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''Journey Into Space'' is a
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
programme written by
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
producer
Charles Chilton Charles Chilton MBE (15 June 1917 – 2 January 2013) was a British presenter, writer and producer who worked on BBC Radio. He created the 1950s radio serials ''Riders of the Range'' and ''Journey into Space'', and also inspired the stage ...
. It was the last UK radio programme to attract a bigger evening audience than television. Originally, four series were produced (the fourth was a remake of the first), which was translated into 17 languages (including Hindi, Turkish and Dutch) and broadcast in countries worldwide (including Australia, the Netherlands, New Zealand and The United States). Chilton later wrote 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 Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
, also written by Chilton) ended its six series on the
BBC Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...
. 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 A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
, to increase the audience's incentive to tune into 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 had survived, although some were broadcast by the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS, formerly AFN) in Europe during the late 1970s. In 1986, a set of misfiled Transcription Service discs (produced for sale to overseas radio stations) was discovered, containing complete copies of the three original series (more accurately, the surviving version of the first series 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, and release copies of the show, first on audio cassette, and more recently on CD and internet download. Fans of ''Journey Into Space'' included
Colin Pillinger Colin Trevor Pillinger, (; 9 May 1943 – 7 May 2014) was an English planetary scientist. He was a founding member of the Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute at Open University in Milton Keynes, he was also the principal inves ...
,
Kenny Everett Kenny Everett (born Maurice James Christopher Cole; 25 December 1944 – 4 April 1995) was an English comedian, radio disc jockey and television presenter. After spells on pirate radio and Radio Luxembourg in the mid-1960s, he was one of the fi ...
,
John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament ...
, Stephen Hawking,
Miriam Margolyes Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus. The Tora ...
and former ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' producer
Philip Hinchcliffe Philip Michael Hinchcliffe (born October 1944) is a retired English television producer, screenwriter and script editor. After graduating from Cambridge University, he began his career as a writer and script editor at Associated Television befo ...
.


The main characters

The four main characters appear in all the original series, as well as the later special episodes: Guy Kingsley Poynter (who played Doc) had worked with Charles Chilton before ''Journey Into Space'', and Chilton once commented that Poynter "was a very good poetry reader". Chilton also observed that Bruce Beeby was like his character Mitch, and was "always blowing his top". David Kossoff asked Chilton if his character (the ship's radio operator) could be called Lemuel (a name he loved), and Chilton shortened the name to Lemmy. Chilton based Lemmy's character on himself, since he had been a radio operator in the
RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
. Originally, Chilton had chosen John Glen to play Jet, but later decided to use Andrew Faulds instead, because Chilton's secretary fancied him. David Jacobs's ability to play a wide variety of characters, each with his own distinctive voice, resulted in him playing 22 different characters during the course of ''Journey Into Space''. He used to mark up his script using different colour pencils, to help him remember what each character was supposed to sound like. In episode 1 of ''The Red Planet'', Jet is interviewed by a group of newspaper reporters, all of whom were played by Jacobs. Light-hearted pranks were often played on David Jacobs just before a recording session was about to begin. On one occasion, Andrew Faulds poured a jug of water inside his trousers, totally soaking him, and he "did the rest of the programme in a raincoat!" On another occasion, some of the actors smeared mustard on his lip microphone, causing him some difficulties during the recording session.
Don Sharp Donald Herman Sharp (19 April 192114 December 2011) was an Australian film director. His best known films were made for Hammer Film Productions, Hammer in the 1960s, and included ''The Kiss of the Vampire'' (1963) and ''Rasputin, the Mad Monk' ...
later became a noted director.


