Spacevets is a 39-episode children's sci-fi show about a motley crew of misfit intergalactic space vets,[1][2] broadcast from 1992 to 1994. The concept was devised by Stephen Edmondson and Jerome Vincent, but the characters were created by writer Christopher Middleton, and most of the 39 episodes written by him, too. Music for the series was produced by former Doctor Who composer Dominic Glynn.

Spacevets
GenreScience fiction / Comedy / Children's television series
Created byStephen Edmondson
Jerome Vincent
StarringMark Arden
Ann Bryson
Robin Kingsland
Linden Kirk
Bernard Wright
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes39
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release29 September 1992 (1992-09-29) –
20 December 1994 (1994-12-20)

Premise

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They travel the cosmos in the spaceship Dispensable helping alien life forms in need, and transporting "The Meeloue" the rarest and most precious star in the universe, which when you place your hand on it will release a holographic string of words saying what you're thinking.

Cast

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  • Mark Arden as Captain Skip Chip
  • Ann Bryson as Mona (The Receptionist)[3]
  • Bernard Wright as No. 2
  • Robin Kingsland as Dogsbody
  • Linden Kirk as Captain K. Pubble
  • William Mannering, as Captain (series 2)

History

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The television show had 39 episodes over three seasons. Each episode was 15 minutes. The first season ran from 29 September 1992 to 22 December 1992, the second season ran from 28 September 1993 to 7 December 1993, and the third season ran from 27 September 1994 to 6 December 1994.[4]

Home media

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One known VHS release was made of the series, it had five episodes from the second series of the show, including: 'The Shrunken Brain', 'Riddle of the Sands And Caves of Doom', 'Menace of the Machines' and 'Sunday Rotten Sunday'.

Reception

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In a positive review, the historian Mark Lewisohn praised Spacevets, writing, "An above-average entry in the children's sitcom genre, with a witty script and interesting characters and situations. Like a cross between All Creatures Great And Small and Red Dwarf, Spacevets had a classy look and a neat set that belied its relatively small budget."[5]

References

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  1. ^ "BBC – Comedy Guide – Spacevets". Archived from the original on 23 October 2004. Retrieved 2 October 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ Soave, Daniela (26 September 1992). "The vet could be a real star". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Choc fan Ann flies milky way". Daily Mirror. 26 September 1992. Archived from the original on 11 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Fulton, Roger (1997) [1990]. "Spacevets". The Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction (3 ed.). London: Boxtree Ltd. pp. 423–424. ISBN 0-7522-1150-1. Retrieved 11 September 2023 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ Lewisohn, Mark (1998). Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy. London: BBC Worldwide. p. 626. ISBN 0-563-36977-9. Retrieved 11 September 2023 – via Internet Archive.
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