Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World (1980)
Television programmes that deal with the so-called supernatural, mysterious and the unexplained are commonplace these days. They fill the schedules of channels that used to broadcast quality wildlife, historical and scientific documentaries. All too often these shows focus on the sensational nature of their subject matter and lack any real objectivity, analysis and scientific rigour. The idea is not to impartially explore a subject to determine its veracity but to simply provide a degree of spectacle for as broad a viewing demographic as possible. However, that was not always the case. Back in 1980, Yorkshire Television produced Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World. A high profile exploration thirteen-part British television series looking at unexplained phenomena from around the world. The presence of Clarke, who introduced and book-ended the various subjects the show explored, brought a degree of impartiality and credibility to the proceedings.
Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World was not intended to be a highbrow exploration of the subject nor was it designed just to infer the truth of the various mysteries that it focused upon. It was meant to provide an overview on well known subjects such as UFOs and the Loch Ness monster, providing first hand anecdotes, potential scientific explanations and logical conjectures. If there wasn’t a definitive explanation to a mystery Clarke would state this as being the case. However his standing in the scientific community meant that he wasn’t providing a tacit endorsement of supernatural theory and fringe beliefs. As each episode was only twenty five minutes long, they were not attempting to be the last word on the matter. However this approach found a comfortable mainstream, centre ground that the viewers found acceptable.
In the first episode, Clarke himself set out his approach to analysing each mystery. Each was categorised as either a mystery of the first, second or third kind. The first being phenomena which were mysterious to our ancestors but are now understood, such as a solar eclipse. The second being phenomena which are as yet unexplained but where we have several clues that suggest a potential answer or credible theory. Ball lightning was cited as an example of this. Finally the third was applicable to those phenomena for which we have no rational explanation. The various cases were then explored in short segments of eight minutes duration, narrated by Gordon Honeycombe. Eyewitnesses often recounted their experiences and then experts and academics would attempt to rationalise what had happened. The eye witnesses did have an opportunity for rebuttal and then Clarke himself would pronounce upon the matter in an independent manner.
Over the course of the thirteen episode season, Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World looked at the following mysteries. Sea monsters, Bigfoot and the Yeti, stone circles, the Tunguska event, UFOs as well as subjects such as Nazca lines, megalithic structures and phenomena such as raining fish and the “canals of Mars”. All of which had not been solely catalogued by one show before and brought into the UK viewers collective consciousness. The enigmatic opening credits featuring the Mitchell-Hedges Crystal “skull of doom” certainly left an impression, especially with younger viewers such as myself. Usually such material was looked down upon by UK critics yet the presence of a respected writer and academic such as Clarke who appeared to have a genuine interest in these phenomena, did seem to temper peoples scepticism. Viewing figures were sufficient to lead to two follow up series. Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers in 1985 and Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious Universe in 1994.
I recently revisited Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World and found it to be just as engaging as I remember. It is presented in the formal style of the time with interviews and simple graphics. Clarke, often filmed in Sri Lanka, is even handed and measured in his thoughts and conclusions. Unlike the sensational hyperbole that is deliberately employed in contemporary shows. Due to the age of the series, some of the mysteries discussed have now been determined as hoaxes or have been relegated from their status as mysteries of the third kind, to the second. This includes the previously mentioned “skull of doom” which has been found to date from the 19th century and is not a three thousand year old artefact. Overall, Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World still maintains its original remit. Exploring mysteries with a degree of scepticism while still enjoying their inherent appeal and excitement. It’s a shame that so many modern shows can’t find this balance.
