"Quatermass and the Pit" (1958) TV series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

22 December 1958 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Horror | Thriller

Plot:

A team of scientists search for the origin and purpose of a mysterious capsule found on a building site.

Plot Keywords:

Martian | Professor | Colonel | Live Television | Sequel

Cast

André Morell	...	Professor Bernard Quatermass (6 episodes, 1958-1959)
Cec Linder	...	Dr. Matthew Roney (6 episodes, 1958-1959)
Anthony Bushell	...	Colonel James Breen (6 episodes, 1958-1959)
John Stratton	...	Captain Potter (6 episodes, 1958-1959)
Christine Finn	...	Barbara Judd (6 episodes, 1958-1959)
Michael Ripper	...	Sergeant (5 episodes, 1958-1959)
Harold Goodwin	...	Corporal Gibson (5 episodes, 1958-1959)
Clifford Cox	...	First Private / ... (5 episodes, 1958-1959)
Brian Gilmar	...	Second Private / ... (5 episodes, 1958-1959)
Alexander Moyes	...	Narrator (5 episodes, 1958-1959)
Brian Worth	...	James Fullalove (4 episodes, 1959)
Richard Shaw	...	Sladden (4 episodes, 1959)
Richard Dare	...	Private Secretary / ... (4 episodes, 1958-1959)
Kenneth Seeger	...	Sightseer / ... (4 episodes, 1958-1959)
Sheldon Allan	...	Sightseer / ... (4 episodes, 1958-1959)
Mary Henderson	...	Sightseer / ... (4 episodes, 1958-1959)
John Mahoney	...	Sightseer / ... (4 episodes, 1958-1959)
Monica Rey	...	Sightseer / ... (4 episodes, 1958-1959)
Anthony Roye	...	Journalist / ... (4 episodes, 1958-1959)
John Wilding	...	Sightseer / ... (4 episodes, 1958-1959)
Carlos Williams	...	Journalist / ... (4 episodes, 1958-1959)
Tony Quinn	...	News Editor (3 episodes, 1959)
John Walker	...	Private West (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Robert Perceval	...	Minister / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Ian Ainsley	...	Police Inspector (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Noel Howlett	...	Vicar Gilpin (3 episodes, 1959)
Ruby Archer	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Richard Bidlake	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Norman Chappell	...	Man in Crowd / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Henry Drew	...	Journalist / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Nelson Evans	...	Journalist / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Audrey Foat	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Roderick Griffith	...	Journalist / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Michael Guest	...	Policeman / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Diana Halewood	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Raf Jover	...	Electrician's Mate / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Patricia Kerry	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Ann Kirk	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Raymond Mansell	...	Dead Electrician / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Bill Matthews	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Desmond Newling	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Alan Page	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Walter Randall	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Rex Rashley	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Roger Rowland	...	Dead Journalist / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Karen Shaw	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Rosamond Tattersall	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Rowena Torrance	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Elaine Williams	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Harry Wright	...	Sightseer / ... (3 episodes, 1958-1959)
Hilary Bays	...	Journalist / ... (3 episodes, 1959)
Patrick Milner	...	Journalist / ... (3 episodes, 1959)
Edward Burnham	...	Official (2 episodes, 1959)
Allan McClelland	...	1st Journalist / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Bill Shine	...	2nd Journalist / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Harold Siddons	...	Electrician (2 episodes, 1959)
Bernard Spear	...	First Customer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Patrick Connor	...	Policeman (2 episodes, 1959)
Hilda Barry	...	Mrs. Anne Chilcot (2 episodes, 1958)
Victor Platt	...	P.C. Ellis (2 episodes, 1958)
Howell Davies	...	Mr. Chilcot (2 episodes, 1958)
Basil Beale	...	Policeman (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Tom Cubitt	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Terence Greenidge	...	Journalist / ... (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Norman Miller	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Frank Mills	...	Journalist / ... (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Priscilla Ogier	...	Journalist / ... (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
June Vivian	...	Sightseer (2 episodes, 1958-1959)
Nancy Adams	...	Sightseer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Bryn Bartlett	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Paul Bogdan	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
William Lyon Brown	...	Journalist / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Rodney Burke	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Kathleen Cattermole	...	Sightseer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Richard Coe	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
John Dawson	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
James Duggan	...	Journalist / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Edward Ellis	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Diana French	...	Sightseer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Bob Grant	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Dorothy Grumbar	...	Sightseer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
June Hayhurst	...	Sightseer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Brian Jackson	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Joseph Levine	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Kathleen MacAulisse	...	Sightseer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Margery Mason	...	Crowd at Museum / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Ronald Masters	...	Coffee Stall Customer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Ronald Mayer	...	Dead Photographer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Edwin Morton	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Beatrice Ormonde	...	Sightseer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Roger Ostime	...	Journalist (2 episodes, 1959)
Joan Price	...	Sightseer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Dorothy Robson	...	Sightseer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Frank Seton	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Cara Stevens	...	Sightseer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Joan Weatherley	...	Coffee Stall Customer / ... (2 episodes, 1959)
Michael Wyatt	...	Man in Crowd / ... (2 episodes, 1959)

