The Quatermass Experiment 1953

All episodes were transmitted live—with a few pre-filmed 35mm film inserts shot before and during the rehearsal period—from Studio A of the BBC's original television studios at Alexandra Palace in London. It was one of the last major dramas to be broadcast from the Palace, as the majority of television production was soon to transfer to Lime Grove Studios, and it was made using the BBC's oldest television cameras, the Emitrons, installed with the opening of the Alexandra Palace studios in 1936. These cameras gave a poor-quality picture, with areas of black and white shading across portions of the image.

The Quatermass Experiment was transmitted weekly on Saturday night from 18 July to 22 August 1953. Episode one ("Contact Has Been Established") was scheduled from 8.15 to 8.45 p.m.; episode two ("Persons Reported Missing"), 8.25 to 8.55 p.m.; episodes three and four ("Very Special Knowledge" and "Believed to be Suffering"), 8.45 to 9.15 p.m.; and the final two episodes ("An Unidentified Species" and "State of Emergency") from 9.00 to 9.30 p.m. Due to the live performances, each episode overran its slot slightly, from two minutes (episode four) to six (episode six). The long overrun of the final episode was caused by a temporary break in transmission to replace a failing microphone. Kneale later claimed that the BBC's transmission controllers had threatened to take them off the air during one significant overrun, to which Cartier replied, "Just let them try!" Some BBC documentation suggests that at least one transmitter region did cut short the broadcast of the final episode.

The BBC intended that each episode be telerecorded onto 35mm film, a relatively new process that allowed for the preservation of live television broadcasts. Sale of the serial had been provisionally agreed with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Cartier wanted the material available to use in trailers and recaps. Only poor-quality copies of the first two episodes were recorded before the idea was abandoned, although the first of these was later shown in Canada. During the telerecording of the second episode, an insect landed on the screen being filmed, and can be seen on the image for several minutes. It is highly unlikely that material from the third to sixth episodes of the serial will ever be recovered to the BBC's archives. The two existing episodes are the oldest surviving examples of a multi-episodic British drama production, and some of the earliest existing examples of British television drama at all, with only a few earlier one-off plays surviving.

This film footage is from the Archive Collection held and administered by the Alexandra Palace Television Society.

http://www.apts.org.uk

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Preserving the televisual past for the digital future

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[Johntorridge]

I was 8 years old when this was shown on TV.

I can remember sitting on the edge of the chair scared stiff through every episode, especially when the cactus started to grow on Victor's arm.

I can remember our lodger used to creep up behind me with his hand in a sock, put it in front of my face and yell, "The Cactus!"

God! Didn't I used to jump!

That serial was 20 years ahead of its time and far more scary than any of the old horror films we see that were made before 1953.

I

[Tripp1993]

Well, maybe the BBC should recreate it...a third time; the SAME cast of the 2005 recreation, the SAME crew, but recorded in 24p, in studio and on location, and recreate EVERY episode of the original serial. Great idea, right?

[Whitelitr]

The music sounds like the opening from Mad max II aka The Road Warrior

[RobertHartlepool]

@tonysuffolk As for homosexuality, I dont mind equality, but I do mind outright continuous bias, and it being almost impossible for the BBC to create anything nowadays without including homosexuality. When I was young Doctor Who was ASEXUAL (in bold to emphasise). Now we have a spin off (Torchwood) where every character being intended to have a homosexual relationship. When did they stop being able to create things without sexual content? When they decided everything was a Gay Rights issue?

[RobertHartlepool]

@tonysuffolk The BBC isn't impartial, and I watch all of the news channels. They may have been once, but they've lost credibility worldwide; to the extent where Hillary Clinton cited them as needing more support int he propoganda war in an open press conference just last month.

[tonysuffolk]

@RobertHartlepool I think this must be one of the most stupid remarks I have ever seen. The BBC was and still, is a jewel in the crown of British Culture. Without the BBC we would have a commercial based broadcasting system. Just watch a bit of Sky rubbish or American TV. You are also totally wrong because the BBC did repeat Quatermass live on TV using the original script. It was a bold venture and surprisingly they didn't see fit to add any gay sex. Maybe you have a problem.

[HTprods]

@DavidRayner1947 24p is a frame rate.

[devonlongbow]

@RobertHartlepool You're right about the BBC. I listen to the news on Radio 4 via the internet here in Germany, it rarely corresponds with news here; someone is telling porkies-or both of them!

[mathewboy20]

i also bought the dvd collection twice! wore out the first one.i was told when in was first on tv back in the 50s it was huge,people would leave the pub etc just to watch it.amazing stuff...

[RobertHartlepool]

It is a great idea, but we know the BBC. There would be homosexual sex scenes, shots of women throwing men through walls, in fact Quatermass would probably be a woman. They wouldn't simply recreate it without fiddling with it, and when they fiddle with the classics they always include sex.

The BBC is probably tolling a bell for itself, lets face it, who trusts it to even report the news impartially?

[DavidRayner1947]

Recorded in 24p? What on earth is that?