Series synopsis
Astronauts is a British comedy sci-fi & fantasy television series that premiered on ITV1 on October 26, 1981. It ended on August 23, 1983. It was created by Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie. It stars Christopher Godwin, Carmen du Sautoy, Barrie Rutter and Bruce Boa.
Astronauts Malcolm Mattocks, Gentian Foster and David Ackroyd are sent into outer space to occupy a space station for six months.
Premise
Astronauts Malcolm Mattocks, Gentian Foster and David Ackroyd are sent into outer space to occupy a space station for six months.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Christopher Godwin as Commander Malcolm Mattocks
- Carmen du Sautoy as Dr Gentian Foster
- Barrie Rutter as Technical Officer David Ackroyd
- Bruce Boa as Colonel Beadle
Guest cast
- Mary Healey as Valerie
- Hilton McRae
- Ben Aris
- Michael Delorzo
- Julian Delorzo
- Hugh Walters
- Diana Berriman
- Pamela Miles
- Barry Lowe
- Lesley Saweard as Mrs Ackroyd
- Philip Elsmore as Newsreader
- Terry Pearson as Technical Operator
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 13 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 7 | October 25, 1981 | December 7, 1981 |
| Season 2 | 6 | July 18, 1983 | August 23, 1983 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 It's the dawning of a new era. US Air Force Colonel Lloyd Beadle unveils his British space travellers for the press, whose imaginations go into overdrive when they learn that one of the crew is a woman. But Beadle has another ace up his sleeve: Bimbo, a mongrel dog. |
October 26, 1981 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 In their orbiting space station, the crew members are trying to acclimatise themselves while rapidly discovering each other's foibles. Sleep eludes them, and they realise that privacy is a thing of the past... |
November 2, 1981 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 Gentian's in charge of the Life Science Projects, and David's doing Earth Observation, Astronomy, Crystallography and Communications — leaving Malcolm doing the dusting. And not terribly well. It takes a major crisis before the Mission Commander finally comes into his own. |
November 9, 1981 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
One in Four Goes Gentian finds herself talking to the machinery while Ackroyd quite happily holds conversations with himself. Mattocks is concerned about both of them and discusses it with the only person he can trust — Bimbo. |
July 19, 1983 |
| 2 |
Why Are We Here? Ackroyd denounces the whole mission as a big publicity stunt. Mattocks, meanwhile, has been caught out acting furtively and sending scrambled messages. Gentian and Ackroyd want to know what's happening but it's top secret... |
July 26, 1983 |
| 3 |
Absence Makes the Heart Mattocks is pining for his wife but he gets no sympathy from the other two, who are determined to see that he lives up to his domestic responsibilities while he's at the space station. Beadle has a hot date. |
August 2, 1983 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ITV1 |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 26, 1981 |
| Last aired | August 23, 1983 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Tuesday at 20:00:00 |