Doomwatch
Series looking at cult sci-fi series recalls Doomwatch, a 1970s drama which took real scientific advances and created stories around them that exaggerated their dangers.
A television programme that sees its title transfer to the dictionary clearly has something special about it. And any TV drama that can make serious claims to putting the debate about lead in petrol into the mainstream must be said to have had a lasting impact...
Doomwatch was created by Dr. Kit Pedlar and Gerry Davies, the men who gave the world Dr. Who's Cybermen. It took real scientific advances and created stories around them that exaggerated their dangers to apocalyptic levels. Audiences tuned in in their millions and the press discovered that Pedlar and the production team had an uncanny knack for predicting disaster.
With new interviews with the actors and production team, 'The Cult of..' takes us through the origins of 'Doomwatch'; reveals where they found their inspiration for their stories; outlines how the programme team knew they were upsetting the government and big business; explains why Robert Powell left the show at the height of its popularity; demonstrates how, despite the show's prescience, they misjudged the changing gender politics of the early 70s; and exposes a behind the scenes rift between the show's creators and its producer.
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