The Quatermass serials...

[Quatermass]

Okay, who here has actually watched any of the Quatermass serials from which I take my username? I've watched the two surviving episodes of the original The Quatermass Experiment, Quatermass and the Pit, and the remake of The Quatermass Experiment. I also have scriptbooks for the first three serials, and the novelisation of the third. The first serial scriptbook was hardest to find, but I found it in an Oxfam bookshop near the British Museum (during a trip to the UK in 2009) for the princely sum of 6 pounds, or $15 Australian at the time.

 

[DaveC]

Okay, who here has actually watched any of the Quatermass serials from which I take my username? I've watched the two surviving episodes of the original The Quatermass Experiment, Quatermass and the Pit, and the remake of The Quatermass Experiment. I also have scriptbooks for the first three serials, and the novelisation of the third. The first serial scriptbook was hardest to find, but I found it in an Oxfam bookshop near the British Museum (during a trip to the UK in 2009) for the princely sum of 6 pounds, or $15 Australian at the time.

I have only seen the live one thy did a few years ago with Jason Flemying and David Tennant. Was not bad.

 

[deldaisy]

No idea who he is or the series or nuffin.

 

[Quatermass]

Okay, who here has actually watched any of the Quatermass serials from which I take my username? I've watched the two surviving episodes of the original The Quatermass Experiment, Quatermass and the Pit, and the remake of The Quatermass Experiment. I also have scriptbooks for the first three serials, and the novelisation of the third. The first serial scriptbook was hardest to find, but I found it in an Oxfam bookshop near the British Museum (during a trip to the UK in 2009) for the princely sum of 6 pounds, or $15 Australian at the time.

I have only seen the live one thy did a few years ago with Jason Flemyning and David Tennant. Was not bad.

I agree. Pity they couldn't show the monster in the new version. The monster from the original looks surprisingly effective (there's a picture in the scriptbook) considering that it was the authors gardening-gloved hands covered in latex, weeds and all sorts of crap.

No idea who he is or the series or nuffin.

Okay, well the first three Quatermass serials preceded Doctor Who. They were the top of the range science fiction serials of their day.

Here's the relevant Wikipedia article. Those familiar with my debut might recognise the first picture of Bernard Quatermass (as played by Reginald Tate) as my first avatar.

 

[Tonyblack]

I'm sure I did watch these when they were originally aired, but can't remember anything much about them.

 

[Quatermass]

I'm sure I did watch these when they were originally aired, but can't remember anything much about them.

Did you? The first serial was back in 1953, and it was never completely recorded. And I'm not sure about your age, but I didn't think that you were quite old enough, not for the first one. Maybe Quatermass and the Pit, that was 1958, I think.

I won't speculate any more about your age. Sorry if I'm being rude.

 

[Tonyblack]

Maybe I didn't see it then! I must have seen reruns or something.

 

[The Mad Collector]

Only ever seen clips, but they were good

 

[Tonyblack]

Just done a bit of Googling and realised that I'd seen Qutermass and the Pit - the movie.

 

[Quatermass]

Just done a bit of Googling and realised that I'd seen Qutermass and the Pit - the movie.

Ahhh, apparently the best of the Hammer Horror adaptations. A pity they aren't available on DVD over here...

 

[Tiffany]

I loved the Quatermass series on our b&w TV. Deliciously scary at the time.
Quatermass & the Pit was my favourite.
Like most things from that era, they would seem very dated now though.

 

[Tonyblack]

Did anyone see A for Andromeda, written by Fred Hoyle, back in the early 60s? That's another series that the Beeb have carelessly lost.

 

[pip]

Did anyone see A for Andromeda, written by Fred Hoyle, back in the early 60s? That's another series that the Beeb have carelessly lost.

Its available on dvd

 

[Tonyblack]

Did anyone see A for Andromeda, written by Fred Hoyle, back in the early 60s? That's another series that the Beeb have carelessly lost.

Its available on dvd

How strange - I was under the impression that only the first part remained. Oh well.

 

[Quatermass]

I loved the Quatermass series on our b&w TV. Deliciously scary at the time.
Quatermass & the Pit was my favourite.
Like most things from that era, they would seem very dated now though.

Quatermass and the Pit has actually aged pretty damned well, better than some Doctor Who stories which came a decade after. Can't say the same thing for the first two serials, although I have to admit that the effect of the aliens in the dome and the dome exploding in Quatermass II was pretty good. And that title sequence for Quatermass II was so simple, and yet effective...

Did anyone see A for Andromeda, written by Fred Hoyle, back in the early 60s? That's another series that the Beeb have carelessly lost.

Its available on dvd

Only the sixth episode of A for Andromeda exists any more, though a few film extracts here and there exist from other episodes, including the end of the final episode.

I don't have the DVD, though I can get it from the library, or a friend. But I have the novelisation of the serial, which I read a few months back. A bit old-fashioned, but Fred Hoyle had a brilliant scientific mind, if only he didn't stick to the damned Steady State Theory... Still, it's been an inspiration for my own writing.

 

[pip]

It is a mish mash of surviving material as QM says. Sadly only bits and pieces survive. Problem with the bloody DVD is it only says this in tiny letters on the back.

 

[Quatermass]

It is a mish mash of surviving material as QM says. Sadly only bits and pieces survive. Problem with the bloody DVD is it only says this in tiny letters on the back.

I believe that there were two remakes that survived, one done for Italian television, and a much abbreviated remake in the style of the remake of The Quatermass Experiment.

And I reckon that the people who created Species owe a lot to A for Andromeda.

 

[Quatermass]

ARISE, OH DEAD THREAD, ARRIIIIIIISE!!!

*coughing, retching*

Oh f**k me, yelling is bad for my throat.

Anyway, I'm necro'ing this thread, just in case anyone wants to add anything.

Well, I recently read the novelisation for the A for Andromeda sequel, The Andromeda Breakthrough (the title of the novelisation, annoyingly, omits the 'The' at the start :x ).

 

[DaveC]

Thought this might interest you Q.

http://www.empireonline.com/empireblogs/empire-states/post/p1147

 

[Tiffany]

Okay, who here has actually watched any of the Quatermass serials from which I take my username? I've watched the two surviving episodes of the original The Quatermass Experiment, Quatermass and the Pit, and the remake of The Quatermass Experiment. I also have scriptbooks for the first three serials, and the novelisation of the third. The first serial scriptbook was hardest to find, but I found it in an Oxfam bookshop near the British Museum (during a trip to the UK in 2009) for the princely sum of 6 pounds, or $15 Australian at the time.

I watched them all on TV at the time they were shown. It was compulsive viewing & they were even more scary at that time than Dr. Who.