Flight Lieutenant Chris Drake (Vincent Regan) is scrambled over the Scottish Highlands one night and shoots down an unidentified flying object – little knowing the consequences of this rash act of bravado.
At the same time, Dr Amanda Tucker (Maggie O’Neill) and her assistant Nick Shay (Paul Medford) are monitoring the sky for intelligent forms of communication and detect much more than they bargained for.
The search for the downed aircraft leads to the discovery of Lieutenant Charles Terrell (Anton Lesser), who subsequently turns out to be an army officer who went missing in 1945.
After initial reticence, Lt. Terrell begins to reveal his story about the peaceable Echo’s who abducted him years ago and an ancient, merciless enemy, the ND’s, who sought to destroy the Echo’s.
As his story unfolds – and the evidence of Dr Tucker’s observations lend credence to it – the nightmarish prospect of a full-scale alien invasion becomes real.
Unlike Hollywood aliens, there is no reasoning or communicating with the ND. They are inscrutable and unfathomable – and unstoppable – life forms that simply seek other life forms and consume them as fuel.
Everybody dies and we sacrifice our own planet. A second series was planned but the BBC pulled the plug for budgetary reasons.
Real-life RAF personnel from RAF Leuchars (near St Andrews in Fife) were used in the series.
Flt. Lt. Chris Drake
Vincent Regan Dr Amanda Tucker
Maggie O’Neill Major General David Reece
Fred Ward Squadron Leader Helen Knox
Phyllis Logan Nick Shay
Paul J. Medford Flt. Lt. Jim Radcliffe
Jonathan Dow Sgt. Tuffley
Gerard Rooney Emily Tucker
Laura Harling Flt. Lt. Stewart
Bob Barrett Lt. Charles Terrell
Anton Lesser Group Captain Susan Preston
Sara Kestelman Wing Commander Friday
Christopher Fairbank Air Marshal Bentley
John Shrapnel Det. Sgt. Rebecca Holland
Nicola Grier Gran
Diana Payan Dr Vickers
Hugh Ross Jenny Marchant
Sheila Grier Inspector Boyd
Michael Vaughan SAC Burton
Luke Garrett Sgt. Lynch
David Albion
Episodes
Chapter One: The Last War | Chapter Two: The Fourth Dimension | Chapter Three: Only the Dead | Chapter Four: The Fall of Man | Chapter Five: The Battle More Costly | Chapter Six: The Shatterer of Worlds
