This is one of many imitators to the success of BBC's Doctor Who, and for my money, the one most worth your time 'investigating'.
The show does not really explain itself at all, and enigma and mystery are ket parts of its appeal. All you really learn (as summed up by the almost nonsensical title sequence which states: All irregularities will be handled by the forces controlling each dimension. Transuranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life. Medium atomic weights are available: Gold, Lead, Copper, Jet, Diamond, Radium, Sapphire, Silver and Steel. Sapphire and Steel have been assigned. Even this is incredibly confusing as not all of those things mentioned are elements on the periodic table, some are compounds or alloys!) is that the eponymous characters are unspecified 'time agents' patrolling the corridors of reality to keep 'irregularities' in time and space from distorting the true path of the dimensional universe...or something like that!
There are a host of other potential agents, of which during the course of the six 'assignments' you meet two more; Lead (a larger-than-life jovial black 'American' and Silver, an erudite and foppish chap) sadly the show did not last long enough to meet Gold, Copper, Jet, Diamond or Radium. Each seems to possess unique 'talents' that, to us mere mortal humans, are more or less indistinguishable from 'magic' or 'superpowers' and their 'names' seem to give a little clue as to their nature as characters (Sapphire is beautiful and full of flair and 'crystal' mysticism Steel is tough and blunt and strong).
The show, in essence, posits more or less 'scientific' explanations for paranormal activity. With the antagonists of the series being vague demon-like creatures from outside our dimension that can 'break through the barriers of time and take things, take people' as Joanna Lumley's Sapphire tells a young child in the first adventure.
It seems that the more 'old objects' one has in one place, the more pressure is put on the fabric of time and the easier these 'demons' can break through the veil between dimensions.
As I said earlier, this show is bonkers, but well worth it for the utterly creepiness it achieves. Assignments 2, 4 and 6 in particular are very good, and still somewhat scary even to a modern audience (I have tested this by playing it to people, some of whom really get unnerved by these storylines). If you can only bare to watch one storyline, then definitely Assignment 2.
Despite the bizarre and largely unexplained nature of this show, it ran successfully for four 'series' and ended in a very dark way. I know it has come back in Big Finish audio adventures, but this would really make a great new rebooted TV show.
The show does not really explain itself at all, and enigma and mystery are ket parts of its appeal. All you really learn (as summed up by the almost nonsensical title sequence which states: All irregularities will be handled by the forces controlling each dimension. Transuranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life. Medium atomic weights are available: Gold, Lead, Copper, Jet, Diamond, Radium, Sapphire, Silver and Steel. Sapphire and Steel have been assigned. Even this is incredibly confusing as not all of those things mentioned are elements on the periodic table, some are compounds or alloys!) is that the eponymous characters are unspecified 'time agents' patrolling the corridors of reality to keep 'irregularities' in time and space from distorting the true path of the dimensional universe...or something like that!
There are a host of other potential agents, of which during the course of the six 'assignments' you meet two more; Lead (a larger-than-life jovial black 'American' and Silver, an erudite and foppish chap) sadly the show did not last long enough to meet Gold, Copper, Jet, Diamond or Radium. Each seems to possess unique 'talents' that, to us mere mortal humans, are more or less indistinguishable from 'magic' or 'superpowers' and their 'names' seem to give a little clue as to their nature as characters (Sapphire is beautiful and full of flair and 'crystal' mysticism Steel is tough and blunt and strong).
The show, in essence, posits more or less 'scientific' explanations for paranormal activity. With the antagonists of the series being vague demon-like creatures from outside our dimension that can 'break through the barriers of time and take things, take people' as Joanna Lumley's Sapphire tells a young child in the first adventure.
It seems that the more 'old objects' one has in one place, the more pressure is put on the fabric of time and the easier these 'demons' can break through the veil between dimensions.
As I said earlier, this show is bonkers, but well worth it for the utterly creepiness it achieves. Assignments 2, 4 and 6 in particular are very good, and still somewhat scary even to a modern audience (I have tested this by playing it to people, some of whom really get unnerved by these storylines). If you can only bare to watch one storyline, then definitely Assignment 2.
Despite the bizarre and largely unexplained nature of this show, it ran successfully for four 'series' and ended in a very dark way. I know it has come back in Big Finish audio adventures, but this would really make a great new rebooted TV show.