PHOENIX FIVE
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THE INTERPRETARIS

EPISODES: 6.
LENGTH: 30 Mins.
FORMAT: Mono, Film and Video integration.
PRODUCTION: 1966 Artransa Park Studios / ABC Co-production.
ORIGINAL SCREENING: Oct - Nov 1966.
RUNNING ORDER: Official.
NETWORK: Original screening on ABC. Repeat screenings on Seven.

CAST:
Commander Alan De Breck…….STANLEY WALSH
Vera Balovna…….LORRAINE BAYLY
David Carmichael…….KIT TAYLOR
Parta Beno…….BEN GABRIEL
Henry (computeroid)…….GORDON MUTCH
Voice of Alys (computer)…….JUDI FARR

CREW:
Director…….KAY ROBERTS
Producer…….KAY ROBERTS
Scripts…….BARBARA VERNON

EPISODE TITLES
1. Strange Assignment
2. Golden Boy
3. Sir Lance-A-Little
4. Princess Touch-And-Go
5. Whistle, Thunder And Doom
6. Alys, Sweet Alys

VEGA 4

EPISODES: 7.
LENGTH: 30 Mins.
FORMAT: Colour, Film.
PRODUCTION: 1967 Artransa Park Studios / ABC Co-production.
ORIGINAL SCREENING: May - July 1968.
RUNNING ORDER: Official.
NETWORK: Original screening on ABC. Repeat screenings on Seven.

CAST:
Captain Philip Wallace.......JOHN FAASEN
Ensign Eve Poitier.......JULIANA ALLAN
Lieutenant James Adam.......EVAN DUNSTAN
Zodian..............EDDIE HEPPLE
President.......KEN FRASER

CREW:
Scripts.......JOHN WARWICK
Producer.......ALAN BURKE
Music.......TOMMY TYCHO

EPISODE TITLES
1. Mission Of Vega 4
2. The Forbidden Planet
3. Double Trouble
4. Flight Of Fate
5. Dive Into Danger
6. Zodian's Day
7. Day Of Destruction

PHOENIX FIVE

EPISODES: 26.
LENGTH: 30 Mins.
FORMAT: Colour, Film.
PRODUCTION: 1969 Artransa Park Studios / ABC Co-production.
ORIGINAL SCREENING: May - Nov 1970.
RUNNING ORDER: Official.
NETWORK: Original screening on ABC. Repeat screenings on Seven.

CAST:
Captain Mike Roke.......MIKE DORSEY
Cadet Tina Kulbrick.......PATSY TRENCH
Ensign Adam Hargreaves.......DAMIEN PARKER
Zodian.......REDMOND PHILIPS  (eps 1 - 13)
Platonus.......OWEN WEINGOTT  (eps 14 - 26)
Earth Space Controller.......PETER COLLINGWOOD
Karl (computeroid).......STUART LESLIE

CREW:
Director.......DAVID CAHILL
Co-ordinating Directors.......ALEX EZARD (eps 1 - 4), KAY ROBERTS (eps 5 - 26)
Producers.......PETER SUMMERTON  (eps 1 - 10), JOHN WALTERS  (eps 11 - 26)
Associate Producer.......RICHARD BROOKS
Script Editor.......JOHN WARWICK

EPISODE TITLES
1. Zone Of Danger
2. Two Heads Are Better Than None
3. To End Is To Begin
4. Stowaway
5. The Human Relics
6. Six Guns Of Space
7. The Pirate Queen
8. A Sound In Space
9. Back To Childhood
10. Two Into One Won't Go
11. A Gesture From Kronos
12. The Cat
13. The Baiter Is Bitten
14. The Bigger They Are
15. The Hunter
16. Slave Queen
17. Something Fishy
18. Toy Soldier
19. Shadow Ship
20. Planet Of Fear
21. Spacequake
22. Efficiency Minus
23. Spark From A Dying Fire
24. Dream On
25. A Little Difficulty
26. General Alarm

1. Zone Of Danger

Synopsis: Zodian is imprisoned by Earth Space Control after having been found guilty of destroying several planets in an attempt to control outer space. Zodian escapes, boards the Phoenix Five and forces Tina to blast off for his stronghold on planet Zebula 9.

Airdate: Melbourne 10/5/70

2. Two Heads Are Better Than None

Tylan.......Christopher Johnson

Script.......John Warwick
Assistant Director.......Andree Hemingway
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: An emissary from Tylantia asks for an audience with the Earth Space Controller. A large force field is closing in and threatens to destroy his planet - it is found to originate from Zodian on Zebula 9, and Captain Roke and his crew are sent to investigate.

