Undermind

Only 3 of the original episodes exist of 'Undermind', but they are enough to show what a subtle and marvelous series this was, building suspense on suspense with ease. And this time it wasn't the BBC who lost the missing episodes, but ABC.

The story revolved around Drew Herriot and his sister-in-law Anne (played by Department S girl Rosemary Nicols) who realise that something is seriously wrong with Drew's brother Frank. As time goes on they uncover an alien plot to take over the earth, their human agents first destabilising and undermining world economies and politics. This was a vastly enjoyable and moody production, and benefitted from the absence of a single alien, a little like 'Quatermass 2' (with the exception of the final episode).

If you get a chance to see any of it, then do, and marvel at the lost arts of TV production and writing - nothing like this will ever be made again.

Personnel Officer Drew Heriot returns to the United Kingdom after working in Australia to discover his brother, Police Detective Frank Heriot, behaving oddly, to the distress of his sister-in-law Anne. Investigating together, they discover that a disembodied alien force is using high frequency signals to brainwash people - including Drew's brother - into committing subversive acts as a prelude to a full-scale invasion. Together, Drew and Anne battle to stop the acts of sabotage while trying to alert Britain to the danger...