# Any idea of the name of this British SciFi drama?



## crowcrow (Jan 20, 2012)

Hi all,

Been trying to find out the name of this SciFi drama for about 4 years now - ever since I saw it on TV pretty much.

I think it was shown as part of BBC4 SciFi season in 2006 - but can't find the details of it.

What I know about it:
British
Black and White
Likely 70s - but could be 60s
Quite dark
Made for TV I think, not a feature film

The story-line was this:
A group of people are living aboard a spaceship on a multi century mission - the oldest on board remember earth (I think) but the youngest grew up on board. 
One day a teenager studying maths on board comes to the conclusion that they aren't moving as fast as they should be, and in fact he maths shows they might as well be staying still.
He confronts his tutor about this who figures the maths must be wrong.
Slowly you realise that the captain knows that they are actually still on earth and is talking to people on the outside.
The story then continues with the struggle of whether to tell the others and ruin the experiment, or whether to go out and enjoy earth. (I think that was the ending, but it was on late, I was tired and I may have fallen asleep before the end!)

Anyway, I really enjoyed it, and would love to watch it over again or find out more about it. This ring any bells for anyone, or was it all a dream!

Thanks


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## AnyaKimlin (Jan 20, 2012)

I've no idea what it was about but the Quatermass Experiement was huge in the 1950s - I remember hearing people talk about it.  I remember the BBC reconstructing some of the episodes a few years back.


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## crowcrow (Jan 20, 2012)

Thanks AnyaKimlin - If I am remembering correctly this was shown around the same time as the Quatermass remake.

Sadly none of the Quatermass storylines match the one I am thinking of.

This sprang back into my head recently with the ending of the 'Mission to mars' experiment, where those people spent 2 years living a simulated mission to see how they'd get on - obviously they knew they were still on earth though!

Hopefully someone will know the programme I am thinking of - or it's going to drive me insane!


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## TheTomG (Jan 21, 2012)

This one is not the Quatermass Experiment. Not sure what it is, which is odd, as I devoured a lot of SF growing up so I would have expected to run into it. I look forward to finding out what this was!


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## crowcrow (Jan 21, 2012)

Cheers - really hoping I can figure this out. I feel it might have been refered to in a documentary before it came on, and was shown pretty late. I've actually got to the stage of scouring old TV listings to try and find it!

I'm trying to think of more details about the show - it could well have just been one episode of a British 'Twilight Zone' type series, (as suggested on another forum) but it felt like it wasn't part of a series - more like a one off.

Ah well, I'll keep on searching and thinking - if any one has any suggestions of other sci fi forums where people discuss British Sci Fi TV, let me know.


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## AnyaKimlin (Jan 21, 2012)

If it helps I seem to remember watching it as well, but as a child which makes me wonder - I'll keep searching lol  so far nothing has felt like it.   I have a very clear image of the scene you described with the boy.


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## Foxbat (Jan 21, 2012)

There was a British 1960s SF anthology series called *Out Of This World*. I wonder if it might be an episode from this?


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## crowcrow (Jan 21, 2012)

Thanks I'll look into that now! Fingers crossed, and glad to hear someone else has heard of this, or seen it!


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## Foxbat (Jan 22, 2012)

Found this:    http://www.britishtelevisiondrama.org.uk/?p=213

Unfortunately, none of the episode synopsis seems to fit your description.


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## crowcrow (Jan 22, 2012)

Cheers for that, I started searching on my mobile and one title looked promising, but as above - sadly it's not the show I am looking for!

As I am now pretty certain (I think) that it was shown as part of Science Fiction Britannica, so from Monday 13th of November 2006 to 5th January 2007. Been finding it hard to find full TV listings for that period and sadly the BBC has closed it's public facing beta test of its listings archive, so I might have to see if I can either find a BBC friend to help me do a search (guessing the data must be there internally) or pop to the library and use newspapers to do the search - at least BBC4 isn't on 24 hours a day, so makes it a bit easier!

The up points are that I have found some other great bits to watch: Random Quest, Doomwatch and trying to find copies of some of the older shows shown that season.


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## crowcrow (Jan 24, 2012)

Hiya, finally found it from much online reading and searching - go there in the end.

The drama was: Thirteen to Centaurus

Plenty of great links online about it, but as I'm new I'm not allowed to post URLs, but I'm sure you will find them if you are interested.


Now I just need to find a copy so I can see if it was a great as I remember it! There is a full version on YouTube - quality seems pretty decent too. Right, I'll be booking in a movie night with this and 'Primer' very soon, two films that should mess with my friends and I's minds!

Thanks again for all your help, and I hope my description above doesn't spoil it for anyone (in fact might edit it now) well worth watching this!.


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## AnyaKimlin (Jan 24, 2012)

It is the one I remember it must have been repeated in the 80s.


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## Ursa major (Jan 24, 2012)

Here's a web page concerning the short story: http://www.ballardian.com/thirteen-to-centaurus.


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## Foxbat (Jan 24, 2012)

I've never come across this one. Must have a peek at it.

Aaah! I see it is part of the *Out Of The Unknown* series and not Out Of This World...so close...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klpbCnD830A


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## crowcrow (Jan 24, 2012)

So close indeed - from your link I had actually gone on to read a description of Thirteen to Centaurs, but it seemed so different to the show I was looking for - I guess they didn't want to give the main twist away.


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