Journey into Space
Journey Into Space is a BBC Radio science fiction programme written by BBC producer Charles Chilton. It was the last UK radio programme to attract a bigger evening audience than television. Originally, four series were produced, which was translated into 17 languages and broadcast in countries worldwide. Chilton later wrote three best-selling novels and several comic strip stories based upon the radio series.
The first series was created in 1953, soon after Riders of the Range ended its six series on the BBC Light Programme. Michael Standing, then Head of the BBC Variety Department, asked Chilton if he could write a sci-fi programme, and Journey to the Moon was the result. Each half-hour episode would usually end with a dramatic cliffhanger, to increase the audience's incentive to tune into the next episode.
The original magnetic recordings of the show were erased shortly after broadcast, and for several decades it was believed that no recordings of the show had survived. In 1986, a set of misfiled Transcription Service discs was discovered, containing complete copies of the three original series. This [|discovery] enabled the BBC to begin re-broadcasting the show in the late 1980s, and release copies of the show, first on audio cassette, and more recently on CD and internet download.
Fans of Journey Into Space include Colin Pillinger, Kenny Everett, John Major, Stephen Hawking, Miriam Margolyes and former Doctor Who producer Philip Hinchcliffe.
The [|main characters]
The four main characters appear in all the original series, as well as the later special episodes:| Captain Andrew "Jet" Morgan | Doctor Daniel "Doc" Matthews | Stephen "Mitch" Mitchell | Lemuel "Lemmy" Barnet | |
| Journey to the Moon | Andrew Faulds | Guy Kingsley Poynter | Bruce Beeby | David Kossoff |
| Journey to the Moon | Andrew Faulds | Guy Kingsley Poynter | Don Sharp | David Kossoff |
| The Red Planet | Andrew Faulds | Guy Kingsley Poynter | Bruce Beeby | David Kossoff |
| The World in Peril | Andrew Faulds | Guy Kingsley Poynter | Don Sharp | Alfie Bass |
| Operation Luna | Andrew Faulds | Guy Kingsley Poynter | David Williams | Alfie Bass |
| The Return from Mars | John Pullen | Ed Bishop | Nigel Graham | Anthony Hall |
| Frozen in Time | David Jacobs | Alan Marriott | Michael Beckley | Chris Moran |
| The Host | Toby Stephens | Alan Marriott | Jot Davies | Chris Pavlo |
Guy Kingsley Poynter had worked with Charles Chilton before Journey Into Space, and Chilton once commented that Poynter "was a very good poetry reader". Chilton also observed that Bruce Beeby was like his character Mitch, and was "always blowing his top".
David Kossoff asked Chilton if his character could be called Lemuel, and Chilton shortened the name to Lemmy. Chilton based Lemmy's character on himself, since he had been a radio operator in the RAF. Originally, Chilton had chosen John Glen to play Jet, but later decided to use Andrew Faulds instead, because Chilton's secretary fancied him.
David Jacobs's ability to play a wide variety of characters, each with his own distinctive voice, resulted in him playing 22 different characters during the course of Journey Into Space. He used to mark up his script using different colour pencils, to help him remember what each character was supposed to sound like. In episode 1 of The Red Planet, Jet is interviewed by a group of newspaper reporters, all of whom were played by Jacobs.
Light-hearted pranks were often played on David Jacobs just before a recording session was about to begin. On one occasion, Andrew Faulds poured a jug of water inside his trousers, totally soaking him, and he "did the rest of the programme in a raincoat!" On another occasion, some of the actors smeared mustard on his lip microphone, causing him some difficulties during the recording session.
Don Sharp later became a noted director.
Original three series
''Journey to the Moon''/''Operation Luna''
Initially, the first series was simply known as Journey Into Space, with the subtitle A Tale of the Future added by the Radio Times, but within the BBC it became known as Journey to the Moon. The series was set in 1965, and was first broadcast in 1953–1954 on the BBC Light Programme. The series was originally intended to have 12 episodes, and 5.1 million people tuned into the first episode, but the first four episodes did not prove very popular, and the audience soon shrank to fewer than 4 million. But once the rocket set off for the Moon in episode 5, the audience reaction was much more favourable. The series was extended to 18 episodes, and by the time the final episode was broadcast, 8 million people were tuning in.In 1958, Journey to the Moon was re-recorded for the BBC Transcription Services, because the original recordings had been erased. The first four episodes of the original series were omitted, and episodes 12 and 13 were merged into a single episode. Today, the only surviving recording from the original 1953 series Journey to the Moon is a 5-minute excerpt from the final episode.
