This must be the first repeat since its first showing. Recently saw Day of the Triffids and it was as good as I remember it.
Don't recall Blakes 7 or Space 1999 being that good and it turned out they were not.
This one I seem to remember was a superior piece of Sci Fi which stood up to the original three Quatermass series.
Will watch to find out.
Stumbled happily across this showing tonight by chance and was pleasantly surprised that it has weathered well (apart from the often atrocious sound quality) and lives up to my positive recollections of childhood viewing.
John Mills makes an excellent Quatermass, albeit one aged, confused and alienated by the modern world he finds himself in. The way in which he has become a 'drop out' and dissident like the kids caught up in the Planet People movement adds an extra pathos to the portrayal.
Its always fun to watch old sci-fi series and compare their predictions with how things have actually turned out. This is currently pretty wide of the mark, but hey, give it time!
I agree the sound quality was appalling - I had to have the volume right up just to hear the dialogue.
I missed the first few minutes (tuned in when the satellites were crashing)so perhaps I missed something, but I was a bit confused: if there is a space programme, and TV stations, why has UK economy and society practically collapsed? Is it due to oil running out?
I did like the programme though. Especially the seventies Moog music and the hundreds of luvvie extras playing the Planet People!
Yeh the Moog's great.
I think we find out more about the reasons for social collapse as the series unfolds, but at the time (strikes, oil price rises, inflation and rising crime) this was a fairly plausible vision of the future.
Let's look at the situation today.
Disasters and loss of life in space with knock-on effects on international co-operation, while Earth-bound society breaks down. Virtually armour-plated taxis. No-go areas, gangs of teenagers roaming the streets uttering incomprehensible garbage, mugging the elderly and shooting at each other.
I'd say that Nigel Kneale was spot on...
I missed it and I only caught 1/2 hour of last sundays episode.:(
I hope its on again sometime soon as it takes me back to being 11 years old & loving the show.
Agree, I missed it too, but ITV4 does recycle a lot of it's schedule so it's worth keeping an eye out for repeats.
I've been....watching you.
Except that "Tituppy Bummity" looked far more intelligent than most "entertainment" shows on real TV today.
shareI remembered it as a child but only caught episode two. Yes, the sound was apalling! Could do with the old digital remastering like some lesser programmes got. Still, good to see it again on the telly.
Can anyone tell me why it is a deleted title on DVD (region 2)?! Checked it on Amazon and they are asking silly money for it now.
Another cracking episode last night! I do wish that District Commissioner would learn how to drive that bloody Land Rover of hers though...
I liked all the old dears living in the cars and singing the old hymns and wartime songs. I bet Nigel Kneale based them on cockneys in the air raid shelters or something.
I loved the TV show as well, but didn't catch the name - something like 'Uptitty Bumtitty'? 'What they used to call a family show' LOL!
Did anyone spot a young "Brian Tilsley" off Corrie last night as the young soldier who went off with the Planet People...? Eee Gail, tha should 'ave bin thurr.
Commissioner's a bit dead now so guess she'll never learn to drive properly lol.
I suppose the equivalent family show now is Big Brother...hmmm(!)
Haha, yes!
I love the very RADA-trained chief of the Planet People, and his robust singing of 'Huffity Puffity Ringstone Round' with an out of tune guitar...
I was gutted that I'd already missed the first two episodes before I found out about this rerun so I hunted down a DVD. I got it from dvdstars.com (Canada-based) for about 20 quid. It's NTSC, but it played on both my DVD players OK, and I'm sure they're region locked. The quality is quite good on the whole; the sound is absolutely fine.
shareThe first two episodes of this were on ITV4 on Monday and Tuesday night(!) at about 2am. I cant find when the final two episodes are on.
*edit* - they are on next monday and tuesday at 8pm, repeated 2.10am and 3am respectively.
--