Nebulous. Image shows from L to R: Paula Breeze (Rosie Cavaliero), Rory Lawson (Graham Duff), Professor Nebulous (Mark Gatiss). Copyright: BBC / Baby Cow Productions
Nebulous

Nebulous

  • Radio sitcom
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2005 - 2008
  • 18 episodes (3 series)

A post-apocalyptic sci-fi radio sitcom set on an environmentally ruined Earth in 2099. Stars Mark Gatiss, Rosie Cavaliero, Graham Duff, Paul Putner, Graham Crowden and more.

Holofile 000: A Guide to K.E.N.T.

Nebulous. Professor Nebulous (Mark Gatiss). Copyright: BBC / Baby Cow Productions

2099 A.D. - The Earth is a much different place from what it is now, mainly due to a series of environmental disasters. Events such as "The Withering" and the "Cattle-Clasm" have resulted in the world covered in "Withered Zones" containing land that is uninhabitable. A change in the Earth's orbit has resulted in days being 25 hours long (except Thursday, which has not existed for over a decade), the extra months of Janril, Febtober, and Marchuary, and the dreary season of Hamble. In 2099, vegetarians, pigeons and gays have become endangered species, vacuum cleaners and fire are long forgotten and tarts are completely extinct.

Several people have tried to solve the problem of Earth's environment, none more so than Professor Nebulous, head of K.E.N.T. (The Key Environmental Non-Judgemental Taskforce). Nebulous is brilliant scientist, despite the fact he caused the destruction of the Isle of Wight, after he tried to move it in order to get more sunlight. Nebulous has suffered for most of his life. His parents tried to force him to become a clown chirstening him "Boffo", his older evil twin brother Spiffo killed his younger Mofo, and now he is in charge of an organisation that is so under-funded that it has to make money on the side by running it as a launderette.

Other members of K.E.N.T. include Paula Breeze, a seemingly idiotic assistant who is in love with Nebulous. However, he has never noticed her affections. There is also Rory Lawson, a self-professed ladies' man who really wants to do more covert operations and is always claiming Nebulous' ideas are "Bollocks!...Sir". Harry Hayes is in charge of the technological side of K.E.N.T., which seems appropriate seeing as he mainly consists of robotic parts, due to the fact Nebulous nearly killed him when he tried to move the Isle of Wight. He is in constant pain and his voice box is at an unbearably high volume. He is always complaining to Nebulous that he no longer has the luxury of certain body parts. The other member of K.E.N.T. is Gemini, the A.I. of the system.

Related to K.E.N.T. is Sir Ronald Rolands, a Minister with Unusual Portfolio and who is the MP with which Nebulous mostly has to deal with. Rolands never seems to do anything for him however, constantly claiming as he does, "I'd like to do what I can, but afraid I can't."

Most episodes of Nebulous sees the Professor trying to solve some of the world's problems, often coming into contact with aliens, unusual scientific phenomena, and his arch-enemy the villianous Doctor Klench in the process.

Nebulous is mostly a spoof of various sci-fi series, such as Doctor Who, Quatermass and Doomwatch. Once described as being "cool and cultish", this series is now in its third series. Thank Bod for that!

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