THE OMEGA FACTOR - Episode 5 - "Powers Of Darkness"
- 7 months ago
THE OMEGA FACTOR - Episode 5 - "Powers Of Darkness"
Originally Broadcast 11th July 1979
Written by Anthony Read
THE OMEGA FACTOR was a 10 part occult drama produced by BBC Scotland in 1979. Tom Crane, a gifted physic, is enlisted by Department 7 who investigate supernatural & paranormal phenomena. THE OMEGA FACTOR was originally scheduled for 13 episodes but for budget reasons scaled back to 10 to maintain high standards. Public moralist & television critic Mary Whitehouse deemed the episode "Powers of Darkness" as "thoroughly evil". Sadly only one series was ever made of THE OMEGA FACTOR however its resurfaced in recent years through several Big Finish audio productions.
Klassic Episode - Synopsis - A group of students mess about with a ouija board & Tom Crane becomes involved after things go disastrously wrong.
During Production a number of unexplained incidents caused technical problems on the set of "Powers Of Darkness" including video machines playing up, graves subsiding, one actor suffering script memory loss, a studio clock stopping at the exact moment a table was to be levitated, a vehicle taking off backwards with its handbrake still on & whilst filming a sequence with the 'devil' a monitor inexplicably exploded shattering glass everywhere.
Mary Whitehouse the honorary general secretary of the National Viewers' and Listeners Association complained bitterly in particular after the screening of this episode on 11th July 1979 - "I am almost lost for words. I want to complain about the The Omega Factor being shown in family viewing time before nine o'clock. It contains scenes of hypnosis, the supernatural, and a man apparently burning to death. It is one of the most disturbing programmes. I have ever seen on television. I know that you are moving away from physical violence but now you are moving into the realms of phycological violence. Incredible. And the programme ended with violation of the church with black magic and witchcraft. You may quote me when I say someone must have gone off their heads." and dubbed the episode as "thoroughly evil".
(Quoted from the Omega Factor DVD episode commentary)
(MOPPY-KUN TV was previously MOPPY-KUN PRODUCTIONS
Starring: -
James Hazeldine as Tom Crane
Louise Jameson as Dr. Anne Reynolds
John Carlisle as Dr. Roy Martindale
Maggie James as Jenny
Desi Angus as Alison
Simon Tait as Gavin
Nicholas Coppin as Michael Crane
Ian Neville as Ian
Jimmy Yuill as the Male Nurse
Ian Lambton as the Doctor
Natasha Gerson as Morag
Jim Gibb as the Demon
Title Music by Anthony Isaac
Script Editing by Maggie Allen
Directed by Norman Stewart
Produced by George Gallaccio
Originally Broadcast 11th July 1979
Written by Anthony Read
THE OMEGA FACTOR was a 10 part occult drama produced by BBC Scotland in 1979. Tom Crane, a gifted physic, is enlisted by Department 7 who investigate supernatural & paranormal phenomena. THE OMEGA FACTOR was originally scheduled for 13 episodes but for budget reasons scaled back to 10 to maintain high standards. Public moralist & television critic Mary Whitehouse deemed the episode "Powers of Darkness" as "thoroughly evil". Sadly only one series was ever made of THE OMEGA FACTOR however its resurfaced in recent years through several Big Finish audio productions.
Klassic Episode - Synopsis - A group of students mess about with a ouija board & Tom Crane becomes involved after things go disastrously wrong.
During Production a number of unexplained incidents caused technical problems on the set of "Powers Of Darkness" including video machines playing up, graves subsiding, one actor suffering script memory loss, a studio clock stopping at the exact moment a table was to be levitated, a vehicle taking off backwards with its handbrake still on & whilst filming a sequence with the 'devil' a monitor inexplicably exploded shattering glass everywhere.
Mary Whitehouse the honorary general secretary of the National Viewers' and Listeners Association complained bitterly in particular after the screening of this episode on 11th July 1979 - "I am almost lost for words. I want to complain about the The Omega Factor being shown in family viewing time before nine o'clock. It contains scenes of hypnosis, the supernatural, and a man apparently burning to death. It is one of the most disturbing programmes. I have ever seen on television. I know that you are moving away from physical violence but now you are moving into the realms of phycological violence. Incredible. And the programme ended with violation of the church with black magic and witchcraft. You may quote me when I say someone must have gone off their heads." and dubbed the episode as "thoroughly evil".
(Quoted from the Omega Factor DVD episode commentary)
(MOPPY-KUN TV was previously MOPPY-KUN PRODUCTIONS
Starring: -
James Hazeldine as Tom Crane
Louise Jameson as Dr. Anne Reynolds
John Carlisle as Dr. Roy Martindale
Maggie James as Jenny
Desi Angus as Alison
Simon Tait as Gavin
Nicholas Coppin as Michael Crane
Ian Neville as Ian
Jimmy Yuill as the Male Nurse
Ian Lambton as the Doctor
Natasha Gerson as Morag
Jim Gibb as the Demon
Title Music by Anthony Isaac
Script Editing by Maggie Allen
Directed by Norman Stewart
Produced by George Gallaccio