Quatermass

1979 - 1979

Ringstone Round

24th October 1979

Episode 1

In a bleak near-future of gangs ruling the streets, Professor Quatermass is accosted by thugs while on the way to a television studio to offer commentary and analysis for Britain's part in an international satellite broadcast covering a US-Soviet space link-up (similar to the Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975). He is rescued by a young space scientist, Joe Kapp (Simon MacCorkindale), who is on his way to appear in the same programme. During the transmission, Quatermass is harshly critical of the space mission, and predicts that missions like it are wasteful and probably doomed in some way because they don't produce anything useful. Not long afterward, malfunctions begin to show up, and the mission fails, with all lives lost, due to unknown causes. Quatermass and Kapp are forced to flee to the latter's remote lab, which is near a stone circle called the Ringstone. A group of young religious zealots marches to the circle, apparently to take it over for some reason of their own...

Lovely Lightning

31st October 1979

Episode 2

Following the devastation at Ringstone Round, Quatermass hears of similar incidents worldwide and returns to London with district commissioner Annie Morgan and a Ringstone 'survivor' Isabel. En route they become separated in a shootout between rival gangs. Meanwhile, the beam of light descends again - near Joe Kapp's home.

What Lies Beneath

7th November 1979

Episode 3

Quatermass is rescued by a group of elderly people living in a scrap yard. At the hospital, the doctors are shocked when Isabel levitates off her bed and explodes in a cloud of dust. Quatermass theorises that this is not the first time this has happened; Megalithic sites such as prehistoric stone circles are in fact markers where beacons have been left by the alien force for its next visit. Quatermass believes the force is a sphere of energy surrounding the Earth. Quatermass is sceptical; he believes they are dealing not with an intelligence but with a machine constructed to harvest human protein. The space shuttle is destroyed but not before Marshall reports a giant beam of light stretching in all directions. Meanwhile, the Planet People are gathering at Wembley Stadium in the tens of thousands. Annie and Quatermass travel to the stadium but are powerless to prevent the Planet People from gathering. The lightning strikes the stadium.

An Endangered Species

14th November 1979

Episode 4

Quatermass emerges from the car park to find the stadium empty. So many have now been harvested that the particles of dust in the air have turned the sky green. Kapp attempts to repair his equipment in order to contact the alien presence, but the Planet People destroy his efforts. Quatermass plans to fake the presence of a large gathering of Planet People at Kapp's observatory and, when the force comes, to detonate a nuclear weapon. Kapp volunteers to stay behind with Quatermass to help detonate the bomb. The pair set up the trap and wait. Suddenly, Kickalong appears with a group of Planet People, including Quatermass' granddaughter, Hettie. The light appears, indicating that the alien force has arrived, but the shock of seeing his granddaughter among the Planet People causes Quatermass to suffer a heart attack. However, aided by Hettie, he is able to detonate the bomb. Later, according to Gurov, "The message was taken. It has not come again. We pray it will never come again".

Top Cast

John Mills•Simon MacCorkindale•Paul Rosebury

Writer

Nigel Kneale

Drama Sci-Fi & Fantasy

In the near future, a now-elderly Bernard Quatermass investigates the disappearance of his granddaughter and a mysterious cult.

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Full Cast

John Mills

Bernard Quatermass

Simon MacCorkindale

Joe Kapp

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Paul Rosebury

Caraway

Jane Bertish

Bee

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Ralph Arliss

Kickalong

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Margaret Tyzak

Annie Morgan

Brian Croucher

Police Lt.

Full Crew

Nigel Kneale

Writer

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Ted Childs

Producer

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Norton Knatchbull

Associate Producer

Verity Lambert

Executive Producer

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Nic Rowley

Music

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Marc Wilkinson

Music

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Michael Barnes

Casting

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Arnold Chapkis

Production Design

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Terry Parr

Art Direction

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Michael Baldwin

Costume Design

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Eddie Knight

Makeup Artist

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Mary Sturgess

Hairstylist

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Laurie Greenwood

Production Manager

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Steve Lanning

Second Assistant Director

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Bill Westley

Assistant Director

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Bert Gardner

Property Buyer

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Rex Hobbs

Property Master

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Charlie Simmons

Construction Coordinator

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Chris Gurney

Boom Operator

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Dudley Plummer

Sound Mixer

Ian Toynton

Sound Editor

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Roger Wilson

Sound Editor

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Neil Binney

Camera Operator

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Ray Hearne

Still Photographer

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Alan Martin

Gaffer

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Chris Blunden

First Assistant Editor

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Stephen Pushkin

Location Manager

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Pat Rambaut

Continuity

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Sally Croft

Publicist

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Tudor Davies

Choreographer

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Peter Harvey

Production Accountant

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