The Omega Factor – The Complete Series

 

Picture: C     Sound: C+     Extras: C+     Episodes: C+

 

 

In the late 1970s, quality British genre television was heading into the sunset.  The New Avengers and Return Of The Saint only lasted two seasons each, the Quatermass revival was mixed and the brilliant Sapphire & Steel did not become the next Dr. Who like it should have.  Some other shows gave it a go and BBC Scotland came up with The Omega Factor in 1979.  The series ran 10 episodes and involved a trio like The Champions who were tied to psychic powers and the British Government.

 

Unfortunately for the trio, the government is up to no good and there are confederates in among them.  Unfortunately for the series, Brian De Palma had already done this story much better with the addition of telekinetic powers in his underrated The Fury.  To the show’s credit, it is ambitious, intelligent enough to give it a look, cast well and is amusing as it tried to go at it by being shot in all analog PAL video.  It tries some amusing video tricks to further the narrative, but they would be quickly surpassed by the better Music Videos on the way soon after.  Each show runs about an hour.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is softer than usual for a PAL production of the time in ways that cannot be blamed on any manipulations of the image for story purposes.  This could look a bit better and colors are in tact for the most part.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is basically monophonic, though clear enough and you too will be amused as the main character listens to tracks from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon.  You will not see that in any TV show hardly ever today.  Extras include a nice 16-page booklet and stills, audio commentary on the Powers Of Darkness episode and Inside The Omega Factor documentary from a few years ago.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo