Astronauts (TV series) 2073232 213897632 2008-05-21T07:10:01Z UpDown 796349 /* Plot */ {{infobox television | | show_name = Astronauts | image = | caption = | genre = [[Situation comedy|Sitcom]] | runtime = 30 minutes | creator = | starring = [[Christopher Godwin]]<br>[[Carmen du Sautoy|Carmen Du Sautoy]]<br>[[Barrie Rutter]]<br>[[Bruce Boa]] | country = {{UK}} | network = [[ITV]] | first_aired = [[26 October]] | last_aired = [[7 December]] [[1981]] | num_episodes = 7 | imdb_id = 0081828 }} '''''Astronauts''''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Situation comedy|sitcom]] that aired on [[ITV]] in 1981. It was written by [[Graeme Garden]] and [[Bill Oddie]], two of ''[[The Goodies]]''. [[Dick Clement]] and [[Ian La Frenais]], who wrote ''[[Porridge (TV series)|Porridge]]'', were script editors. It was made for the [[ITV]] network by [[Associated TeleVision|ATV]]. ==Cast== *[[Christopher Godwin]] - Commander Malcolm Mattocks *[[Carmen du Sautoy|Carmen Du Sautoy]] - Dr. Gentian Foster *[[Barrie Rutter]] - Technical Officer David Ackroyd *[[Bruce Boa]] - Beadle ==Plot== In ''Astronauts'', Britain's first three astronauts are sent off into outer space to occupy a 'sky lab' for six months. They take with them a dog, white mice and some insects. The dog, Bimbo, had previously appeared in ''[[The Goodies]]''. The astronauts are Malcolm Mattocks, Gentian Foster and David Ackroyd. The astronauts' contact at Mission Control is Beadle, an [[United States|American]]. The main humour came from the claustrophobic conditions of the two-room "sky lab", and tension it brought. ==Episodes== #Episode One ([[26 October]] [[1981]]) #Episode Two ([[2 November]] [[1981]]) #Episode Three ([[9 November]] [[1981]]) #"Absence Makes The Heart" ([[16 November]] [[1981]]) #"We Are Not Alone" ([[23 November]] [[1981]]) #"One Week To Go" ([[30 November]] [[1981]]) #"Going Home" ([[7 December]] [[1981]]) ==American version== On [[11 August]] [[1982]], [[CBS]] showed a pilot for an American adaptation called ''The Astronauts'', but no series developed. It starred [[Granville Van Dusen]] as Mattocks, [[Brianne Leary]] as Foster, [[Bruce Davison]] as Ackroyd and [[McLean Stevenson]] as Beadle. ==References== *[[Mark Lewisohn]], "Radio Times Guide to TV Comedy", BBC Worldwide Ltd, 2003 *[http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/a/astronauts_1299000162.shtml BBC TV Comedy Guide for ''Astronauts''] {{DEFAULTSORT:Astronauts}} [[Category:1981 television series debuts]] [[Category:1981 television series endings]] [[Category:1980s British television series]] [[Category:British science fiction television programmes]] [[Category:ITV sitcoms]]