Interster
Encyclopedia
Interster (Author Dr Johann Beukes 1949-2007) was a weekly science-fiction puppet television show made for children and shown in South Africa
from the late 1970s. South African Broadcasting Corporation
(SABC) children's programming was quite innovative during the late 1970s to early 1980s — the impossibility of purchasing Thunderbirds
forced the SABC to produce Interster, but also the technical challenge offered the opportunity to truly flex the SABC's creative muscles.
The main plot involved an undercover planetary defence agency operating from Cape Town
under the guise of an interstellar shipping company. The show mirrored the real world political issues of international isolation
facing Apartheid South Africa with the Earth being depicted as a galactic pariah of the "Interplanetary League" due to its cold war with the planet "Krokon". The villain in the series was depicted by Prince Karnati or his evil henchmen.
The spaceships used in the show were called Impalas after the South African Air Force
aircraft, the locally assembled Italian Aermacchi MB-326
. There was a pragmatic reason for calling the aircraft Impalas - the basis of the models were 1/48th scale plastic model kits of the AM326, so that they would be recognisable to South African youth.
while enemies were aliens from a distant space system — and were often viewed as representing black
protagonists by journalists overseas. The entire series was produced in Afrikaans
.
Plot wise, Interster was far removed from any of the Anderson's stories. There was no unified government as seen in either Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
or Fireball XL5
- South Africa alone possessed interstellar flight, and alone was in contact with the first aliens to visit earth, who supposedly hailed from Alpha Centauri
, the star closest to Earth.
In the stories, the protagonists were concerned only with the defense of South Africa - the rest of the world was more of an abstraction. Interaction with the Centauri's was the primary interaction with South Africa. A number of fascinating concepts were explored - relative to humans, the Centauris are only the size of dolls, and their ships and technology are scaled to match. Perhaps the greatest triumph of the puppeteers are not just the human puppets, but the Centauris - for they were as intricate, but barely 10 cm high as compared with the 32 cm human puppets for simultaneous shots.
The plot contained some content of interest to South African adults who could see the political connotations to some of the themes like political isolation and attack from outsiders as well as some characters. One character bore a remarkable resemblance to the then South African President PW Botha
.
, with the same sophisticated puppetry making its first appearance in the adventures of a well-meaning but absent-minded little witch. The internal-wiring puppeteers made their final work a set of musical cricket
s that played music for a children's program featuring two more puppets, Sarel Seemonster, a friendly sea monster
which could blow steam
from his nostril
s, and Karel Kraai, a crow
which was fully functional to the point of being able to remove his hat, for the children's TV program Wielie Walie
, named for the first line of a traditional Afrikaans children's verse version of 'Ring a Ring a Rosie'.
Interster was produced almost 10 years after the last Gerry Anderson
television show to use supermarionation
techniques (The Secret Service
(1969)) and almost 15 years after Thunderbirds and as a result was technically superior:
The cockpits of the Impalas are noteworthy for including a fairly sophisticated wiring loom, including flashing lights and a complete fully functional TV screen which is able to display computer text. In addition, the pilots sit in a semi-reclining position, echoing the seating of the F-16 jet fighter.
The future Cape Town
is a breathtaking model, and can be seen in considerable detail during the opening credits of the program in a downward looking flyby.
The longer story arc and individual plots were also unusually sophisticated for a children's show.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
from the late 1970s. South African Broadcasting Corporation
South African Broadcasting Corporation
The South African Broadcasting Corporation is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa and provides 18 radio stations as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.-Early years:Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923...
(SABC) children's programming was quite innovative during the late 1970s to early 1980s — the impossibility of purchasing Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
forced the SABC to produce Interster, but also the technical challenge offered the opportunity to truly flex the SABC's creative muscles.
The main plot involved an undercover planetary defence agency operating from Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
under the guise of an interstellar shipping company. The show mirrored the real world political issues of international isolation
International isolation
International isolation is a penalty applied by the international community or a sizeable or powerful group of countries, like the United Nations, towards one nation, government or people group...
facing Apartheid South Africa with the Earth being depicted as a galactic pariah of the "Interplanetary League" due to its cold war with the planet "Krokon". The villain in the series was depicted by Prince Karnati or his evil henchmen.
The spaceships used in the show were called Impalas after the South African Air Force
South African Air Force
The South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
aircraft, the locally assembled Italian Aermacchi MB-326
Aermacchi MB-326
The Aermacchi or Macchi MB-326 is a light military jet aircraft designed in Italy. Originally conceived as a two-seat trainer, there have also been single and two-seat light attack versions produced. It is one of the most commercially successful aircraft of its type, being bought by more than 10...
. There was a pragmatic reason for calling the aircraft Impalas - the basis of the models were 1/48th scale plastic model kits of the AM326, so that they would be recognisable to South African youth.
Plot
The main characters were based in the city of Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
while enemies were aliens from a distant space system — and were often viewed as representing black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
protagonists by journalists overseas. The entire series was produced in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
.
