The Quatermass Phenomenon: A British Sci-Fi Legacy

[@toastnjam7384]

I saw Quatermass and the Pit (1967) as a 16-year-old when it came out and loved it. I found the concept of ancient aliens fascinating. It was a concept that never occurred to me. About 10 years ago I saw the original 1958 TV miniseries which I thought was even better due to the length which allowed for the expansion the plot.

[@Mr2at]

I watched it when I was about 10. It scared the be-Jesus out of me.

[@pauliden9090]

The TV miniseries was outstanding! I like it better than any of the theatrical releases.

[@reinaldogarcia70]

Awesomely outstanding

[@randyacuna5643]

Brian Donlevy was , for me, the best Quatermass. Just my take. Both his movies are top excellent science fiction movies.

[@angelsone-five7912]

I like all the stories apart from the later revivals but for my money Q and the pit in its original 6 part form is the best, it has real atmosphere from start to finish.

[@susanbooth6793]

Agreed. I watched it from behind the sofa, bought the three scripts, hated the film, saw it again in a smoke (and fan) filled room after midnight at an Eastercon at which Kneale (and a Martian) were featured guests, fangirled Kneale himself (and raved about 'The Stone Tape), and bought the spliced together DVD, then the wonderful collected edition. I have seen it numerous times since.

[@privatenoone8911]

Quatermass and the Pit - the title became synonymous with sheer and utter terror in children's minds that had been allowed to watch the series every week on the new B&W TVs up unto it's awesome conclusion. The Hammer film was like everything they made - a load of Ham!

[@rrstows3522]

About 8 years or nine watching , scared but fascinating

[@55Quirll]

Yes, the TV versions have more to the story then the Movie, probably because they had more time to devote to it

[@leemonsampson1844]

I have that series

[@Mazatzal]

Quatermass and the Pit was one of my favorite Sci-Fi films of my childhood. I have a DVD of the movie in my collection of films.

[@NoNono-s2c]

Me too! Love it.

[@RoyMcCalvey]

Same here!

[@jinnbuster4753]

I remember watching Quatermass ll on the BBC in the 1950s. I say watched, I was only about four years old, I was absolutely terrified. I literally hid behind the sofa when it was on. Before the programme started the BBC put up a warning notice saying it was not suitable for those of a " nervous disposition".

[@scifizone]

In fact recordings of those BBC warnings can still be found. As noted in our review, Q2 was designed to highlight the paranoia of society at the time, especially with the 'red threat' being such a constant focal point. So not knowing who was a good guy or bad guy would certainly be enough for anyone to hide behind the couch. 🙂

[@tedthesailor172]

Oh-yes - the "nervous disposition" caveat: I remember it well...!

[@tycannah4271]

Quatermass and the Pit (1967) a big screen color movie that shaped my love of the genre during that period. That last scene of the hero riding the crane into that devilish looking martian was fantastic. Glad you covered it.

[@michaelmurvihill8813]

Me too! It took three efforts on Amazon to finally discover the DVD, I love this movie.

[@jonathanstrong4812]

Those damn' Whitehall fools! To being absolutely blunt the damn' mindless Minister of Defence didn't listen to the professor warning Put it in another-way was someone fiddled and shouldn't of faddled

[@somthingbrutal]

the 70's Quatermass is the first one i saw and i still have a lot of time for it, but my favourite is the 50's TV Quatermass and the Pit.

[@55Quirll]

Same here

[@rogerkearns8094]

Same here

[@janicefinn1745]

Loved Quatermass and the Pit. Terrified me as a kid.

[@tedthesailor172]

I believe Hammer's 2 movies "The Quatermass Experiment" and Quatermass 2" were the best renditions. Even to this day, they're extremely creepy and atmospheric...

[@zombiehaiku7527]

Quatermass was referenced in Doctor Who season 25, Remembrance of the Daleks. A scientist named Bernard is mentioned and his "British Rocket Group".

[@janllh24]

Quatermass and the Pit remains remarkable both in it's economy, every scene and character justifies its inclusion, and in faith in the dramatic power of ideas, which properly handled can be as thrilling as any sfx

[@tsparky9196]

I saw 5 Million Years to Earth when I was a child here in the US. I had vague memories of it but couldn't remember the title. I found it a few years ago on a cable channel and I found it still holds up as a good SciFi movie with horror undertones.

