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Following the success of '60s series like Doctor Who and Star Trek, the 1970s introduced a variety of inspired, fun science fiction adventures. Though the technology wasn't as advanced during the '70s and didn't allow for elaborate special effects appreciated in today's sci-fi TV shows, the low-budget quality of the series' special effects adds a unique charm. While some shows leaned into the action-packed campiness of the decade, others preferred a grounded approach to the genre.

Shows such as Timeslip and Doomwatch have strong themes surrounding the dangers of reckless science experiments, tying these messages into their adventurous plots. However, the '70s still had plenty of exciting stories to tell as well. The Six Million Dollar Man and Battlestar Galactica are just two sci-fi TV shows that had strong heroic leads and absorbing conflicts set in space.

Related 10 Best Sci-Fi Comedies Of The 1990s

Some of the best comedians of the era,...

If the BBC realised how beloved their old shows would become, they might have taken greater care of them. And while Doomwatch: Series 1-3 – The Remaining Episodes may not feature every episode of the show thanks to the BBC’s archiving issues, it still stands up as a very good boxset. For fans of the show, the fact that it now includes unaired episode Sex and Violence may be the best news yet…

Doomwatch is the nickname for the Department of Measurement of Scientific work. A team headed by the Nobel Prize winning physicist Dr. Spencer Quist (John Paul). Their job is to keep the government and private sector research companies in check and protect the environment from pollution and disasters.

While there is a definite feel of old school Doctor Who show quality about Doomwatch (both feature low-budget set designs and special effects) the quality of this particular...

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Ground-breaking, intelligent, prescient 1970s drama Doomwatch, now out on DVD, is a British television classic...

Playing on the public's fear that 'this could actually happen', Doomwatch had a veneer of credibility unusual in the escapist television drama landscape of the late 60s/early 70s. This spring sees the most comprehensive haul of Doomwatch episodes released on DVD for the first time. The nickname for the "Department for the Observation and Measurement of Scientific Work", the series first appeared on BBC1 on Monday 9th February 1970 at 9.40pm. It followed half an hour of comedy from Kenneth Williams, which must have surely heightened its dramatic impact.

The series would run in tandem with the early Jon Pertwee era of Doctor Who; the first episode made its debut two days after part two of Doctor Who And The Silurians. The two shows undoubtedly shared a synergy of ideas - not to mention cast and crew.

Although Hammer Films will always be associated with British horror, the studio did have stiff competition. Amicus specialised in the successful horror anthologies and Us counterparts American International Pictures established a permanent UK base in the mid sixties. Other smaller independents took their own bite from the cherry tree of horror with some success, the best known being Tigon Films.

Tigon has received some belated recognition in recent years. Andy Boot’s book on British horror Fragments of Fear devotes a chapter to the company while John Hamilton’s excellent book Beast in the Cellar covers the varied career of Tigon’s charismatic founder Tony Tenser.

Like Hammer’s Sir James Carreras, Tenser was one of the British Film Industry’s great entrepreneurs. Born in London to poor Lithuanian immigrants and a movie fan since childhood, he was an ambitious man with a natural talent for showmanship. Combining shrewd business...

Review Andrew Blair 14 Oct 2013 - 10:26

Andrew checks William Hartnell's final story, newly released and restored, The Tenth Planet...

This review contains spoilers.

The Tenth Planet, Mondas, is a vampire. So are its inhabitants. This vaguely supernatural aspect of the Cybermen is promptly never mentioned again. Author Dr. Kit Pedler – co-creator of Doomwatch – had begun Doctor Who's glorious tradition of turning scientific theories into fantasy yarns, the pseudo-science in the background just as motivated by narrative necessity as before.

Compared with the titular entity, there's a lot that's grounded about the final First Doctor story. Set on an Antarctic Base in the distant future of 1986, the space programme is in full swing, and it's a multi-national organisation (courtesy of the script and good casting decisions by director Derek Martinus). Sexually frustrated men of all creeds and colours gather to supervise routine probe flights. It's like a British version...

If you've ever seen the classic 1973 Christmas Special of The Goodies (called The Goodies And The Beanstalk), then you'll probably remember that bit at the end when the down and out trio come across an abandoned lamp in the street. As soon as they rub the lamp – bingo! A puff of smoke and then John Cleese in a turban. Cleese then bellows “Kids' Show!” after the Goodies tell him to clear off.

I suppose that some people regarded The Goodies as the crazy younger brother of the more adult Monty Python's Flying Circus – on the surface, with its speeded-up action sequences, giant kittens, Dougals and Zebedees, I suppose you could say it's a show that's targeted towards younger ones. But then how do you explain the satirical swipes at the Royals, advertising commercialism, talent shows or apartheid?

