ZEP 1 from the 1983 BBC TV Series of ‘Captain Zep Space Detective’ Executive Producer Molly Cox, Producer Christopher Pilkington
The Childfren’s TV series ‘Captain Zep - Space Detective followed the crime-solving interplanetary adventures of Captain Zep. The stories were set on alien worlds with exotic aliens which were all conveyed with stylish comic-book like illudtrations and occasionally Zep and his colleagues were added to the scenes with blue screen/CSO video effects. A studio audience of children were called upon to solve the mystery at the end of the episode.
The organistaion that Zep was assigned to was called S.O.L.V.E. (Space Office of Law Verification and Enquiry).
The spaceship - ZEP 1 - rarely appeared outside of the title sequence, but the shots were actually really decent motion control shots of a great looking model / ship comped into fantastical galaxies.. These shots were way better than anything seen on other BBC Sci-Fi shows (Dr. Who or Blakes 7);
I think the spaceship model started life as a Martin Bower design created for a proposed Dan Dare TV series. Modelmaker Bill Peason (Alien, Flash Gordon, Outland) built the model.
Designed by Martin Bower
Watch the video ‘What If… Fantasy Model Kits ‘#14’: