Category: Hyperdrive

Commander Henderson is assigned to open diplomatic relations with an alien race called the Queppu, primarily so the Tesco retail chain can extend its reach across the galaxy. Henderson takes Teal and York with him, insisting that York leave the heavy weaponry on the Camden Lock, but when the Queppu reveal their primitive, warlike tendencies, Henderson’s first contact team is in trouble. Worse yet, he’s left Jeffers in charge of the ship, and when Henderson needs help the most, his crew isn’t there.

written by Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley
directed by John Henderson
music by Mark Thomas

Cast: Nick Frost (Henderson), Kevin Eldon (York), Miranda Hart (Teal), Dan Antopolski (Jeffers), Stephen Evans (Vine), Petra Massey (Sandstrom), Paterson Joseph (Space Marshal), Steven Burrell (Joshua), Geoffrey McGivern (Supreme Ruler), Montserrat Lombard (Lavya), Byron McGuinness (Courtier), Morwenna Banks (Announcer), Maggie Service (Computer voices)

Notes: Geoffrey McGivern was the actor behind the microphone in the original and revived BBC Radio series of Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, though he did not appear in the 1981 TV adaptation (in which he was replaced by David Dixon, who was thought to look more otherworldly).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Junior bridge officer Vine obsesses over an online auction for a nearly-uninhabitable planet with almost no mineral value, no life forms, and no precious resources. The source of his obsession is not the planet itself, but the fact that Vine’s longtime auction rival is bidding on the same planet, and he sees an opportunity to out-snipe his old enemy. Soon, Vine is the new owner of a geologically unstable rock that costs him two years’ wages, and wants Jeffers to vacation on his new planet with him. Sandstrom, the genetically-modified navigator, is introduced to chocolate, causing her to become psychotic. Security officer York begins to suspect that all of these events are part of a concentrated effort to eliminate the ship’s senior officers. And he’s right, though he’s guessed completely wrong about who’s behind it and why.

written by Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley
directed by John Henderson
music by Mark Thomas

Cast: Nick Frost (Henderson), Kevin Eldon (York), Miranda Hart (Teal), Dan Antopolski (Jeffers), Stephen Evans (Vine), Petra Massey (Sandstrom), Joe Marshall (Wade), Remi Wilson (Piretti), Morwenna Banks (Announcer), Maggie Service (Computer voices)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Camden Lock is sent to play host to representatives from two warring races who stand at the brink of war over the ownership of a mineral-rich asteroid. Henderson is advised to wait for a third ship – full of American mediators – to handle the delicate negotiations. Determined to show that his British ship and crew doesn’t need the Americans to handle the tough jobs, Henderson decides to try a little bit of brinksmanship, threatening to destroy the asteroid so neither party can have it. Then he forgets to countermand that order, and the asteroid is destroyed moments after an agreement is reached. But the alien races remain allies…and join forces against the inept Earth ship. So it’s a great day for interplanetary diplomacy, but a really, really quite spectacularly unlucky day for the crew of the Camden Lock…

written by Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley
directed by John Henderson
music by Mark Thomas

Cast: Nick Frost (Henderson), Kevin Eldon (York), Miranda Hart (Teal), Dan Antopolski (Jeffers), Stephen Evans (Vine), Petra Massey (Sandstrom), Paterson Joseph (Space Marshal), Colin McFarlane (Male Bulaahg), Martina McClements (Female Bulaahg), James Bachman (Lallakkiss 1), Neil Edmond (Lallakkiss 2), Wren Shepherd (Captain Helix), Morwenna Banks (Announcer), Maggie Service (Computer Voices)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

During a joint British/Danish drug blockade, an unidentified ship wanders into the Camden Lock’s search area. But it’s no drug runner – it’s legendary experimental solar sail pilot Clare Winchester, who has been out of contact with the rest of the human race for quite some time. Henderson wants to be the first human to greet her in years, but upon boarding her ship, he finds that Clare has become a little bit eccentric – actually, very, very eccentric. His attempts to help her result in a less than helpful result: namely, he becomes her hostage. Worse yet, York wants to lead a strike team – consisting of the rest of the bridge crew – to save Henderson with the maximum possible amount of violence.

written by Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley
directed by John Henderson
music by Mark Thomas

