Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers

Lore & Background

The series was produced by John Fairley and directed by Peter Jones, Michael Weigall and Charles Flynn. In 1984, G.P. Putnam's Sons published a hardcover book with the same name, authored by Simon Welfare and John Fairley, which further explored the contents of the show. The book featured an introduction written by Clarke as well as his remarks at the end of each chapter or topic. A paperback edition was released in 1985 by HarperCollins Publishers.

Reader's Guide

Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers holds significance as a sequel to the earlier Mysterious World series, continuing Clarke's exploration of unexplained phenomena for a television audience. The series was followed by Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe, broadcast in 1994. A collection DVD box set of all three Arthur C. Clarke documentary series was released in July 2013 by Visual Entertainment, with separate re-releases in September 2013. The series remains a notable entry in the genre of paranormal documentary programming from the 1980s.

Did You Know?

• The series was produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV network.
• Arthur C. Clarke's segments were filmed at his home in Sri Lanka.
• A hardcover book of the same name was published in 1984 by G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Production & Creative Vision

Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers came to life through a collaborative effort behind the camera. Yorkshire Television took on the production role, delivering the thirteen-episode package to the ITV network for its 1985 broadcast. John Fairley served as the series producer, while directing responsibilities were shared among three filmmakers: Peter Jones, Michael Weigall, and Charles Flynn. This distribution of creative leadership across multiple directors suggests a series that embraced varied visual and narrative approaches episode by episode. On the audio side, Anna Ford carried the narration for each individual installment, guiding viewers through the paranormal subject matter. Clarke himself appeared in brief introductory sequences, filmed at his residence in Sri Lanka, lending his well-known voice and presence to frame each episode. The result was a production that balanced a recognizable literary figure's on-screen authority with a dedicated team of television professionals handling the bulk of the storytelling.

The Companion Book

Before the television series even reached viewers, a hardcover book bearing the same title was published in 1984 by G.P. Putnam's Sons. Written by Simon Welfare and John Fairley—the latter also serving as the show's producer—the volume expanded upon the paranormal topics explored on screen, offering readers a deeper dive into each subject. Clarke contributed an introduction to the book and additionally penned closing remarks at the end of every chapter, effectively bookending the material with his perspective. The hardcover edition gave the project a print presence a full year before the 1985 broadcast, suggesting the material was developed with a dual audience in mind. In 1985, HarperCollins Publishers issued a paperback edition, making the content more accessible to a broader readership. The close collaboration between the book's authors and the television production team, combined with Clarke's personal involvement in both the written and filmed versions, created a unified multimedia experience around the theme of the unexplained.

Place in the Trilogy & Legacy

World of Strange Powers occupied the middle position in a three-part documentary trilogy anchored by Clarke's name and reputation. It followed the 1980 series Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World, picking up the torch of paranormal investigation for a new generation of ITV viewers. Nearly a decade later, in 1994, the franchise continued with Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe, extending the series' thematic reach beyond Earth to the cosmos. The trilogy's enduring appeal was recognized in 2013 when Visual Entertainment released a DVD box set collecting all three series—Mysterious World, World of Strange Powers, and Mysterious Universe—into a single package in July of that year. Two months later, in September 2013, the same distributor made each series available as individual releases, giving fans the option to purchase just the title they preferred. This home-video revival, arriving nearly three decades after the original broadcast, speaks to the lasting curiosity the trilogy sparked in audiences about the paranormal and the unexplained.

Format & Presentation

The series adopted a distinctive structural approach that set it apart from a straightforward documentary format. Spanning thirteen episodes, World of Strange Powers was designed as a British television event for the ITV audience, each installment tackling a different facet of the paranormal. Rather than having a single narrator carry the entire production, the show divided its on-screen voices: Clarke appeared in short introductory sequences, filmed in the familiar setting of his home in Sri Lanka, while Anna Ford took on the narration for each individual episode. This dual-voice structure gave the series a layered quality—Clarke provided the authoritative framing and personal connection, while Ford guided viewers through the detailed content of each topic. The choice to film Clarke in his Sri Lankan residence, rather than in a studio, added an intimate, almost conversational tone to the introductions. The paranormal focus, combined with the literary prestige of Clarke's name, positioned the series as an accessible yet credible exploration of the strange and unexplained.