The Jensen Code (1973)
13 episodes of sci-fi tinged weirdness in which a 16 year old lad at an outward bound centre stumbles onto a plot for space age espionage as crooks with hypnotic powers attempt to steal British codes for NASA space shuttles from a secret defence installation nearby.
Starring Dai Bradley from Kes and Brian Croucher, Milton Johns and Daphne Heard among a big cast, this Philip Hinchcliffe production takes what seems like an eternity to get going but when it does produces some real tension such as a scene where Dai is rescued from a cave. It was so authentic in it's look and feel it seemed as if the actors were making the dangerous rescue themselves thanks to scenes without cuts.
The series due to it having 13 episodes has time to breathe even if i feel a couple of episodes could have been trimmed, but what makes it exceptional is it's location photography and cave system settings which are extremely claustrophobic.
I don't think The Jensen Code is required viewing, unlike say, Children of the Stones, but for those with an interest in archive television this is quite a demanding watch especially seeing as it's classed as children's television. Not in this day and age it ain't that's for sure.
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