When Books And TV Worked Together. Part 2. The Omega Factor

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I recently chatted about the time when you couldn't watch TV as and when you desired it. Whether through recording or purchase. And during these times TV used to use books as a tie-in.

What I forgot was that the book would be on sale at the same time as when it was shown. Hence this second example.

Bought in 1979. Read Forty Years Later. I Get There In The End.

I vaguely remember (being fifteen at the time) watching the show on BBC1 (on a Wednesday - Amazed I can remember that). I didn't watch the whole series. Can't remember why. Think life just interfered. But given you had no option at the time to watch later that was it for your chance of viewing unless it was repeated and I don't think it was.

I can chat about two of the stars in that cover. The man of the left is James Hazeldine. An actor who played the sort of "ordinary bloke" roles in TV shows and did it well. The lady is Louise Jameson, who I suspect was one of the reasons why I initially watched it as a teenage boy. Given that she played Leela, an assistant to Tom Baker's Doctor Who. She cause controversy at the time for wandering around in a thigh revealing costume. Yes I know. Be still my beating teenage heart.

Essentially this is a supernatural thriller as James Hazeldine plays a journalist plagued by visions and dreams and finds that in his investigations result him battling evil and finding out the authorities have an interest in this as well.

I enjoyed as entertainment. Reading it as they say at a gallop. I suspect that Jack Gerson took it more seriously but to be honest I couldn't. To me it was literature as TV dinner. Thing is sometimes a TV dinner is what you need.

I can as it happens watch the series on YouTube now. But I'll pass.

I've read the book.

Until the next time.