Beasts: Baby
1976 · 51 min · ★ 10.0 · Horror, TV Movie, Drama, Mystery
A young couple move to the countryside and discover a strange mummified animal in the wall of their cottage. The wife increasingly feels that she and her unborn child are in danger. Created as an episode of Nigel Kneale’s “Beasts” horror anthology miniseries.
Directed by John Nelson-Burton · Written by Nigel Kneale
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Cast
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Jane Wymark Jo Gilkes -
Simon MacCorkindale Peter Gilkes -
T. P. McKenna Dick Pummery -
Mark Dignam Arthur Grace -
Norman Jones Stan Biddick -
Shelagh Fraser Dorothy Pummery
Make it a double feature
3h 4m togetherA close match in mood and era.
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The Power Game · 1965The Power Game
★ 10.01965
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The Power Game is an ITV drama spin-off from The Plane Makers (1963–65), created by Wilfred Greatorex. Broadcast for three 13-episode series, Patrick Wymark reprised his role as Sir John Wilder, who here ruthlessly pursues boardroom machinations and tangled relationships.
Edgar Wallace Mysteries · 1959Edgar Wallace Mysteries
★ 7.51959
SeriesMysteryDrama
The Edgar Wallace Mysteries was a British second-feature film series, produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated. There were 46 films in the series, made between 1960 and 1965.
The films were loose adaptations of Edgar Wallace's books and stories. Very few used his original titles, and there was no attempt to set them in the period in which Wallace wrote, probably to obviate the need for elaborate costumes and sets. A 1962 article in Scene magazine quotes £22,000 as the budget for an episode then in production.
ITV Saturday Night Theatre · 1969ITV Saturday Night Theatre
★ 7.01969
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Anthology series of dramatic works.
Rooms · 1974Rooms
★ 7.01974
SeriesDramaSoap
Rooms is a 1974–77 British afternoon soap created by John Finch and produced by Thames Television for ITV. Each story is two parts, concerning the various drifters who rent rooms in a lodging-house at 35 Mafeking Terrace.
Emergency: Ward 10 · 1957Emergency: Ward 10
★ 6.51957
SeriesSoapDrama
Emergency: Ward 10 is a British television soap shown on ITV between 1957 and 1967. Like The Grove Family, a series shown by the BBC between 1954 and 1957, Emergency: Ward 10 is considered to be one of British television's first major soap operas. Set in Oxbridge General Hospital, this soap opera focused equally on the lives and loves of its medical staff and the pressure of their work.
Beasts · 1976Beasts
★ 6.41976
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyDrama
Beasts is a series of six television plays by Manx writer Nigel Kneale, unconnected save for a bestial horror theme, made by ATV for ITV in the United Kingdom and broadcast in 1976. The series avoids typical monster horror clichès, moreso focusing on psychological and supernatural themes.
The Plane Makers · 1963The Plane Makers
★ 6.31963
SeriesDrama
The Plane Makers is a British television series created by Wilfred Greatorex and produced by Rex Firken. ATV made three series for ITV between 1963 and 1965. It was succeeded by The Power Game, which ran for an additional three series from 1965 to 1969. Firkin continued as producer for the first two series, and David Reid took over for series 3.
Never Mention Murder · 1965Never Mention Murder
★ 6.01965
MovieCrimeDrama
When a surgeon discovers that his wife has a lover he plans murder.
Ghost Squad · 1961Ghost Squad
★ 6.01961
SeriesCrimeDrama
Ghost Squad, known as G.S.5 for its third series, was a crime drama series about an elite division of Scotland Yard that ran between 1961 and 1964. Each episode the Ghost Squad would investigate cases that fell outside the scope of normal police work. Despite the show and characters being fictional, an actual division did exist within the Metropolitan Police Service at the time.
Inspiration for the series was taken from a book of the same name, written by John Gosling — a retired police officer and former member of the team. Although the real-life squad only operated in London, the fictionalised team travelled internationally; however — as was typical of the time — most foreign locations were actually a combination of stock footage and sets at Independent Artists Studio at Beaconsfield and Elstree Studios. Music was by Philip Green.
The show was produced by ITC Entertainment, along with Rank Organisation TV and ATV. It was the first ITC show filmed to fit the one hour time-slot — setting the trend for the majority of ITC's future output. Another common ITC trait was to feature an American, in this case Michael Quinn, in a leading role so as to increase the chances of international sales. At 6' 3", Quinn often towered over his co-workers. This was especially noticeable in the first series title sequence showing him walking through a crowd walking in the opposite direction. He frequently smoked in the show as did many others. The second series had a different title sequence and Neil Hallett sometimes replaced Quinn. Hallett looked more like a spy while Quinn looked a bit like a playboy. Quinn was replaced by Australian actor, Ray Barrett in the third series. Ray Austin played Billy Clay in and was also Stunt Director on all series bringing the action to life. Austin went on to become a renowned TV director in Hollywood and the UK.
Armchair Theatre · 1956Armchair Theatre
★ 6.01956
SeriesDrama
Armchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television from mid-1968.
Drake's Venture · 1980Drake's Venture
★ 5.81980
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Sir Francis Drake circumnavigates the world in search of adventure and treasure.
General Hospital · 1972General Hospital
1972
SeriesSoapDrama
General Hospital is a British daytime soap produced by ATV, which ran on ITV from 1972 to 1979. It was modelled after the American drama of the same name. In 1975, after 270 twice-weekly episodes, General Hospital was given a primetime slot on Friday evening. The move saw the episodes double from 30 to 60 minutes, with each being more self-contained, while on-screen medical procedures, including detailed scenes of surgery, became more prominent.
In a fictional Midlands town, the series follows the romantic and professional lives of its doctors and nurses. While the location and the characters names had been changed, in most other respects, General Hospital was almost identical to its predecessor, Emergency - Ward 10, a deliberate attempt to recreate its success.
Hunters Walk · 1973Hunters Walk
1973
SeriesCrimeDrama
Hunters Walk – devised by Dixon of Dock Green creator Ted Willis – was about crime on a smaller – but no less dramatic – scale, and featured a police force in the fictional Midlands town of Broadstone (the series was actually filmed in Rushden, Northants).
Sharing several similarities with the classic 1950s police drama, in particular a small-town settingband storylines encompassing the more human aspects of police work, Hunters Walk offered a contrasting alternative to the 1970s more hard-hitting, action-led urban crime dramas. The small, idiosyncratic team of officers faced a typically broad spectrum of cases, from neighbours’ disputes and hooliganism to suspected murder.
