Children of the Dog Star
by Ken Catran; dir. Chris Bailey (TVNZ, 1984)
6-part children’s SF series with a vibe similar to Chocky or Children of the Stones (and like those programmes most effective in the eerie setup phase). The young actors do quite well and the New Zealand setting is refreshing. Memorable theme music.
Chocky
by John Wyndham, adapted by Anthony Read (Thames Television, 1984)
A patchy adaptation, quintessentially early 1980s, featuring well-pitched performances by James Hazeldine and child actor Andrew Ellams but terribly written female parts. The intrigue of a young boy’s mind-to-mind alien encounter is built and sustained across six episodes without ever really peaking.