ALPHA ALPHA (1972) – This time around in Balladeer’s Blog’s Forgotten Television category comes this German sci-fi series which ran for 13 episodes from May 17th to August 2nd of 1972. Every episode of Alpha Alpha was written and directed by Wolfgang F. Henschel and ran for 25 minutes, meaning it would nicely fit a half hour time slot with commercials.
This television series was a German variation of other country’s programs like Quatermass, The X-Files and so many others both before and since.
Karl Michael Vogler, who played Rommel in the film Patton, starred as Alpha, the top operative in a never named and top-secret organization dedicated to investigating unusual phenomena, extraterrestrial entities and the like. There were even conspiratorial hints at an existing one world government behind the scenes.
Lilith Ungerer costarred as the operative codenamed Beta, Arthur Brauss played Gamma, Horst Sachtleben was Dr. Simak and Gisela Hoetter provided the female voice of the outfit’s computer. Along with Karl Michael Vogler, these five were the only actors to appear in all 13 episodes. Heinz Engelmann showed up twice as the Chief.
For a time, Alpha Alpha was considered lost, but fortunately all 13 episodes resurfaced. The series was also aired in Canada, translated into English, but was not released in the United States.
EPISODES:
THOUGHTS ARE FREE (May 10th, 1972) – Though produced as the 2nd episode of the series, this was the first one aired.
THE ORGANIZATION (May 17th, 1972) – This was intended as the debut episode and is listed as Episode One in syndication and video releases.
LIKE THE RATS (May 24th, 1972)
THE ASTRONAUT (May 31st, 1972) – Costarring Volkert Kraeft
OMEGA IS SILENT (June 7th, 1972)
WORLD PEACE (June 14th, 1972)
IMAGES (June 21st, 1972)
THE CUNNING OF ULYSSES (June 28th, 1972)
THE NIGHT AT THE ZOO (July 5th, 1972)
A GIFTED CHILD (July 12th, 1972) – No, not an unearthly child, a gifted child.
TODAY IS THEN (July 19th, 1972)
RETIRED (July 26th, 1972)
IMMORTALITY (August 2nd, 1972)
Balladeer's Blog 
13 episodes–I wonder what the record for shortest series is.
Well, setting aside individual pilot episodes that don’t get greenlit for a series, there were periodic shows that got canceled after just one episode, like Heil Honey, I’m Home (which I reviewed years ago), a would-be sitcom depicting Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun’s life together like a 1950s sitcom. So weird and so bad. Turn On was another one-episode show that was a disaster. Assorted others over the years.
History: the study of past dead generations vs. Prophetic mussar – the rebuke to all generations living.
I see.
One episode! By the sounds of that one, not terribly surprised.
Ha! It’s even worse than it sounds!
The western notions of history define box thinking. The west simply refuses to acknowledge that life and reality exist outside of their silly boxes.
That is true.