Target Luna
First serial in a successful British space adventure series.
Target Luna, a six-episode British television serial, aired on ABC Weekend TV in April 1960. The script was co-written by Malcolm Hulke and Eric Paice, with Adrian Brown directing and Sydney Newman producing—Newman later co-created *Doctor Who* for the BBC. The first serial starred Frank Finlay as Conway Henderson and Michael Craze as Geoffrey Wedgwood. Its popularity led to three sequels: *Pathfinders in Space* (September 1960), *Pathfinders to Mars* (December 1960 – January 1961), and *Pathfinders to Venus* (March 1961), with Gerald Flood and Stewart Guidotti taking over the roles of Henderson and Geoffrey respectively.
Across all four serials, *Target Luna* and the *Pathfinders* series drew strong audiences; episode 4 of *Pathfinders to Mars* ranked second in ratings on New Year's Day 1961.
**Target Luna** (6 episodes: "The Rocket Station," "Count Down," "The Strange Illness," "Storm in Space," "Solar Flare," "The Falling Star") follows Professor Norman Wedgwood (David Markham), head of an experimental rocket group on remote Buchan Island, Scotland. His children Geoff (Michael Craze), Valerie (Sylvia Davies), and Jimmy (Michael Hammond) visit with journalist Conway Henderson (Frank Finlay) to watch a rocket launch. When the pilot falls ill, Jimmy takes his place on a Moon mission, accompanied by his pet hamster, Hamlet. After hours in space, Jimmy, Hamlet, and the rocket are brought safely back to Earth.
**Pathfinders in Space** (7 episodes: "Convoy to the Moon," "Spaceship from Nowhere," "Luna Bridgehead," "The Man in the Moon," "The World of Lost Toys," "Disaster on the Moon," "Rescue in Space") sees Professor Wedgwood (now Peter Williams) planning another Moon mission. Geoff, Valerie, and Jimmy (now Stewart Guidotti, Gillian Ferguson, and Richard Dean) attend the launch of Moon Rocket 1 (MR1) with journalist Henderson (now Gerald Flood). When the automatic supply ship MR2 fails to launch, Henderson and the children attempt a rescue, with Jimmy's pet Hamlet now a guinea pig. Henderson, Geoff, and Jimmy (and Hamlet) launch in MR2, discovering Valerie has stowed away. MR1 lands first; MR2 nearly collides with an unknown object during descent. Landing a hundred miles off, the two parties trek to meet. Jimmy and Hamlet fall into an airshaft leading to a cavern, where the MR1 group finds an airlock and an alien craft. They discover a fossilized body and a
- Broadcast
- April 1960
- Network
- ABC Weekend TV
- Number of episodes
- 6
- Writer
- Malcolm Hulke and Eric Paice
- Director
- Adrian Brown
- Producer
- Sydney Newman
- Main cast
- Frank Finlay as Conway Henderson, Michael Craze as Geoffrey Wedgwood
Lore & Background
Target Luna follows Professor Norman Wedgwood, head of an experimental rocket group on remote Buchan Island in Scotland. His children Geoff, Valerie, and Jimmy visit him to watch the launch of his latest rocket, along with journalist Conway Henderson. When the pilot is taken ill, Jimmy finds himself taking his place on a mission to the Moon along with his pet hamster, Hamlet. After several harrowing hours in space, Jimmy, Hamlet, and the rocket are finally brought down to earth.
Reader's Guide
Target Luna is significant as the first entry in a quartet of serials that captured British television audiences in 1960–1961. Its success spawned three sequels: Pathfinders in Space (September 1960), Pathfinders to Mars (December 1960 – January 1961), and Pathfinders to Venus (March 1961). The serials featured recast roles in later installments, with Gerald Flood and Stewart Guidotti taking over as Henderson and Geoffrey respectively. Episode 4 of Pathfinders to Mars reached second place in audience ratings on New Year's Day 1961, demonstrating the series' popularity. The serial also marked an early producing credit for Sydney Newman, who would go on to co-create Doctor Who.
Did You Know?
- Target Luna was broadcast by ABC Weekend TV in April 1960.
- The serial was produced by Sydney Newman, who later co-created Doctor Who for the BBC.
- The success of Target Luna spawned three sequels: Pathfinders in Space, Pathfinders to Mars, and Pathfinders to Venus.
- The main cast included Frank Finlay as Conway Henderson and Michael Craze as Geoffrey Wedgwood.
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