THE CREEPING UNKNOWN
Best of British|August 2023
Jon Dear celebrates 70 years of Quatermass and its lasting legacy
THE CREEPING UNKNOWN

The date of 18 July 2023 saw the 70th anniversary of the transmission of Contact Has Been Established, the first episode of The Quatermass Experiment, a six-part serial broadcast live from the BBC’s first home of television, Alexandra Palace in North London. It changed the face of television in the UK and gave us the character of Professor Bernard Quatermass. It left a significant legacy both on television and wider popular culture.

The story of Quatermass is the story of two people, writer Nigel Kneale and producer/director Rudolph Cartier. Born in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria but raised on the Isle of Man, Kneale came to work for the BBC in 1951, after winning the W Somerset Maugham prize for his book Tomato Cain and Other Stories (1949). The following year he helped with the script for Arrow to the Heart (BBC, 1952) helmed by Austrian-born Cartier.

They were well matched: Kneale would revolutionise television as a medium in its own right (Mark Gatiss credits him with inventing popular television), while Cartier constantly pushed at the technical boundaries of what television could achieve. Apart from the three Quatermass serials, their 1954 adaptation of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four is still regarded as one of the greatest TV dramas ever made.

The three serials - The Quatermass Experiment (1953), Quatermass II (1955) and Quatermass and the Pit (1958/59) each present what is on the surface the same basic story of alien invasion but in wildly different ways.

The Quatermass Experiment gives us a pioneering astronaut infected by an alien organism, and Quatermass II has a covert invasion and infiltration of the government. But in Quatermass and the Pit, Professor Bernard Quatermass is five million years too late. The aliens have turned up and done their worst.

Esta historia es de la edición August 2023 de Best of British.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición August 2023 de Best of British.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE BEST OF BRITISHVer todo
Animal Magic
Best of British

Animal Magic

Hilary Middleton recalls a children's author whose tales are still enjoyed today

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 2024
BACK IN TIME WITH COLIN BAKER
Best of British

BACK IN TIME WITH COLIN BAKER

BoB's very own Time Lord prepares for an alternative to panto, recalls his early reading choices and having his scenes cut from two cutting edge comedies

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 2024
Marvels in Miniature
Best of British

Marvels in Miniature

Claire Saul learns about the exquisite works on display at a new exhibition being held at a historic Georgian mansion

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 2024
The Last Post
Best of British

The Last Post

Michael Foley witnessed the end of an era

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 2024
The Box of Delights
Best of British

The Box of Delights

Chris Hallam remembers how his Christmas 40 years ago was lit up by a magical television drama

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 2024
The Queen of Stage and Screen
Best of British

The Queen of Stage and Screen

Chris Hallam pays tribute to actress Dame Maggie Smith

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 2024
Other 07
Best of British

Other 07

Jonathan Sothcott looks at the seven Sir Roger Moore films that you should have in your collection

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 2024
In the Best Possible Taste
Best of British

In the Best Possible Taste

Derek Lamb remembers the wireless wizardry of Kenny Everett

time-read
6 minutos  |
December 2024
POSTCARD FROM BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Best of British

POSTCARD FROM BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Bob Barton remembers a ghostly train journey, enjoys some wassailing and fulfils a long-held ambition of attending a lawnmower festival

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 2024
MERCY MISSION
Best of British

MERCY MISSION

John Greeves recounts the remarkable exploits of Sunderland flying boat T9114

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 2024