British Invaders 466: Nineteen Eighty-Four 70th Anniversary!
December 12, 2024 Leave a Comment
Nineteen Eighty-Four was first broadcast on December 12, 1954 — 70 years ago today! This BBC adaptation of George Orwell’s classic aired only five years after novel was published. Join us as we celebrate the anniversary of this live TV drama.
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The Tractate Middoth and The Dead Room were both from the BBC’s annual A Ghost Story for Christmas strand. One was an M.R. James adaptation from 2013, and the other was an original ghost story from 2018. Both were written and directed by Mark Gatiss. 
Space Precinct was a 1994/1995 Gerry Anderson series about a police force made up of humans and aliens. Organized crime, murder and hate crime coexist with cloning, cyborgs, interplanetary travel and more. 
Dracula is a 2006 BBC/Granada/WGBH adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic 1897 novel. When Arthur Holmwood discovers a frightening disease in his family, he will do anything for a cure. The sinister Brotherhood is calling upon a certain European count who may be able to help. Who might suffer as result of this meddling with the supernatural? 
The Borrowers was a 1992/1993 BBC adaptation of the classic children’s novels by Mary Norton. A family of six-inch-tall people survive by “borrowing” food and other items from humans. What will happen when some of the full-sized humans discover the Borrowers? 
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a 2015 adaptation of Susanna Clarke’s 2004 novel of the same name. The two magicians of the title begin to practice magic more openly in 1806. How will their actions and relationship change the course of history? 
After the Warming was a 1989 speculative documentary from James Burke. Its first episode described the way humans interacted with the climate in the past, while the second episode showed us the events of 1990 through 2050. This two-part production warned us about climate change and the greenhouse effect. 
Hammer Films adapted all three 1950s BBC Quatermass serials as films. The Quatermass Xperiment was released in 1955, Quatermass 2 in 1957 and Quatermass and the Pit in 1967. This is our annual “spinoff” discussion about an adaptation of a British SF TV series into a different medium. 
Alice in Wonderland was a 1986 BBC adaptation of the classic book by Lewis Carroll. Journey from sepia into colour as we enter Wonderland! 
Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire was a sword-and-sorcery comedy from 2009. This co-production from BBC2 and Comedy Central brought us a team of mostly-bumbling adventurers who try to save Hessemeel from the tyrant Chancellor Dongalor! 
Stig of the Dump was a 2002 BBC adaptation of the classic children’s novel by Clive King. Young Barney has discovered a pre-human hominid living by a dump. Where will their friendship lead? Where did “Stig” come from? 
Noggin the Nog was a Smallfilms series that ran from 1959 to 1965 and briefly returned in 1982. Noggin, King of the Nogs befriends a talking bird and an ice dragon! He goes on all sorts of adventures, and tries to thwart his evil uncle Nogbad the Bad.
Skellig was a 2009 Sky TV production. The 100-minute TV movie was an adaptation of David Almond’s novel of the same title. Who is the strange man living in Michael’s shed? What unusual abilities does he have? 
The Watch was a 2021 series based on elements of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books. With a legalized assassins’ guild and thieves’ guild, there was little need for a police force in Ankh-Morpork. Can the languishing City Watch begin to fight crime once again? 
Mister Corbett’s Ghost was an ITV adaptation of Leon Garfield’s 1972 short story of the same name. The seasonal ghost story was broadcast on ITV in late December 1987. 
The New Avengers was the 1970s contiuation of the classic 1960s ITV spy-fi series The Avengers. Steed, Purdy and Gambit go up against spies, super-spies, robots and more! This show is not related to the Marvel Superhero franchise of the same name.
The first episode of Doctor Who was originally broadcast on November 23, 1963 — 60 years ago today! Doctor Who would become a classic, and it is still being produced today. Join us as we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the quintessential British Science Fiction series!
The Green Man was a 1990 BBC adaptation of the novel by Kingsley Amis from 1969. Albert Finney stars as hotelier and heavy drinker Maurice Allington. What happens when a teller of ghost stories sees a ghost of his own?
Humans was a Channel 4 series about androids called “synths” that ran from 2015 to 2018. It brought up ideas of consciousness, rights, personhood and more.
Thunderbirds was a 1960s Supermarionation puppet series from Gerry Anderson. In one of our “spinoff to different medium” discussions, we’re now covering the three Thunderbirds movies. The original puppet-based format went into the cinema with Thunderbirds are Go (1966) and Thunderbird 6 (1968). Puppets were replaced by real live actors for Thunderbirds (2004)!
Nobody’s House was a 1976 ITV children’s series about a ghost only known as “Nobody”. A family buys an old house in the country and discovers that it’s haunted! The ghost of a Victorian workhouse boy teaches us about the past and introduces us to a few more ghosts.