journey into space, complete series, every Friday: Recent Episodes
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Journey Into Space is a BBC Radio science fiction programme, written by BBC producer Charles Chilton. It was the last radio programme in the UK to attract a bigger evening audience than television. Originally, four series were produced (the fourth being a remake of the first), which went on to be translated into 17 languages (including Hindustani, Turkish and Dutch) and broadcast worldwide (including the United States, New Zealand, Australia and the Netherlands). Chilton went on to write three best-selling novels and several comic strip stories, based upon the radio series. The first series was created in 1953, soon after Riders of the Range (a popular Western, also written by Chilton) ended its six seasons on the BBC Light Programme. Michael Standing, then Head of the BBC Variety Department, asked Chilton if he could write a sci-fi programme, and Journey to the Moon (later known as Operation Luna) was the result. Each half-hour episode would usually end with a dramatic cliffhanger, to increase the audience's incentive to tune in to the next episode. The original magnetic recordings of the show were erased shortly after broadcast, and for several decades, it was believed that no recordings of the show still survived. However, in 1986, a set of mis-filed Transcription Service discs (produced for sale to overseas radio stations) were discovered, containing complete copies of the three original series (more accurately, the surviving version of the first season is a cut-down remake of the original, produced for the Transcription Service during the 1950s). This discovery enabled the BBC to begin re-broadcasting the show in the late 1980s
Journey Into Space radio serial by Charles Chilton. When they board an abandoned space freighter, Jet and Doc discover a digitised personality locked inside the ship's computer - one with a deadly intent...Toby Stephens and David Jacobs are amongst the cast of this exciting adventure, first broadcast in June 2009.
Journey Into Space radio serial by Charles Chilton. When they board an abandoned space freighter, Jet and Doc discover a digitised personality locked inside the ship's computer - one with a deadly intent...Toby Stephens and David Jacobs are amongst the cast of this exciting adventure, first broadcast in June 2009.
Journey into Space: Frozen in Time. A tribute to Charles Chilton's iconic 1960s series Journey into Space. The crew of the spacecraft Ares awake from suspended animation in 2013.
Journey into Space: Frozen in Time. A tribute to Charles Chilton's iconic 1960s series Journey into Space. The crew of the spacecraft Ares awake from suspended animation in 2013.
the 1950s classic studio-bound space drama returns for one more outing. Captain Jet Morgan and his Discovery crew find themselves hurtling towards 2026, with much confusion to follow.
A spacecraft called Discovery returns back to earth from an expedition to Mars 40 years later than expected.
John Pullen plays Captain Jet Morgan, Cassia is played by Elizabeth Proud and Jet by Ed Bishop.
the 1950s classic studio-bound space drama returns for one more outing. Captain Jet Morgan and his Discovery crew find themselves hurtling towards 2026, with much confusion to follow.
A spacecraft called Discovery returns back to earth from an expedition to Mars 40 years later than expected.
John Pullen plays Captain Jet Morgan, Cassia is played by Elizabeth Proud and Jet by Ed Bishop.
The crew are shown to luxurious quarters aboard the asteroid, and cruise to Earth as part of the invasion fleet. They are ordered to the Martian's quarters, where they are dismayed to discover that Earth has not followed their instruction to shut down all television channels. Depressed by their failure, they watch as the Martian fleet begins to orbit the Earth. As they wait for the Martian's broadcast, the set goes dead. They are overjoyed to learn that the channels have at last been shut down. The Martian peacefully accepts defeat and allows all those in his command to return to Earth. A considerable number, however, choose to remain in the Martian's fleet, and to establish a perfect civilisation in another solar system, free from persecution, hunger, misgovernment and war
Lemmy fails to contact Earth, but they are contacted by the Martian who tells them to enter the asteroid ship. The Martian reveals that he is the only one left of a race of giants, and explains his reasons for the invasion. A crew from the asteroid, including ex-freighter man Harding, forcibly remove the crew from Freighter 1.
The asteroid fleet increases speed and overtakes Freighter #1. Jet records a warning to Earth, to be transmitted on a loop. Attempts to hypnotise the crew fail, so the Martian contacts the crew using their voices. Freighter #1 crashes onto the surface of a large asteroid.
