Classic BBC Sci Fi series Doomwatch to be released on DVD
Groundbreaking classic British science fiction series Doomwatch is coming to DVD.
Broadcasting originally on BBC Television from 1970 to 1972 the show, at its peak, drew in nearly 14 million viewers. The popularity of the programme saw two movie spin-off versions however the beeb production has never been released on DVD.
Now Simply Media are to release the three series produced by the BBC in the seventies for the first time on digital video disc. Sadly some of the episodes have been long since wiped by the corporation – a fate which many programmes of the era suffered including Doctor Who, Parkinson and Top of the Pops. However there are still plenty of editions of Doomwatch to enjoy with all the surviving episodes released over this seven disc box set.
The DVD will also contain an unseen episode entitled ‘Sex and Violence‘ and as an added bonus the BBC documentary special The Cult of Doomwatch is included as part of the disc set.
The beeb series was the brainchild of Kid Pedler and Garry Davis, the men responsible for Doctor Who’s iconic Cybermen. The Doomwatch drama follows the fictional government body ‘The Department of Measurement of Scientific Work’ nicknamed the ‘doomwatch’ department – where they fight to protect mankind from all sorts of technological experiments and creations which could endanger the human race.
The team is lead by Doctor Spencer Quist, played by actor John Paul. Alongside Doctor Quist is Colin Bradley, played by Joby Blanshard, Toby Wren, actor Robert Powell and Doctor Fay Chantry played by Jean Trend. The group of characters must battle hyper intelligent rats, deal with toxic waste, confront plastic eating bacteria, mind destroying sound waves and genetic mutations as part of their day to day jobs!
All the while the team of DMSW face confrontations with volatile corporations and a lack of support from their own government superiors while the drama is added to by the ever changing dynamics within the doomwatch team. Set in a time of public fascination with the perils of science and technology Doomwatch offers a glimpse of real scientific concepts that are still relevant today and explores the moral dilemmas faced by those left to pick up the pieces when things inevitably go wrong.
