Alien Worlds was a syndicated radio show created by Lee Hansen that ran from 1978 to 1980. It was a science fiction series that details scientists and technicians affiliated with the International Space Authority, or ISA, going on adventures and confronting various hostile alien races. 30 episodes were produced, but only 26 were aired in the series' original run.
The main cast included Roger Dressler as the narrator and Commissioner White, Linda Gary as Maura Cassidy, Bruce Phillip Miller as Captain Jon Graydon, Chuck Olsen as Captain Buddy Griff, and Corey Burton as Starlab Controller Jerry Lyden.
Tropes:
- A Form You Are Comfortable With: The episode "The Leukocyte Maneuver" has Jon Graydon and Buddy Griff encounter an energy being that assumes the form of a gigantic white blood cell when they start communicating to it. The energy being explains that it took the form of an enormous leukocyte because it sensed that Buddy Griff was recovering from an illness and determined that taking on the form of a leukocyte would assure Jon and Buddy that it didn't intend to harm them.
- Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and Yeti: The Starlab crew encounter a yeti in the episode "The Himalayan Parallel".
- Continuity Nod: In "ISA Conspiracy", it is mentioned that Maura Cassidy is interested in reading the works of Oscar Wilde, which was first hinted at in the conclusion of "Resurrectionists of Lethe".
- Doing In the Wizard: "Resurrectionists of Lethe" has the villain Simon Toddmaster run a service where he helps bereaved people get closure by resurrecting their deceased loved ones so they can talk to them one last time, which is actually a front for manipulating the bereaved into telling him secret information. It later turns out he's just creating android replicas of the deceased and drugging his customers to facilitate the illusion of their loved ones coming back from the dead.
- Eyeless Face: It is mentioned in "Night Riders of Kalimar" that the titular Night Riders do not have eyes.
- Formula-Breaking Episode: The episode "Earth Light" focuses on a different set of characters with the Starlab crew nowhere in sight.
- Fountain of Youth: "Time Clash" features Jon Graydon and Buddy Griff becoming children again while using a time machine.
- Last of His Kind: "A Question of Conscience" has the Starlab crew encounter an alien claiming to be the last of his kind and requesting asylum from ruthless enemy soldiers who claim that he is a dangerous terrorist.
- "Metaphor" Is My Middle Name: Part 1 of "Keeper of Eight" has Dr. Valerie Reed quip that danger is her middle name.
- Monster of the Week: Every story would have our heroes face a different villain or alien race with sinister intentions.
- Multi-Part Episode: A large number of the episodes are multiparters, with "The Sunstealers", "The Starsmith Project", "Night Riders of Kalimar", "Resurrectionists of Lethe", "Keeper of Eight", "Adventure of the Egyptian Necklace", "Infinity Factor", "Earthlight", and "Madonnas of Zanzibar Alpha" being two-part episodes and "ISA Conspiracy" being a three-part episode.
- Only You Can Repopulate My Race: Played with in "Seeds of Time", where the last survivor of an alien race who is a reborn in a genetic duplicate of an old flame of Maura Cassidy asks Maura to help him repopulate his race. Fortunately for Maura, the alien is content with creating a genetic duplicate of Maura so he can repopulate his race and leave Maura free to follow her own pursuits.
- Reptiles Are Abhorrent: The titular antagonists in "Night Riders of Kalimar" are described as reptilian.
- Robotic Reveal: "Resurrectionists of Lethe" ends with Simon Toddmaster turning out to be an android like his minions, having been created to replace the original Simon Toddmaster after he died.
- Self-Abuse: The misconception of masturbation causing blindness is referenced in "Adventure of the Egyptian Necklace", where Maura Cassidy asks Buddy Griff if his mother didn't tell him that watching too much television would make his face break out and cause him to go blind. Jon Graydon tells Maura that she's got this confused with something else and tells her that he'll explain it later when she asks what he's talking about.
- Solar CPR: The very first adventure, "The Sunstealers", had the heroes confront a race of insectoid aliens called the Markab using a contraption to rob every sun in the galaxy of their ultraviolet rays and thereby endanger all life.
- Temporary Blindness: Maura Cassidy is blinded by the Chrell in "ISA Conspiracy", but has her sight restored by the Deitons.
- Wicked Cultured: Simon Toddmaster from "Resurrectionists of Lethe" shows appreciation for classic literature, being annoyed by his henchman not getting a Shakespeare reference he makes and quoting The Picture of Dorian Gray to Maura Cassidy at one point.
- Zeerust: The series takes place in the 2020's, but the episode "Resurrectionists of Lethe" makes a passing mention of Richard Nixon and implies that he lived an unusually long life, when in real life Nixon would pass away in 1994.
