plans of a sentient information being to take over the Universe.
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Part 1
The crew of Discovery return to Earth, only to find they have been missing, presumed dead, for thirty years. Doc recounts their story from his diary: The crew lift off from the Martian asteroid, but accelerate much faster than expected, and find themselves millions of miles off course. They land on an unknown planet, where they are attacked by what seem to be bear-like creatures. They are visited by a UFO, piloted by a beautiful young woman. First broadcast: 7 March 1981. Original Story by Charles Chilton. Cast: John Pullen, Ed Bishop, Nigel Graham, Anthony Hall, Elizabeth Proud, Patrick Barr, David Bradshawe, Graham Faulkner, Stephen Garlick, John McAndrew, Sion Probert, Christopher Scott, John Webb. |
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Part 2
The crew are transported to a city, where they discover they have been accidentally caught in the aliens’ spacecraft recovery field, after taking off at the exact same time as the field was activated to recover the aliens’ ship. They are instructed to repair the Discovery, but as this will take up to a year, Lemmy is put to work in the underground recycling plant in order to earn their keep. Whilst carrying out a repair in an isolated tunnel, Lemmy gets an unexpected visit. First broadcast: 7 March 1981. Original Story by Charles Chilton. Cast: John Pullen, Ed Bishop, Nigel Graham, Anthony Hall, Elizabeth Proud, Patrick Barr, David Bradshawe, Graham Faulkner, Stephen Garlick, John McAndrew, Sion Probert, Christopher Scott, John Webb. |
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Part 3
Jet stuns the crew by announcing he is to marry their alien guide. After completing work repairing the Discovery, the crew are relocated to a provincial village to work at an archaeological dig. After finding the aliens plan to use the Discovery to test their recovery field, the crew sneak on board, but Jet’s new wife stays behind, as she would age substantially if transported to Earth. The crew take manual control of the ship and return to Earth, concluding that they have travelled through time, not space, and that the alien planet was a future Earth. First broadcast: 7 March 1981. Original Story by Charles Chilton. Cast: John Pullen, Ed Bishop, Nigel Graham, Anthony Hall, Elizabeth Proud, Patrick Barr, David Bradshawe, Graham Faulkner, Stephen Garlick, John McAndrew, Sion Probert, Christopher Scott, John Webb. |
