Counterstrike

Counterstrike

1969 - United Kingdom

Originally planned in 1966 but shelved by the BBC for three years, Counterstrike was a short-lived science fiction series centred round alien invasion and an alien 'agent', Simon King, sent to Earth by an intergalactic council (the celestial equivalent of the UN), posing as a journalist in order to unmask the Centuarans, refugees from a dying planet, who wanted to take over the world. 

The series was similar in theme to the US series The Invaders and this was the reason why the BBC held it back. The Corporation had even gone so far as to have commissioned effects and title music (by Delia Derbyshire) and assigned a producer, Antony Kearey, before calling a halt on production. 

When the project was dusted off the shelf in 1969 new effects and music were created by Brian Hodgson and Keith Beckett produced. Jon Finch starred as King who quickly goes about unmasking the villains of the series and he was aided by his doctor friend, Mary (Sarah Brackett). Having made the series the BBC then seemed to lose faith in it, inexplicably showing only nine of the ten episodes. 

Episode six was pulled at the eleventh hour to be replaced by a documentary on the notorious London gangland twins, The Krays, who had been refused leave to appeal against their prison sentences on that same day. However, it was never rescheduled and the series tapes were subsequently wiped. The first four episodes exist today on 16mm Black & White Film. An un-transmitted pilot episode was also made but it is unclear if this was from 1966 or 1969. It too is no longer held in the archives. 

Published on December 5th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

Dune mini-series 2000

Set in the distant future amidst a feudal interstellar society, on a planet with an inhospitable and sparsely populated desert wasteland, which is the only source of a drug that extends life and enhances mental abilities.

Also tagged Science Fiction

Two Thousand Minus Sixty

Commercial Television's first Science Fiction production: The world stands on the brink as a runaway freighter rocket, containing high explosives, is due to detonate over London at midnight on New Year's Eve 1999...

Also tagged Science Fiction

Out of This World

British TV's first attempt at a science fiction anthology series.

Also tagged Scifi

The Flipside of Dominick Hide

Dominic Hide, a time-travelling observer from the year 2130 has an agenda. Going back back 150 years in search of his great-great-grandfather is illegal. And things become further complicated when he falls in love.

Also tagged Science Fiction

Heroes TV series

Popular cult sci-fi about a number of individuals with superhuman abilities

Also tagged Scifi

Barry Cryer - Jokers Wild

Two panels of comedians compete against each other to tell the funniest joke.

Also released in 1969