British manned space flights; an insidious threat from outer space; a man mutating into an evil alien, his human consciousness being eaten away; and a scientist - utterly anti-Establishment, courageous and cerebral - the only man who can fight it. No, not Doctor Who, but his highly distinguished predecessor, Prof Bernard Quatermass. A decade before Doctor Who first aired, the
The Quartermass Experiment was the first science-fiction TV serial produced for adults, and a
live-to-viewers BBC production, to boot. The show ran for six episodes in 1953, of which
only the first two episodes are known survive. The short sci-fi series spun off
three original sequels and
a radio drama-documentary, along with movie re-makes of the
first three series by
Hammer Films. BBC brought back live TV with a
2005 adaptation of the original 1953 series. You can watch the various series on online (in parts on Daily Motion), thanks to
fans of The British Rocket Group.
[more inside]
posted by filthy light thief
on Jul 23, 2011 -
21 comments
Back in the 80s when
Doctor Who was mired in a creative and ratings slump, the programme's creator Sydney Newman was asked how to revive it. His
answer - regenerate the Doctor as a woman.
[more inside]
posted by fearfulsymmetry
on Oct 12, 2010 -
102 comments
"A frail old man lost in space and time. They give him this name because they don't know who he is. He seems not to remember where he has come from; he is suspicious and capable of sudden malignance; he seems to have some undefined energy; he is searching for something as well as fleeing from something. He has a 'machine' which enables them to travel together through time, through space, and through matter."
The Genesis of Doctor Who.
posted by Knappster
on Nov 19, 2008 -
49 comments
The Doctor is set to regenerate once again as
David Tennant calls time on Doctor Who. "When Doctor Who returns in 2010 it won’t be with me" Tennant, widely acknowledged as one of the most popular actors ever to play the Doctor, said. "
Now don’t make me cry. The 2009 shows will be my last playing the doctor.” [more inside]
posted by Effigy2000
on Oct 29, 2008 -
160 comments
Doctor Who returns. After the spotty Big Finish radio dramas, the Beeb have officially sanctioned a new Internet-only series of adventures with Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, allowing listeners to vote on whether the series should return. But will flooding the BBC servers be the only legitimate way fans can get the show back on the air?
posted by ed
on Jun 12, 2001 -
19 comments