Faulds, Kingsley Poynter, and Deryck Guyler were the only actors from Journey to the Moon to reprise their roles in Operation Luna.
In addition to the main characters, other characters in Journey to the Moon included:
| Actor | Character |
| Wilfred Walter | Sir William Morgan |
| Robert Perceval | Mackenzie |
| Deryck Guyler | The Time-Traveller |
| David Jacobs | Miscellaneous characters |
| John Cazabon | Earth Control |
| Alan Keith | London correspondent |
| Duncan McIntyre | Jet's great uncle, Hector |
| Mark Baker | |
| Errol McKinnon | |
| Jessica Dunning | |
| Wyndham Milligan |
Alan Keith was the brother of David Kossoff, who played Lemmy.
Chilton wrote episode 8 of Journey to the Moon in response to a challenge from a TV producer, who considered the success of the series to be "a fluke". The producer challenged Chilton to write an episode "that could not be played equally well on television", and Chilton succeeded – a large proportion of the episode takes place in total darkness. During the episode, Jet reads to the rest of the crew by torchlight from The First Men in the Moon by H. G. Wells, the only work of fiction carried on board the ship.
Andrew Faulds's adopted uncle, Hector MacPherson, was an astronomer, and wrote a book called Practical Astronomy. Chilton bought a copy of the book, which first sparked his interest in astronomy, and later led him to write Journey Into Space. In episode 7 of Journey to the Moon, Jet's childhood flashback features his great uncle Hector, who was based on Hector MacPherson.
In November 1957, Chilton wrote an episode of the BBC School Radio science series Our Own and Other Worlds, titled "A Trip to the Moon", which featured edited material from episodes 5 and 6 of Journey to the Moon.
The table below indicates the correspondence between the episodes of Journey to the Moon and Operation Luna.
''The Red Planet''
The second series, The Red Planet, followed the adventures of the crew in their first attempt to reach and explore Mars. Several new characters were introduced, the most notable of which were Frank Rogers and James Edward Whitaker, the two original crewmen of freighter #2. Chilton took the name Whitaker from a copy of Whitaker's Almanack which was sitting on his desk.In addition to the main characters, other characters in The Red Planet included:
| Actor | Character |
| David Jacobs | Frank Rogers and miscellaneous characters |
| Anthony Marriott | James Edward Whitaker |
| Miriam Karlin | Mrs Barnet |
| John Cazabon | Australian control voice, dingo hunter, flying doctor, John Bodie, Bill Webster |
| Madi Hedd | Martha Bodie |
| Don Sharp | Sam |
Married to Bruce Beeby, who played Mitch.
The most memorable catchphrase from this series was "Orders must be obeyed without question at all times", which was often repeated by many of the 'conditioned' characters, especially Whitaker. Episode 19 of the series rated a 17% audience share, whereas the newsreel broadcast simultaneously on BBC TV had an audience share of 16%. This was the last time that a radio show achieved a higher rating than its TV opponent.
During the first broadcast of this series, the Radio Times featured Journey Into Space on its cover, showing Andrew Faulds as Captain "Jet" Morgan. His spacesuit was a prototype being developed in Britain at the time.
During the recording of The Red Planet, Guy Kingsley Poynter was also starring in The Teahouse of the August Moon at Her Majesty's Theatre.
The British Empire Exhibition was referred to throughout the episodes.
