I've just finished watching the first episode of this series that was shown back in the seventies on Thames Television. ITV4 are now re-running all four episodes, so, just in case you're interested, here's the synopsis of the complete series.
Description/Synopsis
Sir John Mills stars as the legendary 1950s hero Professor Quatermass in Nigel Kneale's science fiction thriller, first shown on Thameas Television in 1979. As Britain struggles with the collapse of civilisation, a monstrous power in space athreatens the youth of the world. Wherever crowds gather, a blinding light reaches down to disintegrate everything. Quatermass tries to halt this sinister force and faces a devastating climax. This DVD release features all 4 episode of the final Quatermass adventure, as well as the feature film version The Quatermass Conclusion.
Episode titles: Huffity Puffity Ringstone Round, Lovely Lightning, What Lies Beneath, An Endangered Species.
Ringstone Round
Towards the end of the Twentieth Century, anarchy has taken over as the world sickens. Professor Bernard Quatermass has been a recluse in Scotland, but returns to the chaos of London to appear on a BTV show covering the American-Russian link-up in space project. Astonished at the savagery he encounters in the city , he condemns both super-powers on the telecast. The space station is destroyed by unknown forces and as the powers look for a scapegoat, radio-astronomer Joe Kapp gives Quatermass shelter at his home. Nearby a group of Planet People, youngsters who think they will be taken to a new, better world, start to converge on the stone-age circle of Ringstone Round.
Lovely Lightning
Quatermass, Kapp and Kapp's wife Clare have seen the obliteration by a beam of light from the skis of the Planet People at Ringstone Round. The rescue a poor girl called Isabel who is now deaf and blind, and whom Quatermass and district commissioner Annie Morgan plan to take to London for investigations. From the USA, Chuck Marshall calls Joe at his observatory and reveals that Ringstone Round was not the only such incident on Earth.
What Lies Beneath
After being caught up in a gang fight between Badders and Blue Brigade in London, Quatermass is given shelter by a group of old people who live in a scrapyard of old cars. Kapp returns home to find that the stone circle in the next field has been hit and his wife and children are dead. The girl Isabel is destroyed in hospital, and the gangs join the Planet People as thousands head towards Wembley Stadium, 'the Killing Ground'. Quatermass tries to warn the authorities, knowing it is the harvesting of the human race.
An Endangered Species
When the Pay Copes were ordered to open fire on them at Wembley, Annie was killed but Quatermass survives the blast from the heavens in the underground carpark. Joined by Russian Academician Gurov, Quatermass forms a group of aged experts to recreate the presence of many human beings at the stone circle near Joe Kapp's wrecked observatory. A massive bomb is brought in, and then Kapp and Quatermass wait alone to detonate it during a blast and so deliver the final blow.
marieann
Have I missed these admin. I loved Quatermass.
Sandie Seward
Marie, the second episode was shown last evening on ITV4 at 8p.m.
It isn't the 'same' Quatermass that the Beeb televised back in the late fifties. Now THAT did frighten me! Mind you I was only about nine or ten at the time, and they did warn the viewer that "The Following Programme is not suitable for Children or Persons of a Nervous Disposistion".
