Classic Sci Fi TV: Quatermass (1953)

Classic Sci Fi TV: Our ongoing look back at many of the classics of science fiction and fantasy television.

What Is It? This was actually three separate serials that aired in Britain in the 1950’s (plus a final serial in 1979) that focused on Professor Quatermass and his investigations into alien life that has come into contact with Earth.




Aired: The Quatermass Experiment – 1953, 6 Episodes; Quatermass II – 1955, 6 Episodes; Quatermass and the Pit – 1958-59, 6 Episodes; Quatermass – 1979, 4 Episodes

Starring: Reginald Tate, John Robinson, André Morell, John Mills

Created By: Nigel Kneale

Is It Must-Watch Sci Fi? Yes. This is the first series on English-speaking television that treated science fiction and alien encounters as a serious subject, a break from the juvenile space operas common in the 50’s.

The Skinny: Sadly, American audiences have not had much exposure to the Quatermass serials which is unfortunate because they represent an important evolution for science fiction on television. Kiddie space operas like Captain Video and His Video Rangers, Space Patrol, and Tom Corbett Space Cadet were the face of sci fi TV on both sides of the Atlantic until Nigel Kneale decided to give the genre a more serious treatment on the small screen. And thus he delivered Professor Quatermass, who was the focus of three six-episode serials in the 50’s (limited-run series have long been common for British television). Each serial told a self-contained story that dealt with alien life coming in contact with Earth and these delivered excellent sci fi / horror tales that stand side-by-side with the best of early classic sci fi TV.

The three original serials do seem a bit dated now with their limited budgets and slow pacing, but they still have excellent stories that anybody who appreciates vintage television should enjoy. There was a fourth and (at the time) final serial that appeared in 1979 which was decent but didn’t quite stand up to the original three serials. Only two episodes survive from the original serial because the archive tapes were destroyed and the other two never had much exposure in the States. American audiences are more familiar with the Hammer feature film adaptations: The Creeping Unknown (1955), The Enemy from Space (1957), and Five Million Years to Earth (1967).  (The final serial was also edited into a film titled The Quatermass Conclusion). But it is definitely worth seeking out the original series in all their black and white glory to get an early glimpse of science fiction growing up on television. And you will definitely see where these have influenced sci fi productions that followed them.

Cancelled To Soon? Quite the contrary. The first serial proved so popular that the BBC commissioned two more and eventually the fourth serial in the late 70’s. Short runs of television series were quite common in Britain at the time and the Quatermass shows are revered as classics in that country

Should It Be Rebooted? Yes, and it already has to an extent. The first serial was redone as a television movie in 2005 (with a pre-Doctor Who David Tennant in the cast) which followed very closely to the original scripts. They should do the same with the other serials as well to give them the budget that they deserve, and then perhaps continue beyond that. There are also currently talks of a big screen reboot of the show from Legendary Entertainment and Hammer Films.

Interesting Facts: The first serial was commissioned to fill a gap that the BBC had in its programming schedule. Nigel Kneale pulled the name Quatermass out of the London phone book.

Where Can You Watch It? The three original serials have been collected together on Region 2 DVD but not Region 1, so you will have to have a compatible player to watch that (and only two episodes from the first serial are available). There is also a remastered version of Quatermass and the Pit available in Region 2 format. There are Region 1 releases of Quatermass 2 and Quatermass and the Pit separately, but not the two episodes from the first serial. The 2005 film is included with Prime Video, but none of the other serials are available for streaming in the States that I am aware of.  The movie versions are widely available on DVD.

Read More About the Show: Wikipedia | IMDb.com

Available from Amazon.com:

Author: johnnyjay

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