Cast: Nick Frost (Henderson), Kevin Eldon (York), Miranda Hart (Teal), Dan Antopolski (Jeffers), Stephen Evans (Vine), Petra Massey (Sandstrom), Sally Phillips (Clare Winchester), William Brand (Danish Commander), Remi Wilson (Piretti) Morwenna Banks (Announcer), Maggie Service (Computer Voices)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The discovery of an artefact in deep space stirs irresistible curiosity in the crew (except for York, who warns that it is almost certainly a hero trap). After deciphering alien writing on the object, Henderson decides to take it “home”…which turns out to be a planet ruled by the Queppu race. There are cameras installed in an enclosed zone on the planet, where the Queppu send hapless contestants to fight to the death for a television reality show. York is eager for the opportunity to show his killing prowess, while Teal isn’t adjusting well to this new scenario at all. And since he can’t simply say “I’m an Earthling, get me out of here!”, Henderson is baffled as to why the rest of the crew isn’t mounting a rescue…and why no one seems to be rising up to oppose the tyrannical ruler of the Queppu.

written by Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley
directed by John Henderson
music by Mark Thomas

Cast: Nick Frost (Henderson), Kevin Eldon (York), Miranda Hart (Teal), Dan Antopolski (Jeffers), Stephen Evans (Vine), Petra Massey (Sandstrom), Geoffrey McGivern (Supreme Ruler), Montserrat Lombard (Lavya), Hon Ping Tang (Sergeant Destruction), Dustin Demri Burns (Queppu Warrior), Stephan Kreiss (Gunface), Tannoy Voices (Ewan Bailey)

Notes: The Queppu were first encountered in season one (in the episode Hello Queppu, naturally).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Camden Lock is dispatched to retrieve the wayward daughter of an Earth admiral, which Teal, York and Vine manage to do in a somewhat clumsy undercover operation. Vine is a bit smitten with the girl, and once he meets her, so is Jeffers. But the admiral’s daughter has such an utter disdain for anything to do with the Earth space service that neither one of them has a chance with her…unless one of them works up the nerve to do something like going against orders.

written by Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley
directed by John Henderson
music by Mark Thomas

Cast: Nick Frost (Henderson), Kevin Eldon (York), Miranda Hart (Teal), Dan Antopolski (Jeffers), Stephen Evans (Vine), Petra Massey (Sandstrom), Catherine Shepherd (Arabella), Paterson Joseph (Space Marshall), Wren Shepherd (Captain Helix), Jim Howick (Swamp Creature), Ewan Bailey (Voices)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

An incident during the arrest of an alien goes viral on the news, making the Camden Lock crew, especially York, look thuggish and unsavory. Henderson is left with no choice but to relieve York of duty and put the ship on a heading for the nearest Starbase, where York will disembark in disgrace. Teal is promoted to first officer in his place, but doesn’t really know what to do when, upon arrival at the Starbase, she discovers that alien robots have taken it over to harvest human organs, and intend to do the same to the Camden Lock‘s crew.

written by Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley
directed by John Henderson
music by Mark Thomas

Cast: Nick Frost (Henderson), Kevin Eldon (York), Miranda Hart (Teal), Dan Antopolski (Jeffers), Stephen Evans (Vine), Petra Massey (Sandstrom), Dan Tetsell (Robot 1), Ben Crowe (Robot 2), Wren Shepherd (Captain Helix), John Roy (Humanoid Alien), Ewan Bailey (Voices)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

A routine inspection of a ship in deep space puts Henderson in possession of a forbidden device known as a dreamgate, enabling its user to experience the dreams of others. While Henderson and York both know the dreamgate should be destroyed to prevent its misuse, they proceed to misuse it to peek into the others’ subconscious. When they discover that Vine’s subconscious is basically a 1990s pub – or, as York puts it, his “pubconscious” mind – they find it difficult to return to reality.

written by Kevin Cecil & Andy Riley
directed by John Henderson
music by Mark Thomas

Cast: Nick Frost (Henderson), Kevin Eldon (York), Miranda Hart (Teal), Dan Antopolski (Jeffers), Stephen Evans (Vine), Petra Massey (Sandstrom), Wren Shepherd (Captain Helix), Tom Basden (Lallakkiss), Fox Jackson Keen (Lallakkid), Pastie Lord (Andy Riley), Maggie Service (Voices)

LogBook entry by Earl Green