The Andromeda Anthology (DVD SF TV series review).
Something else I never thought would fall into my hands at auction is this ‘The Andromeda Anthology’ DVD collection. The first is the original ‘A For Andromeda’ (1961) from the story by Fred Hoyle and John Elliott and one of the first filmed first alien encounters of sorts because it is an alien message which might be our only sort of encounter.
Alas, all that has survived is episode 6 and the finale from episode 7. The rest of it has been put together from many set photographs. It brings the episodes down to about 25 minutes each, so if you are going to watch them all in a row, be prepared for a long episode 6. There was some surprising cast members like Frank Windsor and Mary Morris. This is largely why I haven’t put a cast list because not all of them last into the second story.
A signal from space from the Andromeda direction in 1970 provides information to generate a super-computer in the UK that creates first an organism the humans call cyclops because of its one eye. Later, dark haired Christine Jones is controlled and accidentally electrocuted by the computer but resurrected as a platinum blonde who becomes the avatar of the computer and called Andromeda. It’s only in the last part of episode 7 we learn that John Fleming (actor Peter Halliday) calls her Andrea (actress Julie Christie). How much to give without going spoiler.
The super-computer provides advanced medical cures for burns and isn’t adverse to punishing when given the wrong information. Fleming sees the most dangers but can’t be taken off the program even when he gives it different programming.
The existing one and a part episodes are as good as anything I’ve seen from this time period. Of course, the computer is a massive 1960s version with tapes and keyboard but no monitor in the accepted when we would use it to see what we are typing in, typical of the time period, even of 1970 when it was supposed to be created. Back then, computers were only just about to shrink in size although it would take another decade until we started approaching the home computer. There are drawn sharper comparisons to the Andromeda myth than being from outer space where the threat really lies.
The audio commentary was awkward to get into. It’s supposed to be in three sections although director/co-producer Michael Haynes and actor Peter Halliday seem to think its only two. It’s quicker to flick it on and then jump to 1 hour 27 minutes for episode 6 and 2 hours 27 minutes for ‘The Finale’. Alas both of these gentlemen are gone now but the conversation was delightful. Haynes was laconic with gravitas and Halliday showing his age. Interesting points were Reinhart actor Esmond Knight being nearly blind from his WW2 activities as a gunner. The places filmed include Angle, Pembrookshire, Tembury and Ealing Studios. These are worth listening to as not only do they comment on the surviving episodes but modern day, ok, 2001, when they did this.
The principle extra is ‘Andromeda Memories’, running in at 37 minutes, covering both series. Recorded in 2006, alas most are all are gone now. It’s interesting to note that if it hasn’t been for film contracts, Julie Christie would have returned for the sequel, just a shame she isn’t interviewed here.
‘The Andromeda Breakthrough’ (1962) has Susan Hampshire taking over as Andromeda and succeeds in playing a really cold character. Flaming rescues Andromeda and tries to escape authority. When they are taken into custody, Intel stages a rescue to Arab state Asaran, where they find bio-chemist Madeleine Dawney (actress Mary Morris), who had also been picked up. Intel had built the computer from plans previously sneaked but until Andromeda got it functioning. Looking at the monitor now, you do have to wonder if she’s seeing electron flows. You do have to wonder how an alien message can carry enough information to create a computer, let alone its program.
The world is also falling apart. A detail left over from ‘A For Andromeda’ has a nitrogen absorbing microbe in the oceans causing weather chaos as they absorb the atmosphere. Looking at it with modern eyes, you do have to wonder how planes can fly in such extreme weather. Although its noted that air pressure is dropping and similar to high mountains, I did wonder at that. Reduced nitrogen means more oxygen in the air and you would think that every time someone lights a cigarette it should literally burst into flames. Well, if they had our kind of special effects back then. A higher level of oxygen would certainly not have people gasping for air and would probably be balanced out by pressure differences depending on how gradual it was done. A demonstration that we know a lot more about science now than we did back then.
I should point out that the scenes of world catastrophe pooled from various news clips and such must have looked horrifying to the 1962 viewers and truly like the world is on its last legs, making it look truly terrifying to the final episode and the aftermath and pondering as to what to do next.
What is also startling for the period is seeing a woman, Mlle. Gamboule (actress Claude Farell) taking charge of Intel Corporation and who’s say could ultimately end the world because of greed. Much of this is spoiler but also a demonstration of people changing allegiances when they see they’ve been backing the wrong people.
Considering how much ‘The Andromeda Anthology’ sells for on the secondary market, its more of a puzzle why the BBC haven’t re-released it, even as a blu-ray, or let the BFI loose on it. From a different perspective, ‘The Andromeda Breakthrough’ would be certainly a rival to the ‘Quatermass’ material. The actors are compelling to watch and John Hollis as the German Kaufman truly sinister. It’s hard to believe he only had a non-speaking part in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’. Susan Hampshire as Andromeda plays her coolly unemotional compared to how you might have seen her in other shows and films which is fitting for the part. With so little of ‘A For Andromeda’ left, we don’t really see much of Julie Christie in the part. Peter Halliday and Mary Morris are convincing scientists, even if we don’t really see much of her laboratory.
Is it worth getting? The length of this review would say yes but at a lower price. It is part of British SF history and pre-dates that Time Lord chap. It should certainly be on your list to see of TV SF material and I’m glad that not only did I see it but thought it worthwhile.
GF Willmetts
March 2022
(pub: BBC, 2006. 3 DVDs 267 minutes black and white 7 abbreviated episodes for ‘A For Andromeda’, 7 complete episodes of ‘The Andromeda Breakthrough’ and extras. Price: can be expensive, I pulled mine for around the £40.00 (UK) mark but it rarely appears cheaper. ASIN: 5014503191429)
