5 Jan 1981 — 45 years ago. Just before 9pm, I hovered over my new video recorder, waiting for Gilbert O’Sullivan to vacate BBC2. Finally he did, and I hit record as The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy began. I’m sure many sci-fi fans of my vintage were doing the same. #DouglasAdams #H2G2

SCROOGE-ATHON At this time of year there is an immovable fixture in my calendar: the Scrooge-athon. Every year, from 1 December until Christmas Day, I work my way through as many versions of A Christmas Carol as I can possibly fit in. I’ve been doing this for decades now. Naturally, my…

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA AND THE ILKLEY MOOR ALIEN I'm not looking to become a UFO debunker but... I recently discussed my theory that a famous British UFO sighting might have been inspired by an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man. Well, I think I’ve found another incident of a television-inspired…

BIRTHDAY ON THE PLANET OF THE APES A happy 80th birthday to James Naughton, who starred in the 1974 Planet of the Apes television series. Naughton played Major Pete Burke, one of two astronauts flung through a time warp to a horrific future where humans were most definitely not in charge (or, as…

WAS THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN BEHIND A REAL LIFE UFO MYSTERY? Left to my own devices last night, I realised it had been a while since I’d watched any episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man, so I treated myself to a mini‑marathon. For once, I thought, I’d give the Bigfoot and Seven Million Dollar…

Land of the Giants premiered on US TV on 22 Sept 1968. Here in the UK, I first discovered Giants in 1969 via Joe 90: Top Secret comic, then finally saw the series itself on ITV in ’72. (At a dark time in my childhood, the crew of the Spindrift gave me strength. I’ll always be grateful.)

Happy Birthday to Frazer Hines. I started watching Doctor Who in 1967, during the Patrick Troughton era, and Jamie McCrimmon was my first companion. To this day, he's still my favourite... well, okay, joint favourite with Jo Grant and Sarah Jane Smith (don't ever ask me to choose!). #DoctorWho

Raumpatrouille — Die phantastischen Abenteuer des Raumschiffes Orion — began on German television, this day in 1966. What a pity that we didn't get the series in the U.K. If only the huge popularity of Star Trek in this country had prompted the BBC to dub the seven part series into English.

Happy Birthday to Star Trek's Mr Chekov, Walter Koenig, who turns 89 today. #StarTrek #WalterKoenig #StarTrekTOS #RetroSciFi

SEPTEMBER 13th, 1999 Remembering the brave men and women of Moonbase Alpha, who were lost when the Moon was hurled out of orbit, this day in 1999. #Space1999 #GerryAnderson #RetroSciFi

FIFTY YEARS OF SPACE: 1999 Today I ‘sort of’ celebrate the 50th anniversary of Space: 1999. Why only sort of, you might ask. Surely old Roo is a fan of that series. Well, yes I am — very much so. Space: 1999 is on the top shelf, or in the first division if you’re sporty, of my Telefantasy…

London, 19th August 1981. Promotion for the BBC's Autumn season, featuring Pamela Stephenson, Peter Davison, Mike Yarwood and Chloe Salaman. #DoctorWho #PeterDavison

THE TIME TUNNEL: DOUG VS THE GHOST Wishing a very happy 94th birthday to Robert Colbert, alias Dr Doug Phillips in The Time Tunnel. Most people who know me are well aware of how close The Time Tunnel is to my heart. It captured my imagination when I first saw it on the BBC back in 1968, and I’ve…

afanofacertainage.wordpress.com/2025/07/19/t... #TheTimeTunnel #JamesDarren #IrwinAllen #RetroSciFi #TimeTunnel

On July 19, 1965, filming began on Star Trek’s second pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” After NBC saw this episode, they were pleased with the results and decided that Star Trek would be a weekly television series. “I believe there’s some hope for you after all, Mister Spock.” #StarTrek