Airdate: Melbourne 17/5/70, Sydney 1/5/70

3. To End Is To Begin

Leonian.......Arna-Maria Winchester
Cargo Captain.......Terence Porter

Script.......John Warwick
Assistant Director.......Andree Hemingway
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: On a routine patrol, Roke's crew witness the planet Leonicus explode. They also sight a cargo ship off-course, and upon investigation they find the crew missing and an alien presence on board - intelligent microbes from Leonicus intent on migrating to Earth.

Notes: Redmond Philips does not appear in this episode.

Airdate: Melbourne 24/5/70, Sydney 8/5/70

4. Stowaway

Chameleon.......Michael O'Reilly

Script.......John Warwick
Assistant Director.......Andree Hemingway
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: On rest leave, the Phoenix Five crew are indulging in a twentieth-century game of baseball when Adam is overcome by a strange chameleon mutant, which threatens the safety of the Phoenix Five.

Notes: Redmond Philips does not appear in this episode.

Airdate: Melbourne 31/5/70, Sydney 15/5/70

5. The Human Relics

Major Byron York.......John Bonney

Script.......Fred C. Folkard
Assistant Director.......Andree Hemingway
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: The Phoenix Five crew receive a strange signal from the asteroid Arcturus. Responding, they find a twentieth-century Earth space capsule and an astronaut, Major York, in a coma. He is taken to the Phoenix Five sick bay, but Zodian has York under his control, and it is revealed that York is actually from the planet Marcolosa.

Airdate: Melbourne 7/6/70, Sydney 22/5/70

6. Six Guns Of Space

Synopsis: On a routine patrol, the Phoenix Five runs into an old-fashioned naval-style bombardment coming from one of the moons of Corallus.

Airdate: Melbourne 6/9/70

7. The Pirate Queen

Karelia.......Bettina Welch

Script.......Fred Folkard
Assistant Director.......Andree Hemingway
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: The Phoenix Five is escorting a cargo ship carrying vital medical supplies to an Earth space colony. The vessels are attacked by an old space frigate, forcing the Phoenix Five scoutship to crash-land on Zebula 9. The space frigate is piloted by Karelia, an Aquasian Queen - but Zodian captures both Karelia and the Phoenix Five crew.

Airdate: Melbourne 13/9/70

8. A Sound In Space

Synopsis: Adam 'materialises' a copy of the ancient Pipes of Pan. He and Tina are hit by an unseen force when he blows a 'dead' note on the pipes. Karl absorbs the ultrasonic sound and sets out to discover the source.

Airdate: Melbourne 14/6/70

9. Back To Childhood

Crotan.......David Copping

Script.......Fred Folkard
Assistant Director.......Andree Hemingway
Location Director.......Alex Ezard

Synopsis: Tina finds a rare 'Cannibalis' plant which Roke decides to take back to Earth for examination. An alien, a hybridoid, is somehow linked to the plant, and the crew take him back to the Phoenix Five sick bay. Tina and Adam are sprayed by pollen from the plant and revert to a childish state.

Airdate: Melbourne 21/6/70

10. Two Into One Won't Go

Governor.......Charles Moody

Script.......Peter Schreck
Assistant Director.......Andree Hemingway
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis:  Zodian bribes the pompous governor of Planetoid 93 into injecting a micro-transistor into Captain Roke's bloodstream, which will put Roke under Zodian's command. Zodian plans to cause Roke to use the Phoenix Five to destroy Earth Space Control.

Airdate: Melbourne 28/6/70

11. A Gesture From Kronos

Synopsis: Captain Roke is 'reversed' when he falls victim to Zodian's time warp - he talks backward, and his uniform colours are reversed. His reaction powers are severely tested as he flies the Astro Scoutship to the one person who can help him - Kronos, the guardian of time in space.

Airdate: Melbourne 5/7/70

12. The Cat

Synopsis: Investigating the mysterious disappearance of the colonists of the planet Lynxonia, the Phoenix Five crew find just one clue - a tiny black kitten. It seems odd that it could be responsible for strange growling noises heard in the planet's dark rocky areas.

Airdate: Melbourne 12/7/70, Sydney 26/6/70

13. The Baiter Is Bitten

Neptunus.......Tony Ingersent

Script.......John Warwick
Story idea.......Chuck Headley
Assistant Director.......Andree Hemingway
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: The Phoenix Five flies into a strange phenomenon - a fog in space, which then turns to deep water, trapping the crew. The water is a planetoid under the control of Neptunus, who plans to force Roke to assist with his revenge on Zodian. Roke outwits Neptunus, and in breaking free of the planetoid succeeds in capturing Zodian when his hideout is flooded.

Notes: Final episode with Redmond Philips as Zodian.

Airdate: Melbourne 20/9/70, Sydney 3/7/70

14. The Bigger They Are

Colosseo.......Peter Whittle

Synopsis: Platonus, a warped evil scientist, programmes Colosseo, a young gentle giant of the Placid Planet, with a super power to destroy the Phoenix Five and her crew.

