From Newsgroup: rec.arts.drwho.moderated   
   From Address: solar.penguin@gmail.com   
   Subject: Pathfinders in Space   
      
   While he was still at ITV, Sydney Newman created his first attempt at   
   a semi-educational science-fiction show for the whole family.  They're   
   interesting to us nowadays because they give some idea of what Newman   
   wanted DW to be like, and what it could've been like if Verity Lambert   
   and David Whittaker hadn't done such a good job of ignoring him   
   completely.   
      
   Known today as the "Pathfinders" series, these connected serials never   
   had one overall on screen title.  They were co-written by future DW   
   stalwart Malcolm Hulke, and one of the stars was Gerald Flood, later   
   to play the ill-fated Kamelion.  I'm going to be looking at these   
   serials (or at least the surviving ones) one episode at a time, and   
   posting my thoughts here.   
      
   However, the first serial "Target Luna" is missing, so that won't be   
   included.  Apparently it showed how rocket scientist Professor   
   Wedgwood treats every day as bring-your-children-to-work-day.  When   
   his pilot falls ill, the professor's youngest son sneaks aboard the   
   one-man space rocket in his place.  Somehow the ground staff failed to   
   notice that the man was two-foot shorter and his spacesuit was a lot   
   baggier!  (These people clearly aren't as professional as Quatermass's   
   Rocket Group!)  Anyway, it all results in little Jimmy as the first   
   person to orbit the far side of the moon, being talked through the   
   controls by mission control, "Airplane!"-style.   
      
   For some reason, the story was popular, and a sequel was   
   commissioned.  But all the main roles were recast.  The original   
   actors (including future DW companion Michael Craze) weren't   
   considered good enough.  Considering how awful their replacements   
   were, I'd hate to imagine how much worse the originals were!   
      
   So, we'll pick up the story at the start of the next serial,   
   "Pathfinders in Space."   
      
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