In this episode, Gareth Preston is joined by Ken Moss and Andrew Roe-Crines to venture into one of the quirkier corners of British science fiction television: Terrahawks.

Zelda, a centuries old android with incredible powers over matter, an army of renegade aliens, and a grievance against all humanity, threatens the Earth. Standing in her way are the Terrahawks, a secret organisation of pilots and scientists and their fleet of advanced vehicles. Not to mention their Zeroids, ball-shaped self-aware robot soldiers.

Created by Gerry Anderson and Christopher Burr and first broadcast by ITV in 1983, Terrahawks arrived at a moment of transition for Anderson’s career. Mixing model work and puppetry with early video effects, broad humour, and moments of genuine darkness, the series has long divided audiences. Was it a deliberate satire of the Supermarionation era, a children’s show struggling with changing tastes, or something odder and more stylish than it’s usually given credit for? As ever, the conversation ranges across production history, aesthetics, tone, and legacy, asking what Terrahawks tells us about British television science fiction in the early 1980s—and why, decades later, it stubbornly refuses to be forgotten.

Hosted and produced by Gareth Preston. Guests Ken Moss (The Extonmoss Experiment) and Andrew Roe-Crines (Westlake Films).

Music by Chatri Art

Listen to The Extonmoss Experiment here

Find out more about Andrew S Roe-Crines' work

Buy the Big Finish Terrahawk stories

Visit Gareth Preston's blog for more info on the podcast

In this episode of Very British Futures, Gareth is joined by writer Stephen Hatcher to explore The Guardians (ITV, 1971), the gripping 13-part dystopian drama that imagined a Britain under authoritarian rule.

Together, they revisit the series’ chilling vision of a one parry state, controlled media, violent political resistance, and a society kept in line by the brutal paramilitary force and secret police known as the Guardians, or ‘the G’s’. Gareth and Stephen examine its themes, production history, and the ways this drama resonates with contemporary anxieties about power and democracy. It stars a remarkable cast of actors, many before they became household names. They also consider a lost style of mainstream television, with long erudite scenes between characters.

Join us as we shine a light on one of British television’s most thoughtful and rarely discussed sci-fi political thrillers.

Very British Futures is a Phantom Frame production, hosted and produced by Gareth Preston. Music by Chatri Art.

You can follow the podcast on X @futuresvery

Find out more about Obverse Books Silver Archive https://obversebooks.co.uk/product-category/silver-archive/

Book now for The Quatermass Event at the Quad in Derby https://www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/thequatermassevent/The Guardians on IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066666/reference/?ref_=nm_knf_t_2

"All irregularities will be handled by the forces controlling each dimension. Transuranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life. Medium atomic weights are available: Gold, Lead, Copper, Jet, Diamond, Radium, Sapphire, Silver and Steel. Sapphire and Steel have been assigned!"

This cryptic introduction sets the tone for an eerie blend of science fiction and supernatural mystery. It hints at a cosmic bureaucracy of elemental agents tasked with maintaining the integrity of time and reality — without ever fully explaining how or why.

In this hauntingly nostalgic episode of Very British Futures, Gareth Preston is joined by Steve Exton and Mark Stalker to unravel the enigmatic threads of ITV’s cult classic Sapphire and Steel. Together, they dive into the eerie corridors of time where logic bends, reality fractures, and two elemental agents—played by Joanna Lumley and David McCallum—battle forces beyond comprehension. They even engage in some genuine discussion of the periodic table and its metals.

Expect spirited debate, affectionate critique, and deep dives into the show’s surreal storytelling, minimalist production, and its place in the pantheon of British sci-fi. Whether you're a longtime fan or a curious newcomer, this episode will leave you pondering: just what is time… and who’s really keeping it in check?

Very British Futures is hosted and produced by Gareth Preston, with guests Simon Exton of The Extonmoss Experiment and introducing Mark Stalker.

Music by Chatri Art.

Listen to The Extonmoss Experiment on your favourite app or here https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-extonmoss-experiment/id1451454324

Buy Big Finish's revival of the series here https://www.bigfinish.com/ranges/v/sapphire-steel

At the time of publication you can watch Sapphire and Steel on ITVX in the UK.