The Omega Factor

I never saw this before until I purchased the DVD recently. Very interesting, even more so for seeing the combination of Louise Jameson AKA Leela from Doctor Who, teamed up with what to me is a Tom Baker lookalike, and the fact that his name in this series is _Tom_, seemed kind of funny. Rather like watching an alternative version of Dr Who and Leela, OK, it was maybe mainly the character Tom Crane's hair that made me think of Tom Baker, but I can't believe I'm the only one to have noticed a similarity, and maybe it's just me, but I think the similarity is more than just his hair, his face too bore a look of Tom Baker to a certain degree. Anyhow, that bit of trivia out of the way, I really enjoyed the series for the story too, very thought provoking with it's tales of mind control and secret organisations and not knowing who to trust. A shame they never made another series. Apparently another one looked likely, but the rumour is that Mary Whitehouse and her listener's association complained, (she did the same with Doctor Who, "The Deadly Assassin" story mainly, maybe she had an aversion to curly haired men! Or Tom Baker and any lookalike! LOL) and the series had loose ends that would maybe have been dealt with in a second series. How Mary Whitehouse came to have so much sway over what got shown on TV, is anyone's guess, but Doctor Who had to be 'toned down' on her say so, cuz the makers got fed up with her complaining about it. Nice to see these much loved series getting DVD releases now, this one, along with the Saphire and Steel series, and the complete set of "Timeslip", and now the Armchair Thrillers being put out on DVD too, have been well worth waiting for and praise be to whoever is responsible for them seeing the light of day now.

A ten part series made by the BBC back in 1979. It starred James Hazeldine as Tom Crane, Louise Jameson as Anne Reynolds, John Carlisle as Roy Martindale, Cyril Luckham as Edward Drexil.

The series focuses on Tom Crane, a journalist with a high level of dormant psychic powers. Tom tragically loses his wife, he blames rogue Psychic Drexill and swears vengeance. Tom joins a Government Department, known as 7, a unit set up to look at cases out of the ordinary. The team learn they are up against a powerful organisation known as Omega. Whilst working at Department 7 Tom works closely with Doctor Anne Reynolds, and their relationship gets closer.

What an absolute travesty that only one series was made, I think there was definitely more mileage in it. There were some great characters, Tom, Anne, Drexill etc. I imagine Mary Whitehouse would have had a field day with the Series, she must have had a fit watching Powers of Darkness.

It was a wonderfully well made series, great writing, really well acted, and who wouldn't enjoy anything with the beautiful Louise Jameson in it. Always a degree of the wacky and strange in the episodes, but they never went absurdly over the top, they remained fairly grounded.

Anyone who likes a bit of mystery, and a little element of sci fi will enjoy this series. 9/10

Saw this when it was first broadcast (when I was 12) and I found it truly disturbing. I don't think the BBC ever repeated this but it was a show which has lingered in my memory ever since. It built up quite nicely and the use of urban locations added a certain realism to the whole proceedings.

The story revolved around investigations into a number of paranormal incidents which are eventually revealed as part of a satisfying over-arching conspiracy - with a lot more plot coherence than, say, the X files or Millennium.

I would be very interested in getting this on DVD - even if it was only to compare the reality to my hazy memories.

This is an excellent TV series that clearly inspired The X-Files with its secret government paranormal unit, claustrophobic atmosphere of distrust, sexual tension between the male and female leads, and clandestine testing by the military on the unfortunate public. There's even a gifted boy who becomes a pawn and potential weapon, a la Gibson Praise. Although episodic in nature, across the series there are allusions to a higher authority within government, the shadowy Omega group, and with each episode the plot thickens. It's all delivered with a sort of downtrodden gloom that only BBC Scotland can deliver and feels distinctly British, with echoes of spy thrillers and Hammer horrors resonating through the screen.

Naturally, some episodes are stronger than others as Tom Crane investigates various paranormal goings-on, but they are mostly pretty gripping and I was completely absorbed by the overarching story, ripping through the whole series in a few days. Unlike The X-Files, it is all brought to a dramatic, logical and satisfying conclusion in the final episode, with the writers also opening further doors on an even greater conspiracy. The fact that no second series was made is a huge disappointment.

A man with psychic powers is recruited by a secret department devoted to the rum and uncanny. Good fun and very atmospheric and creepy at times. The first main villain is described as 'The man Crowley refused to meet... just in case.' I wonder if the spooky recurring symbol motif from 'Watchmen' was unconsciously borrowed from the very similar one in the early episodes of this?

In some ways it was ahead of its time and it's a shame a second series wasn't made. Re the other reviewer who suggests Mary Whitehouse put the kybosh on it - this seems unlikely as I found an interview with Louise Jameson online where she says that whenever Whitehouse attacked the show everyone involved was delighted as the ratings would go up.