ARTHUR C CLARKE'S MYSTERIOUS WORLD (1980)

Arthur C Clarke's Mysterious World was a 13 part series that focused upon paranormal phenomena from around the world. Making it's debut on 6th September 1980 on ITV, the show kept its viewers beguiled with it's coverage of UFO's, cryptids and mystical artefacts.

The premise was simple enough - every week a different topic was covered, various stories relating to that week's subject would then be shown (usually narrated by velvet voiced newsreader Gordon Honeycomb - even his name sounds smooth and reassuring), we'd get a few interviews with (usually quite eccentric) scientists and members of the public and then sci-fi author Arthur C Clarke would give his opinion about that week's subject (which usually amounted to him not believing in it - they should have called the show "Arthur C Clarke Says It's All A Load Of Old Bollocks Really").

After a suitably atmospheric title sequence (complete with spooky chrystal skull - which is always the first thing anybody remembers when talking about this show), we then get a quick intro to Arthur himself.

We see the main man sauntering down a sun baked beach in Shri Lanka, Gordon Honeycomb's voiceover tells us that this is Arthur C Clarke - author of 2001 a Space Odyssey and inventor of the communications satellite. Honeycomb then tells us that we are about to look into his secret files. So far, so intriguing...

We then cut to a suitably relaxed looking Arthur hanging about an appropriately run down looking Shri Lankan location (looking for all the world like some missionary from the British Empire days - all he's missing is a pith helmet). Arthur then introduces this week's topic - stone circles, UFO's, lake monsters, and then we're off - pitched gently into Arthur's mysterious world, and what a world it is...

One way in which this show is incredibly strange isn't so much down to the phenomena that the series covers but more to do with the incredible bunch of eccentric personalities that are amongst the interviewees.

For every "normal" looking person you're guaranteed to get at least two or three people who just look (or act) incredibly weird. Some of it has to do with the outdated early 80's styles on show, but other times it just comes from the various characters themselves. You've got the monster hunter wearing what is quite possibly THE most unconvincing wig I think I've ever had the pleasure to witness, you've got the retired army colonel wearing a union jack festooned hat, the American hillbilly family who all look identical to each other - the list of assembled weirdos is staggering to behold.

Best of all is this chap...

I rest my case.

Anyway, I suppose what you're all here to read about is the actual mysteries that the show covers, so instead of rattling on about weird people with weird hairstyles, I'll instead talk about weird phenomena. Probably the best way of doing this is by going episode by episode. Here goes...

EPISODE 1 - THE JOURNEY BEGINS

For our opening episode we're introduced to the world of strange phenomena - basically this episode is a grab-bag of assorted fortean strangeness (everything from solar eclipses to standing stones), everything here falls pretty much under the category of "Earth mysteries" - it's a pretty "New Age" type of episode and isn't necessarily representative of the series as a whole. A good solid introduction all the same.

EPISODE 2 - MONSTERS OF THE DEEP

Pretty much what it says on the tin - Sea Serpents, giant squids and other weird creatures from the ocean depths. This is one of the more interesting episodes on offer. Arthur still thinks it's a load of crap though.

EPISODE 3 - ANCIENT WISDOM

This episode is an archeologists wet dream dealing as it does with mysterious technology that ancient civilisations formulated for themselves. The show never goes so far as to say "aliens did it" but they strongly hint at it. A bit slow and pedestrian this one but at least we get to see what the crystal skull (it pretty much becomes the show's mascot) is all about.

EPISODE 4 - MISSING APEMEN

Bigfoot (and other assorted Sasquatch's) where a big deal in the late 70's/early 80's, you literally couldn't tune into a TV show without some reference being made to giant hairy anthropoids living in the wilderness. This episode deals with some of the main contenders, Arthur C Clarke remains as skeptical as ever (bless him).

EPISODE 5 - GIANTS FOR THE GODS

Here we deal with the Nazca Lines - a series of illustrations that appear to been scoured into desert plains by ancient man and that when viewed from the air depict definite pictures. Strange for sure. Several possible explanations are given from Ley Lines to "landing instructions for aliens". Interesting but slightly dry episode - there's not enough here to sustain a full length episode's run-time.

EPISODE 6 - MONSTERS OF THE LAKE

Another big hitter from the world of cryptozoology - The Loch Ness Monster (and friends), let's face it - you don't get much bigger than a giant Plesiosaur that's (possibly) survived the death of the Dinosaurs. A bunch of "monster hunters" are on hand to tick the eccentric box for this episode.

EPISODE 7 - THE GREAT SIBERIAN EXPLOSION 

This episode deals with the Tunguska explosion - an instance in the early 20th century when a nuclear level explosion wiped out acres of forest. What caused it ? A meteorite falling to Earth or something else ? This episode is a bit more in-depth than some episodes and is definitely a series highlight - even old Arthur seems less scornful in this one.

EPISODE 8 - THE RIDDLE OF THE STONES

More standing stones. To be honest with you this installment gets a little boring. It's quite a dry subject and doesn't lend itself well to this series's format.

EPISODE 9 - OUT OF THE BLUE

Strange things that fall from the sky - the highlight being a rain of dead fish that actually fell on Arthur C Clarke's back garden in Shri Lanka, so at least the grumpy old bugger can't poo poo this one.

EPISODE 10 - UFOS 

Does what it says on the tin and it's surprising really that it took them ten episodes before getting to this subject. This is another subject that Arthur is (surprisingly) onboard with - he claims at one point in the episode to have observed at least six UFO's himself. It's quite nice to see him genuinely enthusiastic about the topic under discussion.

EPISODE 11 - DRAGONS, DINOSAURS AND GIANT SNAKES

More cryptids, more eccentric monster hunters and a photo of an alleged "man beast" that was shot and killed by hunters. This photo scared the living shit out of 80's kids everywhere (unfortunately it was later proven to just be a large Spider Monkey). Still a memorable moment though.

EPISODE 12 - STRANGE SKIES 

Dealing with matters astronomical. Another slightly dull episode if you're not into that sort of thing. 

EPISODE 13 - CLARKE'S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES 

The series ends how it bagan with a "grab bag" episode of assorted weirdness. A nice light weight way to end the series on. We also get a jovially cynical farewell from Arthur himself - "live" from his study.

So there we have it. Overall it's a pretty decent series that's fondly remembered by those who watched it at the time and has gained something of a cult following in recent years. My only criticism is that the series tends to linger on certain topics a little too much (did we REALLY need one and a half episodes about standing stones ?), also the series doesn't cover some of the topics you'd automatically assume it would do (where was an episode about ghosts for instance ?). Aside from this Arthur C Clarke's Mysterious World remains a classic of it's type.

The series received a follow up/spin off show several years later - Arthur C Clarke's World Of Strange Powers, but I'm still in the process of watching it, so I'll talk about that another time.

There was also a series of spin off books which are well worth a read.