[@karlwaller7337]

I remember seeing bits and pieces of Six Million years to Earth as a kid in the early 1970's. It scared the Hell out of me.

[@charlesknowlton7198]

Fantastic doc on this wonderful series. I only discovered these incredible movies through blu-ray releases here in North America and had no idea this series had such a long history. Now I want to see all of the old TV versions. Excellent video!

[@angelachouinard4581]

As an American my first exposure to Quatermass was the 1967 Quatermass and the Pit when I was a teenager. I saw it on one of those late show programs I wasn't supposed to be staying up to watch ad it was scary ad very memorable. Even then I found Quatermass being portrayed by an American to be wrong. I wish they had done better by Mr. Kneale, I'll always be grateful for his creation. I loved X the Unknown and have told many about it but even I knew it should have been Quatermass.

[@tedthesailor172]

"X - The Unknown" was - and remains - a fine little chiller. It was on KZbin until late last year. You might also like "The Strange World of Planet X", a similar made-on-the-cheap British SF work. I'm afraid it also features an American lead. That was to give it trans-Atlantic appeal...

[@angelachouinard4581]

@@tedthesailor172 Thanks for the suggestion, I haven't seen it. I'm used to the American, for years I could only see Godzilla with Raymond Burr shoehorned in. Not that I dislike Mr Burr but the original was a masterpiece.

[@tedthesailor172]

@@angelachouinard4581 I remember Godzilla, but it was X-rated on UK release so only available for adults. Eventually, I saw it one TV...

[@RogueWJL]

Quatermas and The Pitt is extraordinary. Quatermas 4 is massively disturbing

[@paladin56]

My two favourite stories. I agree, 4 is really disturbing. I remember watching it when first broadcast. I must have been about 12. Definitely one that leaves you staring at the ceiling after you've gone to bed.

[@RogueWJL]

@paladin56 we must have been around the sane age then. It was a treat to stay up after 9pm. The very very final scene , which tales place many years later and it becomes obvious that victory was temporary. The dystopian backdrop of the main story is thought provoking. We are not that far off from this now. As for the Pitr, it enthralls me. The build up is genius.

[@cjm7151]

I remember seeing “5 Million Years to Earth” on TV as a kid here in the U.S. I loved it, but it scared the heck out of me 😀

[@jonathanstrong4812]

Jason Flemyng which who was related to his father Director Gordon Flemyng which who directed AD 2150 The Dalek Invasion of Earth in 1966 Along-with the first Doctor Who movie Dr Who and The Daleks in 1965

[@altosanon]

I was lucky enough to see a live reading of the original scripts of the Quatermass Experiment last year, it was great to be able to hear how it started.

[@buzzbolt4387]

I would love to see a British remake of Quatermass and the Pit on the big screen. It’s got it all. The spooky underground and aliens. Splendid!

[@tedthesailor172]

Oh-no - not from the BBC. It would be camped and woked to the point of absurdity...

[@thehound9638]

​@@tedthesailor172That's true, but sometimes old programmes like this need to be remade because they're too old and dated for a modern audience. I mean yes, they ruined Dr Who but today's kids were never going to hide behind the sofa when they saw the daleks.

[@tedthesailor172]

@@thehound9638 Hammer did make "Experiment" and "Q2" as feature films and despite being low-budget and B&W I still think they hold up rather well - Q2 especially. They also remade "The Pit" but not until nearly 10 years later. And despite the bigger budget and more modern effects I thought it was lousy. More recent SF Horror has raised the bar very high indeed. Even so, I think Carpenter's "The Thing" has never been bettered even after 40 years and I'm glad he left it as a stand-alone. There was a prequal from a different director, but I thought it inferior. In the end, I suppose it depends what you want from a remake. My favourite "Mutiny On The bounty" is still the 1935 Oscar winner...

[@vulcanvoyager]

NO NO NO! Some things cannot be bettered!

[@SamLowryDZ-015]

As a BBC staff writer in the 1950s, Kneale had no control over his work and this became a cause of justified bitterness. Because Hammer did forward his fee for the first film but it went to the BBC who had negotiated the contract. And when interviewed in the 90s Kneale asserted, it was not passed on, as it would have meant he would have been paid more than the annual salary of the Director General at the time. So he was given a derisory ex-gratia payment and this was a contributing factor to him eventually leaving the BBC and going freelance.

