After a disastrous test firing in australia, his future soninlaw, captain john dillon, draws the professors attention to a strange hollow meteorite which interrupted an army. The quatermass experiment is a british science fiction serial broadcast by bbc television during the summer of 1953 and restaged by bbc four in 2005. Professor bernard quatermass was created by manx writer nigel kneale in 1953 for the serial the quatermass experiment. The first three the quatermass experiment, quatermass ii and quatermass and the pit were produced in the 1950s by rudolph cartier for the bbc, comprising six halfhour episodes each. The quatermass experiment is a british sciencefiction serial broadcast by bbc television in the summer of 1953 and restaged by bbc four. If you want to know how it ends you will have to buy the bbc dvd which includes the original script, or see hammers 1955 movie version or the 2005 remake. The quatermass experiment by nigel kneale, a plain 1959 paperback with the classic penguin orange, cream, and black cover. The support cast around him are all nearly as good although the further one goes down the cast list the less they have to work with hence you get a few cliches in. Back in those days it was the americans that were doing all the innovation in tv, spurred on by the fierce competition on the market. Bbc a n eccentric genius protects earth from space monsters and, every two to three.
Of course, it did have some advantages, the principal one being that it was made by the bbc when they had a monopoly on broadcast television, which at that time consisted of only one channel, so if you wanted to watch television when. Dd video offers a solidly good transfer of the quatermass xperiment, which retains the xperiment title card which had been altered for reissue and television versions and is uncut. The dvds also contain special feature interviews with kneale, cartier and others involved in the productions. Although only the first two episodes of the quatermass experiment are present the other two serials are complete. How quatermass switched britons from tv royalty to tv. The quatermass xperiment original theatrical trailer. Bbc a n eccentric genius protects earth from space monsters and, every two to.
Jul 26, 20 the quatermass experiment pulled the rug out from under this approach with a typically english bit of improvisation. Quatermass reginald tate, left helps the dying astronaut carroon in the quatermass experiment. Cookies websites use cookies that have been placed on this site by its operator. For more details, see our section on the quatermass. The design of professor bernard quatermass brian donlevy, a forceful, misanthropic american scientist, the q1 had three astronauts aboard when it left earth, but only one of them, engineer victor caroon richard wordsworth, is on board upon landing, and he is in a nearcomatose state. Professor bernard quatermass brian donlevy is one of the first on the scene, and is intrigued to discover that two of the. Enemy from space in the united states and canada is a 1957 blackandwhite british science fiction horror film drama from hammer film productions, produced by anthony hinds, directed by val guest, that stars brian donlevy, and costars john longden, sid james, bryan forbes, vera day, and william franklyn. The quatermass experiment is a little corny, and it certainly shows its age, but it is a bit of good fun. The film was produced by anthony hinds, directed by val guest, and stars brian donlevy as the eponymous professor bernard quatermass and richard. But suppose through some defect in the control system the. The resulting drama, with working titles including the unbegotten and bring me something back, was ultimately called the quatermass experiment, and became one of the most influential. With brian donlevy, jack warner, margia dean, thora hird.
Its hard to imagine a modern science fiction television series having the impact that the quatermass experiment did when it was first screened back in 1953. The quatermass xperiment 1955 click for hubrisween central, here for our letterboxd page. Set in the near future against the background of a british space programme, it tells the story of the first manned flight into space, supervised by professor bernard quatermass of the british. Quatermass began life back in 1972 when kneale was commissioned by the bbc to write a fourth quatermass serial following the positive reception of his chilling tv play the stone tape. One of the most influential series in early television has actually made its way into science fiction history as a book. How quatermass switched britons from tv royalty to. In the quatermass experiment professor bernard quatermass, director general of the british experimental rocket group, launches the first manned space flight from australia.
