DVD Review of “Arthur C Clarke’s Mysterious World”

This early eighties relic ages rather well.  Thirteen half hour episodes each examine a different unexplained phenomenon, from obvious subjects like UFOs and Bigfoot to lesser known but equally challenging mysteries like the great Siberian explosion of 1908.  Expert opinion is combined with eye witness accounts in a spirit of curious enquiry which wisely stops short of making definitive judgements.

Arthur C Clarke proves a genial host, long before the precise reasons for his “retreat” to Sri Lanka became cause for media speculation.  As much a legitimate scientist as a renowned writer of fiction his scepticism often undermines the claims of the series narrator or the more impassioned interviewees.  His dismissal of the Loch Ness monster and/or other giant lake based creatures, after an entire episode has been dedicated to their existence, is particularly amusing.

Those elements that date the show - the Cold War context, the enthusiasm for what now looks like antiquated computer technology and the tacky graphics - are nostalgically endearing.  While the opening credits’ rip off of Clarke’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” is a little embarrassing the eerie music more than compensates.