'3-2-1 : Space' (1979)

'3-2-1 : Space' (1979)

As we said in last night's video, this isn't the Space-themed episode that features Roy Kinnear, but the earlier one directed by Paddy Russell starring Pat Coombs and Tim Barrett. Who, admittedly, are not people you'd automatically associated with Space Things, unless the production team are aiming for a 'Come Back Mrs Noah' vibe...

What a difference a year makes - the Gentle Secs have lost their glasses and are now simply known as The '3-2-1' Girls and someone's bought an early Quantel system as the picture splits into four after the opening titles.

The set for the opening quiz is very silver indeed and we only have to endure two rounds of uncomfortable silence as people try to think of the names of Famous Tennis Players or Top Oil-Producing Countries.

Mike Newman is trying out a pastel look and doing the work of three as the Disrepertory Company have been disbanded, thus saving a few quid and freeing up some studio space.

The elimination round is still a bit of shambles, admittedly, involving wearing cut-price space helmets and chucking bean-bags at cardboard cut-out Martians. Ted nearly gets a bean-bag in the face at one point, which livens things up.

The sketches are of the usual variable quality with Pat Coombs and Felix Bowness trying to book a Space Holiday (Terry Nation Rule Nymber One: everything sounds better with the word 'Space' in front of it) from Chris Emmett who has a drawn-on third eye in the middle of his forehead. Watch out here for the use of 'Star Trek' Dinky Toys....

McDonald Hobley turns up in a golden jumpsuit with a tiny camera on his shoulder to interview Mike Newman who is attempting to launch a British rocket to the moon. It's quicker to get back than it is to go there, of course, as it's downhill all the way...

There's the obligatory 'Star Trek' sketch, with Tim Barrett wearing some dreadful oversized pointy ears and some Vulcans whose costumes appear to be loosely based on those of the Federation Guards from 'Blake's 7', if they had to do it even more on the cheap, with hanging baskets on their heads.

Cheekily, there is some footage from 'Star Wars' at the start of a sketch about the effects of Time Dilation. For once, I'm mildly impressed with someone on the scripting front clearly knowing a thing or two about Relativity. And this is even before Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' illustrated the effect!

It does suffer from the attitude of 'If You Spray It Silver It'll Look Futuristic' that was common at the time, but there's something about these early '3-2-1' that make us keep returning to them.

It'll never be to everyone's taste, but I applaud people who are prepared to make supremely daft stuff like this. Sometimes you need daft stuff, and '3-2-1 : Space' provides it in droves!

(By Andrew Trowbridge)