A very special Batty Birthday to Burt Ward, alias Robin, the 'Boy' Wonder, who turns 80 years young today! Holy octogenarian, Batman! #BurtWard #Robin #Batman66

Apparently it's World UFO Day. I have no idea who comes up with these things but it sounds like a good idea to me. #WorldUFODay #GerryAnderson #UFO #RetroSciFi

I must confess that I was never much of a fan of Lost in Space, however, happy birthday to June Lockhart as she turns 100 today. Here's to you, Mrs Robinson. #LostInSpace #JuneLockhart #IrwinAllen #RetroSciFi

What's that, you say? Halfway to Christmas! Already?!! #Christmas #Scrooge #AlastairSim #HalfwayToChristmas

Star Wars vs Battlestar Galactica Artwork from Fantastic Films Issue 7 – April 1979. (I like both, by the way.) #BattlestarGalactica #RetroSciFi

Happy Bionic Birthday to Lindsay Wagner. Here she is in June, 1976, visiting the UK to promote The Bionic Woman. #BionicWoman #LindsayWagner

Many Happy Returns to Derren Nesbitt on his 90th birthday. #DerrenNesbitt #ThePrisoner

Me and my bsky bubble...

Happy Birthday to Carole Ann Ford who turns 85 today. #DoctorWho #CaroleAnnFord

I've only just heard that Clifton Jones has passed away. He played Moonbase Alpha’s computer specialist, David Kano, in the first season of Space: 1999. So sorry to lose another Alphan—especially only days after Prentis Hancock passed away. R.I.P.

June 12, 1983: On this day in the distant future/past, sub-orbital passenger flight 612, en route from Los Angeles to London, ran into some very big trouble... #LandOfTheGiants #IrwinAllen

Remembering James Darren, my childhood hero from The Time Tunnel, on what would have been his 89th birthday. #JamesDarren #TheTimeTunnel #IrwinAllen #TimeTunnel

Very sorry to hear of the passing of Space: 1999 star Prentis Hancock, who played Paul Morrow in the show's first (and best) season. He also appeared as a guest star in several classic Doctor Who adventures. R.I.P.

A very happy 90th birthday to Lee Meriwether! Lovely Lee appeared in many of my favourite TV series and films, including Batman and Star Trek. But it was when Lee played Dr Ann MacGregor on The Time Tunnel that I first lost my heart to her. #LeeMeriwether #TheTimeTunnel #Batman66 #StarTrek

Meanwhile, at Project Tic-Toc... The Time Tunnel team might be struggling to retrieve James Darren, but at least they’ve managed to snag some cups and saucers from the Titanic. #TheTimeTunnel #JamesDarren #IrwinAllen

Can it really be 35 years since I went to see The Ultimate Adventure at the Manchester Opera House? Watching the Doctor battle Daleks and Cybermen on television is one thing, but seeing it unfold right in front of you is indescribably wonderful. #DoctorWho #JonPertwee

Land of the Giants listing from TV Times dated 28 April, 1972. I recall carefully cutting out the accompanying publicity picture and pasting it in my scrapbook. Funnily enough, the exact same pic appeared in the mag again the following week. #LandOfTheGiants #IrwinAllen

Another memorable Superman story from the 1970s. Faora Hu-Ul escaped from the Phantom Zone, and, as a Kryptonian under a yellow sun, she possessed all the same powers as Superman. Her mastery of a deadly Kryptonian martial art made her a top-tier threat for the Man of Steel. #Superman #DCComics

Very sorry to hear that Rachel Herbert passed away on 7th March 2025, at the age of 90. She gave a most memorable performance as Number 58 in the 'Free For All' episode of The Prisoner. "Tick... Tick!" #ThePrisoner #Portmeirion #RachelHerbert #PatrickMcGoohan

Nice charity shop find – Batman & Robin Annual No. 1, published by Brown & Watson Ltd in 1972. What's particularly special is that I owned a copy of this annual back in the day, but that one was lost in the house fire that consumed my childhood home. It’s great to have it back again.

