The Vrillon Broadcast
During the early evening news, the sound on British TV cut out, and a strange voice claimed to speak for beings from space.
What was reported
At about 5:10 pm on 26 November 1977, the sound of an ITN news broadcast on Southern Television was replaced by a deep, distorted voice. The picture stayed normal, so viewers saw the newsreader while hearing the voice.
The speaker called himself Vrillon, of the 'Ashtar Galactic Command', and warned that humanity must give up its weapons of evil and learn to live in peace. The interruption lasted about six minutes, and newspapers carried the story for days.
Explanations offered
It was a hoax: someone took over the signal of the Hannington transmitter, which relayed the station to viewers. The broadcasting authorities investigated, but whoever did it was never identified.
- When
- 26 November 1977
- Where
- Hannington transmitter, Hampshire, England
- Witnesses
- Television viewers across southern England
- Status
- Hoax, never traced
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.