Watch This Space
Australian children's sci-fi series about a red-skinned alien.
In 1982, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation aired a children's science fiction comedy called *Watch This Space* from 7 April to 13 June. The series marked Paul Chubb’s first leading role on television; he played Rufus, a red-skinned alien who comes to Earth hoping to make it in show business. Rufus is aided by a local man named Ron, portrayed by Ron Blanchard, who helps him blend in—for instance, disguising his spaceship as an ordinary house and later becoming his roommate. Because Rufus knows almost nothing about Earth customs, he repeatedly lands in awkward, funny situations, usually embarrassing Ron. Ron, in turn, must constantly explain away Rufus’s strange behavior and the presence of his talking shipboard computer whenever visitors come by. The show featured guest appearances from local bands, performers, and celebrities including Steve Bisley, Liddy Clark, Jon English, Rebecca Gilling, Tracy Mann, and Kris McQuade. Apart from Paul Chubb, all actors used their own names for their characters.
- type
- Television series
- country
- Australia
- network
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- first_aired
- 7 April 1982
- last_aired
- 13 June 1982
- genre
- Children's science fiction
- starring
- Paul Chubb, Ron Blanchard
Lore & Background
Watch This Space follows Rufus, a red-skinned alien played by Paul Chubb, who arrives on Earth and tries to enter show business. He is aided by a local man named Ron (Ron Blanchard), who helps disguise Rufus's spaceship as a normal home and later becomes his roommate. The alien's ignorance of Earth customs leads to recurring comedic misunderstandings, particularly when Ron receives weekly visitors and must explain Rufus's odd behavior and the existence of his talking shipboard computer.
Reader's Guide
The series is significant as an early Australian children's science fiction television production, notable for featuring Paul Chubb in his first leading role on a television series. It employed a unique casting approach where most actors used their own names for their characters, including guest stars such as Steve Bisley, Liddy Clark, Jon English, Rebecca Gilling, Tracy Mann, and Kris McQuade. The show also included local bands and performers, with The Amazing Orchante appearing as himself. Its legacy lies in its comedic take on the alien-on-Earth trope within a distinctly Australian context, though it had a short run of only ten weeks.
Did You Know?
- Paul Chubb played the red-skinned alien Rufus in his first leading role on a television series.
- The series ran on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 7 April to 13 June 1982.
- Most actors, including guest stars, used their own names for the characters they played.
- The alien's spaceship was disguised as a normal home with the help of his human friend Ron.
More in Australian science fiction television series 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record