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''Star Cops'' is a British science fiction television series first broadcast on BBC2 in 1987. It was devised by Chris Boucher, a writer who had previously worked on the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and ''Blake's 7'' as well as crime dramas such as ''Juliet Bravo'' and ''Bergerac''. Set in the year 2027, a time where Interplanetary travel has become commonplace, it starred David Calder as Nathan Spring, commander of the International Space Police Force—nicknamed the “Star Cops"—who provide law enforcement for the newly developing colonies of the Solar System. The series follows Nathan Spring and the rest of his multinational team as they work to establish the Star Cops and solve whatever crimes come their way. Operating in a relatively accurately realised hard SF, near-future, space environment, many of the cases that the Star Cops investigate arise from opportunities for new crimes presented by the technologically advanced future society the series depicts and from the hostile frontier nature of the environment that the Star Cops live in. In total nine episodes of ''Star Cops'' were made. A tenth episode, titled "Death on the Moon", was planned but industrial relations difficulties during production led to it being abandoned shortly before recording was to commence. A combination of factors, including conflict between Boucher and producer Evgeny Gridneff and poor scheduling, meant that the series never found a satisfactory audience and the series was cancelled after one season. In recent years, ''Star Cops'' has undergone something of a critical re-appraisal and is generally hailed for being "a pretty good attempt at a moderately realistic "High Frontier" SF series". == Concept and setting == ''Star Cops'' is set in the year 2027—some 40 years into the future at time of broadcast—a time in which space travel has become common and mankind is in the process of exploiting and colonising the Solar System. There are five permanently manned space stations orbiting the Earth and there are bases on the Moon and Mars. Approximately 3,000 people are living and working in space.〔 〕 This near future setting was influenced by the potential for greater access to space promised by the burgeoning Space Shuttle programme and by the militarisation of space through the US Government's Strategic Defense Initiative programme (also known as "Star Wars") both of which were underway in the early 1980s. Accordingly, space travel and life in space is portrayed in a realistic manner with depictions of weightlessness and low gravity environments and lengthy space journeys (months or years in cases of interplanetary travel)〔 as well as hazards such as spacesuit failures,〔Boucher, Chris (Writer) & Baker, Christopher (Director). (1987). "An Instinct for Murder" (Television series episode). In Evgeny Gridneff (Producer), ''Star Cops''. London: BBC2 6 July 1987, 20:30.〕 radiation exposure〔Martin, Philip (Writer) & Harper, Graeme (Director). (1987). "This Case to be Opened in a Million Years" (Television series episode). In Evgeny Gridneff (Producer), ''Star Cops''. London: BBC2 3 August 1987, 21:55.〕 and explosive decompression.〔Collee, John (Writer) & Baker, Christopher (Director). (1987). "Other People's Secrets" (Television series episode). In Evgeny Gridneff (Producer), ''Star Cops''. London BBC2 24 August 1987, 20:30.〕 This air of realism has led to ''Star Cops'' being frequently compared with the 1973 BBC drama series ''Moonbase 3''. Similarly, the pioneering spirit evoked by the process of colonising the Solar System seen in the series has led to comparisons with the Western genre among many commentators.〔〔 Law and order is provided by the International Space Police Force (ISPF), twenty part-time volunteers disparagingly nicknamed the "Star Cops". The decision has been made to put the ISPF on a permanent full-time footing and a new commander, Nathan Spring, has been appointed to accomplish this.〔 Many of the series episodes deal with Spring's efforts to establish the Star Cops—he sets up a base of operations on the Moonbase,〔Boucher, Chris (Writer) & Baker, Christopher, (1987). "Conversations with the Dead" (Television series episode). In Evgeny Gridneff (Producer), ''Star Cops''. London: BBC2 13 July 1987, 20:35.〕 recruits new staff,〔〔Collee, John (Writer) & Harper, Graeme (Director), (1987). "In Warm Blood" (Television series episode). In Evgeny Gridneff (Producer), ''Star Cops''. London: BBC2 10 August 1987, 20:35.〕 roots out and dismisses corrupt officers〔Boucher, Chris (Writer) & Baker, Christopher (Director), (1987). "Intelligent Listening for Beginners" (Television series episode). In Evgeny Gridneff (Producer) ''Star Cops''. London: BBC2 20 July 1987, 20:30.〕 and works to extend the Star Cops' reach first into the American space stations〔Boucher, Chris (Writer) & Baker, Christopher (Director), (1987). "Trivial Games and Paranoid Pursuits" (Television series episode). In Evgeny Gridneff (Producer), ''Star Cops''. London: BBC2 27 July 1987, 20:30.〕 and then, at the end of the series, the far-flung reaches of the Mars colonies,〔Boucher, Chris (Writer) & Harper, Graeme (Director), (1987). "Little Green Men and Other Martians" (Television series episode). In Evgeny Gridneff (Producer) ''Star Cops''. London: BBC2 31 August 1987, 20:35.〕 all the while investigating whatever crimes occur along the way. Many of the crimes that the Star Cops investigate have a science fiction "twist" to them arising from the unconventional (for a police show) environment the series is set e.g. a murder in which the two victims are not yet dead,〔 a ransom demand for kidnapped embryos,〔Collee, John (Writer) & Baker, Christopher (Director), (1987). "A Double Life" (Television series episode). In Evgeny Gridneff (Producer) ''Star Cops''. 17 August 1987, 20:35.〕 a hoax discovery of an alien civilisation,〔 etc. It is out of these scenarios that one of the major themes of the series emerges: the conflict between human emotion and morality on the one hand and machine logic and rogue science on the other.〔 Another major theme of the series is the "sins of the father":〔 Spring’s first assignment as a detective was to arrest his father for industrial espionage,〔 the villain in "Intelligent Listening for Beginners" is motivated by his inability to match his father’s reputation,〔 Spring’s deputy, David Theroux, watched his father die of radiation poisoning,〔 the kidnapper in "A Double Life" is seeking revenge for his father’s murder〔 and Star Cop Anna Shoun betrays the multinational company which employs her (and with whom she has a paternal relationship) when she discovers their unethical behaviour.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Star Cops」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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