Star Cops
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Star Cops was a British science fiction television series shown on BBC2 in 1987. It was written by Chris Boucher, John Collee and Philip Martin. Boucher was also responsible for the basic format and characters. One series of nine episodes was made (a tenth was commissioned but left unfilmed due to a strike at the BBC) but the show failed to find an audience and was not recommissioned.
- 1 Overview
- 2 Episode guide
- 2.1
- 2.2 Conversations With The Dead
- 2.3 Intelligent Listening For Beginners
- 2.4 Trivial Games and Paranoid Pursuits
- 2.5 This Case to be Opened in a Million Years
- 2.6 In Warm Blood
- 2.7 A Double Life
- 2.8 Other People's Secrets
- 2.9 Little Green Men And Other Martians
- 2.10 Death on the Moon
- 3 Releases
- 4 Other Media
- 5 References
- 6 External links
Overview
The programme was pitched as a detective series with the basic gimmick that it was set in the near-future when space had become just another workplace. The programme tackled some complex issues, notably the episode A Double Life which covered cloning in a specific and gripping way.
The series weaknesses included some racial stereotyping, notably the character of Anna Shoun, and poor scheduling that saw it running at 8:30 on summer nights on a minority channel. The environment of space was on the whole rendered fairly well with impressive set designs and ambitious special effects, though perhaps not as claustrophobic as it could have been.
The series has a reputation as a brave, but worthy, attempt at realistic character-based science fiction but the contemporary reception was not good. Admirers of the show argue that, as with similar shows (for instance Moonbase 3), it looks considerably better in retrospect.
Regular cast
- David Calder as Nathan Spring and Box
- Erick Ray Evans as David Theroux (episodes 1 to 8)
- Trevor Cooper as Colin Devis (episodes 2 to 9)
- Linda Newton as Pal Kenzy (episodes 1 and 3 to 9)
- Jonathan Adams as Alexander Krivenko (episodes 4 to 9)
- Sayo Inaba as Anna Shoun (episodes 6 to 9)
Principal credits
- Chris Boucher (Series Creator)
- Linda Woodfield (Costume Designer)
- Jill Hagger (Makeup Designer)
- Mike Kelt, Malcolm James (Visual Effects)
- Robin Lobb (Video Effects)
- Justin Hayward (Theme)
- Justin Hayward, Tony Visconti (Incidental Music)
- Joanna Willet (Script Editor)
- Evengny Gridneff (Producer)
Episode guide
Plot Summary
2027 - Crew members are dying on the Charles de Gaulle space station as a result of a series of spacesuit failures. Back on Earth, Chief Inspector Nathan Spring is forced to leave the investigation of the death of a man by drowning - he has been short-listed for the post of the International Space Police Force also known as the 'Star Cops'.
Guest Cast
Moray Watson (Commander), Keith Varnier (Controller), Gennie Nevinson (Lee Jones), Andrew Secombe (Brian Lincoln), Frederick DeGroot (Hans Diter), Luke Hanson (Lars Hendvorrsen), Katja Kersten (Marie Mueller)
Credits
Written by Chris Boucher, Designer Dick Coles, Directed by Christopher Baker
Broadcast Details
Conversations With The Dead
Plot Summary
The newly promoted Nathan Spring is devastated when his partner, Lee Jones, is brutally murdered and returns to Earth to assist investigating officer Colin Devis with the case. Meanwhile, a murder investigation is opened following a malfunction on a freighter despite the fact that the crew are still alive...
Guest Cast
Gennie Nevinson (Lee Jones), Sian Webber (Corman), Alan Downer (Paton), Sean Scanlon (Fox), Carmen Gomez (Gina), Bennie Young (John Smith), Deborah Manship (Traffic Controller), Richard Ireson (Mike), Rosie Kerslake (Lara)
Credits
Written by Chris Boucher, Designer Dick Coles, Directed by Christopher Baker
Broadcast Details
Intelligent Listening For Beginners
Plot SummarySpring fires two Star Cops on grounds of corruption. One of them, Australian Pal Kenzy, refuses to go quietly. Elsewhere a series of computer failures cause accidents at a chemical plant and on the Channel Tunnel.
