JUPITER MOON
SFX|April 2020
BRITAIN’S FIRST SCI-FI SOAP WENT INTO ORBIT 30 YEARS AGO AS THE CENTREPIECE OF ILL-FATED SATELLITE NETWORK BSB. SFX LOOKS BACK AT WHAT WAS DUBBED “CROSSROADS IN SPACE”
ALISTAIR MCGOWN
JUPITER MOON

:BEFORE STREAMING OR THE internet, a satellite fired into orbit looked set to create a new dawn of space-age television. British Satellite Broadcasting planned to more than double Britain’s mere four TV channels with its subscription service of movies, sport and entertainment. At the heart of BSB’s new Galaxy channel was a thrice-weekly soap opera set aboard an orbiting space station.

Jupiter Moon was created by William Smethurst, former producer of ITV’s Crossroads. After the axe fell on the infamous Midlands motel soap in 1988, Smethurst responded quickly when that same year BSB canvassed production companies for new soap concepts. Alongside domestic effort Bartholomew Square, Smethurst added, as an afterthought, the sketchy outline of sci-fisoap Voyage Of The Ilea.

Jupiter Moon was essentially sold to BSB’s director of programmes John Gau on one sentence: “The loves, passions, and courage of the students and crew of a space polytechnic as it ventures through the universe in search of scientific discoveries.”

Smethurst boasted his collegiate space soap would provide a realistic view of the future: “There are no little green monsters at all. We’ve taken a group of people – young people as they are today with their domestic troubles, love affairs and so on – and put them in a hostile and challenging environment [60 years in the future]. It should make for some very gripping television drama.”

Pre-production began in February 1989, with Smethurst’s production company Primetime-Andromeda utilising Central TV’s former Crossroads studios in Birmingham, with a £6 million budget for a first year’s run of 150 episodes.

Denne historien er fra April 2020-utgaven av SFX.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra April 2020-utgaven av SFX.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA SFXSe alt
ANCER MAHAGEMENT
SFX UK

ANCER MAHAGEMENT

WITH A NEW TRILOGY IN SIGHT, WE SPEAK TO THE DIRECTOR OF 28 WEEKS LATER THE ORIGINAL CHILLING SEQUEL TO DANNY BOYLE'S SEMINAL SURVIVAL HORROR

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
WHO YA CONNA CALL?
SFX UK

WHO YA CONNA CALL?

BEHIND THE SCENES AT HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS FOR GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
SPEAK OF THE DEVIL
SFX UK

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL

THE DEVIL'S HOUR STRIKES TWICE AS THE GENREDEFYING DRAMA RETURNS

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
SCARRY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK
SFX UK

SCARRY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK

FROM THE RETURN OF EC COMICS TO SCREAM!, THIS YEAR'S HALLOWEEN OFFERS UP HORROR COMICS FOR ALL THE AGES

time-read
9 mins  |
November 2024
UNDEADS REFLECTIONS
SFX UK

UNDEADS REFLECTIONS

NEIL JORDAN ON BRINGING ANNE RICE'S MODERN VAMPIRE CLASSIC TO SCREEN, 30 YEARS ON

time-read
6 mins  |
November 2024
MUNSTER MASH!
SFX UK

MUNSTER MASH!

PRODUCTION HELL, SHOCK RECASTING AND HOTLY CONTESTED AUTHORSHIP. AS THE MUNSTERS CELEBRATE THEIR 60TH ANNIVERSARY, WE UNCOVER HOW THE SPOOKY SITCOM WAS ALMOST DEAD ON ARRIVAL

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2024
COMING TO AMERICA
SFX UK

COMING TO AMERICA

THE MOGWAI LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM IN THEIR SECOND CHAPTER, GREMLINS: THE WILD BATCH

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
BEING HUMAN EVOLUTION
SFX UK

BEING HUMAN EVOLUTION

IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN INSTANT HIT, BUT BBC THREE'S DARKLY COMIC DRAMA ABOUT A HOUSE-SHARING VAMPIRE/WEREWOLF/GHOST TRIO HAD A STRANGE JOURNEY TO THE SCREEN, SERIES CREATOR TOBY WHITHOUSE TELLS SFX

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2024
THE MAINE EVENT
SFX UK

THE MAINE EVENT

THE DARK IS RISING IN SALEM'S LOT AS STEPHEN KING'S DEATHLESS TALE RETURNS TO THE SCREEN

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2024
WHY DON'T YOU STAY FOR A BITE?
SFX UK

WHY DON'T YOU STAY FOR A BITE?

THE VAMPIRE COMES HOME AS DIRECTOR EUROS LYN WELCOMES SFX TO HIS NEW DARK COMEDY THE RADLEYS

time-read
9 mins  |
November 2024