The crew head into orbit, transfer to Freighter 1 and, using a modified radio transmitter, attempt to contact Earth, but they cannot get their warning about the invasion through. They spot the asteroid invasion fleet approaching them from behind. Jet decides to use all remaining fuel to set course for Earth, in order to increase their chances of warning Earth of the invasion.
The crew imprison the Lunar Controller and gain his assistance by threatening to release him into space. Lemmy smashes up the computerised brain to stop messages being sent to the rest of the Martian fleet. Frank pilots the ship as they escape the asteroid and set course for Mars, but they find the Discovery has been plundered.
While the Lunar Controller is away, Jet and Doc enter his quarters from the asteroid surface. Mitch and Lemmy explain what has happened to them, and they hatch a plan to imprison the Lunar Controller and escape.
The Lunar Controller tells Mitch and Lemmy that the invasion will be facilitated by a hypnotic television broadcast. Jet and Doc go on a search for the others, and follow conditioned crew members onto the asteroid surface. Wearing Martian suits, they investigate a large sphere, but become stranded on the surface.
The asteroid is in chaos and the crew discover Asteroid 786/738 is on its way to sort it out. Mitch and Lemmy go to fetch a bed for Paddy, but become lost and enter the Martian's lair. They hear a familiar voice but can't place it. Paddy dies, and Mitch and Lemmy discover that Jack Evans is really the Lunar Controller, who has been in league with the Martians from the start.
Jet, Lemmy and Doc ignore the Martian's warnings to turn back, and Jet is knocked out after touching a door at the end of the corridor. The crew persuades Paddy to set the ship on course for Mars, so they can warn Earth of the invasion. However, he loses control and is injured.
Paddy leaves the crew, who learn how to manipulate the 'visionphone'. As Mitch and Frank follow them along a circular corridor using the cameras, Jet, Lemmy and Doc hear a voice they assume to be a Martian, ordering them back.
Frank regains some of his memory, revealing that the crew are aboard an asteroid ship. Jet and Lemmy meet Paddy face to face, and he reveals that he is the rebel captain of the asteroid, working with Jack Evans. Paddy receives orders to have the asteroid join the invasion fleet.
Jet is found under his bed and the unconscious man is found to be Frank Rogers. Doc tries to bring Frank out of his conditioned state, and he reveals that the invasion is under way. Jet and Lemmy go through the floor, and are directed by the voice of Paddy Flynn.
Jet and Mitch fail to make it back to Discovery, and the crew all pass out as the ships approach. They wake up in a dark room and figure that they must be on one of the moons of Mars. They discover an unconscious man in the room, find that Jet is missing, and a door in the floor opens.
Thinking Frank may be there, the crew decide to land near the wreck of Freighter 2, but Jet and Mitch discover it to be empty. From the Discovery, Doc and Lemmy spot a fleet of Martian spheres approaching.
The crew slow the ship down, and discuss where on Mars to land and the objectives of the trip. They regain contact with the strange voice, discovering it is a very confused Frank Rogers, ex-crewman of Freighter 2.
The Discovery gets away safely, but the crew cannot establish contact with Moon control, so Lemmy contacts Earth. After ships from Earth to the Moon are lost, the crew concludes that the Moon has fallen under Martian control. While refuelling from Freighter 1, Jet and Lemmy hear a strange wailing voice.
The crew fly to Australia, then on a ship to the Moon. While preparing for the voyage to Mars, they spot unidentified objects on the lunar horizon. The take off is complicated by strange communication with control, suggesting the Moon base has been infiltrated.
The crew and the Lunar Controller try to locate the crew of the crashed ship. They interview Moore, a commercial traveller who may have had contact with the crew of the ship, who recounts his experience. The crew are ordered back to Mars and are driven to an airfield, but the car crashes when the crew tackle the 'Conditioned Type' driver.
.Jet and Lemmy go to investigate the objects in an orbital rocket, but are sent to sleep for 24 hours by a strange noise. Film footage suggests the asteroids are actually spacecraft carriers. Jet discovers that a spaceship has crashed in the Lake District. Jet and Doc enter the ship.
April 15, 1972. The Discovery and two freighters return to the Moon from the disastrous Mars expedition. The crew are subjected to intense questioning about their experiences on Mars, and Lemmy discovers that the Discovery is being readied for take off. Back on Earth, they visit an astronomer who has spotted suspicious objects in the heavens.
