Captain Zep – Space Detective(1983)

Captain Zep – Space Detective is a British children's series that aired on the BBC from 1983 to 1984. The show blends drama with an interactive quiz format, inviting studio audiences to solve mysteries alongside the titular detective while competing for prizes through write-in contests. Its visual style mixed live-action performances with animation, allowing the cast to interact with drawn alien characters in illustrated alien worlds. The futuristic setting extended to the child audience, who wore space-age costumes and styled hair. Paul Greenwood starred as Captain Zep in series one, with Richard Morant taking over for series two. The captain's assistant Professor Spiro was similarly recast as Professor Vana, though Ben Ellison remained as Jason Brown across both seasons. David Owen Smith and Paul Aitken composed the theme tune, performed by The Spacewalkers.