"Quatermass" (1979) TV series

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

24 October 1979 (UK)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

After the mysterious destruction of the new space station, young people find themselves drawn to a stone circle in England...

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Future | England | Wembley Stadium | Dystopia

Cast

John Mills	...	Prof. Bernard Quatermass (4 episodes, 1979)
Simon MacCorkindale	...	Joe Kapp (4 episodes, 1979)
Ralph Arliss	...	Kickalong (4 episodes, 1979)
Paul Rosebury	...	Caraway (4 episodes, 1979)
Jane Bertish	...	Bee (4 episodes, 1979)
Rebecca Saire	...	Hettie Carlson (3 episodes, 1979)
Toyah Willcox	...	Sal (3 episodes, 1979)
Tony Sibbald	...	Chuck Marshall (3 episodes, 1979)
Barbara Kellerman	...	Clare Kapp (2 episodes, 1979)
Brewster Mason	...	Gurov (2 episodes, 1979)
Margaret Tyzack	...	Annie Morgan (2 episodes, 1979)
Bruce Purchase	...	Tommy Roach (2 episodes, 1979)
Annabelle Lanyon	...	Isabel (2 episodes, 1979)
David Yip	...	Frank Chen (2 episodes, 1979)
Neil Stacy	...	Toby Gough (2 episodes, 1979)
Brenda Fricker	...	Alison Thorpe (2 episodes, 1979)
Elsie Randolph	...	Woman Minister (2 episodes, 1979)
Larry Noble	...	Jack (2 episodes, 1979)
Gretchen Franklin	...	Edna (2 episodes, 1979)
James Ottaway	...	Arthur (2 episodes, 1979)
Clare Ruane	...	Jane (2 episodes, 1979)
Donald Eccles	...	Chisholm (2 episodes, 1979)
Sophie Kind	...	Kapp Child / ... (2 episodes, 1979)
Joanna Joseph	...	Debbie, Kapp Child / ... (2 episodes, 1979)

(more)

Series Directed by
Piers Haggard		(4 episodes, 1979)

Series Writing credits
Nigel Kneale		(4 episodes, 1979)

Series Produced by
Ted Childs	....	producer (4 episodes, 1979)
Norton Knatchbull	....	associate producer (4 episodes, 1979)
Verity Lambert	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 1979)

Series Original Music by
Nic Rowley		(4 episodes, 1979)
Marc Wilkinson		(4 episodes, 1979)

Series Cinematography by
Ian Wilson		(4 episodes, 1979)

Series Film Editing by
Keith Palmer		(4 episodes, 1979)

Series Casting by
Michael Barnes		(4 episodes, 1979)

Series Production Design by
Arnold Chapkis		(4 episodes, 1979)

Series Art Direction by
Terry Parr		(4 episodes, 1979)
Stuart Rose		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Michael Baldwin		(4 episodes, 1979)

Series Makeup Department
Eddie Knight	....	makeup artist (4 episodes, 1979)
Mary Sturgess	....	hair stylist (4 episodes, 1979)

Series Production Management
Johnny Goodman	....	executive in charge of production (4 episodes, 1979)
Laurie Greenwood	....	production manager (4 episodes, 1979)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve Lanning	....	second assistant director (4 episodes, 1979)
Bill Westley	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1979)
Christopher Newman	....	third assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Bert Gardner	....	property buyer (4 episodes, 1979)
Rex Hobbs	....	property master (4 episodes, 1979)
Charlie Simmons	....	construction coordinator (4 episodes, 1979)
Paul Purdy	....	props (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Chris Gurney	....	boom operator (4 episodes, 1979)
Dudley Plummer	....	sound mixer (4 episodes, 1979)
Ian Toynton	....	sound editor (4 episodes, 1979)
Roger Wilson	....	sound editor (4 episodes, 1979)
Hugh Strain	....	sound mixer (3 episodes, 1979)