In the table of episodes below, the numbers marked with # refer to the numbered freighters of the Mars fleet.
| Episode | First broadcast | Brief plot summary |
| 1 | 6 Sep 1954 | April 1971. Jet and Mitch travel from Earth to the Moon by rocket. The Mars fleet begins its journey. During an EVA, Mitch's safety line fails, leaving him adrift. |
| 2 | 13 Sep 1954 | Jet manages to rescue Mitch, using a miniature rocket unit. Frank Rogers, of #2, tells Lemmy he's not getting on at all well with Whitaker, his shipmate. Later, Control requests information about Whitaker; and Whitaker starts behaving very strangely while Jet is questioning him. |
| 3 | 20 Sep 1954 | While Whitaker is in a strange deep sleep, both Frank and Lemmy have nightmares. Radar suddenly reveals a huge meteor swarm ahead of the fleet, blocking its path. Just as Lemmy escorts Whitaker to his new ship, #7, a large meteor destroys the ship. |
| 4 | 27 Sep 1954 | Control discovers very odd information about Whitaker - the only man answering to his description was apparently born in 1893, and has been missing since 1924. The fleet changes course twice to avoid the meteor swarm, but both times it moves to block their path again. The crew realise they have only one option: to head straight through the swarm. |
| 5 | 4 Oct 1954 | The fleet enters the swarm, and for nearly 7 hours all electronic equipment is badly disrupted. Peterson reports an emergency on board #6 with Whitaker. On leaving the swarm, #6 is nowhere to be seen, and the swarm is now blocking radio contact with Control. Two weeks later, Discovery apparently re-establishes contact with home, but as they prepare to take an important message, the crew are puzzled by the short delay between replies. |
| 6 | 11 Oct 1954 | A radio message orders the fleet to return home. However, a bearing on the radio signal reveals the transmitter to be somewhere in front of the fleet, thus proving the message to be a fake. #6 is sighted ahead of the fleet, and Discovery draws up alongside it. Jet decides they must enter the ship to investigate. |
| 7 | 18 Oct 1954 | Jet and Doc transfer to #6, and Whitaker is found badly injured in the ship's hold, but Peterson has vanished. Jet has a strange dream, and Whitaker dies from his injuries, suddenly transforming into an old man. Recording tapes found in the cabin confirm the crew's suspicions that Whitaker faked the radio message. Discovery and #6 both rejoin the fleet, and Jet and Lemmy are shocked to hear Peterson's voice on the radio. |
| 8 | 25 Oct 1954 | Peterson's suicide recording is found, and radio contact with Control is restored. The fleet finally enters orbit round Mars, and Discovery lands at the South Pole, but a strange soporific noise troubles the crew and causes them to crash-land. |
| 9 | 1 Nov 1954 | Jet reveals that the strange noise caused him to black out, but the crew are all safe. #1 lands alongside Discovery, and Jet and Mitch explore outside. Whilst conducting experiments, they soon get lost in a dense fog. They see a mysterious orange light, mistaking it for the landing light of the Discovery, and the same soporific noise heard during the landing causes them to lose consciousness. |
| 10 | 8 Nov 1954 | Doc and Frank rescue Jet and Mitch using a land transport truck, and Jet says he dreamed of a ruined city in a valley. Discoverys crew begin the exploration of Mars in the land trucks, whilst Freighter #2 begins to ferry supplies down from the fleet in orbit. However, on its second trip down, the freighter pilot hears the soporific noise and the ship apparently crashes. |
| 11 | 15 Nov 1954 | Racing to reach the crashed freighter before sunset, the Discovery's crew reaches the Mare Australis, the plain north of the ice cap. After nightfall, they see a mysterious white light moving across the plain. In the morning, they spot the crashed freighter, but upon reaching it find its crew missing. However, there are strange marks in the ground nearby which Jet deduces to belong to "the light", realising that a ship has visited and kidnapped the freighter crew. Jet resolves to change the exploration route and go after the ship. |
