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The crew of the rocket ship Luna face the unknown perils of space in a classic of '50s radio science-fiction – now remastered by BBC Audiobooks.

Journey Into Space: Operation Luna.

Author Charles Chilton's classic science fiction trilogy Journey Into Space stormed the BBC airwaves for over 60 episodes during the 1950s. BBC Audiobooks will now be releasing all three volumes in collector's box sets, the first of which is Operation Luna.

The gripping storyline, atmospheric extra-terrestrial sound effects and moody incidental music engaged the listener as never before. Between 1953 and 1958, a devoted audience of both adults and children attentively followed the adventures of the ships’ Dan Dare-style Captain - Jet Morgan - and his plucky crew.

As the team struggled from one cliff-hanger to another the cast brought something of the mystery, wonder and danger of space travel straight into the homes of the listening public in a way that Quatermass – and later Doctor Who – would come to do on television.

In this, the very first series, Captain Jet Morgan, Doc Matthews, engineer Mitch Mitchell and the irrepressible radio operator Lemmy Barnet blast off in the rocket ship Luna, destined to be the first men in the moon. Marooned on the surface with all radio contact to Earth lost, the crew realise they are not alone...Something is out there, something alien.

Marooned

As a sequence of unnerving events unfold, the travellers find themselves propelled not only through space, but through into the fourth dimension - time itself!

BBC Audiobooks are now delighted to be issuing the complete series across three box sets, remastered and restored on CD for the first time. Presented in beautiful full-colour packaging, with an accompanying booklet detailing the series development, each set will also include ‘added value’ material.

This first volume features the complete series Operation Luna - on 7 CDs, with a combined duration of 7 hours. In addition to the first serial, the boxed set also includes an audio documentary entitled Another Journey Into Space and an excerpt of rare footage from an otherwise lost episode. A must for new and not so new fans of Journey Into Space, this release will be a true collector’s item for all fans of vintage science fiction.

Journey into Space: Operation Luna is available now from all good retailers – either online at the BBC Shop or by direct mail on: 0800 136 919.

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