Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World: The Journey Begins

Today on Far Future Enterprise we present a television classic from the 1980s -"Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World".

"Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World" was a thirteen part British television series looking at unexplained phenomena from around the world. It was produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV network and first broadcast in September 1980.

The first installment introduces the themes that are explored in the remainder of the series. Clarke expounds on his categorization of mysteries, self-consciously aping the famous 'close encounters' classification used by some ufologists:

Mysteries of the First Kind - phenomena which were a mystery to our ancestors but that are now well understood. Clarke illustrates this mystery by attending a total eclipse of the sun in rural India, highlighting the fact that this is still treated with reverence and suspicion in some cultures.

Mysteries of the Second Kind - phenomena which are as yet unexplained, but where we have several clues that hint at an answer. Examples given in the program include ball lightning and the vitrified forts of Scotland.

Mysteries of the Third Kind - phenomena to which we have "no rational explanation". Clarke lists psychic phenomena as something that would be classed in this category.

Each program was introduced and book-ended by science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke in short sequences filmed in Sri Lanka. The bulk of the episodes were narrated by Gordon Honeycombe. The series was produced by John Fanshawe, John Fairley and directed by Peter Jones, Michael Weigall and Charles Flynn. It also featured a unique soundtrack composed by British artist Alan Hawkshaw.

Arthur C Clarke’s Mysterious World  is available on DVD from Amazon. 

Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World: The Journey Begins 

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