{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/5fd77337c08ac45a2c50d003/6a877618037681afc7ea1155?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"73: Alternative 3 (1977) – Anglia TV – Dir. Christopher Miles – Tim Brinton, Shane Rimmer & Richard Marner","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/5fd77337c08ac45a2c50d003/1787261789767-fb86f223-6e36-47d0-b275-f9dde7d1e371.jpeg?height=200","description":"<h1>Alternative 3 (1977) – Conspiracies, Secret Mars Bases, Brian Eno and 1970s TV Hoaxes</h1><p><br></p><p>Our #SummerOfStrange continues. We step away from Hammer, Amicus, vampires, and classic screen monsters to explore British television’s most infamous media hoax: <em>Alternative 3</em>. Produced for Anglia Television’s <em>Science Report</em> and written by David Ambrose, this 1977 mockumentary sparked widespread paranoia regarding climate emergencies, the UK \"brain drain\", secret space programmes, and covert Mars bases.</p><p>We unpack the production history, cultural legacy, and fringe theories stemming from the broadcast – from its delayed April Fools’ Day airing to its impact on UFO literature, sci-fi audio dramas, and cult cinema.</p><p><br></p><h3>Key Links &amp; Upcoming Live Event</h3><ul><li><strong>Live Screening &amp; Podcast Event:</strong> Join us on Friday 30th October at 7:30pm at ActOne Cinema in Acton for Hammer’s <em>Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde</em> plus a live podcast recording – <a href=\"https://tinyurl.com/DRJeky11\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Book tickets here</a></li><li><strong>Watch Alternative 3 on YouTube:</strong> <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNR0Q97TtRU\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Stream the full television broadcast</a></li><li><strong>Read the 1978 Novelisation:</strong> <a href=\"https://archive.org/details/alternative300lesl\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Alternative 3 by Leslie Watkins on Archive.org</a></li></ul><h3><br></h3><h3>Key Discussion Points</h3><ul><li><strong>The Plot &amp; The Hoax:</strong> How a fake documentary detailing climate catastrophe and moon-colonisation duped viewers across the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.</li><li><strong>The Aftermath &amp; Pop Culture Legacy:</strong> Leslie Watkins’ 1978 tie-in book <em>Alternative 003</em>, Jim Keith’s conspiracy text <em>Casebook on Alternative 3</em>, Richard Linklater’s <em>Slacker</em>, and parallels to the <em>Dimension X</em> radio story \"The Man in the Moon\".</li><li><strong>Brian Eno’s Electronic Score:</strong> Ambient music tracks featured on <em>Music for Films</em>, Eno’s work with Roxy Music, high-profile production credits for David Bowie, Talking Heads, and U2, and creating the Windows 95 startup sound on a Mac. Plus, secondary score releases from Add N to (X), Stereolab, and Hairy Butter.</li><li><strong>Writer David Ambrose &amp; Director Christopher Miles:</strong> Screenwriting credits behind <em>D.A.R.Y.L.</em>, <em>The Final Countdown</em>, <em>Taffin</em>, <em>The Survivor</em>, and Oscar-nominated short <em>The Six Sided Triangle</em>.</li></ul><h3><br></h3><h3>Cast &amp; Trivia Deep Dives</h3><ul><li><strong>Tim Brinton (Presenter):</strong> ITN and BBC newsreader and Conservative MP featured in <em>Carry On Emmannuelle</em>, <em>Dixon of Dock Green</em>, and <em>The Avengers</em>.</li><li><strong>Shane Rimmer (Bob Grodin):</strong> Voice of Scott Tracy in <em>Thunderbirds</em>, actor in <em>Dr. Strangelove</em>, <em>Star Wars: A New Hope</em>, <em>Rollerball</em>, <em>Space: 1999</em>, <em>Superman I–III</em>, <em>Batman Begins</em>, and James Bond films <em>You Only Live Twice</em>, <em>Diamonds Are Forever</em>, and <em>The Spy Who Loved Me</em>.</li><li><strong>Richard Marner (Dr Carl Gerstein):</strong> Colonel Von Strohm in <em>'Allo 'Allo!</em>, with roles in <em>Count Dracula</em>, <em>The African Queen</em>, <em>The Dirty Dozen</em>, <em>The Spy Who Came in from the Cold</em>, <em>The Boys from Brazil</em>, <em>Children of the Damned</em>, and <em>The Sum of All Fears</em>.</li><li><strong>David Baxt (Harry):</strong> Played Thomas Wayne in Tim Burton's <em>Batman</em>, with appearances in <em>Inseminoid</em>, <em>The Shining</em>, and <em>The Tomorrow People</em>.</li><li><strong>Gregory Munroe (Colin Benson):</strong> Appeared in <em>Mixed Blessings</em>, <em>Ace of Wands</em>, and as Fariah in <em>Doctor Who: The Enemy of the World</em>.</li><li><strong>Ivor Roberts (George Pendlebury):</strong> Featured in <em>Penda's Fen</em>, <em>Oh, Doctor Beeching!</em>, <em>You Rang, M'Lord?</em>, and <em>Boon</em>.</li></ul><h3><br></h3><h3>Listen &amp; Follow</h3><p>Catch up on our previous #SummerOfStrange episodes covering <em>Penda's Fen</em> and 1970s parapsychology mania on your podcast app of choice.</p>","author_name":"Ross, Jon & James | Exploring Cult British Horror Films, TV & Books"}