| 12 | 22 Nov 1954 | The Discovery crew travel west across the Mare Australis in pursuit of the mysterious ship. Meanwhile, Frank and Grimshaw, currently crew members of Freighter #1, reach the wrecked #2 and take up residence for the night. However, during the night, a 'sphere' arrives and its crew attempt to enter the wreck. Whilst observing the crew, Frank realises they are human. A few days later, Discovery's crew reach a valley in the Argyre Desert, and Jet spots a city which is identical to the one in his earlier dream. |
| 13 | 29 Nov 1954 | Discoverys crew explore the valley's ruined city, but Lemmy vanishes, and experiences a hypnotic dream. He's later found with McLean, who is now mysteriously able to breathe the Martian atmosphere without a helmet. |
| 14 | 6 Dec 1954 | Jet and Doc return Lemmy to the caravans, and Doc deduces that Whitaker and McLean had been 'conditioned', allowing them to be controlled, as well as breathe in the Martian atmosphere. Mitch becomes separated from the others, and meets a man who claims to be a dingo hunter in Australia. Meanwhile McLean, disguised in Mitch's spacesuit, enters the caravan and confronts Lemmy. |
| 15 | 13 Dec 1954 | McLean reveals that only two of his three crew mates survived the crash, and declares that Mitch is alive but will never return to the fleet or Earth. He then tries to overpower but Lemmy wins the fight. The sphere is spotted on top of the city, but takes off with Jet, Lemmy and Doc in pursuit again. Meanwhile, Mitch, lost in the desert and now able to breathe the Martian atmosphere, comes across a house inhabited by a man and woman, who claim to be sheep farmers living in Australia in 1939. Driven to a frenzy, Mitch demands explanations, only for the farmer to turn his rifle on him. |
| 16 | 20 Dec 1954 | Jet, Doc and Lemmy discover the farm house, and find Mitch inside it. But Mitch is now 'conditioned' to believe he's in Australia, and doesn't recognise the others. He refuses to rejoin them, and attacks Jet, puncturing his helmet. As the others work to save him, the sphere lands outside and the crew are trapped. |
| 17 | 27 Dec 1954 | A 'flying doctor' has arrived in the sphere, with Dobson and Harding of #2 'conditioned' and working as his assistants. Although Jet successfully escapes back to the land trucks, the doctor manages to capture Doc and Lemmy. He tries to 'condition' them using the soporific noise, but they manage to resist. They find themselves being taken to a much larger Martian city. |
| 18 | 3 Jan 1955 | Jet sets out after the sphere again, having ordered McLean to follow him in the second caravan. Meanwhile, the sphere arrives at Lacus Solis, and the flying doctor reveals the Martian plan to invade the Earth in 1986. Lemmy overpowers the doctor in a struggle, and he and Doc contact Frank, who is searching for them in #1. Through him, they pass their news to Jet, but then Frank hears the soporific noise and his freighter crashes. |
| 19 | 10 Jan 1955 | Doc and Lemmy escape the city in the sphere with Mitch, who starts to recover from his 'conditioning', but can only remember being two weeks away from reaching Mars. Meanwhile, Jet is contacted by Webster, a man trying to return to Earth, and learns more about the Martians. Webster offers to help Jet find his lost crew mates, but while travelling across the desert, they spot a sphere hovering above them. |
| 20 | 17 Jan 1955 | The sphere turns out to be Doc and Lemmy's, and Discovery crew are fully reunited at last Thanks to advice from Webster, Mitch completes his recovery. Jet, Lemmy and Webster try to rescue Frank and Grimshaw from an underground factory, but they cannot be reached, and during a fight with the factory supervisor, Webster is injured and dies. The crew return to Discovery at the North Pole, and take off for home, escaping a pursuing fleet of spheres. Their news of the upcoming Martian invasion is passed to Earth, causing great commotion. They land back on the Moon six months later, but what happens next is another story... |
''The World in Peril''
The third series was a direct continuation of the story begun in The Red Planet, and followed Jet Morgan and his crew's return to Mars in an attempt to avert the impending Martian invasion.In addition to the main characters, other characters in The World in Peril included:
| Actor | Character |
| David Jacobs | Frank Rogers and miscellaneous characters |
| Alan Tilvern | Jack Evans |
| John Cazabon | Jenkins |
| Fred Yule | Mr Moore |
| Pat Campbell | Paddy Flynn |
During the recording of The World in Peril, Alfie Bass was also starring in the revue The Punch Bowl at the Duke of York's Theatre.
