A for Andromeda
Decades before The Matrix, a computer attempts world domination - and it’s got Julie Christie on its side.
This absurd but hugely enjoyable TV series was first shown in seven 45-minute episodes, most of which - tragically - no longer exist. In it, radio signals received from the constellation of Andromeda turn out to be instructions for a new supercomputer, which, when built, teaches itself about society and human biochemistry.
Among the team operating the computer is Christine, played by a young Julie Christie in her breakthrough role. The machine co-opts her DNA to build a super-human with which it becomes mentally linked. Needless to say, its intentions are far from benign.
The combination of Christie, science-fiction melodrama and techno-fear themes made A for Andromeda a ratings winner. It spawned a sequel series, The Andromeda Breakthrough, the following year - though Christie, by now a big star, was replaced by Susan Hampshire. BBC Four aired a remake of the original series in 2006.
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