Nigel Kneale

Nigel Kneale (born Thomas Nigel Kneale on April 18, 1922 in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, UK) is a Manx television and film scriptwriter, who has worked mostly in the UK. He is best known for his creation of the character of Professor Bernard Quatermass, who has appeared in three serials for BBC Television, one for Thames Television and three feature film adaptations of the BBC serials for the Hammer company.

Legacy

In the year 2000 two of Kneale's productions, Quatermass and the Pit and the 1954 version of Nineteen Eighty-Four featured in a poll of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of all time compiled by the British Film Institute, and in 2003 the digital television channel BBC Four produced a special documentary celebrating Kneale's life and work. All of the existing Quatermass material, Year of the Sex Olympics and The Stone Tape are all available to buy on VHS and/or DVD, although Year of the Sex Olympics is presented in black and white because the original colour masters were wiped.

Related Topics:
2000 - 100 Greatest British Television Programmes - British Film Institute - 2003 - BBC Four - VHS - DVD - Black and white - Wiped

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In April 2005, the digital channel BBC Four produced a live re-make of The Quatermass Experiment (only the first two episodes of the 1953 serial exist as telerecordings) as part of a special 'TV on Trial' season, debating whether television had ever had a true 'classic' era. Kneale's original scripts were adapted into a single two-hour version (although in the event the broadcast ran to only one hour forty minutes) by producer Richard Fell, and Kneale acted as a consultant on the production which was broadcast on Saturday April 2.

Related Topics:
2005 - BBC Four - The Quatermass Experiment - 1953 - Telerecordings - Richard Fell - April 2

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Kneale married the scriptwriter Judith Kerr in 1954, and they have two children. Their son Matthew Kneale is a distinguished writer himself, winning the Book of the Year prize at the prestigious Whitbread Book Awards in 2000 for the novel English Passengers. Their daughter, Tracy Kneale, works in the special effects industry, and has worked on the popular Harry Potter films.

Related Topics:
Judith Kerr - 1954 - Matthew Kneale - Whitbread Book Awards - 2000 - Harry Potter

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He lives in Barnes, London.

Related Topics:
Barnes - London

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