Series Visual Effects by
Martin Denning	....	video playback (1 episode, 1979)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Neil Binney	....	camera operator (4 episodes, 1979)
Ray Hearne	....	still photographer (4 episodes, 1979)
Alan Martin	....	gaffer (4 episodes, 1979)
Tim Ross	....	follow focus cameramen (4 episodes, 1979)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
David Murphy	....	wardrobe (4 episodes, 1979)

Series Editorial Department
Chris Blunden	....	first assistant editor (4 episodes, 1979)

Series Other crew
Linda Agran	....	story editor (4 episodes, 1979)
Richard Clarke	....	technical advisor (4 episodes, 1979)
Sally Croft	....	publicist (4 episodes, 1979)
Tudor Davies	....	choreographer (4 episodes, 1979)
Peter Harvey	....	production accountant (4 episodes, 1979)
Sally Pardo	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1979)
Stephen Pushkin	....	location manager (4 episodes, 1979)
Pat Rambaut	....	continuity (4 episodes, 1979)

Production Companies

• Euston Films
• Thames Television

Distributors

• Thorn EMI/HBO Video (USA) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Quatermass IV (UK) (working title)
The Quatermass Conclusion

Runtime:

60 min (4 episodes) | USA:204 min (4 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:15

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

Euston Films

Trivia:

Bruce Purchase replaced George Murcell.

Movie Connections:

Follows The Quatermass Xperiment (1955)

QUATERMASS (TV) {Episodes 1-4} (Piers Haggard, 1979) ***

I viewed this as part of a two-film retrospective of John Mills titles (the other being THE SINGER NOT THE SONG [1961]) to commemorate the centenary of his birth on the 22nd of February. Incidentally, I'd purchased the R4 DVD edition – and two other Nigel Kneale-scripted made-for-TV efforts, THE YEAR OF THE SEX OLYMPICS (1968) and BEASTS (1976) – following the death last year of that noted sci-fi literary figure, one of my favorite exponents of the genre, but hadn't yet gotten around to watching it until now!

Of course, this is the fourth (and last) of Kneale's serials revolving around Professor Bernard Quatermass – submitting yet another scary (but totally persuasive) scenario to challenge our established notions of humanity, the world and beyond. Interestingly, the protagonist was played by a different actor each time: here, Mills turns in a typically excellent (albeit low-key) performance. However, the muddled apocalyptic plot – in which space missions go horribly wrong, Britain is reduced to a wasteland, a mass of fanatical but deluded youth is "harvested" (read exterminated), senior citizens are forced to literally live underground, etc. – is somehow insufficient for the film's 200-minute length; this eventually gives rise to a fair bit of repetitiveness throughout (particularly with respect to the gibberish chants of the Planet People).

The serial does culminate in an intense and moving finale in which Quatermass meets up with his missing granddaughter, who has joined the ranks of the Planet People, just as he's set to fire a nuclear missile at the death ray from outer space; about to perish himself (from a heart attack!), it's she who guides his movements in saving the world. One of the definite assets here is the effectively moody synthesizer score; besides, the supporting cast is led by Simon MacCorkindale (from JAWS 3-D [1983] and the MANIMAL [1983] TV series) – who's good in his role of the young scientist aiding Quatermass understand the extraterrestrial phenomenon; a histrionic Barbara Kellerman appears as his wife, who soon falls victim to the devastation; Margaret Tyzack (2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY [1968]), Brenda Fricker (future Oscar winner for MY LEFT FOOT [1989]) and actress/rocker Toyah Willcox also appear.

While not up to Kneale's earlier QUATERMASS scripts in the long run, this is still quite good – with the 20-year gap since that character's last TV appearance enabling a far smoother production. In fact, there was no need to adapt it for the cinema as Hammer had done with the first three; rather, the serial was probably made with this in mind (director Haggard had made another cult-based supernatural horror piece – THE BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW [1971]) and subsequently got reduced to about half its length for theatrical exhibition. Originally shot in Panavision, the four episodes are however presented here open-matte so as to preserve the standard TV format; the Australian 3-Disc Set I purchased, then, thoughtfully includes both versions.