The Discovery crew are fully reunited at last, and thanks to advice from Webster, Mitch completes his recovery. Jet, Lemmy and Webster try to rescue Frank, but they fail, and Webster is injured and dies. The crew return to Discovery at Polar Base and take off for home, escaping a pursuing fleet of spheres. Their news of the upcoming Martian invasion is passed to Earth, causing a great commotion.
Doc and Lemmy overpower the flying doctor, and escape in the sphere with Mitch, who recovers from his 'conditioning' but can only remember being two weeks away from reaching Mars. Jet is contacted by Webster, a man trying to return to Earth, and learns more about the Martians.
The sphere arrives at Lacus Solis (the Martian capital), and the flying doctor reveals the Martian plan to invade the Earth in 1986. Frank, flying in Freighter 1, hears the soporific noise and his freighter crashes.
A 'flying doctor' arrives in a sphere, and manages to capture Doc and Lemmy. He tries to 'condition' them using the soporific noise, but they manage to resist. Meanwhile, Jet escapes back to the land trucks
Jet, Doc and Lemmy discover the same house, and find Mitch inside it. But Mitch is now 'conditioned' to believe he's in Australia, and doesn't recognise the others. He refuses to rejoin them, and attacks Jet.
McLean, pretending to be Mitch, enters the land truck and tries to overpower Lemmy, but Lemmy wins the fight. Meanwhile, Mitch, lost in the desert and now able to breathe the Martian atmosphere, comes across a house inhabited by a man and woman who claim to be sheep farmers living in Australia in 1939.
Doc deduces that Whitaker and McLean had been 'conditioned', allowing them to be controlled, as well as breathe in the Martian atmosphere. Mitch becomes separated from the others, and meets a man who claims to be a dingo hunter in Australia.
Discovery's crew explore the valley's ruined city, but Lemmy vanishes, and experiences a hypnotic dream. He's later found with McLean (pilot of Freighter 2), who is now mysteriously able to breathe the Martian air.
The Discovery crew travel west across the Mare Australis in pursuit of the mysterious ship. Meanwhile, Frank and Grimshaw, crew members of Freighter 1, reach the wrecked Freighter 2 and take up residence for the night. However, during the night, a 'sphere' arrives and its crew attempt to enter the wreck. Whilst observing the crew, Frank realises they are human. A few days later, Discovery's crew reach a valley in the Argyre Desert, and a city which is identical to the one in Jet's earlier dream
Racing to reach the crashed freighter before sunset, the Discovery's crew reaches the Mare Australis, the plain north of the ice cap. After nightfall, though unable to find the freighter, they see a mysterious white light moving across the plain. In the morning, they locate the crashed freighter, but upon reaching it find its crew missing. However, there are strange marks in the ground nearby which Jet deduces to belong to "the light", realising that a ship has visited and kidnapped the freighter crew.
Doc and Frank rescue Jet and Mitch, and Jet says he dreamed of a ruined city in a valley. Discovery's crew begin the exploration of Mars in the land trucks, whilst Freighter 2 begins to ferry supplies down from the fleet in orbit. However, on its second trip down, the freighter crew hear the soporific noise and crash.
The crew learn more about 'the voice' and his people – they are a peaceful, scientific race from the opposite side of the universe. The crew explore the city, and are disturbed by a close encounter with a sabre-toothed tiger. Fortunately, the creature does not attack them, but they now realise that they have travelled back through time instead of forward. They enter a domed building, walk down a long dark tunnel, and emerge in a huge underground city. They are invited into another building to meet 'the voice', but are terrified by what they find inside
Peterson's suicide recording is found, and radio contact with Control is restored. The fleet enters orbit round Mars, and Discovery lands at the South Pole, but a strange soporific noise troubles the crew and causes them to crash-land.
Whitaker is found badly injured in Freighter 6, but Peterson has vanished. Jet has a strange dream, and Whitaker dies, suddenly transforming into an old man. Recording tapes found in the cabin confirm the crew's suspicions that Whitaker faked the radio message.
A radio message (apparently from Control) orders the fleet to return home. However, a bearing on the radio signal reveals the transmitter to be somewhere in front of the fleet, thus proving the message to be a fake. Freighter 6 is sighted ahead of the fleet, and Discovery draws up alongside it.
The fleet enters the swarm. Peterson reports an emergency on board freighter 6 with Whitaker. On leaving the swarm, Freighter 6 is nowhere to be seen, and the swarm is now blocking radio contact with Control. Two weeks later, Discovery apparently re-establishes contact with home, but the crew are puzzled by the short delay between replies.