Original three series


''Journey to the Moon''/''Operation Luna''

Initially, the first series was simply known as ''Journey Into Space'', with the subtitle ''A Tale of the Future'' added by the ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'', but within the BBC it became known as ''Journey to the Moon''. The series was set in 1965 (the year in which Chilton believed humans would first walk on the Moon), and was first broadcast in 1953–1954 on the
BBC Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...
. The series was originally intended to have 12 episodes (one source claims 8 episodes), and 5.1 million people tuned into the first episode, but the first four episodes (which took place on Earth) did not prove very popular, and the audience soon shrank to fewer than 4 million. But once the rocket set off for the Moon in episode 5, the audience reaction was much more favourable. The series was extended to 18 episodes, and by the time the final episode was broadcast, 8 million people were tuning in. In 1958, ''Journey to the Moon'' was re-recorded for the
BBC Transcription Services The BBC Transcription Services started life in the mid-1930s as the London Transcription Service to license BBC Radio programmes to overseas broadcasters who were authorised to broadcast the programmes for a set period, usually two or three years. ...
(retitled as ''Operation Luna''), because the original recordings had been erased. The first four episodes of the original series were omitted, and episodes 12 and 13 were merged into a single episode. Today, the only surviving recording from the original 1953 series ''Journey to the Moon'' is a 5-minute excerpt from the final episode. Faulds, Kingsley Poynter, and
Deryck Guyler Deryck Bower Guyler (29 April 1914 – 7 October 1999) was an English actor, best remembered for his portrayal of officious, short-tempered middle-aged men in sitcoms such as ''Please Sir!'' and ''Sykes''. Early life Guyler was born in Wallas ...
were the only actors from ''Journey to the Moon'' to reprise their roles in ''Operation Luna''. In addition to the
main characters A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
, other characters in ''Journey to the Moon'' included: (*) Alan Keith (born Alec Kossoff) was the brother of David Kossoff, who played Lemmy. Chilton wrote episode 8 of ''Journey to the Moon'' in response to a challenge from a TV producer, who considered the success of the series to be "a fluke". The producer challenged Chilton to write an episode "that could not be played equally well on television", and Chilton succeeded – a large proportion of the episode takes place in total darkness. During the episode, Jet reads to the rest of the crew by torchlight from ''
The First Men in the Moon ''The First Men in the Moon'' is a scientific romance by the English author H. G. Wells, originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from December 1900 to August 1901 and published in hardcover in 1901, who called it one of his "fantastic ...
'' by
H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''
Andrew Faulds's adopted uncle, Hector MacPherson, was an astronomer, and wrote a book called ''Practical Astronomy''. Chilton bought a copy of the book, which first sparked his interest in astronomy, and later led him to write ''Journey Into Space''. In episode 7 of ''Journey to the Moon'', Jet's childhood flashback features his great uncle Hector, who was based on Hector MacPherson. In November 1957, Chilton wrote an episode of the
BBC School Radio BBC School Radio is a division of the BBC providing audio learning resources for primary schools in the United Kingdom. History The first broadcast to schools was organized by the privately owned British Broadcasting Company and given by the c ...
science series ''Our Own and Other Worlds'', titled "A Trip to the Moon", which featured edited material from episodes 5 and 6 of ''Journey to the Moon''. The table below indicates the correspondence between the episodes of ''Journey to the Moon'' and ''Operation Luna''.


''The Red Planet''

The second series, ''The Red Planet'', followed the adventures of the crew in their first attempt to reach and explore
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
. Several new characters were introduced, the most notable of which were Frank Rogers and James Edward Whitaker, the two original crewmen of freighter #2. Chilton took the name Whitaker from a copy of ''
Whitaker's Almanack ''Whitaker's'' is a reference book, published annually in the United Kingdom. The book was originally published by J Whitaker & Sons from 1868 to 1997, then by The Stationery Office until 2003, and then by A & C Black which became a wholly owned ...
'' which was sitting on his desk. In addition to the
main characters A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
, other characters in ''The Red Planet'' included: (*) Married to Bruce Beeby, who played Mitch. The most memorable
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
from this series was "Orders must be obeyed without question at all times", which was often repeated by many of the 'conditioned' characters, especially Whitaker. Episode 19 of the series rated a 17% audience share, whereas the newsreel broadcast simultaneously on BBC TV had an audience share of 16%. This was the last time that a radio show achieved a higher rating than its TV opponent. During the first broadcast of this series, the ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'' featured ''Journey Into Space'' on its cover, showing Andrew Faulds as Captain "Jet" Morgan. His spacesuit (which was used by several of the cast members for publicity photos) was a prototype being developed in Britain at the time. During the recording of ''The Red Planet'', Guy Kingsley Poynter was also starring in '' The Teahouse of the August Moon'' at
Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...
. The
British Empire Exhibition The British Empire Exhibition was a colonial exhibition held at Wembley Park, London England from 23 April to 1 November 1924 and from 9 May to 31 October 1925. Background In 1920 the British Government decided to site the British Empire Exhibit ...
was referred to throughout the episodes. In the table of episodes below, the numbers marked with # refer to the numbered freighters of the Mars fleet.


