{{Short description|British Comedy radio show}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Use British English|date=July 2014}} {{Other uses}} {{Infobox Radio Show | show_name = Nebulous | image = Nebulous.jpg | imagesize = 170px | caption = The front cover of the first series audiobook of ''Nebulous'', featuring (from left to right) Graham Crowden, Rosie Cavaliero, Mark Gatiss and David Warner | other_names = | format = Comic science fiction, sitcom | runtime = 28 minutes | country = United Kingdom | language = English | home_station = BBC Radio 4 | syndicates = | television = | starring = Mark Gatiss<br>Rosie Cavaliero<br>Graham Duff<br>Paul Putner<br>Julia Dalkin<br>Graham Crowden<br>David Warner | creator = | writer = Graham Duff | producer = Ted Dowd | executive_producer = | narrated = | record_location = The Moat Studio<ref name="PL">[http://nebulouscity.com/PROJECT%20%20LIFETIME.doc Project Lifeline] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221153025/http://nebulouscity.com/PROJECT%20%20LIFETIME.doc |date=21 February 2007 }}, ''Nebulous City'', URL accessed 16 March 2007</ref> | first_aired = 6 January 2005 | last_aired = 19 June 2008 | num_series = 3 | num_episodes = 18 | audio_format = Stereophonic sound | opentheme = Created by Malcolm Boyle. | endtheme = | website = [https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/nebulous.shtml Official website] | podcast = }} '''''Nebulous''''' is a post-apocalyptic science fiction comedy radio show written by Graham Duff and produced by Ted Dowd from Baby Cow Productions; it is directed by Nicholas Briggs. The series premiered in the United Kingdom on BBC Radio 4. Set in the year 2099 AD, the show focuses on the adventures of the eponymous Professor Nebulous, director of operations for the eco-troubleshooting team KENT ''(the Key Environmental Non-Judgmental Taskforce)'' as they combat various catastrophes and try to set the world back on the right path following a worldwide environmental disaster known as "The Withering". As well as being a parody of a number of famous science fiction programmes, including ''Doctor Who'', ''Quatermass'' and ''Doomwatch'',<ref name="times1">{{cite news|url =http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article406399.ece|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110616062856/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article406399.ece|url-status =dead|archive-date =16 June 2011|title= Radio Choice|work=The Times|date=1 January 2005|access-date=2007-03-18}}</ref> ''Nebulous'' is considered a cult radio programme, attracting a number of guest appearances from famous actors.<ref name="PL"/><ref name="times2">{{cite news|url =http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article697772.ece|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110616063111/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article697772.ece|url-status =dead|archive-date =16 June 2011| title=Radiohead|work=The Times|date=1 April 2006|access-date=2007-03-18}}</ref>
There have been three series of ''Nebulous''; the first was broadcast between 6 January and 10 February 2005. The series was well received by critics, and a second series was broadcast between 5 April and 10 May 2006, with a third series commissioned by the BBC which began broadcasting on Thursday, 15 May 2008.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://nebulouscity.com/ | title = Nebulous City News | access-date = 2007-02-12 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050829034429/http://www.nebulouscity.com/ | archive-date = 29 August 2005 | url-status = dead }}</ref> The first series was released on compact disc on 5 February 2007 by BBC Audio. Since 2009 all three series have been broadcast on BBC Radio 7.<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC Radio Broadcasts by Year for ''Nebulous''|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00b94wn/episodes/guide}}</ref> Duff has also announced that he is planning to make an animated series of ''Nebulous''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Duff|first=Graham|author-link=Graham Duff|url=http://www.grahamduff.co.uk/|title=News Section of Graham Duff's Website|publisher=Graham Duff|access-date=2009-05-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Wolf|first=Ian|url=http://www.comedy.org.uk/guide/radio/nebulous/|title=Nebulous|publisher=British Comedy Guide|access-date=2009-05-13}}</ref>
