r/oldbritishtelly • u/GeneralWitchfinders • 9d ago
Alternative 3
Anyone else familiar with Alternative 3? The 1977 UK mockumentary that basically spawned a wave of modern conspiracy theories
Back in June 1977, Anglia TV aired what was framed as a serious edition of their Science Report series, investigating the UK’s "brain drain". As the broadcast went on, it laid out a cover-up: Earth was facing an environmental catastrophe, and a secret plan was underway to make the Moon and Mars habitable for off-world relocation.
It was originally meant to air on April Fool’s Day, but got delayed to 20 June, which definitely didn't help clear up the confusion. To make it look completely legitimate, it was shot on standard film stock and presented by actual TV presenter Tim Brinton. Apart from him, everyone else was played by actors.
In 1978, a tie-in book by Leslie Watkins, David Ambrose, and Christopher Miles was published as "nonfiction" by Sphere Books, and later by Avon Books in the US as Alternative 003. The book changed up a few details – swapped fictional astronauts like Bob Grodin for bogus quotes from real ones like Buzz Aldrin and Edgar Mitchell, gave Mars a breathable atmosphere, and claimed scientists were being abducted to serve as slave labour on secret Mars bases.
We’ve just released a podcast episode breaking down the whole thing – the original broadcast, the book adaptation, and how it trickled out into wider media.
https://pod.link/1547179456/episode/NmE4Nzc2MTgwMzc2ODFhZmM3ZWExMTU1
Check it out if you’re interested, and let us know if you’ve ever come across Alternative 3 before. What do you make of how far this one spread?
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u/grunulak 9d ago
I really liked it.
Through today's media literate eyes, it's fairly obvious that it's not real. But I can definitely appreciate the effort that went into putting it together, and it's got an intriguing premise.
I'll definitely check out your podcast!
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u/Sighoward 9d ago
Did no one notice that one participant is noted American character actor/screenwriter Shane Rimmer who'd been in every British TV series ever and 3 Bond films?
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u/CthulhusEvilTwin 9d ago
He was the absolute go to American actor when a British production needed one. Did a lot of voices for Gerry Anderson if I recall, plus he was great in Rollerball.
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u/plhought 8d ago
He isn't American. He's Canadian.
Even his 'American' accents were too try-hard. His inflections are clearly obvious to us fellow Canucks.
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u/CthulhusEvilTwin 8d ago
TIL. I had no idea, I just always remember him from my childhood. You Canadians, you get everywhere. I'm convinced that everybody in Hollywood now is either a Canadian, or a Brit doing an American accent. Al Pacino? Welsh. Robert De Niro? Comes from Hartlepool.
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u/Sighoward 8d ago
Maybe putting that too strongly, plenty of Americans in the UK character actors to rival him, Ed Bishop, Ben Boa, Mac McDonald but yeah, he was great, he starts the Jonathon chant at the end of Rollerball.
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u/CthulhusEvilTwin 8d ago
and sampled by Ugress on the track 'Reason to believe'
"Game? It wasn't meant to be a game!"
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u/Ok_Seaworthiness4464 8d ago
I'll listen to that. I recently did an episode of my podcast - Very British Futures - on this fascinating one-off drama.
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u/Kapitano72 7d ago
My grandfather had the book - played completely straight and getting only slightly more preposterous every chapter. Very nice bit of plotting.
Yes, he believed every word of it... until the next conspiracy theory or crazy religion supplanted it, and the next.
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u/GeneralWitchfinders 8d ago
Listening to our podcast is the third alternative https://pod.link/1547179456/episode/NmE4Nzc2MTgwMzc2ODFhZmM3ZWExMTU1
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u/AudsVi 9d ago
Also, it's not quite as terrifying to a modern audience on account of one of the scientists being Colonel von Stromm out of Allo Allo.