''The World in Peril''

The third series was a direct continuation of the story begun in ''The Red Planet'', and followed Jet Morgan and his crew's return to Mars in an attempt to avert the impending Martian invasion. In addition to the
main characters A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
, other characters in ''The World in Peril'' included: During the recording of ''The World in Peril'', Alfie Bass was also starring in the revue ''The Punch Bowl'' at the
Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by th ...
.


Critical reaction and legacy

Public reaction to the show was mixed. Some comments received by the BBC described the show as "a first class affair" and "the best serial for ages". After episode 5 of ''Journey to the Moon'' was first broadcast, the ''
Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...
'' commented: Midway through the original broadcast of ''The Red Planet'', a BBC Audience Research Report indicated that the series However, others commented that the plot often featured scientific inaccuracies, even though Chilton had received technical advice from Flight Lieutenant Roger Burton and Kenneth Gatland of the
British Interplanetary Society The British Interplanetary Society (BIS), founded in Liverpool in 1933 by Philip E. Cleator, is the oldest existing space advocacy organisation in the world. Its aim is exclusively to support and promote astronautics and space exploration. Stru ...
. One correspondent to the ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'' commented that: Chilton admitted that he was not a science-fiction writer, astronomer, or scientist, and that his "pursuit of astronomical studies" was "clumsy and very amateurish". He often "worked very late to deadline", sometimes not starting to write an episode until two days before recording. ''Journey Into Space'' remains popular today, thanks to the
discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discovery ...
of misfiled recordings of the show, which enabled the BBC to begin re-broadcasting the show from the late 1980s onwards.
Philip Hinchcliffe Philip Michael Hinchcliffe (born October 1944) is a retired English television producer, screenwriter and script editor. After graduating from Cambridge University, he began his career as a writer and script editor at Associated Television befo ...
has acknowledged growing up listening to ''Journey Into Space'', citing in particular its cliffhangers, as an influence on his period as producer of the science-fiction television series ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' between 1974 and 1977.