[@jaywalker1233]

the BBC’s elitist arrogance is a defining +seemingly enduring characteristic…

[@jaywalker1233]

the BBC’s elitist arrogance is a defining +seemingly enduring characteristic…

[@jaywalker1233]

the BBC’s elitist arrogance is a defining +seemingly enduring characteristic…

[@jaywalker1233]

the corporation’s elitist arrogance is a defining +seemingly enduring characteristic…

[@jaywalker1233]

funny how yourex-employer is so sensitive that itdeletes anycomment endorsing yours

[@reinaldogarcia70]

100 % awesomely done video Fascinating series & movies I love them all 😊 Greetings from Oviedo central Florida 🇵🇷

[@charlesachurch7265]

Superb narration of a fascinating presentation. Thanks xxx.

[@scifizone]

Thanks for that. Ironically Natasha wasn't even remotely familiar with Quatermass until we started this production, but once it was completed she was very keen to see what it was all about. 🙂

[@niles006]

I’m 70 and I saw Quatermass and the Pit. Was immediately my favorite movie, I was 14 or 15, it was amazing

[@alfredthegreat9543]

Quatarmass and the Pit Fun Fact- Andrew Keir, the actor who played Quatermass, was 41 years old when he filmed it. Just shows how people looked older in times past. Another example is The Arsenal Stadium Mystery (1939) in which the Arsenal team appeared in- they looked like they were in their mid-forties.

[@Gambit771]

If arsenal don't remake that in 15 years then they've missed a trick.

[@davepx1]

Goodness, another one? Is it Quatermass month? Suits me fine! To me, just the greatest thing ever to come out of TV, anywhere: Kneale & Cartier showed what could be done with the medium in a way no-one had done before, and their influence extends beyond sci-fi, into TV drama across the decades. It's hugely frustrating though that we don't have footage of Mrs Kneale's improvised leafy gloves doing their icky wibbly-wobbly thing: the surviving stills look as impressive as the Hammer recreation.

[@scifizone]

Yes, seeing the monster in the Abbey at the end in all its glory (and yes with Kneale's hands doing their thing) would've been a joy to see - because the still photo looks really impressive.

[@MegaMesozoic]

Always loved the Quatermass productions, both for television and film. For me, the outstanding one was the TV Quatermass and the Pit starring Andre Morrell. For increasing tension and horror it's unrivalled. Also have the books of Nigel Kneales' scripts for Quatermass I, II, and III.

[@lesn4528]

Q and the pit. Brilliant. I still remember it to this day.

[@johnrichmond8978]

I remember the last Quatermass, the tv version. Look, it absolutely TERRIFIED me. I was honestly disturbed by it all. I was only about 10 and really shouldn't have been watching. I remember looking around Leicester for signs that civilisation was breaking down...I've always worried that it might :( Winning the league in 2016 was the first time I really believed that human civilisation might possibly endure. Or indeed, deserved to endure ;)

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

My two favourite Sci-fi movies from the fifties were Quatermass II and The Forbidden Planet, both scared the hell out of me as a young kid around sixty years ago, not because of what was portrayed on screen but the suggestion of things that were happening depicted at certain points in those movies. Each to their own, personally I prefer movies/ TV dramas that leave something to the imagination but I know there are plenty of people who prefer a more visual experience, which is fair enough, as I said each to their own.

[@jbdelphiaiii7637]

Love the old photo images. I've used my 11" tablet as a makeshift tv - about same size as then

[@scifizone]

Funnily enough one of the old photo images is a complete fake - a total mishmash of different images blended together because a real photo didn't exist. As it is, no one has even picked up on it, so it's clearly a good fake. 🙂

[@richardcathcart2952]

THE AVENGERS, the mid-1960s version, had some Sci-Fi episodes that seem quite Quatermass-like.

[@paulclay8547]

I love Quatermass. Think the stories are great.

[@alandean9674]

thanks for reminding me of Quatermass. I was traumatized as a 9 year old watching Quatermass in 1979 it was actually terrifying at the time, much like some of the Dr Who episodes of that same era.

