Quatermass (1979)

Quatermass (also known as The Quatermass Conclusion or Quatermass IV) is a British television science-fiction serial, the fourth and final instalment in the famous Quatermass series. Written by Nigel Kneale, it was produced by Euston Films for Thames Television and broadcast on the ITV network in the autumn of 1979.

Cast & Crew

The role of Professor Bernard Quatermass was, as with all the previous television serials featuring him, taken by a new actor. In this case, it was the highly distinguished British film actor John Mills, making what was at the time only his second ever television series, following 1974's The Zoo Gang. He would, however, later go on to take other occasional television roles, such as Dr. Watson opposite Peter Cushing's Sherlock Holmes in the 1984 Channel 4 one-off The Masks of Death.

Related Topics:
Bernard Quatermass - British - John Mills - 1974 - The Zoo Gang - Dr. Watson - Peter Cushing - Sherlock Holmes - 1984 - Channel 4

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Joe Kapp was played by Simon MacCorkindale, and various other familiar British television faces of the era appeared, including Brian Croucher and Kevin Stoney, who became two of the very few actors ever to have appeared in all three of the most important British television science-fiction programmes: Doctor Who, Blake's 7 and Quatermass. One of the Planet People was played by popular actress and singer Toyah Willcox.

Related Topics:
Brian Croucher - Kevin Stoney - Doctor Who - Blake's 7 - Quatermass - Toyah Willcox

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Nigel Kneale went on to continue his television career well into his seventies, working on various ITV series until the late 1990s. In the early 1980s he created his own sitcom, Kinvig, although this was not a particular success. Other work, such as an adaptation of Susan Hill's novel The Woman in Black (1989) and episodes of series such as Kavanagh QC and Sharpe (1995-96) proved more successful.

Related Topics:
Nigel Kneale - ITV - 1990s - 1980s - Sitcom - Susan Hill - The Woman in Black - 1989 - 1995 - 96

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Quatermass was directed by Piers Haggard, who the previous year had helmed Dennis Potter's landmark drama serial Pennies From Heaven for the BBC. It was produced by Ted Childs, and the Executive Producer for Euston Films was Verity Lambert, an immensely experienced television producer who had begun her career as the first producer of the BBC's science-fiction classic Doctor Who in 1963. It was in that position that she had been invited to appear as a guest on the BBC 2 discussion programme Late Night Line-Up in 1965, to discuss television science-fiction. One of her fellow guests that night had been Nigel Kneale, who had let her know on air in no uncertain terms what he felt about the poor quality of her programme, although it seems they were able to work amicably enough on Quatermass fourteen years later.

Related Topics:
Piers Haggard - Dennis Potter - Pennies From Heaven - BBC - Euston Films - Verity Lambert - Doctor Who - 1963 - BBC 2 - 1965

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