Target Luna

Target Luna

Company type	Television series
Industry	Television
Founded	April 1960 (1960-04)
Founder	Sydney Newman
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Science fiction television serials

Target Luna was a British television series aired by ABC Weekend TV in April 1960. Crafted by writers Malcolm Hulke and Eric Paice, directed by Adrian Brown, and produced by Sydney Newman—who would later co-create Doctor Who—the initial serial featured Frank Finlay portraying Conway Henderson and Michael Craze as Geoffrey Wedgwood. Its popularity prompted three follow-up series: Pathfinders in Space (September 1960), Pathfinders to Mars (December 1960 – January 1961), and Pathfinders to Venus (March 1961), with Gerald Flood and Stewart Guidotti assuming the roles of Henderson and Geoffrey in the recast lineup.

Serials

The four serials comprising Target Luna and the Pathfinders collection garnered considerable viewer interest, notably with episode 4 of Pathfinders to Mars achieving the second-highest ratings on New Year's Day 1961.

Target Luna

Episode count: 6

• The Rocket Station
• Count Down
• The Strange Illness
• Storm in Space
• Solar Flare
• The Falling Star

Plot

Professor Norman Wedgwood (David Markham) heads a rocket experiment based on Buchan Island, Scotland. His children—Geoff (Michael Craze), Valerie (Sylvia Davies), and Jimmy (Michael Hammond)—join journalist Conway Henderson (Frank Finlay) to observe a rocket launch. When the pilot becomes incapacitated, Jimmy steps in for the Moon voyage accompanied by his pet hamster, Hamlet. After a challenging trip, they return safely to Earth.

Pathfinders in Space

Episode count: 7

• 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

Plot

Professor Wedgwood (now portrayed by Peter Williams) organizes a new lunar expedition. Geoff, Valerie, and Jimmy (now played by Stewart Guidotti, Gillian Ferguson, and Richard Dean) accompany journalist Conway Henderson (now Gerald Flood). Following an automatic launch failure of supply ship MR2, Henderson and the children embark on a rescue mission with Jimmy’s pet Hamlet, who is now a guinea pig.

Henderson, Geoff, Jimmy, and Hamlet set off aboard MR2 only to find Valerie has secretly joined them. MR1 lands first; MR2 experiences a near collision entering lunar orbit but manages an off-target landing. The teams reunite after Jimmy and Hamlet descend an airshaft leading to a cavern containing an alien spacecraft and ancient human remains. Meteoroid impacts destroy MR1, forcing evacuation via MR2. Wedgwood pilots the alien ship, facilitating the entire crew’s safe return. Reflecting on humanity’s exploration drive back on Earth, Wedgwood muses: "As man reaches out to touch the stars, who knows what he may find."

Pathfinders to Mars

Episode count: 6

• The Imposter
• Sabotage in Space
• The Hostage
• Lichens! (broadcast live)
• Zero Hour on the Red Planet (broadcast live)
• Falling into the Sun (broadcast live)

Synopsis

A follow-up expedition utilizing the advanced MR4 (Moon Rocket 4) launches from Buchan Island, with Henderson at the helm and a team that includes Professor Wedgwood's son Geoff, Professor Mary Meadows, Henderson's niece Margret (Hester Cameron), and Hamlet. Science journalist Harcourt Brown (George Coulouris) secretly joins the mission, determined to reroute it toward Mars, convinced that life exists there.

Brown manages to divert MR4’s course to Mars. Confronted with a prolonged return trip, the crew sets out to locate water near their landing site adjacent to the polar ice cap. They discover lichens and deep fissures; however, Brown, disheartened by the lack of intelligent beings, attempts to abandon the others. The lichens infiltrate MR4, halting Brown and enabling the rest of the team to regain control.

With Earth having moved beyond Mars’ orbit, a direct return is impossible. Brown suggests leveraging the Sun’s gravitational pull for a slingshot maneuver back home. The crew gradually suffers from gamma radiation exposure until Mercury causes a total eclipse that blocks the rays. Unfortunately, this results in their entrapment within Mercury’s gravitational field.

They find satellite facilities on Mercury established by Buchan Island that assist in navigation, allowing MR4 to escape danger. As they proceed homeward, Brown speculates about extraterrestrial life on other worlds and sets his sights on Venus next.

Pathfinders to Venus

Number of episodes: 8

• S.O.S From Venus
• Into the Poison Cloud
• The Living Planet
• The Creature
• The Venus People
• The City
• The Valley of the Monsters
• Planet on Fire

Synopsis

Following their return from Mars, MR4 receives an emergency signal from U.S. astronaut Captain Wilson and alters course toward Venus for a rescue mission. Brown observes what seems to be a settlement and persuades the crew to land for investigation.

On Venus, they encounter an extensive jungle capable of supporting life. Wilson’s rocket capsule is located but found internally destroyed. Brown separates from the group and meets Wilson, who guides him toward his 'city'.

Meanwhile, Henderson, Meadows, Geoff, and Margret explore volcanic caverns where they come across primitive humans and meet Wilson, Brown, and a Venusian cave-child named 'Kiki'. Forced to escape an advancing lava flow, they traverse a desert landscape.

Their exploration reveals Venus as an Earth-like world where dinosaurs and prehistoric humans coexist alongside rich deposits of diamonds and uranium. Near Brown’s city lies an ancient burial site belonging to Kiki’s ancestors.

Upon returning to the jungle, they find it ablaze heading toward MR4. Brown intends to destroy the rocket to preserve Venus’s environment but Henderson vetoes this plan just as a Russian rocket arrives nearby. Colonel Korolyov offers additional fuel for MR4 in exchange for Wilson’s confidential stellar telecommunications project.

