▁television ▁network ▁I TV ▁initially ▁expl ored ▁science ▁fiction ▁for ▁programming ▁purposes ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁A ▁pro ponent ▁for ▁such ▁experiment ation ▁was ▁Canadian - born ▁producer ▁Sydney ▁New man , ▁who ▁had ▁become ▁Head ▁of ▁D rama ▁at ▁ABC . ▁At ▁ABC , ▁New man ▁produced ▁the ▁science - f iction ▁serial ▁Path find ers ▁in ▁Space ▁( 1 9 6 0 ) ▁and ▁its ▁sequ els ▁Path find ers ▁to ▁Mars ▁( 1 9 6 0 ) ▁and ▁ ▁Path find ers ▁to ▁Ven us ▁( 1 9 6 1 ) ▁and ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁science - f iction ▁anth ology ▁series ▁Out ▁of ▁This ▁World ▁( 1 9 6 2 ), ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁its ▁kind ▁in ▁the ▁UK . ▁I TV ▁also ▁made ▁an ▁attempt ▁at ▁children ' s ▁science ▁fiction , ▁with ▁its ▁short - l ived ▁programme ▁Emer ald ▁S oup ▁( 1 9 6 3 ), ▁which ▁coinc ident ally ▁a ired ▁the ▁same ▁night ▁that ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁premier ed . ▁ ▁Two ▁important ▁events ▁for ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁television ▁science ▁fiction ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁The ▁first ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁BBC ' s ▁Head ▁of ▁Light ▁Entertainment , ▁Eric ▁Mas ch witz , ▁commission ed ▁Head ▁of ▁the ▁Script ▁Department ▁Donald ▁Wilson ▁to ▁prepare ▁a ▁report ▁on ▁the ▁vi ability ▁of ▁producing ▁a ▁new ▁science - f iction ▁series ▁for ▁television . ▁The ▁second ▁was ▁that ▁Sydney ▁New man ▁was ▁tempt