The Stranger

From February 2020 all 12 episodes are on ABC iview (Australia)

'The Stranger' was not dissimilar to the BBC's 'Doctor Who' and was probably inspired by everyone's favourite Time Lord, hitting Sydney TV screens the following year. Both appeared on the ABC. Well known Australian actor Ron Haddrick was a great choice for The Stranger as he had an other-worldly presence, not unlike, for example, Boris Karloff. I vaguely recall him appearing out of the mist but it's just so long ago, that's the limit of my memory.

I remember this series very fondly - I was about 11 or 12 in 1965 and the series came as a pleasant surprise to the whole family. The idea of a mysterious crash landing of a UFO in the Blue Mountains of NSW was as exciting as the US and Russian space projects of the day, along with constant UFO sightings here and around the world at this time. The basic plot was very sound and we were all fascinated by it. That the Australian Film Industry bothered at all with this series and followed it with 'Wandjina' a year or two later is a tribute to their imagination and foresight. The idea that we could entertain an alien race living here, at that time, was very mature.

I just binged this series which is only slightly younger than me. I really liked the premise, & the scenery. Chips Rafferty is the PM our country could use now. Thanks to the ABC for restoring this series & making it available to those of us too young to see it first time around.

Cheesy and dated, with old school acting which is most notable in the 'live' studio recordings, which was the norm with many of the programs of the period. Much more successful are the exterior production scenes. Very well filmed. The studio scenes are where it falls down. The occasional messed up line. Stiff acting. Schoolboys who look thirty. Very cringe worthy today.

However it's no worse than Dr. Who for it's time period, except that that show had a strong concept to carry it through. Even Dr. Who didn't take off until the Daleks appeared. No such ingenuity here.

No doubt a hit for those who remember it. For the rest, a plod I'm afraid. Well restored but for nostalgia fans only.