| Episode | First broadcast | Brief plot summary |
| 1 | 26 Sep 1955 | 15 April 1972. The Discovery and two freighters return to the Moon from the disastrous Mars expedition. The crew are subjected to intense questioning about their experiences on Mars, and Lemmy discovers that the Discovery is being readied for take off. Back on Earth, they visit an astronomical observer who has spotted suspicious objects in the heavens. |
| 2 | 3 Oct 1955 | Jet and Lemmy go to investigate the objects in an orbital rocket, but are sent to sleep for 24 hours by a strange noise. Film footage suggests the asteroids are actually spacecraft carriers. Jet discovers that a spaceship has crashed in the Lake District. Jet and Doc enter the ship. |
| 3 | 10 Oct 1955 | The crew and the Lunar Controller try to locate the crew of the crashed ship. They interview Moore, a commercial traveller who may have had contact with the crew of the ship, who recounts his experience. The crew are ordered back to Mars and are driven to an airfield, but the car crashes when the crew tackle the 'Conditioned Type' driver. |
| 4 | 17 Oct 1955 | The crew fly to Australia, then on a ship to the Moon. While preparing for the voyage to Mars, they spot unidentified objects on the lunar horizon. The take off is complicated by strange communication with control, suggesting the Moon base has been infiltrated. |
| 5 | 24 Oct 1955 | The Discovery gets away safely; however, they cannot establish contact with Moon control, so Lemmy contacts Earth. After ships from Earth to the Moon are lost, the crew concludes that the Moon has fallen under Martian control. While refuelling from freighter #1, Jet and Lemmy hear a strange wailing voice. |
| 6 | 31 Oct 1955 | The crew slow the ship down, and discuss where on Mars to land and the objectives of the trip. They regain contact with the strange voice, discovering it is a very confused Frank Rogers, ex-crew man of Freighter #2. |
| 7 | 7 Nov 1955 | Thinking Frank may be there, the crew decide to land near the wreck of freighter #2, but Jet and Mitch discover it to be empty. From the Discovery, Doc and Lemmy spot a fleet of Martian spheres approaching. |
| 8 | 14 Nov 1955 | Jet and Mitch fail to make it back to Discovery, and the crew all pass out as the ships approach. They wake up in a dark room and figure that they must be on one of the moons of Mars. They discover an unconscious man in the room, that Jet is missing, and a door in the floor opens. |
| 9 | 21 Nov 1955 | Jet is found under his bed and the unconscious man is found to be Frank Rogers. Doc tries to bring Frank out of his conditioned state, and he reveals that the invasion is under way. Jet and Lemmy go through the floor, and are directed by the voice of Paddy Flynn. |
| 10 | 28 Nov 1955 | Frank regains some of his memory, revealing that the crew are aboard an asteroid ship. Jet and Lemmy meet Paddy face to face, and he reveals that he is the rebel captain of the asteroid, working with Jack Evans. Paddy receives orders to have the asteroid join the invasion fleet. |
| 11 | 5 Dec 1955 | Paddy leaves the crew, who learn how to manipulate the 'visionphone'. As Mitch and Frank follow them along a circular corridor using the cameras, Jet, Lemmy and Doc hear a voice they assume to be a Martian, ordering them back. |
| 12 | 12 Dec 1955 | Jet, Lemmy and Doc ignore the Martian's warnings to turn back, and Jet is knocked out after touching a door at the end of the corridor. The crew persuades Paddy to set the ship on course for Mars, so they can warn Earth of the invasion. However, he loses control, and is injured. |
| 13 | 19 Dec 1955 | The asteroid is in chaos and the crew discover Asteroid 786/738 is on its way to sort it out. Mitch and Lemmy go to fetch a bed for Paddy, but become lost and enter the Martian's lair. They hear a familiar voice but can't place it. Paddy dies, and Mitch and Lemmy discover that Jack Evans is really the Lunar Controller, who has been in league with the Martians from the start. |
| 14 | 26 Dec 1955 | The Lunar Controller tells Mitch and Lemmy that the invasion will be facilitated by a hypnotic television broadcast. Jet and Doc go on a search for the others, and follow conditioned crew members onto the asteroid surface. Wearing Martian suits, they investigate a large sphere, but become stranded on the surface. |
| 15 | 2 Jan 1956 | While the Lunar Controller is away, Jet and Doc enter his quarters from the asteroid surface. Mitch and Lemmy explain what has happened to them, and they hatch a plan to imprison the Lunar Controller and escape. |