Brown opts to stay behind on Venus with Kiki, accepting responsibility for his prior actions. MR4 departs carrying fuel for the journey home. After several months away, the rescue team returns safely to Buchan Island.

Target Luna

Directed by Adrian Brown.

• David Markham as Professor Norman Wedgwood
• John Cairney as Ian Murray
• Frank Finlay as Conway Henderson
• Michael Craze as Geoffrey Wedgwood
• Sylvia Davies as Valerie Wedgwood
• Michael Hammond as Jimmy Wedgwood
• William Ingram as Flt Lt Williams
• Deborah Stanford as Jean Cary
• Robert Stuart as Dr Stevens
• Phyllis Kenny as Pat Maxwell
• Michael Verney as Mr Field
• Annette Kerr as Mrs Wedgwood
• Mel Oxley as the Newscaster

Pathfinders in Space

With Guy Verney stepping in as director, all returning characters were recast. To enhance on-screen clarity, Jimmy's pet was switched from a hamster named Hamlet to a guinea pig. Despite the new casting, continuity was preserved through consistent references to the earlier series.

• Peter Williams as Professor Norman Wedgwood
• Harold Goldblatt as Dr O'Connell
• Gerald Flood as Conway Henderson
• Stewart Guidotti as Geoffrey Wedgwood
• Gillian Ferguson as Valerie Wedgwood
• Richard Dean as Jimmy Wedgwood
• Pamela Barney as Professor Mary Meadows
• Irene Sutcliffe as Jean Cary
• Hugh Evans as Ian Murray
• Astor Sklair as John Field
• Michael Guest as Michael Kennedy

Pathfinders to Mars

Guy Verney remained at the helm for this installment. The characters Valerie and Jimmy Wedgwood were removed, and Professor Wedgwood retired early in the storyline, shifting narrative emphasis toward Conway Henderson and Ian Murray. New additions to the cast included Margret Henderson and the science writer Harcourt Brown.

• Gerald Flood as Conway Henderson
• George Coulouris as Harcourt Brown (also credited as 'The Imposter' in The Imposter)
• Stewart Guidotti as Geoffrey Wedgwood
• Pamela Barney as Professor Mary Meadows
• Hester Cameron as Margret Henderson
• Hugh Evans as Ian Murray
• Astor Sklair as John Field
• Bernard Horsfall as Professor Hawkins
• Peter Williams as Professor Norman Wedgwood (appearing only in Episode 1)

Pathfinders to Venus

Direction was shared between Guy Verney, who handled episodes 1 through 5 and episode 7, and Reginald Collin, who directed episodes 6 and 8. The principal cast returned with the addition of Captain Wilson and Kiki.

• Gerald Flood as Conway Henderson
• George Coulouris as Harcourt Brown
• Stewart Guidotti as Geoffrey Wedgwood
• Pamela Barney as Professor Mary Meadows
• Hester Cameron as Margret Henderson
• Graydon Gould as Captain Wilson
• Hugh Evans as Ian Murray
• Astor Sklair as John Field
• Brigid Skemp as Kiki (Venusian Child)
• Bob Bryan as The Venusian
• Robert James as Colonel Korolyov

Production

Sydney Newman’s vision was to develop a children’s adventure serial that combined entertainment with scientific education, particularly focusing on the Space Race. Malcolm Hulke and Eric Paice scripted all four serials. Adrian Brown directed Target Luna, while Guy Verney directed the three Pathfinders series, with Reginald Collins directing two episodes. Notably, Pathfinders to Venus incorporated animated dinosaurs sourced from the Czech film Journey to the Beginning of Time. Due to scheduling pressures during Pathfinders to Mars, the final three episodes were performed live.

Reception and influence

Both Target Luna and its sequels garnered strong viewership figures. One episode broadcast on Christmas Day 1960 reportedly achieved the second highest audience numbers after the Queen’s annual address. The character of Professor Wedgwood and his rocket team echoed the popularity of BBC’s Professor Bernard Quatermass.

The seventh episode of Pathfinders to Venus, titled The Valley of Monsters, was utilized by Cambridge University’s Department of Education in research investigating children’s responses to television content. Intentional production errors were highlighted via captions to inform viewers of their purpose within the study. Results showed that children were forgiving of minor flaws when engaged by a compelling storyline. Newman later stressed that young viewers are "discerning, intelligent and capable," insisting they cannot be captivated through careless or low-effort production.

In 1962, Newman departed ABC to become Head of Drama at BBC Television, where he launched Doctor Who in 1963. Two actors from the Pathfinders series subsequently appeared in Doctor Who: Michael Craze, who portrayed Geoffrey Wedgwood in Target Luna, took on the role of Ben Jackson, while Gerald Flood provided the voice for Kamelion.

Several members of the Pathfinders cast and crew went on to work on three further science fiction serials: Plateau of Fear (1961) along with its follow-ups City Beneath the Sea (1961) and Secret Beneath the Sea (1962). These featured Flood in the role of journalist Mark Bannerman and Guidotti portraying photographer Peter Blake.

Availability

The original recordings of these programs were made on expensive videotapes, which were frequently erased and reused. Nevertheless, telerecordings of the Pathfinders series were created to facilitate international distribution. Although Target Luna remains absent from archival collections, the three Pathfinders series, once believed to be lost, were recovered from overseas broadcasters and subsequently returned to ITV. In 2011, the last missing episode was discovered within ITV's archives. Following this, all three Pathfinders series were issued on DVD by Network DVD, marking 51 years since their initial airing.