Also Known As:

The Pit (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min (6 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

BBC Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Michael Gough was on the shortlist for Captain Potter. The role eventually went to John Stratton.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the cliffhanger of Episode Two ("The Ghosts") the interior of the capsule is still streaked with dirt and clay. When this scene is reprised at the start of Episode Three ("Imps and Demons") the capsule is completely clean, even though no time is supposed to have elapsed.

Quotes:

Sladden: Yeah, I reckon this'll cut through pretty well anything that exists. I did steel armor plate with it six inches thick, just like that! Oh, it was legal. Bloke shut in a strong room, I got him out. Secret job, like this one.
Col. Breen: Then I'm glad you don't talk about it.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Hancock's Half Hour: The Horror Serial (#4.6)" (1959)

Soundtrack:

Paroxyms

"I thought I heard....I DID hear!"

The line above, uttered by Professor Bernard Quatermass in the abandoned and derelict building in Hob's Lane, Knightsbridge, remains one of the most chilling moments of dialog ever uttered on either the television or theatrical screen. I was twelve at the time and came as close to wetting my pants that night as I have since. (with the possible exception of the day I received a letter postmarked R.A.A.C. telling me I had been conscripted into the Australian Army in 1967 - THINK about it!)

So far ahead of its time QUATERMASS AND THE PIT, Nigel Kneale's third installment in the Quatermass series, was a brilliant pot-pourri of horror, sci-fi, mysticism, the occult and just plain scripted genius. It was estimated that more than 3/4 of Britain were tuned-in to the 6th and final episode - the rest we presume, didn't have television!

Distinguised British actor Andre Morell WAS the perfect Quatermass, Senior Government scientist and head of Rocket Research, assigned to an investigation of the presumed 'unexploded bomb' unearthed during a routine archaeological 'dig' at Knightsbridge, subsequent upon the discovery of a human skull during building excavation there. Following the unearthing of the object virtually unmarked, yet located BELOW the skull, since carbon-dated as being at least five million years old, extreme paranormal occurrences are recorded which in 1958 were simply terrifying. Their power can still be seen even in the creaky and grainy old B & W video re-edit that was released some years ago and which I regularly watch, probably as much to re-capture my youth as to be thrilled once again.

This was a cerebral trip, Neve Campbell really wouldn't have slotted in here! It was a DIFFERENT fear back then...cabalistic markings, disturbing sounds, ghosts and demons you couldn't see, but KNEW were there (that awesome utterance in the summary!) and the biggest fright of all - the dead martian as it rustled and slipped through that web of decaying strands that had held it in place all those centuries! The big-screen color re-make FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH was OK but lost all the POWER of the TV original and remains a pale imitation.

To have been able to watch this epic piece of film-making AT THE TIME was a great privilege, I don't think today's audience are going to feel quite the same about Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees in 2046. (although I HAVE to say, I rather LIKE these guys...they're almost family now!)