==Production== ===Development=== The development of the series began with the production pilot episode, written by Graham Duff and produced by Baby Cow Productions in March 2003.<ref name="hammer">{{cite web|url=http://www.unofficialhammerfilms.com/interviews/gd.html|title=Interviews: Graham Duff (2005)|first=Robert|last=Simpson|publisher=Unofficial Hammer Films Site|date=2005-01-20|access-date=2007-03-18}} </ref> The episode, which eventually became "Night of the Vegetarians", featured much of the final cast, but with a number of differences: a different actor played Rory, and Sir Ronald Rowlands was voiced by Duff, while Gemini originally had two voices: a female voice played by Julia Dalkin, and a male voice by Nicholas Briggs.<ref name="duff">{{cite web|url=http://nebulouscity.com/Graham%20Duff%20Interview.doc|title=Graham Duff Interview|publisher=Nebulous City|access-date=2007-03-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221153652/http://nebulouscity.com/Graham%20Duff%20Interview.doc|archive-date=21 February 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="cult">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/cult/2005/01/06/16362.shtml|title=Nick's Nebulous Notes|publisher=BBC Cult Television|access-date=2007-03-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061106220132/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/cult/2005/01/06/16362.shtml|archive-date=6 November 2006|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Malcolm Boyle - who wrote the Nebulous theme and edited the pilot - had written an entire original score for the show. However, due to BBC radio budget limitations, this was not used in the completed series. Nicholas Briggs had also originally created a very deep, realistic soundscape, similar to those he had created for the Big Finish Productions ''Doctor Who'' audioplays, but was advised that "it's likely the listener will have distractions and will not listen to it more than once; therefore, the soundscape must be totally accessible from any point in the episode", toning down the sound effects to match the series' comic nature.<ref name="briggs">{{cite web|url=http://nebulouscity.com/Nick%20Briggs%20Interview.doc|title=Nicholas Briggs interview|publisher=Nebulous City|access-date=2007-03-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221153728/http://nebulouscity.com/Nick%20Briggs%20Interview.doc|archive-date=21 February 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Recording===
The Moat Studios in London recorded ''Nebulous'' in stereo,<ref name="PL"/> with each half-hour episode typically taking one day to record, including read-through and rehearsal.<ref name="duff"/> Nicholas Briggs produced the sound, using a combination of synthesised effects from a Roland SH-101 and foley sound effects.<ref name="cult"/> Briggs also carried out the studio editing in order to bring the 30-minute episodes down to the 28 minutes mandated by the BBC to allow time for radio trailers between programmes.<ref name="briggs"/>
==Plot== {{main|List of Nebulous episodes}}
===Setting=== Set in the year 2099, the series depicts the Earth as very different from today. Following a number of environmental disasters, such as "the Withering" – which resulted in the loss of a great deal of human knowledge including the vacuum cleaner and fire (although the latter came back fairly quickly) – and a "Cattle-clasm" that killed off most of the livestock,<ref name="vegetarian">{{cite episode | title = Night of the Vegetarians | episode-link = List of Nebulous episodes#First series| series = Nebulous | network = BBC Radio 4 | airdate = 2005-01-06 | season = 1 | number = 1 }}</ref> the Earth has been reduced to a wasteland separated between "Withered Zones" and the remaining inhabitable areas.<ref name="lovely">{{cite episode | title = The Lovely Invasion | episode-link = List of Nebulous episodes#First series| series = Nebulous | network = BBC Radio 4 | airdate = 2005-01-13 | season = 1 | number = 2 }}</ref> The Withering shifted the Earth into a new orbit, resulting in disruption to the seasons and a reformed calendar. Every day of the week is now 25 hours long except for Thursday (which, due to time anomalies, has not occurred in over a decade),<ref name="past">{{cite episode | title = The Past Must be Destroyed| episode-link = List of Nebulous episodes#Third series| series = Nebulous | network = BBC Radio 4 | airdate = 2008-05-22 | season = 3 | number = 2 }}</ref> while the change in the length of the year led to the creation of new months such as Janril, Febtober, and Marchuary. In addition, the dreary season of Hamble was created, which is permanently dark, cold and drizzly.<ref name="polished">{{cite episode | title = The Man Who Polished The Sun | episode-link = List of Nebulous episodes#First series| series = Nebulous | network = BBC Radio 4 | airdate = 2005-02-10 | season = 1 | number = 6 }}</ref> The Withering resulted in vegetarians, pigeons and gays becoming endangered species,<ref name="vegetarian"/> and completely wiped out tarts.<ref name="dust">{{cite episode | title = The Dust Has Landed | episode-link = List of Nebulous episodes#First series| series = Nebulous | network = BBC Radio 4 | airdate = 2005-01-20 | season = 1 | number = 3 }}</ref>
