Associated TeleVision (ATV)
Regions
London, weekends (September 24, 1955 - July 29, 1968)
Midlands, weekdays (February 17, 1956 - July 29, 1968)
Midlands, seven days (July 30, 1968 - January 1, 1982)
ATV (Associated TeleVision) launched the second and third independent television services in the UK, providing the weekend service for London between 1955 and 1968, and the weekday service for the Midlands region between 1956 and 1968. After the 1967 franchise review, London's weekend service was awarded to London Weekend Television (LWT) and ATV were offered the seven-day service in the Midlands.
ATV began broadcasting in colour from November 15, 1969. During the "Colour Strike" (November 13, 1970 - February 8, 1971), two episodes of Timeslip (1970-71) were recorded in black and white.
In December 1980, the Independent Broadcast Authority (IBA) announced that ATV had been re-awarded the contract but they had to focus more on the region. Amongst measures taken to comply, ATV sold their Elstree Studios to the BBC. IBA also told them to rename itself and ATV chose Central Independent Television.
SciFi productions
Fireball XL5 (TV series, 1962-63)
Stingray (TV series, 1964-65)
Thunderbirds (TV series, 1965-66)
Timeslip (TV series, 1970-71)
Sapphire & Steel (TV series, 1979-82) [Season 1]
Astronauts (TV series, 1981-82) [Season 1]
The Strange World Of Planet X (TV serial, 1956)
While experimenting with magnetic fields, two scientists inadvertently gain access to the fourth dimension - the unification of time and space - and, with others, are transported to the abstractly arid Planet X.
In 1956, Rene Ray, a stage actress who career spanned the 1930s to the 1950s, wrote a television serial which was produced by Associated TeleVision (ATV).
The TV series was broadcast in seven 25-minute parts on Saturday evenings on ATV London and ABC Weekend TV. IMDb only mentions six episodes but newspaper listings confirm seven.
Ray novelised the series in 1957. In 1958 a film version was made but the plot differs from that of the series and the novel. In the US it was known as Cosmic Monsters. The film has also been known by the names The Crawling Terror, The Cosmic Monster, and The Crawling Horror.
Cast
HELEN CHERRY: "Fenella Laird"
WILLIAM LUCAS: "David Graham"
DAVID GARTH: "Gavin Laird"
Paul Hardtmuth: "Professor Kollheim" (Eps 5,6)
Maudie Edwards: "Pollie Boulter" (Unknown eps)
Crew
Writer(s): Rene Ray
Producer(s): Arthur Lane (Eps 1,3,7?) and QUENTIN LAWRENCE (Eps 2,4-6,7?) for ATV
Director(s): Arthur Lane (Eps 1,3,7?) and QUENTIN LAWRENCE (Eps 2,4-6,7?)
Episodes
Episode 1: "The Formula" (September 15, 1956)
Episode 2 (September 22, 1956)
Episode 3: "The Unholy Threshold" (September 29, 1956)
Episode 4: "The Dimension Discovered" (October 6, 1956)
Episode 5 (October 13, 1956)
Episode 6 (October 20, 1956)
Episode 7 (October 27, 1956)
The Strange World Of Planet X in the news...
Daily Mirror of September 15, 1956: "...the 'biggest gun' in ITV's schedule would be The Strange World Of Planet X, which is aimed at blowing the BBC out of its strong position in the adult science fiction field - a position won, of course by Dr (sic) Quatermass." He added that writer Rene Ray was keeping the facts of Planet X a secret. Bowers had seen advance production shots, which featured "people melting like wax" and believed "Quatermass would feel at home on the place." Bowers added that Ray's scientists make the trip with 'Formula MFX': "advanced abracadabra giving them 'the freedom of time'". What does that mean, he asked? Rene Ray apparently replied, "Find out tonight."
Birmingham Gazette of September 17, 1956: "My impression of the first Strange World Of Planet X instalment is of characters calling continually for other characters and of bad temper all round."
(London) Sunday Dispatch of September 23, 1956: "Surely the most bogus balderdash in the history of science-fiction is the new series called 'The Strange World of Planet X'. Rene Ray, best-selling authoress of romantic novels, is out of her dimension in this story of some scientists who send a rat far back in time and return it to the present day - only to find that they have a carnivorous amoeba on their hands. You don't get it? Neither do I - and neither did the members of the cast, judging by their half-hearted performances."
Lancashire Evening Post of October 15, 1956: "'The Strange World of Planet X' built up a certain amount of tension. and succeeded in creating a feeling of plausibility even in one who had not seen each episode."
A photo of DAVID GARTH appeared in the October 18, 1956 edition of the Lincolnshire Echo, accompanied by the text: "People's hatred is the measure of David Garth's success in ATV's 'The Strange World of Planet X'. He plays the villainous scientist, says "Even my wife hates me in this part."
Leicester Evening Mail of October 22, 1956: "THINGS have reached a pretty pass in the Saturday night shocker, 'The Strange World of Planet X'. One of the characters has already become an ape-man. Won't somebody send for Dr Quatermass?"
Manchester Evening News of December 29, 1956: "The mystery serials on Channel Nine have shown astonishing consistency. 'The Strange World of Planet X' copied well from "Quatermass" without anything like the facilities."