Guest Cast
David John Pope (Michael Chandri), Trevor Butler (Leo), Thomas Coulthard (Ben), Tara Ward (Shuttle Hostess), Peter Quince (Shift Foreman), Peter Glancy (Process operator).
Credits
Written by Chris Boucher, Designer Dick Coles, Directed by Christopher Baker
Broadcast Details
Trivial Games and Paranoid Pursuits
Plot SummaryAn American microbiologist has gone missing on the American Space Station Ronald Reagan. Spring visits the station to investigate and to expand the reach of the ISPF. New moonbase commander Alexander Krikenov arrives and quickly conflicts with Colin Devis, but ends up participating in the larger mystery.
Guest Cast
Daniel Benzali (Commander Griffin), Marlena Mackey (Dilly Goodman), Robert Jezek (Pete Lennox), Russell Wootton (Marty), Angela Crow (Lauter), Morgan Deare (Harvey Goodman).
Credits
Written by Chris Boucher, Designer Malcolm Thornton, Directed by Graeme Harper
Broadcast Details
This Case to be Opened in a Million Years
Plot SummaryNathan Spring is framed for drug-trafficking while on a forced vacation from his duties.
Guest Cast
Vikki Chambers (Lina Margello), Michael Chesden (Carlo Santanini), Susan Curnow (Marla Condarini), Stewart Guidotti (Inspector Canova).
Credits
Written by Philip Martin, Designer Malcolm Thornton, Directed by Graeme Harper
Broadcast Details
In Warm Blood
Plot SummaryThe returning crew of the Pluto 5 are discovered dead, appearing almost freeze-dried. All with a connection to a large Japanese corporation and the suicide of a scientist close to the moonbase commander.
Guest Cast
Richard Rees (Richard Ho), Dawn Keeler (Christina Janssen).
Credits
Written by John Collee, Designer Malcolm Thornton, Directed by Graeme Harper
Broadcast Details
A Double Life
Plot SummaryMystery surrounds a world-famous pianist accused of kidnapping and ransoming embryos from Moonbase. Anna Shoun and Colin Devis investigate and ultimately conflict what turns out to be the clone of the accused pianist.
Guest Cast
Brian Gwaspari (James Bannerman/Albi), Nitza Saul (Chamsya Assadi).
Credits
Written by John Collee, Designer Dick Coles, Directed by Christopher Baker
Broadcast Details
Other People's Secrets
Plot SummaryEver increasing glitches and equipment failures around the moonbase lead eventually to a decompression emergency for the base. During the emergency Nathan Spring and Pal Kenzy are forced to spend time together, as does Colin Devis with his psychologist ex-wife.
Guest Cast
Geoffrey Bayldon (Ernest Wolffhart), Maggie Ollerenshaw (Dr. Angela Parr), Barrie Rutter (Hooper), Leigh Funnell (Beverley Anderson).
Credits
Written by John Collee, Designer Dick Coles, Directed by Christopher Baker
Broadcast Details
Little Green Men And Other Martians
Plot SummaryRumors swell of alien artifacts discovered on Mars. An attempt is made to kill Nathan Spring. Episode and series ends with the question "who's for Mars?"
Guest Cast
Roy Holder (Daniel Larwood), Lachelle Carl (Susan Caxton), Nigel Hughes (Andrew Philpott), Wendy Macadam (Operations manager).
Credits
Written by Chris Boucher, Designer Malcolm Thornton, Directed by Graeme Harper
Broadcast Details
Death on the Moon
Plot Summary This episode, which was cancelled before shooting started, would have focused on a swindling operation within a Swiss corporation.Releases
The complete series was released as three video cassettes in 1989 and again in 1994. A complete series DVD set was released in 2004 with extensive extras.Other Media
Two novelisations by Chris Boucher, 'An Instinct for Murder' and 'Little Green Men and Other Stories' were not released by a mainstream publisher but are available in fanzine format.References
- Martin, Andrew, (January, 1990), Star Cops Episode Guide, TV Zone, 14, pp 54-55
- Fulton, Roger (1997). The Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction (3rd ed.). Boxtree. ISBN 0-7522-1150-1
External links
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