Notes: First episode with Owen Weingott as Platonus.

Airdate: Melbourne 9/8/70, Adelaide 6/9/70

15. The Hunter

Jenka.......Kenneth Laird

Script.......John Warwick
Assistant Director.......Andree Hemingway
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: Platonus bribes Jenka, the hunter king of a planet now devoid of wildlife, to track down and kill the crew of the Phoenix Five. Platonus’ plan is foiled when Roke strikes up a rapport with Jenka.

Airdate: Melbourne 26/7/70

16. Slave Queen

Princess Estella.......Pat Sullivan
Guard.......Goff Vockler

Script.......Peter Schreck
Assistant Director.......Andree Hemingway
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: Captain Roke is ordered to find the missing successor to the throne of Celex - a girl called Estella who was captured as a child by a warlike and backward race from another world and held as a slave.

Airdate: Melbourne 2/8/70

17. Something Fishy

Synopsis: The Phoenix Five is sent to find out why contact has been lost with a prison colony on the planet Zedden.

Airdate: Melbourne 16/8/70

18. Toy Soldier

Soldier.......Brian Evis

Script.......Ted Ager
Assistant Director.......Lee Hillary
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: Tina brings a tiny antique toy soldier she bought while on leave onto the Phoenix Five. Investigating a strange metal on the planet Wonderos, the Phoenix Five crew find themselves battling the toy soldier, which has now grown to life size and is under the control of Platonus.

Airdate: Melbourne 23/8/70, Sydney 7/8/70

19. Shadow Ship

Synopsis: Returning to Earth for a routine check, Tina is struck down by an agonising virus. Captain Roke takes the Phoenix Five to Earth at maximum speed in order to obtain a cure for her.

Airdate: Melbourne 30/8/70

20. Planet Of Fear

Captain Ben Armstrong.......Stuart Finch

Script.......John Warwick
Story idea.......Peter Pascoe
Assistant Director.......Lee Hillary
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: Exploring a strange planet, Roke and Adam meet an astronaut, Ben Armstrong, who was lost ten years earlier. He has gained strange powers from Platonus, turning him into a human booby trap. However, Armstrong has developed a few powers of his own and is able to repel Platonus and turn his force back on him.

Airdate: Melbourne 27/9/70

21. Spacequake

Dr. Sarah Fall.......Margo Lee

Script.......Ted Ager
Assistant Director.......Lee Hillary
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: The planet Deldum is drifting out of orbit into the path of another planet, and the Phoenix Five is assigned to destroy it. A criminal doctor on Deldum injects Adam with an ageing serum and will only supply the antidote in return for safe passage to another planet.

Notes: Owen Weingott does not appear in this episode. 

Airdate: Melbourne 4/10/70, Sydney 11/9/70

22. Efficiency Minus

Synopsis: The Phoenix Five crew are shocked when told they have failed their annual check-ups and will have to be separated.

Airdate: Melbourne 11/10/70, Sydney 18/9/70

23. Spark From A Dying Fire

Synopsis: Adam and Tina fall victim to the hypnotic powers of the strange sparks erupting from a fiercely destructive asteroid, once a part of the planet Janus 7, and are set to fight a duel.

Airdate: Melbourne 18/10/70

24. Dream On

Gunfighter.......Tommy Dysart

Script.......Peter Schreck
Assistant Director.......Lee Hillary
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: Computeroid Karl picks a flower for Tina, unaware that Platonus has cracked his access code and programmed him to pick a very special flower. When Captain Roke decides to use a routine training exercise as a cover for hunting Platonus, it involves some tricky navigation through planetoids and some solar gas.  Platonus activates the flower, which emits dream pulses, and puts the Phoenix Five crew into a dreamlike state in the middle of the crucial navigation manoeuvres.

Airdate: Melbourne 25/10/70, Sydney 2/10/70

25. A Little Difficulty

Synopsis: The Phoenix Five, pride of the Earth Space Control Fleet, disappears.

Airdate: Melbourne 1/11/70

26. General Alarm

General.......Kenneth Laird

Script.......Ted Ager
Assistant Director.......Lee Hillary
Location Director.......Kay Roberts

Synopsis: Roke and his crew are assigned to collect a supposedly reformed tyrant from a prison planet and return him to the Federanians. Platonus plans to use the General to settle with Roke and his crew once and for all, but the General is in possession of a Federanian rod which has hypnotic powers, and he uses it on the Phoenix Five crew.  The General attacks Platonus, mistaking him for the Earth Space Controller, which results in his capture. With the General subdued and Platonus captured, Captain Roke is promoted to Head of Earth Defence and Ensign Adam Hargreaves is promoted to Captain of the Phoenix Five. Both want Tina as their assistant.

Airdate: Melbourne 8/11/70, Sydney 16/10/70