Happy Birthday to George Takei and Louise Jameson. Sulu and Leela. Oh my, what a multidimensional adventure that would be! #StarTrek #DoctorWho #GeorgeTakei #LouiseJameson

The early morning hours of 15 April 1912, and time is running out for time-tunnellers Doug Phillips and Tony Newman, who remain trapped aboard the sinking RMS Titanic. Only a desperate gamble by their colleagues back at Project Tic-Toc can save them. #TheTimeTunnel #Titanic #JamesDarren #IrwinAllen

"I've no right to take a place in one of those lifeboats..." April 15th, 1912: As the Titanic continues to sink, Tony (James Darren) attempts to convince a reluctant Althea (Susan Hampshire) that her life is worth saving. #TheTimeTunnel #Titanic #JamesDarren #SusanHampshire #IrwinAllen

"It occurs to me now you may even know whether I will die tonight" Aboard the sinking RMS Titanic, time travellers Tony Newman (James Darren) and Doug Phillips (Robert Colbert) have a difficult conversation with Captain Smith (Michael Rennie). #TheTimeTunnel #Titanic #JamesDarren #IrwinAllen

14th April, 1965: Legendary Doctor Who producer Verity Lambert confronts a flame-belching Mechanoid at Ealing Studios, London... and lights her ciggy with it. #DoctorWho #Mechanoids #VerityLambert

Sorry to hear Jean Marsh has passed away. I didn’t see her playing Sara Kingdom in the 1960s, as I was slightly too young for the William Hartnell era of Doctor Who, but I came to appreciate the character in later life. I think I will always remember her best as Rose Buck in Upstairs, Downstairs.

Happy 74th Birthday to Peter Davison, the 5th Doctor. #DoctorWho #PeterDavison #TARDIS

Apparently it's Trading Cards for Adults Day. No, I don't know who comes up with these things either. The first cards I remember collecting appeared in shops in 1966. The Riddler's Riddle was a set of 38 cards featuring photos from the Batman TV series and movie, with a riddle to solve on the back.

Happy 87th Birthday to Roy Thinnes, former fighter of invading aliens and part-time architect (though I don't recall David Vincent stopping to do much architectural work). Thinnes also recorded The Norliss Tapes and played Roger Collins in the short-lived Dark Shadows revival. #TheInvaders

Just finished watching Batman Forever in tribute to the late Val Kilmer. While I might have issues with the script and some of the casting, Kilmer is beyond reproach, and he remains my favourite live-action Batman/Bruce Wayne after Adam West. R.I.P.

I'm constantly posting anniversaries and birthdays, but some are a little more special to me than others. Case in point... Happy 80th Birthday to Heather Young, alias 'Spindrift' stewardess Betty Hamilton from Land of the Giants, one of my earliest crushes. #LandOfTheGiants #HeatherYoung

Creepy. Kooky. Mysterious. Spooky. Altogether ooky... Happy Birthday to John Astin, who turns 95 today.

Happy Birthday to Gabrielle Drake, who turns 81 today. Gentlemen of a certain vintage may well have fond memories of Gabrielle in the purple wig and silver catsuit she wore as Lt. Ellis in U.F.O. #UFO #GabrielleDrake #GerryAnderson

Remembering Patrick Troughton on what would have been his 105th birthday. While Troughton was the Second Doctor, he was my first Doctor. I first became aware of and fell in love with Doctor Who midway through ‘The Evil of the Daleks’ back in 1967—and he's still my favourite. #DoctorWho

Today marks 30 years since Quinn Mallory, Wade Wells, Professor Maximillian Arturo and Rembrandt "Cryin' Man" Brown were sucked into a wormhole and became SLIDERS. There were five seasons but, for me, once John Rhy-Davies and Sabrina Lloyd departed, Sliders was never the same. #Sliders