Plot wise, Interster was far removed from any of the Anderson's stories. There was no unified government as seen in either Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill...
or Fireball XL5
Fireball XL5
Fireball XL5 is a science fiction-themed children's television show following the missions of spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol...
- South Africa alone possessed interstellar flight, and alone was in contact with the first aliens to visit earth, who supposedly hailed from Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus...
, the star closest to Earth.
In the stories, the protagonists were concerned only with the defense of South Africa - the rest of the world was more of an abstraction. Interaction with the Centauri's was the primary interaction with South Africa. A number of fascinating concepts were explored - relative to humans, the Centauris are only the size of dolls, and their ships and technology are scaled to match. Perhaps the greatest triumph of the puppeteers are not just the human puppets, but the Centauris - for they were as intricate, but barely 10 cm high as compared with the 32 cm human puppets for simultaneous shots.
The plot contained some content of interest to South African adults who could see the political connotations to some of the themes like political isolation and attack from outsiders as well as some characters. One character bore a remarkable resemblance to the then South African President PW Botha
Pieter Willem Botha
Pieter Willem Botha , commonly known as "P. W." and Die Groot Krokodil , was the prime minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and the first executive state president from 1984 to 1989.First elected to Parliament in 1948, Botha was for eleven years head of the Afrikaner National Party and the...
.
Production
The same team that produced Interster had cut their teeth in the late 1970s with Liewe HeksieLiewe Heksie
Liewe Heksie is a fictional character created in 1961 by Afrikaans children’s books author Verna Vels. The Liewe Heksie series consisted of a number of books...
, with the same sophisticated puppetry making its first appearance in the adventures of a well-meaning but absent-minded little witch. The internal-wiring puppeteers made their final work a set of musical cricket
Cricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
s that played music for a children's program featuring two more puppets, Sarel Seemonster, a friendly sea monster
Sea monster
Sea monsters are sea-dwelling mythical or legendary creatures, often believed to be of immense size.Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or multi-armed beasts. They can be slimy or scaly and are often pictured threatening ships or spouting jets of water...
which could blow steam
Steam
Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...
from his nostril
Nostril
A nostril is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbinates, whose function is to warm air on inhalation and remove moisture on exhalation...
s, and Karel Kraai, a crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
which was fully functional to the point of being able to remove his hat, for the children's TV program Wielie Walie
Wielie Walie
Wielie Walie was an Afrikaans children's variety programme created by Louise Smit featuring puppets, which was broadcast from the launch of television in South Africa in 1976. With Karel and Sarel, two best friends but always fighting. Bennie always ready to read a story, and the duck and the...
, named for the first line of a traditional Afrikaans children's verse version of 'Ring a Ring a Rosie'.
Interster was produced almost 10 years after the last Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
television show to use supermarionation
Supermarionation
Supermarionation is a puppetry technique devised in the 1960s by British production company AP Films. It was used extensively in the company's numerous Gerry and Sylvia Anderson-produced action-adventure series, the most famous of which was Thunderbirds...
techniques (The Secret Service
The Secret Service
The Secret Service is a British children's espionage television series, made as a Century 21 production for ITC Entertainment and broadcast in 1969...
(1969)) and almost 15 years after Thunderbirds and as a result was technically superior:
- Puppets were internally wired, and movable in a large range of motion.
- Computer programmed and controlled servoServomechanismthumb|right|200px|Industrial servomotorThe grey/green cylinder is the [[Brush |brush-type]] [[DC motor]]. The black section at the bottom contains the [[Epicyclic gearing|planetary]] [[Reduction drive|reduction gear]], and the black object on top of the motor is the optical [[rotary encoder]] for...
s (using Apple II personal computer) provided better motion. - Models had a level of intricacy rivaling those from the Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
films. - PyrotechnicsPyrotechnicsPyrotechnics is the science of using materials capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained exothermic chemical reactions for the production of heat, light, gas, smoke and/or sound...
were also more impressive, requiring a special permit from the production crew. - Many of them models 'Fly' using a sophisticated process involving ultra-thin lines and servo motor control, permitting a very convincing anti-gravity/flight special effect. With the film and TV camera process in use at the time of production, the thin lines are of course optically invisible on all shots of spacecraft.
The cockpits of the Impalas are noteworthy for including a fairly sophisticated wiring loom, including flashing lights and a complete fully functional TV screen which is able to display computer text. In addition, the pilots sit in a semi-reclining position, echoing the seating of the F-16 jet fighter.
The future Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
is a breathtaking model, and can be seen in considerable detail during the opening credits of the program in a downward looking flyby.
The longer story arc and individual plots were also unusually sophisticated for a children's show.
See also
- SupermarionationSupermarionationSupermarionation is a puppetry technique devised in the 1960s by British production company AP Films. It was used extensively in the company's numerous Gerry and Sylvia Anderson-produced action-adventure series, the most famous of which was Thunderbirds...
, the animation technique using puppets - Thunderbirds (TV series)Thunderbirds (TV series)Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
, similar series - http://andersonic.co.uk/ Andersonic, issue 11 (fanzine), 6 page article on Interster featuring interviews with cast & crew