The Quatermass Experiment (1953): "Contact Has Been Established"
| A thriller in six parts by Nigel Kneale. Suppose an experimental rocket were sent 1,500 miles above the Earth to make certain observations and then to return. The operation should take only a few hours, at enormous speed. But suppose through some defect in the control system the rocket veered off course and were lost for a considerable time. Suppose after it had completed a vast ellipse of hundreds of thousands of miles into the unknown, control were regained, and it landed. What travellers' tale might then be told? Or what might happen? |  The plan was to pilot a manned rocket some 1,500 miles above the earth for observation purposes and then to return. The project looked very reasonable in theory, but in practice... |
A British experimental rocket orbits the Earth. After being out of contact for 57 hours, the capsule crashes back to Earth in Wimbledon, London. When the capsule is opened, only one member of the three-man crew emerges, Victor Carroon.
| Production company/ies | Broadcast station(s) | Broadcast date(s) |
|---|---|---|
| BBC | BBC Television Service | July 18, 1953 |
Production credits
| Producer(s) | Director(s) | Writer(s) | Other notable credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rudolph Cartier | Rudolph Cartier | Nigel Kneale | Settings: Richard R Greenhough |
Acting credits
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Watch "Contact Has Been Established"
| Previous episode | Serial | Next episode |
|---|---|---|
| - | The Quatermass Experiment (1953) | "Persons Reported Missing" |
BBC production BBC Television Service Live broadcast Science fiction Richard R Greenhough First broadcast in 1953 Nigel Kneale Rudolph Cartier Reginald Tate Isabel Dean Hugh Kelly Paul Whitsun-Jones Duncan Lamont Quatermass July 18 The Quatermass Experiment (1953) Moray Watson W Thorp Devereux Van Boolen Iris Ballard Neil Wilson Katie Johnson Oliver Johnston Colyn Davies Patrick Westwood Dominic Le Foe Eugene Leahy Nicholas Bruce Pat McGrath Denis Wyndham MacGregor Urquhart
