Email from Alternative 3 author David Ambrose

I have been reading about Alternative 3 lately and that many suggested the tapes of the '62 Mars landings were real. I sent an email to the writer of the screenplay and asked him where he got his ideas, and what he was inspired by, I even asked if he was inspired by rumoured real events such as a Mars landing or kidnapping of scientists. Here is the reply I got:


The short answer to your question is no, nothing in particular gave me the idea for Alternative 3. Rather, it was a number of things in general. I wanted to write something about people disappearing: where did they go? And at the same time I was becoming conscious, in 1976, of signs of climate change. The greenhouse effect was not a term, or idea, in popular circulation in those days. In fact I came across it only when I started doing some research into climate change, an idea then in its very early days. The rest - the idea of doing it as a fake documentary, the notion of the USA and Soviets cooperating to build a Noah's Ark on the far (and at that time still unseen) side of the moon - all just followed on as part of the process of story construction.

The impact of the show has been amazing, however, and continues to this day. There are plans in hand at the moment to reissue the program on DVD.

You might enjoy some of my novels - check my website: www.davidambrose.com... , which you will find through www.Amazon.co.uk... or www.Amazon.com... . One of them, "Mother of God", is about a computer program that becomes the first genuine artificial intelligence.

Best regards,

David Ambrose


Thanks to David Ambrose.



[edit on 20-8-2006 by Acharya]

I lived in England at the time this all occurred. The telly show set the whole community buzzing. It was interesting, and the possibility was "exciting", at least. of course, in those days, we had no internet available, and where I lived was relatively rural, so there was little to be done in the way of investigation on my own. However, it set my mind alight with the possibilities and spurred me on to investigate things, and see UFOs in the skies over Essex, as well as get me involved in ghost hunting.

Remind me someday, but not too soon, and I will tell you the story of the incident at RAF Wethersfield. It was virtually known and considerably less documented, if at all, compared to Rendlesham, not nearly as validated. However, it occurred, and cost at least one gentleman his military career, based on the belief that he was "drunk" on duty.

Make the same reminder to me, and, someday, I will tell interested parties about a couple of my own ghost hunting experiences. However, all that is for another day.

The whole Alternative 3 phenomenon kept me buzzing on and off for a number of years. Finally with the advent of the internet, and ebay, I was able to get a copy of both versions of the book, a copy, somehow, of the original show on VHS, and a VHS copy of a "seminar" of true believers. I remember, even, paying $135.00 for one of the paperbacks.

It would be very cool if they reissued the show on a dvd. Would love to have a copy of that too. It appears that I am an inveterate hoarder and collector, after all:

I have no reason now to doubt, whatever, that Mr. Ambrose is telling the truth, but I was sorely disappointed to find out that, in my heart of hearts, and many years back, that it was all just sci-fi.

Im abit supprised that I only got one comment so far, that is considering how many posts on this forum I have read, where it has been claimed that Alternative 3 actually portraits an actual event in some fashion or another.


[edit on 28-8-2006 by Acharya]

Is one of those stories that you never get it right. I've heard that Ambrose was threatened and forced to publicly claim that all the Alternative 3 scenario was a story invented by him and the rest was just tv show and fantasy. But still remains the fact of the dissapearance of the scientist and few other things. If is a hoax, is a well done one. If it's more then that, who knows... goes together with the rest of stuff we are killing our minds to understand and to find out how true those are...

Anyway Alternative 3 scenario is not Ambrose's idea. Was before him (if the account about Jason Group is true). I thing we're never gonna learn the truth about how realistic and serious was that documentary.

Alternative 3 is real. At least 3 minutes of the program are. It was footage presented to the public in the style of a fake documentary. Watch it again. Look at the topography. That landscape and rock bears extreme resemblance to the kind encountered by the Viking landers. I'm not basing my belief just on that, but I don't have time to go into everything here.

Google Video Link

PSST - wanna watch something cool? Fiction...or is it?

Really think in today's climate - you'll all enjoy this as much as I did - the fictional astronaut scene is brilliant - who do you think it reminds you of? Buzz me for the answer?

reply to post by watchZEITGEISTnow

Thanks for posting that link. I'd not seen that before.

The Brit's always do that stuff well!

In the end what gave Alternative 3 away was that. One of the lab assistants interviewed is played by the, then, little known actor Bill Teacher who, a few years later, went on to become Arthur Fowler in the long running soap opera Eastenders