ORBzine - Hyperdrive TV Review
[Season 1 !Season 2 ]
Hyperdrive [Season 1, Episode 1]
A Gift from the Glish
Shown 12th January 2006 [Wednesday]
In the wake of the return of Dr Who , the BBC delivers another scifi show. This time it's a comedy, shown late night on BBC2.
It's the year 2151. The UK sends a spaceship to meet alien races, to attract investment in UK business. Unfortunately they run into some unfriendlies ...
The obvious comparison is with Red Dwarf . However, this effort falls far short. It's more like The Office in space. There are no belly-laughs, no funny dialogue, just a very low-key feel. The ship's captain, a short fat beardy bloke named Henderson, even looks a bit like Ricky Gervase! The theme tune is Colonel Bogey's March, not in the same league as Howard Goodall's song.
Hyperdrive [Season 1, Episode 2
]
Hello, Queppu
Shown 18th January 2006 [Wednesday]
Hyperdrive [Season 1, Episode 3]
Weekend Off
Shown 25th January 2006 [Wednesday]
It's the weekend of the Officers' dinner, and the Cadets' party.
Kevin Eldon has to repair the female cyborg. The other 2 gofers visit a rocky planet that one of them accidentally bought.
This leaves the David Brent lookalike alone with the Julie T Wallace lookalike.
Hyperdrive [Season 1, Episode 4]
Asteroid
Shown 1st February 2006 [Wednesday]
2 Alien species [including the long-haired guy from Mighty Boosh] have a territorial dispute over an Asteroid. Britain sends Henderson to act as mediator.
Once Henderson messes it up, the aliens unite and declare war on the UK. Or all humans. Regardless, they go after Henderson's ship first.
Hyperdrive [Season 1, Episode 5]
Clare
Shown 8th February 2006 [Wednesday]
The UK ship is patrolling a backwater - the Danish superpower takes the glamorous work.
Henderson encounters Clare [Sally Philips], who is sailing round the galaxy single-handed, on an attempt to break the speed record. Unfortunately the solitude has driven her slightly loopy.
Kevin Eldon, temporarily in charge, tests the crew's military readiness. but will they be capable of saving Henderson?
Hyperdrive [Season 1, Episode 6]
Assessment
Shown 15th February 2006 [Wednesday]
The Captain is warned that an inspection team is on the way. He knows the ship will fail the inspection, so he gives up and hands control over to Kevin Eldon.
Eldon's brutality leads the crew into mutiny.
We get more exploration of the depth of Eldon's character. He has more in common with the chubby captain than is obvious - good traits, too.
Hyperdrive [Season 2, Episode 1]
Green Javelins
Shown 18th July 2007 [Wednesday]
HMS Camden Lock is chosen to join the UK's spaceship aerobatics team, the Green Javelins. You know, like the red Arrows but in space. Unfortunately, the Head Javelin has a romantic history with Henderson's female sidekick.
Meanwhile, Kevin Eldon builds a robot version of himself.
Hyperdrive [Season 2, Episode 2]
Artefact
Shown 25th July 2007 [Wednesday]
The ship detects a strange object floating in space. Henderson and the others visit a nearby planet to solve the mystery. Henderson thinks it's like the Monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey ...
Henderson, Number Two and Kevin Eldon end up in a sadistic Reality TV show. They are hunted through the forest by Alien assassins, while being broadcast to people who enjoy lowest-common-denominator TV.
Hyperdrive [Season 2, Episode 3]
Admiral's Daughter
Shown 26th July 2007 [Wednesday]
An Admiral's daughter is passenger aboard the ship. She's a bit of a scrawny bimbo, but the men all try to impress and seduce her.
The bimbo is more interested in befriending some space-whales. Everyone else just wants to shoot them, because they're a nuisance.
Hyperdrive [Season 2, Episode 4]
Harvest
Shown 1st August 2007 [Wednesday]
The Psychotic York [Kevin Eldon] oversteps the line once too many, and gets sacked. Unfortunately, the Red Shiny Robots of Vortis then take over the ship and try to harvest the crew's minds.
Hyperdrive [Season 2, Episode 5]
Dreamgate
Shown 8th August 2007 [Wednesday]
The Captain and Security Chief confiscate an alien's Dreamgate, which allows him to invade other peoples' dreams. Naturally, they use this as an opportunity to see into everyone else's dreams, with hilarious consequences. At least, that's how this ep was probably pitched.
Red Dwarf did similar stories, and did them so much better.
Hyperdrive [Season 2, Episode 6]
Convoy
Shown 15th August 2007 [Wednesday]
HMS Camden Lock is tasked with protecting the ultimate WMD, a gun so big it can destroy a star. Unfortunately, some nasty aliens are after it. Worse, they may have a brainwashed stooge aboard the Camden Lock!
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