A Matter of Time Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sapphire and Steel

"Sapphire and Steel" ran from 1979 to 1982. Joanna Lumley was Sapphire and David McCallum Steel. They were operatives who protected the integrity of time and turned up to fix anachronisms when they arose. The stories were often fairly cryptic in nature, leaving more unexplained than explained. For instance, it is never explained where the two come from, they just appear out of nowhere. The series had a very small budget, and this contributed to the sparse nature of the sets and special effects. These did however give the show its ambiance.

David McCallum is probably better known for his role as Illya Kuryakin in "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.". Joanna Lumley had appeared in many film and television series, most notably as Purdy in "The New Avengers" and Patsy in "Absolutely Fabulous".

Answer: Ashes to Ashes

A sequel to the successful series "Life on Mars", "Ashes to Ashes" moves DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glennister) and his team from 1970s Manchester to 1980s London. DI Alex Drake is transported to their time frame when she goes into a coma following an injury. Spread over three series from 2008 to 2010 "Ashes to Ashes" also flashes back to "Life on Mars" and the eventual fate of Sam Tyler (John Simm), who time travelled to the 1970s from 2006.

The exploration of the relationship between a woman police officer of the 21st Century and a male officer of the 1980s is a central part of the plot.

The meaning of both series is revealed in the final episode.

Answer: Mel Blanc

Before the television series of the late 1970s "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" had been a comic strip, a radio series and a serial film. Starring Gil Gerrard it saw the hero, a space shuttle pilot, transported forwards in time following a malfunction.

His ship is found floating in space, with him in suspended animation. Revived by his rescuers, he finds an earth that has recovered from a nuclear disaster now under the command of the Earth Defence Directorate. Together with Wilma Deering (Erin Grey) a fighter pilot, and his companion Twiki, a robot, he helps foil various plots against earth from outside sources. Twiki is voiced by Mel Blanc, a voice actor of renown.

His credits include Daffy Duck and Barnyard Dog.

Answer: Joan Collins

In this episode, first broadcast in 1967, Dr. McCoy (DeForrest Kelly) gives himself an accidental drug overdose. He beams down to the planet being orbited where he goes through a time portal, accidentally altering history and causing the Enterprise to not exist. Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy), go after him to bring him back and repair history. They find themselves in 1930s depression era America. Whilst searching for McCoy they meet Edith Keeler (a young Joan Collins) and Kirk falls in love with her. They find McCoy and learn Edith must die for the time line to be repaired, even though Kirk could prevent this.

This episode received great critical acclaim, winning a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.

Joan Collins went on to stardom in the 1980s television series "Dynasty", where she played Alexis Carrington, and films such as "The Stud" (1978) and "The Bitch" (1979).

Answer: Catweazle

"Catweazle" ran for only two series in 1970 and 1971. Geoffrey Bayldon played the wizard who was accidentally transported to 1969. He has his familiar, a toad named Touchwood, with him. A young boy finds him and spends his time trying to hide him from his father and the farm hand.

The wizard regards everything connected to the 20th century as powerful magic, especially electricity and the telephone. A third series was planned but never progressed past the draft stages.

Answer: Peter Jones

Broadcast on the BBC in January and February 1981 this was a transfer of the original radio series to television, with many of the cast remaining the same. including Peter Jones, The Voice of The Book. For some time the BBC thought that this was unfilmable, but when they did bite the bullet the series proved highly successful and won the Royal Television Society award for Best Original Programme.

Douglas Adams, who wrote the radio series on which the books and subsequent television series were based, made several cameo appearances in the series. He was a drinker in a pub, a man who walks naked into the ocean, and a member of a sales team.

Answer: Primeval

Starting in 2007, "Primeval" is a science fiction series. Time anomalies allow dinosaur like creatures from the past and strange animals from the future to come to our time. A special team is set up to deal with them, and they discover they can pass through the anomalies to go back in time themselves.

Some also allow access to the future, which looks very bleak for humanity as it has been over run by monstrous creatures. Emily Merchant first appears in Series 3. She is a Victorian who accidentally travelled to the Cretaceous period, but has come to the present for medical aid to a sick friend.

She returns to her own time frame, but eventually comes back to the present time to help the team fight the creatures which are becoming more and more prevalent.

Answer: Goodnight Sweetheart

Nicholas Lyndhurst of "Only Fools and Horses" fame played Gary Sparrow in this 1990s comedy time travel drama. Gary finds an alleyway in London that leads to war time London. He meets Phoebe (Dervla Kerwin), a barmaid, and starts a relationship with her, despite being married to Yvonne (Michelle Holmes and later Emma Amos) in his own time. Eventually he married Phoebe and they have a child. Much of the comedy comes from him trying to juggle both lives and explain his absences to one or other of his wives. Only one other person knows of his double life, Ron (Victor Mcguire), who is often called on to cover for him.

The series ran from 1993 to 1999. The final episode is set on V.E. Day in 1940s London, when Gary finds the portal has closed leaving him trapped in the past. Ron is left to explain all to Yvonne.

Answer: His Grandson

"Children of Earth" was the overall title for the third series of "Torchwood". An alien has been given a group of children in the war years. It is addicted to their life force, and returns to earth demanding more children. With the Government about to give in Jack realises an audio signal that the alien has used to kill people can be amplified through a child to kill it. The only child available is his grandson. He uses him to amplify the signal but he dies in the process.

Time travelling immortal Captain Jack Harkness is played by John Barrowman.

Answer: Star Trek: Enterprise

"Star Trek:Enterprise" is set in a time just before the original "Star Trek" series and follows the adventures of the very first Enterprise. Enterprise is the first warp 5 starship that humanity has built. Scott Bakula is Jonathan Archer, her captain.

He is also the son of the engine designer. A theme that runs through all the series is the temporal cold war in which someone from the 27th century is trying to change the time line. Archer and the Enterprise become unwittingly involved in this war several times.

The series ran from 2001 to 2005 when it was cancelled due to falling ratings.