Space Precinct
A police procedural set on an alien planet.
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The show is a standard police procedural transferred to the fictional Demeter City on the planet Altor.[1] Only one series was produced, and its late-night scheduling in the US contributed to low ratings and cancellation.[2][1] The syndicated US broadcasts of the British series "Space Precinct" occurred from 1994 through 1995.[2]
Making and release
Gerry Anderson first approached the concept in 1986 with a pilot for "Space Police," which failed to sell and remained unaired.[1] In February 2024, the series became available on Peacock.[3] At the 45th World Science Fiction Convention in 1987, the finished pilot film—which carried the subtitle "Star Laws"—was shown.[4] A shorter 24-minute edit of the pilot was created by Anderson in 1989, working with the Moving Picture Company.[5]
Principal photography for the series took place at Pinewood Studios from May 1994 to April 1995, while the visual effects were captured at Shepperton Studios.[6] The working title "Space Police" remained in use until just before production started in 1994; at that point, the producing companies discovered that Lego held a trademark on "Space Police" and changed the show's name to "Space Precinct".[6]
What the cited sources add
The Den of Geek account notes that the series resurfaced in 1994 with a new title, new actors, new aliens, and a less comedic tone than the earlier pilot.[1] McManus describes the show's cityscape and vehicles as akin to the futuristic LA and Spinners from "Blade Runner"[1] The same source states that the first several issues of a comic were collected into a trade paperback in late 1995, titled "The Last Warrior," written by Ian Carney and illustrated by John Erasmus.[1] Richard James, who portrayed Officer Orrin, released a book titled "Space Precinct Unmasked" covering his time on the show.[1]
The Anderson Entertainment product description for the 30th Anniversary Collector's Edition Blu-ray includes a two-hour documentary, a new Slomo mini-episode, and test footage for the unmade second series.[7] That Blu-ray set also contains the "Space Police: Star Laws" pilot in HD upscaled format.[7]
References
- McManus, "Looking Back at Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct", Den of Geek, 9 October 2014. facts only, no text reused. denofgeek.com
- Wikipedia, "Space Precinct" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bentley, "The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide", Reynolds & Hearn, 2008, p. 249–251; 317–318; McManus, "Looking Back at Gerry Anderson's Space Precinct", Den of Geek, 9 October 2014 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Space Precinct" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Space Precinct: 30th Anniversary Collectors Edition [Blu-ray] (Region)", Anderson Entertainment (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Space Precinct" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Clark, "Gerry Anderson's Space Police", December 1987, p. 54-57; Archer, "What Made Thunderbirds Go! The Authorised Biography of Gerry Anderson", BBC Books, 2002, p. 254–256; 264–265 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Space Precinct" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bentley, "The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide", Reynolds & Hearn, 2008, p. 249–251; 317–318; Bentley, "The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide", Reynolds & Hearn, 2008, p. 249–251; 317–318 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Space Precinct" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bentley, "The Complete Gerry Anderson: The Authorised Episode Guide", Reynolds & Hearn, 2008, p. 249–251; 317–318 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Space Precinct: 30th Anniversary Collectors Edition [Blu-ray] (Region)", Anderson Entertainment. facts only, no text reused. gerryanderson.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Space Precinct (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Space Precinct (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Currency conversion: European Central Bank euro reference rates, rates of 16 October 2026.
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