From: T.G.Nattress@newcastle.ac.uk (Graeme Nattress)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv
Subject: Re: DOOMWATCH, anybody?
Keywords: HUJIKLOPPY
Date: 12 Nov 92 09:37:44 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU

jasstev@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (stevens jason) writes:


>  Heres a thought for you.
>  My favourite programme of the lot, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind,
>  is the BBC programme "Doomwatch" which ran on BBC1 between 1970 and 1972.
>  It concerns a newly created government department established to combat
>  scientific advances which could be harmful to humans, nicknamed 'Doomwatch'.

The proper title for the government office was

    Department for the observation and Measurement of science, codename
Doomwatch.

>     The main characters of Spencer Quist, a guilt ridden mathmatical genius
>     who leads Doomwatch - as is claimed as a compensation for his part in the  Manhattan Project. He is the only constant character of the series (along with

Quist is played by John Paul

>     Bradley).
>     Dr Ridge is the flambouyant character of the show. he womanises, twists,
>     turns, thinks hes James Bond, and has an incurable temper. A key chracter
>     for the first two series he appears briefly in the last, attempting to
>     poison the world with anthrax (unbalanced by some lead in his garage).
>     The first season also creatd the popular character of Tobias (Toby) Wren,  played by a very young Robert Powell. unfortunately his role came to an end -   blown to pieces by a bomb which he tried to defuse. The following story, You

Wren is played by Robert Powel
Bradley is played by Joby Blanchard
Ridge is played by  Simon Oates

>     Killed Toby Wren, is one of the finest dramas I have ever seen, as Quist
>     is accused for his death from all sides.
>     Secretaries came and went, I cannot remember their names, as their roles
>     consisted of wearing many short skirts, and giving feed lines.
The 1st was called Pat Hunniset.

>     Bradley, the compuetr scientist, worked in the background, occasionally
>     popping up to give some more invaluable feed lines.
>     Quist married his psychiatrist for the third series, Anne tarrant, and she
>     became a fixture.
>     Other characters of minor significance appeared like Jeff Hardcastle as
>     part of the team.
>     Opposing Quist is the ultimate slimeball, the Minister...in the end he gets his way and ends up ordering what projects Quist should take.

>     The series has never failed to amaze me. it is well scripted (apart from
>     the feeed lines bit), superbly acted,a nd very gloomy. It may have been
>     losing direction by the third series, btu who cares!!! Its about time we
>     had a new Doomwatch series..it is a formula which can be used.

>     First season;
>     (1) The Plastic Eaters.
>     A plastic eating virus ecscapes from a govt. laboratory and kills all the
>     passangers on a jumbo jet when it crashes in S.America. Then, Toby discovers he also is carrying the virus on a jet with him....
>     (2) Burial at Sea (does not exist)
>     A rock group are found apparently under the influence of drugs on their
>     yacht. One of the crew did not survive the apparent overdose...
>     (3) Fridays Child (does not exist)
>     plot unknown.
>     (4) Tomorrow the Rat
>     A breed of carnivorous, intelligent rats break free in London...
>     (5) Re-entry Forbidden
>     the worlds first nuclear powered rocket is manned by a crew, one with
>     paranoic schizophrenia.....
>     (6) Project sahara
>     The govt. invades the privacy of the Doomwatch team to stop therm invetsigating Project Sahara..
>     (7) Devil at the Feast
>     While at global conference, Quist and the delegates are hit by food
>     poisoning (does not exist)
>     (8) The Devils Sweets
>     A rise in smoking is attributed to a new sweet, with appalling after effectts
>
>       Devil at the Feast should read "Spectre at the Feast"
>       I am afraid this is as far as my list goes, so if anybody could help
>       out here, up to season 3.

>       Season three (exisiting)
>       (4) Waiting for a Knighthood
>       (7) Hair trigger
>       (12) sex and Violence (untransmitted, UK)

              Sex and Violence is about a Mary Whitehouse style clean-up
campaign about Sex and Violence.   It was left untransmitted because of real
footage from a military execution being used as part of the violence bit.

>       All of season 2 exists.

>       ANYWAY, I HAVE TRIED TO PUT TOGETHER A QUICK GUIDE TO THE BEST TV SHOW
>       MADE FROM MEMORY, IF ANYBODY CAN FILL IN THE GAPS IT WOULD BE
>       APPRECIATED.

>       Jason.

Yes,  I'll dig out my ep guide and see if I can fill in the gaps...

BTW, does anyone out there have any eps on video??? PAL/NTSC, it doesn't
matter..  All I want is to see them!!!

Graeme,


{---    T.G.Nattress@uk.ac.ncl -----------------------------------------}
{--------------------------------- The Moral of this story is: ---------}
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