[@themagus5906]

I'll probably catch hell for saying this, but my favorite portrayal of him in Quatermass 2 by Brian Donlevy. His performance reminds me so much of that of William Hartnell as the original Doctor. Those guys did not suffer fools lightly. I always thought that he was working for the British Rocket Group because he was such a pain-in-the-ass that the Americans couldn't put up with him.

[@CarlB_1962]

This is an excellent overview of the Quatermass phenomenon.

[@scifizone]

Thanks for that, our aim was to be both educational and entertaining whilst hopefully bringing back a lot of good memories for people.

[@amyhogarten5038]

Wow that was so good

[@TanDog-Video-and-Sounds]

Great over view of the Quatermas ouvre, thanks and well done!

[@reinaldogarcia70]

I remember watching the 1967 movie on new york city tv 📺 channel 1976 I was 11 years old Awesomely outstanding & very scary 😮

[@simonscott1000]

I saw the Pit on the telly in the early 70s. Bloody scary.

[@fredmcveigh9877]

What an excellent video. Well done. No unrelated stock footage. An intelligent script. I just subscribed.

[@Tolly7249]

I have been curious about Quatermass for *decades* but never had the time to sit down and research, so this video is exactly what I wanted. I will definitely be tracking a few episodes down!

[@francisnewmarch6837]

Extremely well presented. I thoroughly enjoyed the original and now the re-runs. Regards from Barnes

[@FreihEitner]

Very nice. I'm a big fan of both versions of Quatermass & The Pit and of the theatrical film version of Quatermass II. With "The Pit" both versions have strengths and weaknesses, with the film version having a higher number of better actors in major roles (Miss Judd and Col. Breen) but the television version telling a more complete story due to its longer runtime. I find both versions of Prof. Quatermass and both versions of Dr. Roney to be solid.

[@marcwolf60]

Kniels 'The Stone Tapes' is brilliant.

[@Doc_Tar]

Thank you for expanding my knowledge of these stories. Now I can stop referring to it as "Quartermass" and call it by its proper name.

[@scifizone]

Don't feel too bad, it's likely everyone has made that mistake at some point. 🙂

[@morgandude2]

Quatermass and The Pit is a fantastic film....the concept alone is superb. Those titles for the US releases are shockingly juvenile and dumbed down...some things never change.

[@ThePeaceableKingdom]

I have sought out (and found) many of the surviving bits of the Quatermass saga. Not all of them, and I still want the radio plays (and I didn't even know the novelizations existed!) Thank you very much for this history. Next up (I hope) is A for Andromeda!

[@brucegoatly]

I used to have the book of Quatermass and the Pit from when it was first published - as far as I can recall, it was just the script. And very good it was too! A for Andromeda was truly affecting - with the lovely Susan Hampshire to boot!

[@ThePeaceableKingdom]

@@brucegoatly Aye

[@darkstardavros]

I didn't realise that there was a connection with the Quatermass series and the film X The Unknown. If you haven't already seen it. It is definitely worth watching if you like the Quatermass genre. I loved all the TV series and films but I do have a special liking for the last Quatermass series. Or series four as it's sometimes known.

[@kleedhamhobby]

Completely scared the crap out me, as a boy, in the 1950s. They did some sort of whibbling of the image to show (crudely) that folks were succumbing to alien influence (or something). And I lay awake at night, imaging the wall of my bedroom dissolving into whibbles, as the aliens came to get me.

[@ArmyMan368-g2y]

At 3:00 in Nigel Kneale comes up with the name for the series hero, “Quatermass” via a “random” selection from the phone book??? LMAO! That Nigel Kneale was not IMMEDIATELY embarrassed at the OBVIOUS similarities between the surname of his hero, “Quartermass” and that of late 1880s British ‘Scramble for Africa’ adventure writer Sir Henry Ridder Haggard, “Quatermain”, is mind boggling! HOW could Kneale have missed such an obvious connection?! Oh well, just like Rumpole of the Bailey, I still refer to my wife as, “She who must be obeyed”…. somewhere Onslow is asking Daisy for a beer and tapping on his telly…. SP5 Old Curmudgeon US Army Vietnam Veteran 1969-70…. and still.. Beaucoup Number Ten GI

[@scifizone]

There are indeed theories that Kneale was inspired to use the name Quatermass from other sources - so you could in fact be correct in your assessment - but the general consensus is he found it in a phone book.