| 16 | 9 Jan 1956 | The crew imprison the Lunar Controller, and gain his assistance by threatening to release him into space. Lemmy smashes up the computerised brain, to stop messages being sent to the rest of the Martian fleet. Frank pilots the ship as they escape the asteroid and set course for Mars, but they discover the Discovery to have been plundered. |
| 17 | 16 Jan 1956 | They head into orbit, transfer to Freighter #1 and, using a modified radio transmitter, attempt to contact Earth, but they cannot get their warning about the invasion through. They spot the asteroid invasion fleet approaching them from behind. Jet decides to use all remaining fuel to set on course for Earth, in order to increase their chances of warning Earth of the invasion. |
| 18 | 23 Jan 1956 | The asteroid fleet increases speed and overtakes Freighter #1. Jet records a warning to Earth, to be transmitted on a loop. Attempts to hypnotise the crew fail, so the Martian contacts the crew using their voices. Freighter #1 crashes onto the surface of a large asteroid. |
| 19 | 30 Jan 1956 | Lemmy fails to contact Earth, but they are contacted by the Martian who tells them to enter the asteroid ship. The Martian reveals that he is the only one left of a race of giants, and explains his reasons for the invasion. A crew from the asteroid, including ex-freighter man Harding, forcibly remove the crew from Freighter #1. |
| 20 | 6 Feb 1956 | The crew are shown to luxurious quarters aboard the asteroid, and cruise to Earth as part of the invasion fleet. They are ordered to the Martian's quarters, where they are dismayed to discover that Earth has not followed their instruction to shut down all television channels. Depressed by their failure, they watch as the Martian fleet begins to orbit the Earth. As they wait for the Martian's broadcast, the set goes dead. They are overjoyed to learn that the channels have at last been shut down. The Martian peacefully accepts defeat and allows all those in his command to return to Earth. A considerable number, however, choose to remain in the Martian's fleet, and to establish a perfect civilisation in another solar system, free from persecution, hunger, misgovernment and war. |
Critical reaction and legacy
Public reaction to the show was mixed. Some comments received by the BBC described the show as "a first class affair" and "the best serial for ages". After episode 5 of Journey to the Moon was first broadcast, the Daily Express commented:Midway through the original broadcast of The Red Planet, a BBC Audience Research Report indicated that the series
However, others commented that the plot often featured scientific inaccuracies, even though Chilton had received technical advice from Flight Lieutenant Roger Burton and Kenneth Gatland of the British Interplanetary Society. One correspondent to the Radio Times commented that:
Chilton has admitted that he is not a science-fiction writer, astronomer, or scientist, and that his "pursuit of astronomical studies is clumsy and very amateurish". He often "worked very late to deadline", sometimes not starting to write an episode until two days before recording.
Journey Into Space remains popular today, thanks to the discovery of misfiled recordings of the show, which enabled the BBC to begin re-broadcasting the show from the late 1980s onwards.
Philip Hinchcliffe has acknowledged growing up listening to Journey Into Space, citing in particular its cliffhangers, as an influence on his period as producer of the science-fiction television series Doctor Who between 1974 and 1977.
Music
composed and conducted the music for all three series. The music was initially recorded beforehand, and played from acetate discs during the recording sessions. Later, an eight-piece orchestra was actually present in the studio, and played the music live. Phillips liked the sound of the clavioline, and obtained one for use during Journey Into Space. He composed music especially for it, and it was "bolted onto the piano" in the studio. Titles of his compositions include "A Picture of the Universe", "Rocket Away", "Music for Outer Space", "The Red Planet", "Crossing the Plains", and "Sunrise".In 1955, Decca released a 78rpm record of the Journey Into Space theme, performed by Frank Weir and his orchestra, and sheet music of a piano solo of the theme was also published. In 1978, the recording was included on the 33⅓rpm BBC compilation record BBC Space Themes, and in 2005, Vocalion/Dutton Laboratories included it on their digitally remastered compilation CD Presenting Frank Weir And His Saxophone.
