 |
The New Planet
Synopsis:
Returning from a patrol of Pluto, Galasphere 347 develops a fault and heads out into deep space. A near collision with a comet brings the crew out of deep freeze and they find themselves close to an undiscovered tenth planet. Finding the planet is not frozen and habitable to them, Dart decides to investigate but they are captured by a giant who curiously speaks English...
Cast
|
|
Captain Larry Dart
Husky
Slim
Colonel Raeburn
Marla
Professor Haggarty
Professor Zeffer
Zeffer’s assistant
Giant
|
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
......
|
Dick Vosburgh
Ronnie Stevens
Ronnie Stevens
Murray Kash
Libby Morris
Ronnie Stevens
Dick Vosburgh
Ronnie Stevens
Murray Kash
|
And The Moral Is:
• The Bigger They Are...
Today I Will Be Mostly Learning... :
• Radiation can make things bigger.
• Planets far from the Sun could be habitable owing to geothermal heat - another forward thinking concept now seriously considered regarding the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
Huskyisms:
• “A splendiferous idea!”
Slimantics:
• “The Giant has ceased his perambulation.”
Raeburnt:
• When told of the giant “Well get his autograph, and then stop fooling about and come home.”
A Venusian Has...:
• To cross her wrists for luck.
“Don’t Call Me Pop!”:
• “Our soldiers against an army of giants? Ah, jabbers... Come come, Colonel, we’d be like flies trying to fight elephants.”
Is This A Joke ?:
• Raeburn doesn’t believe Dart about a tenth planet, and Husky just laughs when told of the giant.
Riding Along In My Monobile... ‘:
• Raeburn visits Haggarty
‘I’m An Alien!‘:
• The aliens are humanoid but would appear to be several times the size of humans. They do not seem very advanced though their homes are quite luxurious. Haggarty theorises that their size is caused by cosmic ray bombardment. There are skins of spotted quadrapeds in the giant’s lair.
Continuity:
• Galasphere 347 is, curiously and in contradiction to previous episodes, doing a routine patrol of Pluto prior to returning to Earth.
• Pluto is 176 days journey from Earth.
• Galasphere 347 carries supplies for one month.
2100 ?:
• Hans Anderson is still known for his fantasy writing.
Harmony For Strings:
• The giant’s pursuit of the flying Galasphere is highly commendable.
Take A Break:
• Rocked about in the Galasphere by the Giant, Dart reassures his crew "It's just the Giant's way of walking." With the ship slung over his shoulder the Giant laughs and continues on.
"...If I weren't a sensible, logical Space Patrolman,
I'd say we were on a planet of giants.."
Larry Dart
Astro Viewer Working:
• In some shots, Dart and Slim are seen to have white shoes. This was to aid in the scenes where they are superimposed - had the shoes been black they would have not been seen.
Hoorah!:
• The scenes where the giant picks up the Galasphere are nicely done, as are the ones where the Galasphere flies around the room in an attempt to escape.
• The line “Set Course For The Door!” is a Space Patrol classic!
• There is also some nice usage of a miniature Dart figure, seen standing at various points in the giant’s lair to give it a sense of scale.
• The concept of a cold outer planet made habitable by geological heat is also very notable.
Boo!:
• After the collision between Galasphere 347 and the comet, the voice of Zeffer’s assistant seems to change.
• The alien planet has Earth vegetation such as strawberries (though it is possible they were planted by the lost Galasphere crew).
• Dart seems to use very Earth type scissors to make the hole in what must have been very thin wood.
• The planet is refered to as being ‘seven thousand million miles’ (about twice the distance of Pluto) from the Sun, which would supposedly have taken months to reach and get back from.
• The giant is more reminiscent of one out of ‘Jack And The Beanstalk’ than something out of science fiction. We half expected him to go ‘Fe Fi Fo Fum... “
Computer Central:
• First screened: November 25th 1963 (Tyne Tees)
• Running time: 24 minutes 14 seconds
• BFCC Classified - 22nd September 1998
• VHS - Volume 5
• DVD - Complete Series Box Set, Disk 3
Listings
• London, December 19th 1963:
When Galasphere 347 goes off course into Deep Space all hope is given up for the safety of its crew. Dart and Husky cannot be aroused from their coma, but when a comet crashes into them they awake in time to find they are approaching a strange and undiscovered planet - a planet full of excitement and danger.
Ready To Lift ?:
A bizarre and somewhat surreal episode that, while not outstanding, is a personal favourite of ours. While the giant is a cliche, the ideas behind the tenth planet are nice and the production is very well realised.
 
|
