Allan Bryce looks back at the BBC’s milestone 1961 sci-fi serial A For Andromeda and its sequel, The Andromeda Breakthrough…

Andromeda herself, Julie Christie. After her appearance in the series she was considered as the first Bond girl for Dr. No (1962). She was not chosen because she was considered by the producers to be too flat-chested

I have always felt that my lifelong fascination with science fiction and horror began in 1961 when I was allowed to watch the BBC’s seven-part adaptation of A For Andromeda. It was actually the BBC’s first major adult science fiction production since the three Quatermass serials of the 1950s, and like its predecessors it dealt with an alien threat to humanity. The difference was that this was more concerned with computers than space rockets and its ‘monster’ came in the beautiful form of archetypal 60s blonde Julie Christie.

Set in the far-flung future of 1970, the series begins with a radio telescope in the Yorkshire Dales picking up a series of signals from the remote constellation of Andromeda. These signals are then decoded by brilliant young scientist John Fleming (Peter Halliday), who realises they contain details on how to build a supercomputer. Very generous of our unknown alien benefactors, one might think, but there’s a catch. Once built, the machine exerts a baleful influence over the scientists and forces lovely technician Julie to electrocute herself. It then creates a cloned embryo of her which quickly reaches maturity, and is christened Andromeda, after the source of the original transmission.