The Earth's geography is also radically altered. A new mountain range was formed in Britain by a day-long ice age, and the Earth now has twelve and a half continents. Many locations have been displaced and reduced to islands, including Oxford University<ref name="dust"/> and the London borough of Deptford, which is now in the Indonesian Ocean as a part of the Cockney Islands.<ref name="deptford">{{cite episode | title = The Deptford Wives | episode-link = List of Nebulous episodes#Second series| series = Nebulous | network = BBC Radio 4 | airdate = 2006-04-05 | season = 2 | number = 1 }}</ref> The Solar System is equally altered: Jupiter has been deep fried by Harry Ramsden's, Mercury and Neptune have been knocked together, and there was an initiative to destroy the Moon, which according to the show was deleterious to the nightlight industry.<ref name="destinoyd">{{cite episode | title = The Destiny of the Destinoyd | episode-link = List of Nebulous episodes#Second series| series = Nebulous | network = BBC Radio 4 | airdate = 2006-04-26 | season = 2 | number = 4 }}</ref>
Religion also exists in the ''Nebulous'' universe. Pieced together following the Withering, theologians conclude that there were four true deities: the evil twins Yin and Yang, Feng Shui the destroyer, and merciful Bod, based on the children's television programme ''Bod'',<ref name="colour">{{cite episode | title = Madness Is A Strange Colour | episode-link = List of Nebulous episodes#First series| series = Nebulous | network = BBC Radio 4 | airdate = 2005-01-27 | season = 1 | number = 4 }}</ref> the theme tune of which has become a hymn, sung in Gregorian chant.<ref name="cult"/> Bod is analogous to God, hence the commonly used phrase "Oh my Bod!"
===Storyline===
''Nebulous'' follows the adventures of the eco-troubleshooting team "KENT" (the ''Key Environmental Non-Judgmental Taskforce'', named after the English county of Kent). The group is directed by Professor Nebulous toward the goal of restoring a natural balance to Earth. However, they are woefully under-funded; KENT was forced to open a laundry to supplement funds.<ref name="coincidence">{{cite episode | title = The Coincidence Machine | episode-link = List of Nebulous episodes#First series| series = Nebulous | network = BBC Radio 4 | airdate = 2005-01-03 | season = 1 | number = 5 }}</ref> There is at least one other eco-troubleshooting team based in England, but despite their common goals they have a less-than-hospitable view of each other. LOUGHBOROUGH (the ''Legitimate Organisation Undertaking General Humanitarian Business Operations Requiring Optimum Unconditional Global Harmony'', named after the Leicestershire town Loughborough) is run by Professor Nebulous’ ex-love interest, Doctor Erica Flazenby. By comparison to KENT it is over-funded and well-equipped, with bazers, black helicopters and info pills, which provide the user with information by ingestion.<ref name="dust"/>
''Nebulous'' both parodies and pays homage to several well known science fiction programmes and films in both its setting and plotlines, often incorporating several different elements within a single story: Professor Nebulous himself is similar to Bernard Quatermass,<ref name="duff"/> a British scientist who led a research group and fought aliens in the classic science fiction serial ''The Quatermass Experiment'' and its sequels. KENT itself is based partly on the Department of Measurement of Scientific Work, nicknamed "Doomwatch", the eponymous organisation from the BBC science fiction television programme ''Doomwatch'', and partly on the Doctor Who Organization "U.N.I.T", otherwise known as the "United Nations Intelligence Taskforce".<ref name="msn">{{Cite web|url=http://groups.msn.com/Gallifrey/markgatissinterview.msnw|title=Mark Gatiss|publisher=Gallifrey MSN Group|first=James|last=Ellis|date=6 January 2005|access-date=2007-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103143355/http://groups.msn.com/Gallifrey/markgatissinterview.msnw|archive-date=3 November 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> The second episode of series one, "The Loverly Invasion"<!