Storyline

Supernova is a British comedy series produced by Hartswood Films and jointly commissioned by the BBC in the UK and UKTV in Australia. It follows Dr Paul Hamilton, a Welsh astronomer, who leaves a dull academic post and unloved girlfriend for a new job at the Royal Australian Observatory, deep in the Australian outback. The comedy centres around his difficulties adjusting to life in the outback and his eccentric fellow astronomers. The first series was released in the United Kingdom and Australia in October 2005 and consisted of six 30-minute episodes. The second series began airing on 3 August 2006 in the UK. The exterior scenes were shot at Broken Hill in New South Wales, Australia. The observatory itself is a CGI creation, according to the DVD commentary, and only a partial doorway was constructed on site for filming purposes.

First Aired

2005-10-11
Last Aired

2006-09-07
Creator

Harry Cripps
Genre

Drama, Comedy
Seasons

2
Episodes

12
Status

Ended
Language

English
Network

BBC Two

Keywords:

australia astronomer eccentric fish out of water outback englishman abroad sitcom culture shock

Stream and watch Supernova

Season 1

Season 2

1. The Black Hole

Paul, a gaffe-prone but brilliant space scientist who escapes the drudgery of his life in London to ta...More

Paul, a gaffe-prone but brilliant space scientist who escapes the drudgery of his life in London to take up a field position at a remote Australian observatory. He meets his new, quirky, work colleagues. Paul attempts to adapt to the unfamiliar surroundings and has a slight mishap with a telescope lens.Less

2005-10-11

2. God Are You Out There?

After recovering from a near fatal encounter with a black swamp toad, Paul thinks he sees the face of ...More

After recovering from a near fatal encounter with a black swamp toad, Paul thinks he sees the face of God in space. Rachel warns him to keep his mouth shut, as she's seen too many good scientists ruin their careers because of one brief brush with faith. But the team see the phenomenon for themselves and are convinced. Shortly after reporting it to a reputable journal the truth is revealed.Less

2005-10-18

3. When You Wish Upon a Star

Paul is overwhelmed when his colleagues throw a surprise birthday party for him. But he then receives ...More

Paul is overwhelmed when his colleagues throw a surprise birthday party for him. But he then receives a call from girl friend Ruth with an exciting surprise - she is in Australia and on her way to the Observatory. How can he get rid of her and live his own life?Less

2005-10-25

4. Venus Rising

Planet of love Venus rises, so hormones in the Observatory rise with it. As a result, Paul's lack of ...More

Planet of love Venus rises, so hormones in the Observatory rise with it. As a result, Paul's lack of a sex life becomes a focal point and he decides that the best way to shut up his co-workers is to pretend he is having an affair with a girl he met at the pub. The lie gets bigger and bigger as to Paul's surprise, it brings him unexpected bonuses. Rachel seems to become attracted to him and he earns more responsibility at the Observatory.Less

2005-11-01

5. Unity

After discovering a new planet, Paul makes the choice of naming it 'Unity' to make it a symbol of the ...More

After discovering a new planet, Paul makes the choice of naming it 'Unity' to make it a symbol of the togetherness he believes exists between his colleagues. To find out about the discovery, a film crew arrive to interview Paul but he learns how science is no different from real life - as Rachel is instead seduced into the spotlight because beauty sells.Less

2005-11-08

6. Where Men are Men

Paul becomes depressed after solving the mystery of how the Universe will end. Soon after, the local t...More

Paul becomes depressed after solving the mystery of how the Universe will end. Soon after, the local thug challenges him to a duel. In looking for answers, Paul turns to the desert, and Bill ends up teaching him what it means to be a real man.Less