[@stevenmcnicoll5060]

Its Quatermass not Quartermass and Quartermain not Quatermain.

[@ArmyMan368-g2y]

@@stevenmcnicoll5060 You are partially correct. "Quartermass" is my typographical error. However, "Quatermain" is correct, as it is the same spelling used by Wikipedia in two separate articles detailing H. Ridder Haggard's 1885 novel King Solomon's Mines, and it's 1887 sequel, Allan Quatermain.... Thanks for catching my typo.

[@charlesballard5251]

I recently picked up all three of the theatrical editions on optical media. The third I'm sure was Blu-Ray, the other two were probably only DVD. I'd never seen the first two, but was well acquainted with the 3rd from my childhood and watching it multiple times on the Sunday Sci-fi theater as "Five Million Years to Earth".

[@seanwelch71]

I find it interesting that Quatermass and Dr. Who have had similarly numerous lead player and cast changes. I've rationalized that in-story each iteration is occuring simultaneously, at the same moment in time. It's a cross dimensional attack by the bugs.

[@davy_K]

I watched these films recently and I was impressed with how modern they felt in some ways. They still hold up and use special effects sparingly and effectively. Really rather clever thoughtful ideas instead if the usual sci-fi hokum too.

[@wm3284]

So underrated, love Quatermass!

[@bobmetcalfe9640]

I remember watching Quatermass and the pit home alone with my mother when I was about five, because dad was teaching at night school. The budget couldn't have been particularly high, because one of the preserved aliens they found slipped a bit - mum and I ended up behind the couch clinging to each other. 😁

[@gabriellegabbynoblecomics3913]

Very good short doc... Only one little correction _ There is only one Quatermass novel - Kneale's own adaptation of the 1979 'Quatermass'. The other books you show are SCRIPT books that reproduce the TV scripts for the three 1950's serials... they are very handy (especially the first one, where we don't have the finished TV episodes) but can hardly be said to 'provide more depth' than the TV versions.

[@scifizone]

Regarding the books. Yes this was pointed out to us as the video was nearing completion, but it was too late to include the updates.

[@tim2024-df5fu]

Duncan Lamont played Victor Carroon in the Quartermass Experiment and played Sladden in the Quartermass and the Pit.

[@paulsimmons9308]

I remember Quatermass and the pit I was about 9 or 10, went to bed terrified .

[@SSmith-fm9kg]

Quatermass and the Pit is my favorite, both film and BBC version.

[@alanbennett8004]

Very cool. I came across this character 10 years ago and really got hooked. I would love to see another adaptation of the stories again. Thank you.

[@CaminoAir]

The advancement in production and recording technology between the first and third TV series is remarkable. The third is close to the 'normal' standard of TV image and production that we were used to in the 1960's/70's.

[@SpacePatrollerLaser]

Actually, according to the space patrol book by Jean-Noel Bassior, 60% of the SPACE PATROL audience was adult. On recent viewings I found some of the dialog beyond the mental scope of the average chile, meaning age 8

[@scifizone]

Oh there's no denying Space Patrol included adult themes which were cleverly designed to go over the heads of the kids, however, it was definitely a show which both adults and kids could enjoy. Moreover, if you compare the look and feel of Space Patrol to Quatermass, it's pretty clear who the intended audience is for each.

[@tmseh]

This show still freaks me out. Like the show The Prisoner and that big, white blobby ball thing that would capture Patrick McGowan when he tried to escape.

[@StoneyRerootkit]

Actually That Was a Weather Balloon, Referred to as "Rover"😊🎉

[@JimWood28]

Great video thank you. The 1979 Quatermass traumatised me at the time having only just seen the 'Pit' movie shortly before. I think I need to catch up. Cheers.

[@JohnSwindells-zm4sq]

Great video so thanks 😊

[@JulesN580]

As a young child l LOVED Quatermass and the Pit - it felt so strange & mysterious…

[@John-x7r7p]

I watched all of these films / enjoyed them all 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@paulforgette4910]

X the unknown and 5 million years to earth are my favorites

[@EdwardHinton-qs4ry]

That insect on the camera was such a scene stealer.

[@vixtex]

🤣

[@scifizone]

When you first see it, you can't help but think it's actually on your OWN TV. As it is, we couldn't help but include it on our KZbin thumbnail. LOL

[@EdwardHinton-qs4ry]

@scifizone Yeah I'm surprised that insect didn't go on to have a more successful career.

