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As with its predecessors, The Interpretaris and Vega 4, Phoenix Five took its name from the spaceship that was the show's focus: the flagship of Earth Space Control, with a two-man, one-woman team, assisted by their computeroid, Karl. The show had two primary villains. For the first thirteen episodes, the villain was Zodian (the evil scientist of Vega 4, now re-cast and with a newly blue skintone), who sought galactic domination from his base on Zebula 9, with the support of his twin computers, Alpha and Zeta. When Zodian was captured, he was replaced as villain by Platonus, assisted by a computer called Tommy.
Rather than following a single story arc as its predecessors had, Phoenix Five was a series of self-contained stories, allowing the script writers to move freely around the galaxies, and explore whichever crisis the crew happened to come across.
Soourece: Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series and Don Storey's Classic Australian Television (Sighted: 6/10/2011)
Notes
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The opening sequence (as series of action shots from various episodes) was followed by an explanatory voiceover. The initial voiceover (episodes 1 to 13) ran as follows: 'The year: 2500 AD. The "Phoenix Five". The crew: Captain Roke, Ensign Adam Hargreaves, Cadet Tina Kulbrick, and their computeroid Karl. Their mission: to patrol the outer galaxies for Earth Space Control, to maintain peace, and to capture Zodian the humanoid, who with the aid of his computers Alpha and Zeta endeavours to become dictator of outer space.' When Zodian was brought to justice in episode 13, the opening voiceover changed: 'The year: 2500 AD. The "Phoenix Five". The crew: Captain Roke, Ensign Adam Hargreaves, Cadet Tina Kulbrick, and their computeroid Karl. Their mission: to preserve peace and to patrol the outer galaxies for Earth Space Control. Their constant threat: Platonus, who dreams of ruling the galaxies and, by using his computer through an innocent victim, plans to capture or destroy the Phoenix Five and her crew.'
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The late-season opening and closing credits (with voiceover) can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLV5lArrZ7c&noredirect=1 (Sighted: 6/10/2011)
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The list of episodes below is missing the author attributions for nine of the twenty-six episodes. This information will be added as and when it becomes available.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Related Works
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form
y
The Interpretaris
( dir. Alex Ezzard
et. al. )agent
Frenchs Forest
:
Artransa Film Productions
,
1966
Z1809148
1966
series - publisher
film/TV
science fiction
children's
The Interpretaris is the flagship of the all-powerful World Council's space fleet. Mysterious cargo and a secret and dangerous mission undertaken by a multinational crew form the main ingredients. The crew were assisted by a computeroid named Henry - a clumsy-looking robotic computer with artificial intelligence and almost human emotions.
Source: Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series
-
form
y
Vega 4
( dir. John S. Edwards
)
Sydney
:
Artransa Park Studios
,
1968
Z1810199
1968
series - publisher
film/TV
children's
science fiction
Vega 4 is Earth Space Control's new, untested spaceship that has capabilities surpassing those of the Interpretaris. As with the Interpretaris, Vega 4 has a crew of four - two men, a woman, and a robot. An evil scientist from Galaxy Five threatens the Earth. The crew of the Vega 4 must stop him.
Source: Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series; TV EYE Classic Australian Television
- 2500
