Parallel 9
Encyclopedia
Parallel 9 was a British children's television entertainment show that broadcast from 1992 to 1994. A total of three series - one in each year - was produced, and each series ran for up to twenty-two weeks (in all a total of 64 episodes were produced across the three years; series 1 ran for 20 weeks, with the remaining two weeks being taken by Olympic Games
coverage.)
P9 aired on BBC1 on Saturday mornings during the summer months, occupying the schedule slot that was at other times of the year held by programmes such as Going Live!
; the first series of P9 aired in the summer break between the penultimate and final series of Going Live, the second series of P9 (summer 1993) aired between the close of the final series of Going Live and the launch of Live & Kicking
, and the final run of P9 aired over summer 1994, between the first and second series of L&K. At the time, the pattern of the BBC's Saturday morning broadcasts was that Going Live/L&K would run for approximately 30 weeks of the year - from the Autumn of one year to the Spring of the next - with the remaining 20 or so weeks taken by a 'summer replacement' show such as P9.
P9 was the first BBC Saturday morning children's show to be produced by an independent production company - in this case Roach & Partners - rather than the BBC's in-house children's production unit. The programme was produced at Pinewood Studios
in Buckinghamshire.
The show is also notable for the large number of changes in cast and situation that it undertook during its run despite retaining the same P9 branding throughout.
The premise of the show focused on Mercator
, an old alien prince with very long eyebrows (played by Roddy Maude-Roxby) who had been banished to Parallel 9 as a result of his thirst for knowledge - a criminal offence on his home planet 'Zarb'.
As part of his punishment, he was allowed to awake for only 2 hours a week; from 9am to 11am on "the day the Earthlings call Saturday", and had the ability to 'beam up' guests from Earth
to Parallel 9 to take part in interviews and features.
Amongst the other characters that made regular appearances in the first series were Calendular – an earth girl who had become a permanent resident on Parallel 9 – and three other criminals who had been banished from their home planet: Steyl, Skyn and Thynkso. The latter three spent their time plotting ways to escape Parallel 9.
The new show was more vibrant than its predecessor, with jauntier opening titles, a brighter set and a new lead character; though this character retained the name Mercator, the character changed to a younger, more manic man with spiky hair, played by Christopher Wild. New characters including Zee, Dr. Kovan, and Brian the Dinosaur were introduced, replacing the supporting characters from the previous run.
The only connections between this show and the previous run were the P9 name, the Mercator name, and the Tope played by Stephen Hope Wynne (who played other numerous characters in all the seasons), the clear cubicle which formed a central part of the programme's set, and which in this series switched from being a dimensional prison to become the space station's power source.
During this series, a 'base station' (static caravan) was used to provide a 'link' by which guests could be 'transported' from Earth to P9: the Earth-based presenter was Lucinda Cowden
. Cowden's role was to introduce items and guests from the "Earth base", and send guests through a curtain in the caravan for "transportation" to the P9 station.
Mercator was recast again, and was this time a buttoned-down commander type, played by Richard Waites
of ITV
's Zzzap!
and No. 73
; Zee also left, replaced by Flynn (who was played by Kate Lonergan
, formerly of Maid Marian and her Merry Men
). Dr. Kovan and Brian remained, and the setting continued to be a space station; the 'base station on Earth' concept also continued with Paul Hendy joining to present with Lucinda.
This was the final series of P9, ending on 17 September 1994. The following year saw the introduction of Fully Booked
as the new 'summer replacement' for Live & Kicking.
(* Series 1 was off-air for two of the 22 summer weeks due to coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympics
.)
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
coverage.)
P9 aired on BBC1 on Saturday mornings during the summer months, occupying the schedule slot that was at other times of the year held by programmes such as Going Live!
Going Live!
Going Live! was a Saturday morning magazine show, broadcast on BBC1 between 1987 and 1993. It was presented by Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene.Other presenters included Trevor and Simon, Peter Simon, Emma Forbes, and puppet Gordon the Gopher....
; the first series of P9 aired in the summer break between the penultimate and final series of Going Live, the second series of P9 (summer 1993) aired between the close of the final series of Going Live and the launch of Live & Kicking
Live & Kicking
Live & Kicking was a BBC Saturday morning children's magazine programme, running from 1993 to 2001. The fourth in a succession of Saturday morning shows, it was the replacement for Going Live!, and took many of its features from it, such as phone-ins, games, comedy, competitions and the showing of...
, and the final run of P9 aired over summer 1994, between the first and second series of L&K. At the time, the pattern of the BBC's Saturday morning broadcasts was that Going Live/L&K would run for approximately 30 weeks of the year - from the Autumn of one year to the Spring of the next - with the remaining 20 or so weeks taken by a 'summer replacement' show such as P9.