These are the only two surviving episodes of the quatermass experiment nigel kneales first quatermass series. A look at the background of the quatermass xperiment youtube. Anthony bushell, john stratton, michael ripper, christopher rhodes, hugh griffith, austin trevor, rupert davies, andr morell, cec linder, christine finn, rudolph cartier, quatermass trilogy collection 1950s series 3dvd box set quatermass experiment quatermass ii, quatermass trilogy. Professor bernard quatermass manned rocket ship returns to earth, but two of the astronauts are missing and the survivor seems ill and unable to communicate. Sep 06, 2016 the quatermass experiment was broadcast in six halfhour episodes during july and august of 1953. Following the success of number three bbc, 1953, a oneoff science fiction play coadapted by nigel kneale, the bbcs head of drama, michael barry, commissioned the young writer to pen a sixpart series. A rocket crashlands in england after a flight of more than 57 hours into deep space. Stay in touch with the quatermass experiment next episode air date and your favorite tv shows.
The quatermass experiment is a british science fiction serial broadcast by bbc television. The series was the quatermass experiment, featuring the adventures of professor bernard quatermass, head of the british experimental rocket group. Quatermass returned to british screens in 2005 with a remake of the quatermass experiment, a 120minute production broadcast live on bbc four. Originally comprising six halfhour episodes, it was the first sciencefiction production to be written especially for an adult television audience. During the production of hammer films screen version of televisions the quatermass experiment bbc, 1953, nigel kneale, the writer of the original series, did not participate much to his lasting chagrin, as he was still under contract to the bbc. Quatermass 2 is a sequel to hammers earlier film the quatermass. Ridley scotts alien, john carpenters the thing, the very existence of doctor who, not to mention 1980s1990s films such. Several years after the previous serial took place, professor quatermass is trying to perfect a dangerously unstable nuclearpowered rocket engine. Back in 1979, at the age of 15, i first encountered professor bernard quatermass in the new television production starring john mills. How quatermass switched britons from tv royalty to tv scifi. At the dawn of the space age the british rocket group launches three astronauts on an experimental mission.
He continually finds himself confronting sinister alien forces that threaten to destroy humanity. John robinson left was professor quatermass in this second serial. The quatermass experiment was broadcast in six halfhour episodes during july and august of 1953. Grimes and elon musk welcomed a baby boy, and the first photo is as unique as you expected.
These three quatermass serials are seen today as seminal 1950s television productions. The quatermass xperiment original theatrical trailer 1955. Yet, with its originality, mass appeal and dynamism, the quatermass experiment became a landmark of science fiction and the cornerstone of the genre on british television. Professor bernard quatermass manned rocket ship returns to earth but two of the astronauts are missing and the survivor seems ill and unable to communicate. Professor quatermass, trying to gather support for moon colonisation his project to colonize the moon, is intrigued by the mysterious traces that have been showing up on his radar meteorites crashing down following them to the place where they should be landing he finds a destroyed village, a mysterious factory too close to his designs for the. Jan 20, 2016 the quatermass experiment also showed rather than told much of was going on. The operation should take only a few hours, at enormous speed. With jason flemyng, adrian dunbar, mark gatiss, david tennant. But despite having begun preliminary filming of model work for the series, the bbc ultimately cancelled a production that was clearly going to cost more to. Quatermass ii 1955 was a creepy alien invasion story set around a sinsister chemical plant in a remote part of the country. It is the fourth and final television serial to feature the character of professor bernard quatermass. Back in 1979 author nigel kneale revised his script for the 1953 bbc series the quatermass experiment.
An intelligent and highly moral british scientist, quatermass is a pioneer of the british space programme, heading the british experimental rocket group. As episode 1 opens, quatermass reginald tate and his london crew are overseeing a manned rocket launch that took off from a base in western australia. The quatermass experiment aka the creeping unknown. Dec 11, 20 the quatermass xperiment original theatrical trailer 1955. Sep 03, 2015 quatermass reginald tate, left helps the dying astronaut carroon in the quatermass experiment. Set in the very near future, it revolves around, well, an experiment being conducted by a scientist named bernard quatermass, a name nigel kneale came up with by pairing a name randomly chosen from a telephone book he knew he wanted it to begin with qu, but that was all with the first name. It also confirmed the viability of adult serials and cemented nigel kneale s reputation, although sadly, only episodes one and two of this seminal serial exist today. Their ship, quatermass 1, loses radio contact with earth and later crashlands. Its a loving homage to a hugely influential sciencefiction television show, and if you can get past the fact that the medium and genre have changed in.
