person or book cover
Crew of the Phoenix Five: Cadet Kulbrick, Captain Roke, and Ensign Hargraves (screen cap from episode)
form y separately published work icon Phoenix Five series - publisher   film/TV   children's   adventure   science fiction  
Alternative title: PHX5
Issue Details: First known date: 1970... 1970 Phoenix Five
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

AbstractHistoryArchive Description

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

  • 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.'
  • 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)
  • 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

Last amended 10 May 2012 15:07:52
Settings:
  • 2500
Newspapers:
    Powered by Trove
    X