Published on May 18, 2022
https://youtu.be/h42yAOm7vI4
Space Cadets (Channel 4) was the biggest & most expensive hoax in television history. A £4.5m stunt to convince three members of the public they were orbiting the Earth in a Russian spacecraft...when they were actually in a state-of-the-art Hollywood simulator for five days.
Filmed by Channel 4 in 2005 and hosted by Johnny Vaughan, Space Cadets claimed to be the biggest and most expensive prank in television history.
An out-of-this-world reality television stunt that required completely transforming an ex-US Air Force base in England (Bentwaters Parks) into a fictitious Russian space base. State of the art engineering, simulator (Brick Price's WonderWorks) and sound design (Dean Andre) straight from the world of Hollywood. Derren Brown style social engineering. And an army of actors trained to improvise for almost every eventuality. But the most surprising thing of all was that *it actually worked*. In December 2005, Space Cadets Billy, Keri, Paul and actor Charlie Skelton genuinely believed they were astronauts, 200km above the Earth's surface on a Russian space shuttle called Earth Orbiter One. Until the Big Reveal...
So how did they do it? This is the story of the Space Cadets on Channel 4.
If you want to watch episodes of Space Cadets, the entire series has been archived on Cadets2012’s YouTube account:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ9-tl3TJYaI_oSXhB9TPDA
For more behind the scenes check out this excellent article by The Guardian.
Ipswich, we have a problem: Space Cadets, the reality show that never left the ground. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/mar/17/ipswich-we-have-a-problem-space-cadets-the-reality-show-that-never-left-the-ground
🎶 FEATURED MUSIC 🎧
The Impossible, Savfk
https://www.savfkmusic.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrUs9y2-mzg
Space Mission, Philipp Klein
https://philippklein.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwO10a5kLh0
Celestial, Bob Bradley / Terry Devine-King
Summer of 1984, RKVC
No Favours, Patrick Patrikios
When We Found The Horizon, Late Night Feeler
Good Times, Patrick Patrikios
The Jam, Slynk & Mr Stabalina
Russian Dance, Joey Pecoraro
Future Girl, RKVC
Learning is Fun, Doug Maxwell & Media Right Productions
World Map, Jason Farnham
American Frontiers, Aaron Kenny
Apollo, Patrick Patrikios
Fanfare for Space, Kevin MacLeod
Heartbreaking, Kevin MacLeod
Blue Danube, Strauss
Away, Patrick Patrikios
Secret Conversations, The 126ers
Large Smile Mood, Nico Staf
Stardrive, Jeremy Blake