In Journey to the Moon, Lemmy occasionally provided musical entertainment for the crew on his mouth organ, playing songs such as "Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road" and "My Old Dutch". Excerpts of popular music were often used during the episodes, and sometimes played an important role in the plot. In episode 8 of Journey to the Moon, an excerpt from "Honeymoon on a Rocket Ship" by Hank Snow and The Rainbow Ranch Boys is heard by the crew on the ship's radio. "When It's Night Time In Italy", by James Kendis and Lew Brown, was an important part of episodes 7 and 8 of The Red Planet. Other popular music used in The Red Planet included:
- "Flat Foot Floogie", by Bulet Galliard, Leroy Stewart, and Bud Green, performed by the Benny Goodman Orchestra
- The theme tune to the Billy Cotton Band Show
- "Somebody Stole My Gal", by Lee Wright
- "Friends and Neighbours", by Marvin Scott and Malcolm Lockyer
- "Selection of Hebrew Dances Part 2", by Ambrose and his orchestra
- Banjo music by Billy Bell
Sound effects
A variety of sound effects were used in the episodes, and played a major role. In addition to basic sounds, such as feet walking along a corridor or tunnel, more advanced effects were created, such as the mysterious haunting 'music' which is heard over the rocket's radio in many episodes of Operation Luna.The most distinctive effect was the dramatic rocket take-off, which was played at the beginning of each episode, and whenever necessary during the episodes. This was actually a recording of a jet aircraft at Heathrow airport. Often, this would be followed by a slowly ascending tone, which "was actually a recording of a thermionic valve played through an echo chamber down at the Physical Research Laboratory at Kingston". Other sound effects were created at Battersea Power Station, and the sound made by the televiewer on board Luna was actually a naval ASDIC.
The BBC had an echo chamber in the studio, which was greatly utilised during the episodes. Whenever the crew were in contact by radio with Earth control, or another distant location, the echo chamber would be applied to the voice of the remote character. Various sound effects were also created "live" in the studio. For example, in episode 8 of Journey to the Moon, the crew hear a mysterious tapping on the outside of the ship; this effect was created "by tapping the needle of the gramophone pickup head, and playing that through an echo chamber".
The operation of the Martian "Brain" when compiling an answer in response to questions was represented by the sound of a 2000-type Director - a telephone call routing device used in large city Strowger type telephone exchanges.
Novels
Chilton wrote three Journey Into Space novels, one for each of the three original series. The first novel, titled Journey Into Space, told the story of Journey to the Moon and was the first book that Chilton had written. It was published in hardback by Herbert Jenkins in 1954, followed by The Red Planet in 1956, and The World in Peril in 1960. Later they were published in paperback by Pan in 1958, 1960 and 1962 respectively.On 8 May 2008, BBC Audiobooks released a complete and unabridged audiobook of the first novel, read by William Hope.
Comic strips
In 1956, the Junior Express comic began publishing Journey Into Space comic strips, with scripts by Charles Chilton and artwork by Italian artist Ferdinando Tacconi. The first adventure, titled Jet Morgan in Planet of Fear, was a 35-episode sequel to The World in Peril. Tacconi spent some time with Chilton absorbing the atmosphere of the saga, and portrayed the radio actors' likenesses to match the clever dialogue.The story was continued in 1957 in the 32-episode adventure, Shadow over Britain. In March 1957, Arthur Bruce Cornwell took over from Tacconi as artist, and Chilton lost his enthusiasm for the cartoon strip; thereafter it became a contractual chore for him. Terence Patrick took over from Cornwell in April 1957, and by the time the third adventure began, Chilton was no longer writing the scripts.
The 1956 Express Weekly annual contained a short black & white comic strip called Jet Morgan and the Space Pirates, illustrated by Tacconi. The 1957 annual included a short story called Jet Morgan and the Space Castaway, written by Chilton and illustrated by Cornwell.
Discovery of Transcription discs
The programmes were recorded in the studio on 15ips magnetic tape, and were later copied onto 33⅓rpm 16-inch coarse-groove transcription discs for the BBC Transcription Services. The master tapes were erased three months after broadcast, in accordance with BBC policy at the time. The Transcription discs were sold overseas, and their fate was unknown, so for many years it was believed that all the episodes had been lost forever.However, in 1986, a set of misfiled Transcription discs were found by Ted Kendall, a BBC recording engineer, which turned out to be copies of Operation Luna, The Red Planet and The World in Peril. The BBC no longer possessed a suitable turntable on which to play the discs, but Kendall eventually managed to obtain an EMT 927 turntable. To clean the discs, he soaked them in warm water containing Fairy Liquid, brushed them with a goats-hair brush, and dried them using kitchen towels.
Kendall then transferred the recordings to magnetic tape, removing "clicks" from the sound using a device which he designed and built, called the . He removed more severe clicks after the transfer, by scraping the oxide off the magnetic tape in appropriate places.