Which neatly brings me on to Doctor Who. I was wondering this the...

As an impressionable young girl growing up in the Sixties, few films had as much of an impact on yours truly as the classic To Sir, With Love so I couldn't be happier with the news that UK-born Judy Geeson has been tapped by Rob Zombie to join the cast of his currently filming The Lords of Salem.

Here's what Zombie had to say about Geeson on his Facebook page:

As we head into Day 9 of filming I thought I would let you in on another great bit of casting news. Judy Geeson has signed on for the role of Lacy Doyle, owner and landlady of Heidi Hawthorne's apartment.

Although a fixture on British television since 1962 Judy exploded on the world scene with her starring turn as Pamela Dare opposite Sydney Poitier in the smash film To Sir, with Love. Other notable films include Doomwatch, Branigan, Goodbye Gemini, The Eagle Has Landed...

Casting updates continue to trickle in for The Lords of Salem. Today, Rob Zombie announced that Judy Geeson has joined the cast: “As we head into Day 9 of filming I thought I would let you in on another great bit of casting news. Judy Geeson has signed on for the role of Lacy Doyle, owner and landlady of Heidi Hawthorne’s apartment.

Although a fixture on british television since 1962 Judy exploded on the world scene with her starring turn as Pamela Dare opposite Sydney Poitier in the smash film To Sir, with Love. Other notable films include Doomwatch, Branigan, Goodbye Gemini, The Eagle Has Landed and Fear In The Night… As far as TV, you name it and she has done it. From Gilmore Girls to Space:19999… from A-Team to Tales Of The Unexpected.”

Judy joins previously announced cast members Bruce Davison, Christopher Knight, Barbara Crampton, Ken Foree, Lisa Marie,...

Rob Zombie’s Facebook page has become the go-to place for anyone wanting news about the director’s upcoming The Lords Of Salem.

Today is no different. With filming very much underway, Zombie took the time out of his busy schedule to let us know that Judy Geeson (Gilmore Girls) has joined the cast. Here’s what Mr. Zombie had to say:

As we head into Day 9 of filming I thought I would let you in on another great bit of casting news. Judy Geeson has signed on for the role of Lacy Doyle, owner and landlady of Heidi Hawthorne’s apartment.

Although a fixture on british television since 1962 Judy exploded on the world scene with her starring turn as Pamela Dare opposite Sydney Poitier in the smash film To Sir, with Love. Other notable films include Doomwatch, Branigan, Goodbye Gemini, The Eagle Has Landed and Fear In The Night.

Just yesterday, we brought you a first look at the promo art for Rob Zombie's currently-filming The Lords of Salem . Today, Zombie himself took to the film's official Facebook page with a casting update. Veteran actor Judy Geeson has signed on to play the part of Lacy Doyle, which Zombie explains with the following post: As we head into Day 9 of filming I thought I would let you in on another great bit of casting news. Judy Geeson has signed on for the role of Lacy Doyle, owner and landlady of Heidi Hawthorne's apartment. Although a fixture on british television since 1962 Judy exploded on the world scene with her starring turn as Pamela Dare opposite Sydney Poitier in the smash film To Sir, with Love. Other notable films include Doomwatch, Branigan, Goodbye Gemini, The...

Not quite Doctor Who - but fascinating stuff anyway! Doomwatch.org is a website based on the classic 1970s show in which a government back team combat a range of ecological threats. The Doctor Who link is cconsiderable however - among the show's scriptwriters were future Doctor Who script editor Robert Holmes, while Doomwatch itself was created by Gerry Davis and Kit Pedler, the creators of the Cybermen. Former Who script editor Dennis Spooner also contributed, as did Louis Marks (Day of the...

A couple of days ago it was announced by weirdandbeard that the rights to the 1970s BBC show, Doomwatch, had been optioned and rumors abound that the show could be the next on the BBC's recent wave of remakes. This, according to representatives for Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis estate though, who would like nothing more than to see these rumors become fact I'm sure.

Of course, with the beeb's remake of Survivors getting ready for its second season, Day of the Triffids gaining muchas attention, and other pseudo-science show's like Fringe running high in the ratings, it only makes sense that a show like Doomwatch would now be looked at seriously.

Show Synopsis:

Doomwatch - code name of a semi-secret government department set up to keep an eye on, and try to contain, potentially hazardous scientific research. The team, lead by the incorruptible Doctor Quist - observe the scientists while MI6 observe them.