P9 was the first BBC Saturday morning children's show to be produced by an independent production company - in this case Roach & Partners - rather than the BBC's in-house children's production unit. The programme was produced at Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
in Buckinghamshire.
The show is also notable for the large number of changes in cast and situation that it undertook during its run despite retaining the same P9 branding throughout.
First series
Series 1 of Parallel 9 began on 25 April 1992.The premise of the show focused on Mercator
Mercator
Mercator may refer to:* Marius Mercator , a Catholic ecclesiastical writer* Gerardus Mercator, a 16th-century Flemish cartographer** Mercator projection, a cartographic projection devised by Gerardus Mercator...
, an old alien prince with very long eyebrows (played by Roddy Maude-Roxby) who had been banished to Parallel 9 as a result of his thirst for knowledge - a criminal offence on his home planet 'Zarb'.
As part of his punishment, he was allowed to awake for only 2 hours a week; from 9am to 11am on "the day the Earthlings call Saturday", and had the ability to 'beam up' guests from Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
to Parallel 9 to take part in interviews and features.
Amongst the other characters that made regular appearances in the first series were Calendular – an earth girl who had become a permanent resident on Parallel 9 – and three other criminals who had been banished from their home planet: Steyl, Skyn and Thynkso. The latter three spent their time plotting ways to escape Parallel 9.
Second series
Parallel 9 in its original form was poorly received, and so extensive changes were made. Most of the first series' characters were dropped, and the setting changed from a prison dimension to a space station.The new show was more vibrant than its predecessor, with jauntier opening titles, a brighter set and a new lead character; though this character retained the name Mercator, the character changed to a younger, more manic man with spiky hair, played by Christopher Wild. New characters including Zee, Dr. Kovan, and Brian the Dinosaur were introduced, replacing the supporting characters from the previous run.
The only connections between this show and the previous run were the P9 name, the Mercator name, and the Tope played by Stephen Hope Wynne (who played other numerous characters in all the seasons), the clear cubicle which formed a central part of the programme's set, and which in this series switched from being a dimensional prison to become the space station's power source.
During this series, a 'base station' (static caravan) was used to provide a 'link' by which guests could be 'transported' from Earth to P9: the Earth-based presenter was Lucinda Cowden
Lucinda Cowden
Lucinda Cowden is an Australian actress who played Melanie Pearson in Neighbours from 1987 until 1991, with a cameo appearance in the twentieth anniversary documentary in 2005....
. Cowden's role was to introduce items and guests from the "Earth base", and send guests through a curtain in the caravan for "transportation" to the P9 station.
Third series
This series continued in much the same form as the more successful second series, though there were some further changes.Mercator was recast again, and was this time a buttoned-down commander type, played by Richard Waites
Richard Waites
Richard C. Waites, J.D., Ph.D., , a noted board certified trial attorney and social psychologist, is an internationally recognized expert in jury and courtroom decision maker research, a field he helped to develop and that he continues to advance...
of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Zzzap!
ZZZap!
Zzzap was a British children's television comedy programme. The concept of the show was a giant comic that has been brought to life. The show ran from 8 January 1993 until 21 September 2001, and was produced by The Media Merchants and Meridian Broadcasting...
and No. 73
No. 73
No 73, later re-titled 7T3, was a British 1980s children's TV show produced by Television South for the ITV network. It was broadcast live on Saturday mornings and ran from 1982 to 1988...
; Zee also left, replaced by Flynn (who was played by Kate Lonergan
Kate Lonergan
Kate Lonergan is a British actress who began her screen career with her best known role—Marian in the 1989–94 BBC One children's television series Maid Marian and her Merry Men.-Career:...
, formerly of Maid Marian and her Merry Men
Maid Marian and her Merry Men
Maid Marian and her Merry Men is a British children's sitcom created and written by Tony Robinson and directed by David Bell. It began in 1989 on BBC One and ran for four series, with the last episode shown in 1994...
). Dr. Kovan and Brian remained, and the setting continued to be a space station; the 'base station on Earth' concept also continued with Paul Hendy joining to present with Lucinda.
This was the final series of P9, ending on 17 September 1994. The following year saw the introduction of Fully Booked
Fully Booked
Fully Booked was a magazine show for children produced by BBC Scotland and broadcast from 1995 to 1999, and in revised form as FBi in 2000. The show was a summer-time replacement for Live & Kicking, which would normally not broadcast over the summer months...
as the new 'summer replacement' for Live & Kicking.
Series guide
In total, there have been 64 editions of Parallel 9.| Series | Began | Ended | Number of episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 | 25 April 1992 | 19 September 1992 | 20 * |
| Series 2 | 24 April 1993 | 18 September 1993 | 22 |
| Series 3 | 23 April 1994 | 17 September 1994 | 22 |
(* Series 1 was off-air for two of the 22 summer weeks due to coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
.)