Television
The Space Series
By CLIFFORD HANLEY
AND while we're on the sub- ject of formula series, let's not forget the rigorous pre- ordained ritual of space flight. If you think of earth-orbits as technical experiments—as events in real life, that is— then you'll obviously accept a wide range of unpredictables. On the other hand, it you regard them as public performances, you will expect a slick production, some neat tricks to create tension and the good old bing-bang finish, hero emerging from the capsule with a wry, clean-cut grin, superimpose tracking-shot of deep space, fade up music, cue-in announcer, run captions, cut to commercial.
I shouldn't dream of belittling the courage and stamina of Scott Carpenter, and I stand awestruck at the sheer scale of America's Mer- cury operations. I would also say that both chan- nels provided a good, professional coverage of last week's flight—the BBC, obviously, has the edge in a job like this because it's less tyrannised by programme schedules.
Nevertheless, my own interest in the pro- gramme was fairly mild, apart from the late sequence when Carpenter's capsule overshot and was actually lost in the ocean. His flight didn't differ very much from Colonel Glenn's, after all, and it even seemed less real because we were now accustomed to the big build-up, count- down, blast-off and so on. In fact, it almost seemed at times as if the whole thing had been designed as television material rather than space research; as if the choice and nature of the ex- periment were subjugated to the demands of audience reaction. This is probably an unfair and superficial comment, but I can only say that my own reaction looks like diminishing with each successive episode in the series, if it goes on being smothered in formula-entertain- ment techniques. It gave the impression that the space-men themselves are chosen partly on their potentialities as public performers, since Color..z1 Glenn Was at the microphone doing superLly both as technocrat and as commentator.
Barry Bucknell has also subjugated his choice of technological experiment to the demands of television; but then, that's what he's sup- posed to be doing. In Bracknell's House we are now making steady progress on that utterly horrifying old house which he is rehabilitating. Well, I'm a sucker for this kind of flight into the unknown. Indeed, I suspect that Bucknell is closer than Commander Carpenter to being tht hero-figure of our age. Space-flight may be difficult in theory, but we all know how hard it is to saw a straight line in a half-inch plank. I have lived in a house rather like the old ruin which the BBC has bought, and I sometimes dreamed of turning it into a palace. 1 dreamed and did nothing. But Bucknell makes it look possible, and I suggest that it's not only because he's so expert, but because he's brave. The sight of the rob doesn't paralyse him, as it does me, s-.) I keep watching him in the hope that some of his quiet British-bulldog spirit will infect me.
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