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Guest stars
John Shrapnel, Michael Brandon and Jane Booker.
Directed by Keith Washington
First transmitted 11th December 1999
Ratings 10.7 million
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The Puzzle:
Maddy Magellan thinks she's being offered the scoop of a lifetime - the chance to reveal the existence of extraterrestrial life.
Renowned UFOlogist Professor Lance Graumann invites Maddy to photograph an alien's skeleton, but their rendezvous is interrupted by the US military, intent on retrieving the creature.
When they return to base to inspect their prize, however, the troops discover that the alien has vanished from its display case, within a chained and padlocked crate. Can Jonathan discover the truth about its disappearance? [Solution]
Quiz
Five quick questions to test your knowledge of the episode.
Alan Davies
"It's reflected in Jonathan's character [that] logic is everything, and what is possible is often more fantastic than what the mind conjures up as an alternative, so that's his philosophy. I was a huge fan of the X Files and it was great fun having a load of American soldiers and trucks and all that kind of stuff.
"It was a really good story, where this guy had conjured up an alien and had been thwarted by Jonathan Creek. There was a kind of philosophical moment in it as well - a slightly unusual episode in terms of a hoax rather than a bizarre murder."
Jonathan (not) Geek:
Further proof that Jonathan can no longer be pigeonholed as a geek. Fame has made him more attractive to women, as shown by the appearance of three teenage fans who seem to want to get inside his trousers. He also manages to be charming and confident on a television chat show, much to Maddy's annoyance.
Finally, you might expect a man of the geek persuasion to be a little bit excited by the Professor's claims, but Jonathan appears to have little enthusiasm for alien lifeforms or conspiracy theories.
Creekenders:
The Omega Man marks the second only TV appearance of young actress Charlene Brookes. These days she calls herself Charlie Brookes and plays the murderous Janine in Eastenders.
I don't believe it:
The role of Professor Lance Graumann, played by John Shrapnel, was originally written with David Renwick's One Foot in the Grave pal Richard Wilson in mind.
The Solution: (point your mouse over the space below)
Graumann had created a fake alien skeleton using frozen mercury and a cooling system. When the military took the alien, it no longer remained cooled, and melted on its journey back to the U.S. base. By the time the troops opened the case containing their prize, all the mercury had run into a receptacle in the base of the skeleton's display plinth, making it seem to have disappeared.
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Trivia
Adam Klaus was originally called Adam Faust, until it was discovered that a magician named Faust already existed.
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