The BBC took the opportunity to re-broadcast all three series on Radio 2, beginning with Operation Luna in 1989, followed by The Red Planet in 1990 and The World in Peril in 1991. Abridged versions of the three series were also released on audio cassette. In 1998, Kendall digitally remastered the recordings for new abridged releases on audio cassette, and in 2004, the unabridged remastered recordings began to be released on CD and internet download. The three series have also been broadcast on BBC Radio 7, now known as BBC Radio 4 Extra.
Special episodes
''The Return from Mars''
In 1981, Radio 4's Saturday Night Theatre slot ran a special science fiction series, featuring stories such as The First Men in the Moon, The Chrysalids, A Fall of Moondust and The Technicolor Time Machine. Charles Chilton was asked to write a new one-off 90-minute episode of Journey Into Space for this slot, and The Return from Mars was the result. The plot was an approximate continuation from the end of The World in Peril. The episode was broadcast on 7 March 1981.In addition to the main characters, other characters in The Return from Mars included:
| Actor | Character |
| Elizabeth Proud | Cassia |
| Patrick Barr | Nichols |
| David Bradshawe | Wrist radio / Countdown voice |
| Graham Faulkner | Pilot / Talian |
| Stephen Garlick | Controller / Radio voice |
| John McAndrew | Videophone / Junior officer |
| Sion Probert | Control / Sotteer 2 |
| Christopher Scott | Sotteer 1 / Harry |
| John Webb | Supervisor / Radio |
''Frozen in Time''
This was a new episode based on the original series, with David Jacobs finally taking the role of Jet Morgan. Charles Chilton wrote the one-hour play which was set in the year 2013. It was broadcast on Radio 4 on Saturday 12 April 2008. This was released by BBC Audio in January 2009.| Part | Played by |
| Captain Jet Morgan | David Jacobs |
| Mitch | Michael Beckley |
| Doc/Ed | Alan Marriott |
| Lemmy | Chris Moran |
| Astrid | Emma Fielding |
| Jensen | Stephen Hogan |
| Radio Operator/Film Voice | Kate Harbour |
Music by David Chilton;
producer/director Nicholas Russell-Pavier.
| Episode | First broadcast | Brief plot summary |
| 1 | 12 Apr 2008 | March 2013. The Ares' crew awakens from suspended animation and, low on fuel and technologically outclassed, goes to rescue a mining operation on Mars. |
''The Host''
A further new episode based on the original series by Chilton, written by Julian Simpson starred Toby Stephens as Jet Morgan. Another one-hour play, it was set in the year 2079.Broadcast as The Saturday Play on Radio 4 on Saturday 27 June 2009.
| Part | Played by |
| Captain Jet Morgan | Toby Stephens |
| Mitch | Jot Davies |
| Doc/Enceladus Control | Alan Marriott |
| Lemmy | Chris Pavlo |
| The Host | David Jacobs |
| Edie | Jana Carpenter |
| JJ Andreev | Basher Savage |
BBC releases on audio cassette and CD
Audiobooks
Currently, only the first novel has been released as an audiobook.| Novel | Release date | Released by | Format | ISBN |
| Journey Into Space | 8 May 2008 | BBC Audiobooks | 6 CDs | 9781405688680 |
| Journey Into Space | 8 May 2008 | BBC Audiobooks | Internet download | 9781405646628 |
In translation
A Dutch-language version of the first three series of Journey into Space was broadcast in the Netherlands by the Katholieke Radio Omroep in 1955–1958 under the title Sprong in het heelal, directed by Léon Povel. Translation was by Eddy Franquinet and the main character roles were played by John de Freese, Adolf Bouwmeester / Louis de Bree, Jan van Ees, and Jan Borkus.Director Léon Povel died just a few days after Charles Chilton, on 8 January 2013, at the age of 101 years. After his death, his youngest son Winfried Povel started recording the fourth series De terugkeer van Mars with professional actors and as a special guest the Dutch astronaut André Kuipers. The recording was much longer than the BBC version, at 2 hours 11 minutes long. So, the play was edited into four episodes and broadcast as a mini-series. It was broadcast in January 2014 by the KRO-NCRV as well on NPO Radio 5 and repeated the same night on NPO Radio 1.