SPACE PRECINCT

   Tv series (1994-). A Mentorn Films and Gerry Anderson Production.Directors include JohnGlen, Sidney Havers and Alan Birkinshaw. First episode written by Paul Mayhew-Archer. StarringTed Shackleford, Rob Youngblood, Simone Bendix. Current.First episode Oct 1994, 24 one-hourepisodes announced.This syndicated series is apparently based on a singleton drama some years back entitled Space Police, but the title was changed so as not to infringe the title copyright heldby a toy company. It took a long time for the series to get off the ground. This is a Gerry ANDERSON production, but unlike most of his tv shows is live action, notpuppets (though criticshave complained about the inexpressive rubber masks worn by the aliens). Anderson hasdescribed the series as a New York cop show transplanted to outer space. It is actually set in anunspecified future in Demeter City, a galactic crossroads where two immigrant alien racescomprise most of the population, an "inter-galactic melting pot, attracting a bad element as well as the good", according to the show's publicists. Two New York cops (Shackleford and Youngblood) are sent to help out; Bendix is the beautiful and brilliant cop from the local force. Some cops are aliens. Opinions differ about whether the show isdeliberately or accidentally humorous. Some think it is tongue-in-cheek.Either way, the production values are questionable.

GF/PN