Music

Van Phillips composed and conducted the music for all three series. The music was initially recorded beforehand, and played from acetate discs during the recording sessions. Later, an eight-piece orchestra was actually present in the studio, and played the music live. Phillips liked the sound of the
clavioline The clavioline is an electronic keyboard instrument, a forerunner to the analog synthesizer. It was invented by French engineer Constant Martin in 1947 in Versailles. The instrument consists of a keyboard and a separate amplifier and speaker ...
, and obtained one for use during ''Journey Into Space''. He composed music especially for it, and it was "bolted onto the piano" in the studio. Titles of his compositions include "A Picture of the Universe", "Rocket Away", "Music for Outer Space", "The Red Planet", "Crossing the Plains", and "Sunrise". In 1955,
Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
released a
78rpm record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
of the ''Journey Into Space'' theme, performed by
Frank Weir Frank Weir (30 January 1911 – 12 May 1981) was a British orchestra leader and jazz musician. He reached number 1 one on the UK Singles Chart in 1954 with Vera Lynn on a recording of the song "My Son, My Son", receiving positive reviews in ''Vari ...
and his orchestra (catalogue number F.10435), and sheet music of a piano solo of the theme was also published. In 1978, the recording was included on the 33⅓rpm BBC compilation record ''BBC Space Themes'' (catalogue number REH 324), and in 2005, Vocalion/Dutton Laboratories included it on their digitally remastered compilation CD ''Presenting Frank Weir And His Saxophone'' (catalogue number CDLK 4266). In ''Journey to the Moon'', Lemmy occasionally provided musical entertainment for the crew on his mouth organ, playing songs such as "Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road" and "My Old Dutch". Excerpts of popular music were often used during the episodes, and sometimes played an important role in the plot. In episode 8 of ''Journey to the Moon'', an excerpt from "Honeymoon on a Rocket Ship" by
Hank Snow Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow (May 9, 1914 – December 20, 1999) was a Canadian-American country music artist. Most popular in the 1950s, he had a career that spanned more than 50 years, he recorded 140 albums and charted more than 85 singles on t ...
and The Rainbow Ranch Boys is heard by the crew on the ship's radio. "When It's Night Time In Italy", by James Kendis and
Lew Brown Lew Brown (born Louis Brownstein; December 10, 1893 – February 5, 1958) was a lyricist for popular songs in the United States. During World War I and the Roaring Twenties, he wrote lyrics for several of the top Tin Pan Alley composers, espec ...
, was an important part of episodes 7 and 8 of ''The Red Planet''. Other popular music used in ''The Red Planet'' included: * "Flat Foot Floogie", by Bulet Galliard, Leroy Stewart, and
Bud Green Bud Green (19 November 1897 – 2 January 1981) was an American lyricist especially of Broadway musicals and show tunes Early life and family Green was born Moses David Green in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and immigrated to the United Sta ...
, performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra * The theme tune to the ''
Billy Cotton Band Show The ''Billy Cotton Band Show'' was a Sunday lunchtime radio programme broadcast in the BBC Light Programme from 1949 until 1968. The band leader, Billy Cotton, was a larger-than-life Cockney character who started each show with the cry "Wakey-Wa ...
'' * "Somebody Stole My Gal", by Lee Wright * "Friends and Neighbours", by Marvin Scott and
Malcolm Lockyer Malcolm Neville Lockyer (5 October 1923 – 28 June 1976) was a British film composer and conductor. Biography Lockyer was born in Greenwich, London, England. In his early years he developed an interest in dance and from here gathered an interest ...
* "Selection of Hebrew Dances Part 2", by
Ambrose Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...
and his orchestra * Banjo music by Billy Bell ''The World in Peril'' featured a 'rebel song', sung by the 'conditioned' men aboard the Martian asteroids. This song was actually a musical arrangement of ''The Green Hills of Earth'' (a poem taken from
Robert Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...
's
short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...
of the same name), performed by the George Mitchell Choir. In the final episode of ''The World in Peril'', Chopin Opus 34: No. 2: Valse brillante in A minor is heard playing over the radio.


Sound effects

A variety of sound effects were used in the episodes, and played a major role. In addition to basic sounds, such as feet walking along a corridor or tunnel, more advanced effects were created, such as the mysterious haunting 'music' which is heard over the rocket's radio in many episodes of ''Operation Luna''. The most distinctive effect was the dramatic rocket take-off, which was played at the beginning of each episode, and whenever necessary during the episodes. This was actually a recording of a
jet aircraft A jet aircraft (or simply jet) is an aircraft (nearly always a fixed-wing aircraft) propelled by jet engines. Whereas the engines in propeller-powered aircraft generally achieve their maximum efficiency at much lower speeds and altitudes, je ...
at
Heathrow airport Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...
. Often, this would be followed by a slowly ascending tone (representing the rocket accelerating), which "was actually a recording of a
thermionic valve A vacuum tube, electron tube, valve (British usage), or tube (North America), is a device that controls electric current flow in a high vacuum between electrodes to which an electric potential difference has been applied. The type known as a ...
played through an
echo chamber Echo chamber of the Dresden University of Technology Hamilton Mausoleum has a long-lasting unplanned echo An echo chamber is a hollow enclosure used to produce reverberation, usually for recording purposes. For example, the producers of a ...
down at the
Physical Research Laboratory The Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) is a National Research Institute for space and allied sciences, supported mainly by Department of Space, Government of India. This research laboratory has ongoing research programmes in astronomy and astrop ...
at Kingston". Other sound effects were created at
Battersea Power Station Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned Grade II* listed coal-fired power station, located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Nine Elms, Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It was built by the London Power Company (LPC) ...
, and the sound made by the televiewer on board Luna was actually a naval ASDIC. The BBC had an echo chamber in the studio, which was greatly utilised during the episodes. Whenever the crew were in contact by radio with Earth control, or another distant location, the echo chamber would be applied to the voice of the remote character. Various sound effects were also created "live" in the studio. For example, in episode 8 of ''Journey to the Moon'', the crew hear a mysterious tapping on the outside of the ship; this effect was created "by tapping the needle of the gramophone pickup head, and playing that through an echo chamber". The operation of the Martian "Brain" when compiling an answer in response to questions was represented by the sound of a 2000-type Director - a telephone call routing device used in large city Strowger type telephone exchanges.


Novels

Chilton wrote three ''Journey Into Space'' novels, one for each of the three original series. The first novel, titled ''Journey Into Space'', told the story of ''Journey to the Moon'' and was the first book that Chilton had written. It was published in hardback by Herbert Jenkins in 1954, followed by ''The Red Planet'' in 1956, and ''The World in Peril'' in 1960. Later they were published in paperback by Pan in 1958, 1960 and 1962 respectively. On 8 May 2008, BBC Audiobooks released a complete and unabridged audiobook of the first novel, read by William Hope.


Comic strips

In 1956, the ''
Junior Express ''Express Weekly'' was a British children's comic magazine, published between 1954 and 1962 under a progression of titles: ''Junior Express'', ''Junior Express Weekly'', ''Express Weekly'', and ''TV Express Weekly''. The publication was similar ...
'' comic began publishing ''Journey Into Space''
comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...
s, with scripts by Charles Chilton and artwork by Italian artist
Ferdinando Tacconi Ferdinando Tacconi (December 27, 1922 – May 11, 2006) was an Italian comics artist. Tacconi was born in Milan. He earned a degree in Applied Arts from Castello Sforzesco. After collaborating as an illustrator to the magazines ''Grazia'' and ''C ...
. The first adventure, titled ''Jet Morgan in Planet of Fear'', was a 35-episode sequel to ''The World in Peril''. Tacconi spent some time with Chilton absorbing the atmosphere of the saga, and portrayed (in full colour) the radio actors' likenesses to match the clever dialogue. The story was continued in 1957 in the 32-episode adventure, ''Shadow over Britain''. In March 1957, Arthur Bruce Cornwell took over from Tacconi as artist, and Chilton lost his enthusiasm for the cartoon strip; thereafter it became a contractual chore for him. Terence Patrick took over from Cornwell in April 1957, and by the time the third adventure began (''The World Next Door''), Chilton was no longer writing the scripts. The 1956 ''
Express Weekly ''Express Weekly'' was a British children's comic magazine, published between 1954 and 1962 under a progression of titles: ''Junior Express'', ''Junior Express Weekly'', ''Express Weekly'', and ''TV Express Weekly''. The publication was similar ...
'' annual contained a short black & white comic strip called ''Jet Morgan and the Space Pirates'', illustrated by Tacconi. (''Express Weekly'' was the new name of ''Junior Express''.) The 1957 annual included a short story called ''Jet Morgan and the Space Castaway'', written by Chilton and illustrated by Cornwell.


