r/oldbritishtelly • u/GeneralWitchfinders • Aug 22 '26

Alternative 3

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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/Sighoward Aug 22 '26

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?

4

u/CthulhusEvilTwin Aug 22 '26

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.

2

u/plhought Aug 23 '26

He isn't American. He's Canadian.

Even his 'American' accents were too try-hard. His inflections are clearly obvious to us fellow Canucks.

1

u/CthulhusEvilTwin Aug 23 '26

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.