TV Sci-fi drama/documentary, which caused world-wide headlines when first broadcast as it purported to show a link between Britain's 'brain-drain', climate change and a human colony on Mars.TV Sci-fi drama/documentary, which caused world-wide headlines when first broadcast as it purported to show a link between Britain's 'brain-drain', climate change and a human colony on Mars.TV Sci-fi drama/documentary, which caused world-wide headlines when first broadcast as it purported to show a link between Britain's 'brain-drain', climate change and a human colony on Mars.
Brian Pendlebury
- Graham Fowler
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAs it was produced like a documentary and meant to be shown as an episode of the series "Science Report", many people believe it was based on a true story. The fact it has never been repeated on British TV has given ammunition to conspiracy theorists who believe it was meant to blow the whistle on an actual government project and alien threat. The film was originally intended to be broadcast on April Fools' Day as a hoax, but it was delayed until June by industrial action.
- ConnectionsEdited into UFO to bei so uchû kaihatsu no inbô (1982)
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Here's a letter from the author
The film is associated with a book by a guy called Leslie Watkins. It was all meant as a hoax, but Watkins later decided that maybe he had accidentally hit on something. He published the following letter to the editor of Windwords magazine in response to certain questions from her:
Dear Ms. Dittrich:
Thank you for your letter, which reached me today. Naturally, I am
delighted by your interest in Alternative 3 and by the fact that you
plan to sell it in the Windwords bookstore. I will certainly
cooperate in any way I can.
The correct description of Alternative 3 was given to you by the
representative from Penguin Books. The book is based on fact, but
uses that fact as a launchpad for a HIGH DIVE INTO FICTION. In answer to your specific questions:
1) There is no astronaut named Grodin.
2) There is no Sceptre Television and the reported Benson is also
fictional.
3) There is no Dr. Gerstein.
4) Yes, a "documentary" was televised in June 1977 on Anglia
Television, which went out to the entire national network in
Britain. It was called Alternative 3 and was written by David
Ambrose and produced by Christopher Miles (whose names were on
the book for contractual reasons). This original TV version,
which I EXPANDED IMMENSELY for the book, was ACTUALLY A HOAX
which had been scheduled for transmission on April Fools' Day.
Because of certain problems in finding the right network slot,
the transmission was delayed.
The TV program did cause a tremendous uproar because viewers refused
to believe it was fiction. I initially took the view that the basic
premise was so way-out, particularly the way I aimed to present it in
the book, that no one would regard it as non-fiction. Immediately
after publication, I realized I was totally wrong. In fact, the
amazing mountains of letters from virtually all parts of the world-
including vast numbers from highly intelligent people in positions of
responsibility-convinced me that I had ACCIDENTALLY trespassed into a
range of top-secret truths.
Documentary evidence provided by many of these correspondents decided
me to write a serious and COMPLETELY NON-FICTION sequel.
Unfortunately, a chest containing the bulk of the letters was among
the items which were mysteriously LOST IN TRANSIT some four years when I moved from London, England, to Sydney, Australia, before I moved on to settle in New Zealand. For some time after Alternative 3 was
originally published, I have reason to suppose that my home telephone
was being tapped and my contacts who were experienced in such matters
were convinced that certain intelligence agencies considered that I
probably knew too much.
So, summing up, the book is FICTION BASED ON FACT. But I now feel
that I inadvertently got VERY CLOSE TO A SECRET TRUTH. I hope this is of some help to you and I look forward to hearing from you again.
With best wishes,
Leslie Watkins
So, that's what leslie Watkins says. How extraordinary now that Global Warming transpires to be real, and may well destroy the world. I hope I won't be around to witness it.
Dear Ms. Dittrich:
Thank you for your letter, which reached me today. Naturally, I am
delighted by your interest in Alternative 3 and by the fact that you
plan to sell it in the Windwords bookstore. I will certainly
cooperate in any way I can.
The correct description of Alternative 3 was given to you by the
representative from Penguin Books. The book is based on fact, but
uses that fact as a launchpad for a HIGH DIVE INTO FICTION. In answer to your specific questions:
1) There is no astronaut named Grodin.
2) There is no Sceptre Television and the reported Benson is also
fictional.
3) There is no Dr. Gerstein.
4) Yes, a "documentary" was televised in June 1977 on Anglia
Television, which went out to the entire national network in
Britain. It was called Alternative 3 and was written by David
Ambrose and produced by Christopher Miles (whose names were on
the book for contractual reasons). This original TV version,
which I EXPANDED IMMENSELY for the book, was ACTUALLY A HOAX
which had been scheduled for transmission on April Fools' Day.
Because of certain problems in finding the right network slot,
the transmission was delayed.
The TV program did cause a tremendous uproar because viewers refused
to believe it was fiction. I initially took the view that the basic
premise was so way-out, particularly the way I aimed to present it in
the book, that no one would regard it as non-fiction. Immediately
after publication, I realized I was totally wrong. In fact, the
amazing mountains of letters from virtually all parts of the world-
including vast numbers from highly intelligent people in positions of
responsibility-convinced me that I had ACCIDENTALLY trespassed into a
range of top-secret truths.
Documentary evidence provided by many of these correspondents decided
me to write a serious and COMPLETELY NON-FICTION sequel.
Unfortunately, a chest containing the bulk of the letters was among
the items which were mysteriously LOST IN TRANSIT some four years when I moved from London, England, to Sydney, Australia, before I moved on to settle in New Zealand. For some time after Alternative 3 was
originally published, I have reason to suppose that my home telephone
was being tapped and my contacts who were experienced in such matters
were convinced that certain intelligence agencies considered that I
probably knew too much.
So, summing up, the book is FICTION BASED ON FACT. But I now feel
that I inadvertently got VERY CLOSE TO A SECRET TRUTH. I hope this is of some help to you and I look forward to hearing from you again.
With best wishes,
Leslie Watkins
So, that's what leslie Watkins says. How extraordinary now that Global Warming transpires to be real, and may well destroy the world. I hope I won't be around to witness it.
- Major_Movie_Star
- Jan 31, 2006
- Permalink
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- Science Report: Alternative 3
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