Discovery of Transcription discs

The programmes were recorded in the studio on 15
ips IPS, ips, or iPS may refer to: Science and technology Biology and medicine * ''Ips'' (genus), a genus of bark beetle * Induced pluripotent stem cell or iPS cells * Intermittent photic stimulation, a neuroimaging technique * Intraparietal sulcus, ...
magnetic tape, and were later copied onto 33⅓
rpm Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...
16-inch coarse-groove
transcription disc Electrical transcriptions are special phonograph recordings made exclusively for radio broadcasting,Browne, Ray B. and Browne, Pat, Eds. (2001). ''The Guide to United States Popular Culture''. The University of Wisconsin Press. . P. 263. which wer ...
s for the BBC Transcription Services (except for ''Journey to the Moon'' episodes). The master tapes were erased three months after broadcast, in accordance with BBC policy at the time. The Transcription discs were sold overseas, and their fate was unknown, so for many years it was believed that all the episodes had been lost forever, although a number were broadcast by the American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS, formerly AFN) in Europe during the late 1970s. However, in 1986, a set of misfiled Transcription discs were found by Ted Kendall, a BBC recording engineer, which turned out to be copies of ''Operation Luna'', ''The Red Planet'' and ''The World in Peril''. The BBC no longer possessed a suitable turntable on which to play the discs, but Kendall eventually managed to obtain an EMT 927 turntable. To clean the discs, he soaked them in warm water containing
Fairy Liquid Fairy is an international brand, primarily used for washing up liquid and dishwasher detergent, owned by the American multinational consumer products company, Procter & Gamble. The brand originated in the United Kingdom and is now used on a numbe ...
, brushed them with a goats-hair brush, and dried them using kitchen towels. Kendall then transferred the recordings to magnetic tape, removing " clicks" from the sound using a device which he designed and built, called th
Mousetrap
(or Front End). He removed more severe clicks after the transfer, by scraping the oxide off the magnetic tape in appropriate places. The BBC took the opportunity to re-broadcast all three series on Radio 2, beginning with ''Operation Luna'' in 1989, followed by ''The Red Planet'' in 1990 and ''The World in Peril'' in 1991. Abridged versions of the three series were also released on audio cassette. In 1998, Kendall digitally remastered the recordings for new abridged releases on audio cassette, and in 2004, the unabridged remastered recordings began to be released on CD and internet download. The three series have also been broadcast on BBC Radio 7, now known as BBC Radio 4 Extra.


Special episodes


''The Return from Mars''

In 1981, Radio 4's ''Saturday Night Theatre'' slot ran a special
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
series, featuring stories such as ''
The First Men in the Moon ''The First Men in the Moon'' is a scientific romance by the English author H. G. Wells, originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from December 1900 to August 1901 and published in hardcover in 1901, who called it one of his "fantastic ...
'', ''
The Chrysalids ''The Chrysalids'' (United States title: ''Re-Birth'') is a science fiction novel by British writer John Wyndham, first published in 1955 by Michael Joseph. It is the least typical of Wyndham's major novels, but regarded by some as his best. A ...
'', ''
A Fall of Moondust ''A Fall of Moondust'' is a hard science fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke, first published in 1961. It was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel, and was the first science fiction novel selected to become a ''Reader's D ...
'' and ''
The Technicolor Time Machine ''The Technicolor Time Machine'' is a 1967 science fiction novel by American writer Harry Harrison (writer), Harry Harrison. It is a time travel story with comedic elements, which satirizes Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. The story first a ...
''. Charles Chilton was asked to write a new one-off 90-minute episode of ''Journey Into Space'' for this slot, and ''The Return from Mars'' was the result. The plot was an approximate continuation from the end of ''The World in Peril''. The episode was broadcast on 7 March 1981. In addition to the
main characters A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
, other characters in ''The Return from Mars'' included:


''Frozen in Time''

This was a new episode based on the original series, with David Jacobs finally taking the role of Jet Morgan (who has aged while the rest of his crew were in suspended animation owing to a systems malfunction). Charles Chilton wrote the one-hour play which was set in the year 2013. It was broadcast on Radio 4 on Saturday 12 April 2008. This was released by BBC Audio in January 2009. Music by David Chilton; producer/director Nicholas Russell-Pavier.


''The Host''

A further new episode based on the original series by Chilton, written by Julian Simpson starred
Toby Stephens Toby Stephens (born 21 April 1969) is an English actor who has appeared in films in the UK, US and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film ''Die Another Day'' (for which he was nominated for the ...
as Jet Morgan. Another one-hour play, it was set in the year 2079. Broadcast as
The Saturday Play ''Saturday Drama'' (formerly ''The Saturday Play'') is a regular feature on BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of ...
on Radio 4 on Saturday 27 June 2009.


BBC releases on audio cassette and CD


Audiobooks

Currently, only the first novel has been released as an audiobook.


