The Space Place
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| The Space Place | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Catalyst Video[1] |
| Directed by | Nik Lever Paul Perry (Animation Director)[2] |
| Voices of | Rob Rackstraw |
| Theme music composer | Richard G. Mitchell |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Nik Lever |
| Editor(s) | Steve Merchant |
| Location(s) | United Kingdom |
| Broadcast | |
Chalked for release in mid-2008, The Space Place is an animated children's television series created by Catalyst Video. It is made up of 12 five-minute-long programmes aimed at autistic children in the 2 - 8 year-old bracket, the core being children with an educational age of 4 - years.
The aim of the series is to convey the meaning of various facial expressions to the target audience, by using a number of space vehicles with faces. The educational merit of this method of educating autistic children was already proven to be highly successful the previous year with the release of 'The Transporters' in 2007 - also produced and animated by Catalyst [3]. The Transporters proved so successful that it has been notinated for a BAFTA Award[4].
The Space Place storylines centre around eight central characters, all space vehicles from a lunar display in a museum gallery. All have their own personalities, function and behaviours.
Voiced by Rob Rackshaw, each episode contains linear storylines with clear and uncomplicated language and obvious visual and contextual clues for the motions being expressed. Each story highlights one specific emotion while allowing for secondary emotions to be seen.
| Key Emotions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Secondary Emotions | ||
|---|---|---|
Contents |
[edit] Characters
[edit] Bernard - Space Telescope
British, 60s, Male
Bernard is getting old and a bit rusty but the others look up to him as he remembers the early days of space exploration and has seen such a lot of changes in the Space Place.
[edit] Nancy - Lunar Lander
Australian, 20s, Female
Nancy is lively and outgoing, the life and soul of the party, keeping the others cheerful even when they are down. She loves to fix things with her mechanical arm.
[edit] Julie - Moon Buggy
Canadian, Teenager, Female
Julie is young and impetuous and loves driving about the lunar landscape, in and out of the craters. The bumpier the ride, the more she likes it!
[edit] Rakesh - Rover
Indian, Teenager, Male
Rakesh is always collecting rocks. He has a huge collection of rocks which he is very proud of.
[edit] Philippe - Satellite
Indian, Teenager, Male
Rakesh is always collecting rocks. He has a huge collection of rocks which he is very proud of.
[edit] Neil - Shuttle
American, 30s, Male
Neil is straightforward and sensible and likes to learn. He is usually solid and reliable.
[edit] Yuri - Sputnik
Russian, 50s, Male
Yuri is a bit of a loner and the others don’t always include him in their adventures, but he has a heart of gold.
[edit] Chen - Tourist Spaceship
Chinese, 20s, Male
Chen is trendy and likes to have all the latest gadgets. He gives off an air of self-confidence but a lot of it is bravado.
[edit] Locations
[edit] Lunar Landscape
This is the museum display where all the space vehicles are based and where they begin their adventures. It is situated in one corner of the gallery and is a model of an area of the moon’s surface with craters and rocks, against an outer-space background. This display, along with several other displays, is in a roped off area to prevent museum visitors from touching the vehicles.
[edit] Mars Landscape
Situated across the gallery from the lunar display is a model of an area of the surface of Mars with craters and rocks, against a background of the atmosphere of Mars. This gives the opportunity for another ‘base’ for the Space vehicles to avoid each episode looking too similar to the others. This display, along with several other displays, is in a roped off area to prevent museum visitors from touching the vehicles.
[edit] Orrery
There is an antique model of the planets in another corner of the gallery which may be visited by the characters over the course of the series. The orrery is of brass construction and the planets and their moons rotate within it.
[edit] Jodrell Bank Display
A model of the Jodrell Bank radio telescope stands at one side of the Space gallery.
[edit] Space Port
There is a model of a space station of the future in the opposite corner of the gallery from the lunar display.
[edit] Telescope "Ride"
There is a model of a space station of the future in the opposite corner of the gallery from the lunar display.
[edit] Episodes
| Episodes List | |
|---|---|
[edit] Other Media
The Space Place DVD is intended to be sold as part of an educational package, including interactive games, cards and toys to educate young children (and particularly helpful for those on the autistic spectrum.
[edit] References
- ^ The Space Place - Credits. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
- ^ The Space Place - Credits. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
- ^ The Transporters - About. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
- ^ BAFTAS: Children's Award Winners in 2007. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
