Leofwine_draca Review of Quatermass and the Pit

Quatermass and the Pit (1958–1959)

Good, but the Hammer film's better

[6/10 · 7 August 2018]

I come to the BBC TV serial of QUATERMASS AND THE PIT as a long-term fan of Hammer's film version of 1968. Inevitably I find myself preferring the Hammer version, which cuts out some of the slowness of the story while at the same time keeping all of the great ingredients that make this a classic. This six-episode miniseries features the great Andre Morell as the titular professor, called in to help investigate a mysterious spacecraft found buried beneath the London streets. This looks a bit like an early DR WHO adventure on the BBC budget, but it's a surprisingly well-paced and effects-packed adventure, and Nigel Kneale's intelligent scripting means it delights the brain as well as the senses. Another asset is the cast, from main players like Cec Linder to those on lower rungs, like Michael Ripper and Harold Goodwin.