THE BOY FROM ANDROMEDA

This was a children's drama from New Zealand in which an alien boy is the last survivor of an expedition sent to deactivate a planet-powered space gun. The gun is on Earth, built as part of a volcano, and is guarded and fired by a Predator-style mechanoid created many centuries ago by the Andromedans when they were at war. The war now being over, the mechanoid continues to obey its instructions and destroy all passing space ships, refusing to deactivate itself.

Jenny is staying with her scientist parents at a hotel located near the same long-extinct volcano. The owner of the hotel is in the middle of a feud with his neighbours, and this initially carries over to his daughter, Tessa, and Lloyd, the son of his neighbour. Jenny and Tessa are the first to discover Drom, the lone surviving Andromedan, when he contacts them through a home computer, and shows them the Fire Key, a piece of which they have discovered for themselves and which they eventually piece together. Then they find Drom himself and all is explained. They have to stop the gun firing at a passing Andromedan fleet which is en route to a new home. The firing of the gun will destroy both the fleet and Earth. The problem is trying to persuade the mechanoid of this, and in the end the only way to stop it is to kill it using the Fire Key.

The series was well acted and presented, with high-quality effects and a pretty good script, and certainly one of the better shows of children's tv in the early 90s. Theme music was provided by an interesting score complete with 'wailing' guitar effects that added to the programme's general air of eerie quality, and the entire production was made on location in New Zealand, providing some dramatic locations and scenery. Episode timings include commercial breaks.

CAST

Jenny Katrina Hobbs   Drom Jane Cresswell
Tessa Fiona Kay   Lloyd Anthony Samuels
Shirley Heather Bolton   Ralph Paul Gittins
Tosh Andy Anderson   Dory Brian McNeill
Hec Alex von Dam   Lynsey Dale Corlett

Series Creator: Jonathon Gunson
Script Editor: James Griffin
Executive Producers: John McRae
  Don Reynolds and Michael MacMillan
Producer: Caterina De Nave
Director: Wayne Tourell
Music: John Gibson

A New Zealand/Canada Co-Production by South Pacific Films Limited & Atlantis Films Limited
6 colour 25-minute episodes

First Repeat: 12th April - 17th May 1993
(BBC1)

All details are trademarked and copyrighted by their respective producers. All character and location names are also copyright. No infringement of any copyright is intended.
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