Although the quatermass experiment, and its two sequels, resolve on what might be called happy endings, the pain of the characters as they move through the narrative, the realizations they achieve, and the sacrifices they make, would readily fit into ancient greek tragedy, into shakespearean tragedy, or into the workingclass tragedies of. As far as alien invasion movies go, the quatermass xperiment is a very well done scifihorror adventure. Set in the very near future, it revolves around, well, an experiment being conducted by a scientist named bernard quatermass, a name nigel kneale came up with by pairing a name randomly chosen from a telephone book he knew he wanted it to begin with qu, but that was all with the first. Quatermass also known as the quatermass conclusion or quatermass iv is a british television science fiction serial produced by euston films for thames television and broadcast on the itv network in october and november 1979. The set in the first episode of the crash site of the rocket is quite impressive, as is of course the setting in the westminster abbey the bbc left the cameras in place after the coronation of the queen. Professor bernard quatermass is a fictional scientist, originally created by the writer nigel kneale for bbc television.
The quatermass xperiment was based on the bbc television series. A play for television in six parts nigel kneale on. Contact has been established a thriller in six parts by nigel kneale. Set in the near future against the background of a british space programme, it tells the story of the first manned flight into space, supervised by professor bernard quatermass of the british experimental rocket group. The quatermass experiment is a british television sciencefiction serial, transmitted by bbc television in the summer of 1953, and restaged by bbc four in 2005. Critic nancy bankssmith in the guardian complimented the production, and noted that there were minor bumps in this production. Professor quatermass donlevy must find a way to overcome the thing before it becomes impossible. All four quatermass serials were written by nigel kneale, who got the name of his creation from a london telephone directory. But, in the absence of the final four original episodes, all we have to go on is the hammer film and this. The creeping unknown in the united states is a 1955 british science fiction horror film drama from hammer film productions, based on the 1953 bbc television serial the quatermass experiment written by nigel kneale. The quatermass report part two in our continuing look at the influential quatermass series of the midcentury we turn the spotlight onto nigel kneales final serial of the 1950s quatermass and the pit, as well as the final episode, simply entitled quatermass from 1979. The 2005 production of the quatermass experiment has also been released on dvd and is a worthy substitute for the original. Some retailers, though, still sell it under the experiment title.
The aliens had been here, on our world, before, and implanted memories into. The quatermass report part two silver scenes a blog. The quatermass experiment pulled the rug out from under this approach with a typically english bit of improvisation. The result is a tense, atmosphere sci fi horror picture that boasts some impressive performances. Titled the quatermass conclusion, the film is essentially a cutdown version of the series, reducing the overall running time from 215. The project was instead handed over to american writer richard landau, an old hammer hand, who was entrusted with condensing the approximately. Quatermass collection quatermass experiment quatermass ii quatermass and the pit. Suppose an experimental rocket were sent 1,500 miles above the earth to make certain observations and then to return. Well get a commonlyknown piece of trivia out of the way.
An experimental rocket crashes back to earth and what is inside the capsule may threaten the entire planet. Like its three predecessors, quatermass was written by nigel kneale. Produced squarely in the middle of the 50s, its obviously a part of that bmonstermovie craze that populated theaters and driveins. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. The quatermass experiment aka the creeping unknown 1955, 82m, 35mm, uk. Finally, the quatermass experiment has now been adapted into a twohour drama, to be performed live as part of bbc fours tv on trial season. If you want to see the first story, you can get the bbc 2004 live broadcast remake, or the hammer film version the quatermass xperiment, although both are. The professor accidentally discovers an alien plan to take over the world by infiltrating human minds. The story of the quatermass experiment begins in 1952 when former actor and short story writer nigel kneale was hired as head of the bbc drama writing department, along with austrian immigrant director rudolph rudy cartier.
Drawing an average audience of 482,000, the quatermass experiment became bbc fours fourthhighestrated programme of all time, behind the curse of steptoe, the road to coronation street and the alan clark diaries. In 1953 nigel kneales quatermass series launched with the sixpart television serial the quatermass experiment which spawned numerous sequels and movie remakes. Unfortunately, only the first two episodes of the quatermass experiment survived for us to enjoy. Its success led to two sequels, quatermass ii 1955 and quatermass and the pit 1958.