[@irish66]

A mention of the performance of Richard Wordworth in the first movie would have been nice. Thank you.

[@MervynPartin]

Like others here, as a kid, I was frightened by Quatermass & the Pit in the original TV broadcast. The Cinema version is great, although I don't hide behind the settee any more. I think that the Pit was a much better and chilling story than either the Q Experiment or Q II or even the rather poor ITV production. I naturally have the DVD of Quatermass and the Pit.

[@grahamfisher5436]

Excellent review..

[@RSEFX]

I have always been and remain a big fan of all things "Quatermass", my favorite franchise (-ish) series ever. I was surprised to find how low key and rather bland the actors were who played in the 3 BBC tv series, as I was a great fan of Donlevy's gruff, no-nonsense take on Bernard Quatermass. Andrew Keir also was good in the third filmed version. (I suspect that Kneale just didn't care for US citizens, aka "Americans"). But, Kneale remains one of the all time greats. Thanks for the commentary and many unique visuals.

[@scifizone]

For many people, Donlevy is the only Quatermass they know and that's perfectly OK. As noted in the video, the films were a big step up in terms of production quality and design. Somewhat ironically, if the films never existed, then it's likely Quatermass would not have the same fan following as it does today.

[@RSEFX]

@@scifizone I usually prefer British actors in almost anything I watch, but in this case, I just didn't think the actors who played the good professor in the 3 televised series' brought much of anything to the part. They probably would have faired better if the episodes had been done entirely on film with multiple takes to choose from, with the actors given a chance to hone their parts and their delivery. Regardless, I do think that a kind of grouchy, no-nonsense Quatermass gave the character great energy and adde some real punch to the relationships between science and the authorities.

[@scifizone]

@@RSEFX You make a very good point about the restrictions of doing things live - not just the performances from the Quatermass actors, but also the supporting cast as well as camera angles, sound and overall flow. Also having Donlevy portray Quatermass in not one but two films was great for the audience, especially as it provided a good sense of overall character continuity. With that in mind, it's interesting to postulate how a Donlevy version of QPit would've looked.

[@RSEFX]

@@scifizone Thanks for the comments! Two things I wish had been do-able in the first film: I wish there had been maybe one or two shots of Caroon seen at some distance/maybe not too clearly in a far more advanced state of change...like a kind of shot representing something of what Rosie saw (creepy, crawly thing going up the wall"...to help transition to how "Caroon" looked in the Abbey at the climax. Secondly, that the spaceship hadn't crashed nose-down, wihich is, uh, pretty unlikely in itself, but had come in more like a plane crash, maybe crashed between a lot of trees so they wouldn't have had to build very much as most of it could have been hidden by trees, leaves, bushes etc. with a lot of little fires. Otherwise, just love those films to, er, death. Those are my only suggestions.. (Well, one more thing: When I've watched the end electrocution, I've looked at it at half speed to make the fire look less like a miniature. Even at one quarter speed. I've thought about cusomizing my own version of the film by slowing those scenes down digitally and "frame averaging" them...but that's a whole other subject.

[@luxorjr]

Those four American film posters that appear around 22:42 are mine. Apart from Quatermass 2 (Enemy from Space) they are all autographed by someone from the production.

[@scifizone]

Wow, they looked really great and we only found them after doing a Google search. As a testament to our lack of observation, we didn't even notice the autographs at all until you mentioned it! 🙂 It's a great collection, so well done in getting them.

[@JonPage-t5q]

Outstanding movies and television series.

[@geneh460]

As a child, my only exposure to Quatermass III, but it certainly made an impression. It became a watchlist item.

[@stephenbastasch7893]

The scripts for the Donlevy character were written for a brusque Quatermass. This was not Donlevy's fault. Although - granted - Q should have been played by a Brit.

[@TryptychUK]

Brian Donlevy was dropped mainly because he was an alcoholic and caused a lot of problems on set, showing up drunk.

[@scifizone]

Ultimately if people just watch the two Donlevy films - which is essentially what occurs most of the time - then he really is a good Quatermass. Comparisons only crop up if people watch the three TV series first.