-- The Loverly Invasion is the correct spelling-->, is a direct spoof of the ''Doctor Who'' episode "The Claws of Axos",<ref name="who">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2005/01/06/16359.shtml|title= Nebulous Who|publisher=BBC|date=6 January 2005|access-date=2007-03-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204093918/http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/news/cult/news/drwho/2005/01/06/16359.shtml <!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=2007-02-04}}</ref> while "The Deptford Wives" takes both its name and premise from ''The Stepford Wives'' (and also borrows from ''Jurassic Park'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unofficialhammerfilms.com/articles/prev_nebulous2_01.html|title=Nebulous Series 2 Preview|publisher=Unofficial Hammer Films Site|access-date=2007-03-21}}</ref> From the first episode of series 3 onwards, this also began to include the recent ''Doctor Who'' spin-off ''Torchwood'' and the ITV series ''Primeval'', with references to "baby dinosaurs falling through a hole in time" and "the sheer amount of paranormal activity in the Cardiff area alone ... starting to threaten the Earth's plausibility shield". Episode 6 of that series also parodied the tendency in British sci-fi for attempts to take over the world to start in Britain, with the chief villain (played by Tenth Doctor actor David Tennant) stating "Funnily enough, that's a tax thing," as well as one of the Ninth Doctor's nicknames, "the oncoming storm" (with Nebulous known as "the oncoming drizzle").
==Cast== {{main|List of Nebulous characters}} *Mark Gatiss – Professor Boffo Nebulous *Rosie Cavaliero – Paula Breeze (assistant to Nebulous) *Graham Duff – Rory Lawson (assistant to Nebulous) *Paul Putner – Harry Hayes (researcher for KENT) *Graham Crowden – Ronald Rowlands (Minister with Unusual Portfolio) *David Warner – Doctor Klench (Nebulous' arch-rival) *Julia Dalkin – Nebulous's mother, Gemini (KENT's resident supercomputer) *Matt Wolf – Nebulous's father
Following positive reviews and high listening figures, the second series was able to attract a number of guest appearances from well known actors, including Peter Davison, Steve Coogan, and Kate O'Mara. The third series featured appearances from Julia Davis and David Tennant.
==Reviews==
Reception to ''Nebulous'' was generally positive: a reviewer from ''The Times'' described the first series as "a winning blend of Doomwatch, Quatermass and British silliness that has cult written all over it",<ref name="times1"/> while the second series was described as "cool and cultish".<ref name="times2"/> However, ''The Daily Telegraph'' was more guarded, comparing the show to "''Hitchhiker's'' without the philosophy or ''Red Dwarf'' without the energy", going on to say that show is "funny, but not seriously so".<ref>{{cite news|url =https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/01/11/bvgill11.xml|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071014201746/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=%2Farts%2F2005%2F01%2F11%2Fbvgill11.xml|url-status =dead|archive-date =14 October 2007|title =A gloriously pompous production|publisher =The Daily Telegraph|date =11 January 2005|access-date =2007-03-18}}</ref> A reviewer for ''Doctor Who'' website UnitNews also initially expressed concerns about the level of jokes in the show, but later claimed "I should have been more patient because when they did arrive, coinciding with the introduction of the character Harry, they were relentlessly funny".<ref>{{cite news|url =http://www.seenit.co.uk/nebulous-bbc-audio/0177/|title= Nebulous review: BBC Audio|publisher=UnitNews|date=20 February 2007|access-date=2007-03-18}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{wikiquote}} *{{BBC programme|b00b94wn}} *{{BBC Online|radio4/comedy/nebulous.shtml|''Nebulous''}} (Archived Radio 4 page) *{{BBC Online|comedy/nebulous|''Nebulous''}} (Archived BBC Comedy page) *{{British Comedy Guide|radio|nebulous}}
{{good article}}
Category:BBC Radio comedy programmes Category:British science fiction radio programmes Category:2005 radio programme debuts Category:British radio dramas Category:Post-apocalyptic fiction Category:BBC Radio 4 programmes Category:Science fiction comedy Category:Works set in the 2090s Category:2099 Category:Television series set in the 2090s