Features On Space Patrol - Part Three

While magazine features on Space Patrol were something of a rarity, books on telefantasy and science-fiction managed to at least give the show a mention even if they were just getting basic documentary information from a film or television archive. If you know of any we have missed, please do contact us.


Goodnight Children ...Everywhere
Writer: Ian Hartley
Midas Books (UK) / Hippocrene Books (USA) 1983
Page 116
This nicely illustrated book gives a nice overview of children's radio and television since its inception, with a brief outline of Space Patrol along with the other Gerry Anderson and puppet series in chapter 11 'When Somebody Else Pulls The Strings... ' . While calling Arthur Provis 'Povis' and 'Purvis' (oops!), this article led to the discovery of the TV Times adaptation of The Evil Eye Of Venus and in that alone was invaluable...


The ITV Encyclopedia Of Adventure
Writer: Dave Rogers
TVTimes/Boxtree 1988
Page 501-505
The first of the TVTimes/Boxtree encyclopedias is a brave effort but Space Patrol suffers from skimpy paraphrased research, seemingly cribbed from the Time Screen feature and episode guide (the screening order is the ABC Midlands region) published the year before. It gives the running time as fifteen minutes per episode and simply credits Libby Morris as 'Female Voices'. Tsk tsk...


The Encyclopedia Of TV Science Fiction
Writer: Roger Fulton
TVTimes/Boxtree 1990
Page 374-378
This outstanding publication, a marvel of research and cataloging, has been updated three times since its first edition. The four pages on the series give the Associated-Rediffusion London region screening order (yay, Roger!) and a concise overview of the format. The feature itself was pretty spot on but regretably still features a synopsis of 'Time Watch' for Time Stands Still (a popular mistake of the time) and omits Ysanne Churchman from the voice credits - something apparently not known until the episodes were rediscovered. The first two editions featured a publicity shot of Larry Dart, Husky, Slim and Gabbler in the Galasphere control room in the photo section, while the most recent update has a rare shot from The Evil Eye Of Venus showing Dart and Husky with the ultrasonic projector.


The Golden Age Of Children's Television
Writer: Geoff Tibballs
Titan Books 1991
Page 35
In the section on puppets, a single paragraph outlining the format of the series.


Cult TV
Writers: Jon E. Lewis, Penny Stempel
Pavilion 1993
Page 170
In the section on children's television, Space Patrol gets a brief mention with Roberta Leigh's other shows under the main entry for Torchy the Battery Boy.


The Guinness Book Of Classic British Television
Writers: Paul Cornell, Martin Day & Keith Topping
Guinness Publishing 1993
Page 327
Messrs Cornell, Day & Topping and carved a considerable niche in their analyses of various individual television series (Doctor Who, The Avengers, Buffy etc.), of which our own style of episode guide here at Space Patrol - The Website was more than a tribute. They kind of started the ball rolling with this informative and near reverent tribute to the best in British Television, with series neatly catagorised by genre. Space Patrol gets a brief mention under ITV Telefantasy.


The Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction
Writers: John Clute and Peter Nicholls
St.Martin's Griffin 1995
Page 1140
This hefty and serious tome gives the production details for the series and brief overview of the format, alongside its US namesake.


British Television: An Illustrated Guide
Writer: Tise Vahimagi
Oxford University Press 1994. Second edition 1996.
Page 119
This informative book by experienced television journalist Tise Vahimagi gives overviews of keynote series year by year. Space Patrol is listed under 1963 with a brief outline of the format and main characters, and includes a small picture of Larry Dart and Gabbler in the control room of Galasphere 347.


The Ultimate TV Guide (aka TV Heaven)
Writers: Jon E. Lewis, Penny Stempel
Orion 1999
Page 318
Space Patrol gets elevated to a general cult entry in this latest tome from the Lewis/Stempel franchise on all things televised, filed under 'inexplicably neglected' (and so say all of us!).