[@stephenbastasch7893]

@@scifizone Very true. :)

[@kayb9979]

Andrew Keir was a great Quatermass. I enjoyed both the TV version and the film version. PS: Melvyn Hayes, who played "Gloria" in "It ain't half Hot Mum" Played Frankie, the boy who got killed on a family outing near the plant in Quatermass 2.

[@obscurecomics5849]

I loved The Quatermass Conclusion. It is pretty brutal.

[@theodorerobertson9400]

Some clumsy incorrect comments. The reason episodes 3-6 of TQE don't exist is due to an industrial dispute at the BBC where the episodes weren't recorded. And the monster effect wasn't down to "a lack of budget" but simply because the BBC didn't have a special effects department

[@scifizone]

Thanks for clarifying why episodes 3-6 weren't recorded, this is actually something we weren't aware of. So that's a mistake on our part. Regarding the special FX in TQE, we do actually mention that the reason why the FX in Q2 and QPit were so good is because the BBC created the FX department after TQE because one didn't exist at the time. We may have worded it a little awkwardly, but the sentiment is the same.

[@theodorerobertson9400]

@@scifizone It's okay mate . I posted the comment before seeing the end of your video , which serves me right for being premature. But that's for making the video

[@andygozzo72]

@@theodorerobertson9400 i thought why they didnt record it was because it didnt work well using equipment they had, the quality was too poor ,

[@johnburnside7828]

Truly fascinating! Thanks so much!

[@deckard43]

I love Quatermass and the pit.

[@MovieHeretic]

Reckon they should remake the tv series and movies, would definitely be checking them out. Currently only have a few surprisingly on Hammer Studios box sets.

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

The Man Eater of Surrey Green about a man eating intelligent plant being one and my favourite ever episode.

[@davidyoung5114]

This seems like an ideal project for a NETFLICKS-type series. I could see Mark Gatiss (DOCTOR WHO, SHERLOCK, etc.) as being perfect to take on that iconic English role (no American, thank you!) and with that legacy, it would attract a whole host of top-shelf actors and writers to put out a high-quality production. It happened to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and more recently WEDNESDAY, so why not an up-dated QUATERMASS?

[@paladin56]

I don't know. So many remakes seem to have modern day sentiments and politics, nealy always those of the producer, forced in to them and become a bit of a lecture. The fairly recent BBC War of the Worlds is a prime example. It often ends up taking centre stage to the detriment of the actual story.

[@davidyoung5114]

@@paladin56 If done poorly, then yes, don't do it. But DUNE showed that an already establish product could be redone if in the hands of someone who knows what they want and make it into a great success. That's why I think Mark Gatiss would be ideal as the titular character, and not someone like Hugh Grant! Gatiss would be able to bring to the project the talent that would make things work.

[@Gambit771]

​@@davidyoung5114Not if made by the Beeb. I am in complete agreement with the first person to reply.

[@Spitfyre41]

It was my favorite went I saw it in the early seventies on TV during the after midnight horror movies when I was a kid.

[@andrewmorton7482]

I have the DVD versions of the original series (to the extent that they exist). For me Quatermass was the real beginning of Science Fiction on television

[@EdMorbius46]

I too have the original DVD compilation from BBC. I loved The Pit in its 6 episode format.

[@richardanderson8696]

Quatermass and The Pit is a landmark piece of science fiction - and horror - enormously influential.

[@subraxas]

Thank you for this! 👍

[@reinaldogarcia70]

I need Quatermass t - shirt 😊

[@willcorlett7630]

I watched this and decided to dig out my copies (by Arrow) of the scripts for the three tv series and start to reread them. The Quatermass Experiment is a wonderful read and you can see why the fledgling BBC audiences were glued to there seats, even with a book you have to turn the next page. From the script you can see a much more rounded and detailed plot, as opposed to the one in the film, with some creepy extra nuances (the emphasis on the 3 men in the one body etc) that were glossed over, adding to the mystery. Quatermass himself is unsure and suffering from guilt about perhaps killing his three friends , totally unlike the brash unlikeable Donlevy version - always liked the film(s) just hated his portrayal It would be as creaky as hell, but oh what a wonderful watch the full series must have been

[@AndrewLohmannKent]

The original B&W Quatemass had a more detail telling of how scientist and management or government work with each other. That is, if the committee understand the point the scientist is making in a way, they will fund and defer to him completely. This is a point missing in the subsequent film version of Quatemass and the Pit. My mum loved all of them and also the first doctor who, who was genually angry when there was cause to be. Mum also told about the series A for Andromeda, where a blueprint received from space tells how to make a computer which in turn creates a girl but with its own nasty agenda.