In translation

A
Dutch-language Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language, after its close relatives German and English. ''Afrikaans'' ...
version of the first three series of ''Journey into Space'' was broadcast in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
by the (KRO) in 1955–1958 under the title (), directed by Léon Povel. Translation was by Eddy Franquinet and the main character roles were played by John de Freese (Jeff Morgan ), Adolf Bouwmeester / Louis de Bree (Doc Matthews), Jan van Ees (Mitch Mitchell), and
Jan Borkus Jan Borkus (September 19, 1920 – October 29, 2007) was a Dutch radio personality and actor, who specialized in radio drama. He was born and died in The Hague, Netherlands. Filmography * 1966 - ''De Kijkkast'' - Gompie (pop), Gompie and Ri ...
(Jimmy Barnett). Director Léon Povel died just a few days after Charles Chilton, on 8 January 2013, at the age of 101 years. After his death, his youngest son Winfried Povel started recording the fourth series ()with professional actors and as a special guest the Dutch astronaut
André Kuipers André Kuipers (; born 5 October 1958) is a Dutch physician and ESA astronaut. He became the second Dutch citizen, third Dutch-born and fifth Dutch-speaking astronaut upon launch of Soyuz TMA-4 on 19 April 2004. Kuipers returned to Earth abo ...
. The recording was much longer than the BBC version, at 2 hours 11 minutes, so the play was edited into four episodes (30–36 minutes each) and broadcast as a mini-series. It was broadcast in January 2014 by the
KRO-NCRV KRO-NCRV is a Dutch public broadcasting company based in Hilversum established on January 1, 2014 from a merger of the broadcasters Catholic Radio Broadcasting (KRO) and the Dutch Christian Radio Association (NCRV), transmitting on NPO 1, NPO 2 ...
as well on
NPO Radio 5 NPO Radio 5 is a Dutch public-service network radio station operated by NPO. Its main format is classic hits from the 1950s and beyond, with a much stronger emphasis from the 1960s to 1980s. Very rarely, songs from the late-1940s may air at times ...
and repeated the same night on
NPO Radio 1 NPO Radio 1 is a public-service radio channel in the Netherlands, broadcasting mainly news and sport. It is part of the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system, NPO. History The channel originated in 1947 as "Hilversum 2", and transmitted using ...
.Dutch version of ''Journey into Space'': :nl:Sprong in het heelal


Other related series

Chilton followed ''Journey Into Space'' with two other radio series – ''
Space Force A space force is a military branch of a nation's armed forces that conducts military operations in outer space and space warfare. The world's first space force was the Russian Space Forces, established in 1992 as an independent military service. ...
'' in 1984 and '' Space Force II'' in 1985 – which were based on a similar theme. Indeed, ''Space Force'' had originally been intended as a new ''Journey Into Space'' serial, following on from ''The Return from Mars'', until relatively late in the day, so its four central characters are clear 'doubles' for the ''Journey Into Space'' team. In the version that was actually recorded and transmitted, one character (Chipper Barnett) refers to his grandfather Lemmy.


References


External links

The BBC releases of the three original series on CD and internet download are accompanied by 16-page booklets with text written by Andrew Pixley. These booklets provide detailed information about the series, and are available online:
BBC booklet for ''Operation Luna''

BBC booklet for ''The Red Planet''
nbsp;
alternative link

BBC booklet for ''The World in Peril''

Two-minute clip
of ''Operation Luna''
www.journeyintospace.co.uk
– A website about the series

– A comprehensive review of ''Operation Luna'' and its new CD boxset

– A comprehensive review of ''The Red Planet'' and its new CD boxset * Discogs entry for the 1955 45rpm version of the theme. {{DEFAULTSORT:Journey Into Space BBC Light Programme programmes BBC Radio dramas British science fiction radio programmes Ancient astronauts in fiction Alien invasions in fiction Cryonics in fiction Fiction about time travel Fiction set in prehistory Fiction set in 1965 Fiction set in 1971 Fiction set in 1972 Fiction set in 1973 Fiction set in 1986 Fiction set in 2013 Fiction set in 2026 Fiction set in 2079 Prehistoric people in popular culture Fiction set on the Moon Fiction set on Mars Space opera Works about astronauts Works set in outer space 1953 radio programme debuts 1958 radio programme endings Future history