Control discovers very odd information about Whitaker - the only man answering to his description was apparently born in 1893, and has been missing since 1924. The fleet changes course twice to avoid the meteor swarm, but both times it moves to block their path again.
While Whitaker is in a strange deep sleep, both Frank and Lemmy have nightmares. Radar suddenly reveals a huge meteor swarm ahead of the fleet, blocking its path. A large meteor destroys Freighter 7.
Jet manages to rescue Mitch, using a miniature rocket unit. Frank tells Lemmy he's not getting on at all well with Whitaker, his shipmate. Whitaker starts behaving very strangely while Jet is questioning him.
April 1971. Jet and Mitch travel from Earth to the Moon by rocket. The Mars fleet (the flagship Discovery, 8 freighters and 20 men) begins its journey. During an EVA, Mitch's safety line fails, leaving him adrift.
he crew successfully return to the Moon in 1965, but with no memory of their adventure on prehistoric Earth. However, their rations have been replaced by water and an unknown bread-like substance, Doc's diary contains a detailed account, and there's a prehistoric stone knife on board Luna...
'The voice' is not pleased to learn that the crew are descended from the 'forest creatures', but in the end agrees to help them as arranged. Luna takes off and is accelerated by the UFOs; the crew blacks out. They start to ponder on the nature of time, and become concerned about their shortage of fuel, and whether they will remember their adventures when they reach their own time.
The voice' consoles the crew, who are embarrassed by their shock, and guides them to another dome where they are given a meal and beds to sleep in. Next morning, 'the voice' tells the crew about the Earth's native 'forest creatures', destructive and hostile animals, and promises to help the crew get back to their own time. While preparing Luna for take-off, the crew are horrified to realise that the 'forest creatures' are, in fact, prehistoric humans.
The crew learn more about 'the voice' and his people – they are a peaceful, scientific race from the opposite side of the universe. The crew explore the city, and are disturbed by a close encounter with a sabre-toothed tiger. Fortunately, the creature does not attack them, but they now realise that they have travelled back through time instead of forward. They enter a domed building, walk down a long dark tunnel, and emerge in a huge underground city. They are invited into another building to meet 'the voice', but are terrified by what they find inside
Jet discovers a prehistoric stone knife near Luna, suggesting that they've travelled back in time, but there is some confusion over this when the crew discover the tracks of a great tank-like machine near their ship. A UFO, exactly like the one seen on the moon, lands nearby and a voice is heard over the radio: "Hello Luna!".
The crew land Luna on the planet and discover that it shares many of Earth's characteristics – oxygen atmosphere, drinkable water, carbon-based vegetation and ice-caps at both the poles. After studying the stars one night, Jet deduces that they in fact are on Earth, but that they've travelled thousands of years through time.
The UFOs accelerate Luna to an incredible speed, and the crew blacks out. On recovering, they find themselves out in deep space, with no sign of the Earth or Moon. In the distance, a planet is approaching.
Mitch is inquisitive and enters the UFO, where he is temporarily possessed by an alien intelligence. Luna takes off and orbits the Moon. On the far side, the crew encounter a fleet of UFOs, which pursues them.
The crew are stuck on the Moon and unable to trace what has caused the power failure. A fortnight passes, with the air temperature rising uncomfortably in the absence of air-conditioning. A UFO is seen on the televiewer and strange noises are heard. When they are left with just enough oxygen to reach home, power is suddenly restored to the ship, and the UFO is seen to have landed outside.
Jet has visions of the past and the future, Lemmy is disturbed by the 'music' again, and Doc sees a strange dome over a crater and writes an odd diary entry without realising. The last week on the moon passes without incident, but as the crew prepare to leave for home, the ship loses all power.
Luna is turned round for the Moon landing, and Lemmy hears the 'music' again during the final approach. The crew narrate their first moonwalk by radio to Earth. While exploring a crater, Jet unaccountably vanishes from sight.
The rocket "Luna" sets off for the Moon with Jet, Doc, Mitch and Lemmy aboard. Radio contact with Earth is lost. Lemmy hears odd 'music' on the radio, before contact is resumed, and a tiny meteor hits Luna. No damage is sustained, but Lemmy hears the strange music again outside the ship and panics.