[@IanWilliams-f2l]

For the life of me I can't see why Quatermass IV with Sir John Mills isn't better received. I feel that it's dystopian narrative is a perfect backdrop to the excesses of a Space program that wastes billions while society breaks down. For me the films with Kier and Donlevy are still what they should be, anti-lantern jawed hero's who save the world for freedom vehicles that are gritty and hit hard in places. These films, along with The Day the Earth Caught Fire shaped my love of the genre. A reimagining of The Pit and IV may do damage to the franchise but they could bring a new audience to these classics of Brit SCI-FI.

[@billballbuster7186]

I remember the BBC Quatermass shows on TV as my parents watches them. I saw all the Quatermass movies and managed to get a copy of the remastered BBC Quatermass and the Pit. It is certainly the best of British sci-fi as Dr Who got more and more fantasy oriented, as were Anderson productions. I figure this was the American influence as all these were franchised. I did not like the final ITV Quatermass series too depressing for me. But I would very much like to se the early 1950s productions with todays special effects.

[@Cloudberry46]

Quatermass and the Pit was my all time favourite Sci-Fi series back in the late 50s. The idea of aliens landing on Earth millions of years ago....Who would have thought it?

[@justinecooper9575]

Wait, Quatermass existed before "The Quatermass Experiment"? I'm mortified that I didn't know this.

[@TryptychUK]

A good resume of the series, if somewhat flowery and clichéd writing. There is also no mention of another BBC science fiction series between Quatermass and Dr Who, "Out of the Unknown", of which, sadly, there are no recordings of, but was also very successful.

[@scifizone]

We toyed with the idea of including the frustration Nigel Kneale faced when a lot of his ideas ended up in Dr Who - and the lawsuits which resulted from it. But ultimately we removed this aspect of history as our focus was specifically on QM itself.

[@TryptychUK]

@@scifizone I meant to say "Out of this World", made by ITV in 1961 by Sydney Newman, before the BBC poached him and later developed Dr Who.

[@andygozzo72]

there was a 3rd Doctor Doctor Who story 'The Daemons' that seems very similar in many ways to Quatermass and the pit, and a 4th Doctor one 'The seeds of doom' partly 'similar' to the Quatermass experiment! i cant think of one offhand thats reasonably similar to Quatermass 2 at the moment!

[@scifizone]

It's a known fact that Dr Who 'borrowed' heavily from Quatermass, which actually resulted in lawsuits being issued by Nigel Kneale. We were going to include this in the video, but felt it wasn't relevant to the Quatermass franchise itself.

[@Allegheny500]

I have the Hammer films versions of the first 3 on VHS, could not find the originals or any of them on DVD or Blueray that would run on a US region machine.

[@davidquatermass789]

Yep Quatermass rules!!!

[@vinceely2906]

The world needs more heroes called Bernard (sorry Dave)

[@davidquatermass789]

@vinceely2906 😉

[@charlesscottkelly]

I heard a lot about this but was too young.... to have seen it

[@rexharrison6827]

Quatermass 1V seems highly prescient; a wave of anti-science sentiment, a country at war with itself, that easily translates into the present and not just in England, but perhaps even more so in the USA, where what was once fringe fanaticism has taken hold in a huge way. I fell for the Quatermass mystique with the first movie. Never seen any of the old TV series and probably never will, but the films are mesmerising and distinctly English in the way they handle suspense. There's a very John Wyndham feel to them, a disturbing, off-kilter form of horror as with the Midwich Cuckoos (which appeared after Quatermass). I think there is still a place for the character in film, also in streaming TV. Enough time has elapsed for the concept to appear fresh. As always, it would need a strong concept and a dedicated team to make it a reality, with the appropriate acknowledgement to the earlier incarnations. And it would have to be British. Pinewood, not Hollywood!

[@htgaines]

I always felt Tobe Hooper's 1985 film Lifeforce was spiritually akin to the Quatermass films. And to a lesser extent the Midwich Cuckoos/Children of the Damned films. I also thought the Science fiction novel Chocky would deserve a feature film or television mini-series production.