Sunday 29 September 2024

1976, Television: "Beasts"

The British anthology series "Beasts" premiered on 16 October 1976. The series with a recurring theme of bestial horror was written by Nigel Kneale and produced by Nicholas Palmer. It was made by ATV for the ITV Network with a total broadcast of six stand-alone episodes.

Episode 1: Special Offer
Directed by Richard Bramall and written by Nigel Kneale
Main stars:
Pauline Quirke as Noreen Beale, Geoffrey Bateman as Colin Grimley, Wensley Pithey as Mr. Liversedge, Ruth Goring as June King and Shirley Cheriton as Linda
Synopsis:
A teenage operator has a crush on her supermarket manager. At the shop a cartoon mascot seems to have come alive...

Geoffrey Bateman as Colin Grimley
Pauline Quirke as Noreen Beale
Ruth Goring as June King

Episode 2: During Barty's Party
Directed by Don Taylor and written by Nigel Kneale
Main stars:
Elizabeth Sellars as Angie Truscott, Anthony Bate as Roger Truscott, Colin Bell as Barty Wills, Norman Mitchell as Police Sergeant and John Rhys-Davies as Peter Newell
Synopsis:
A suburban couple are held under siege by a pack of frighteningly intelligent rats…

Anthony Bate as Roger Truscott
Elizabeth Sellars as Angie Truscott

Episode 3: Buddyboy
Directed by Don Taylor and written by Nigel Kneale
Main stars:
Martin Shaw as Dave, Pamela Moiseiwitsch as Lucy, Wolfe Morris as Hubbard, Stuart McGugan as Jimmy Beattie and Denis Holmes as Ashwell
Synopsis:
When a nightclub owner buys a derelict dolphinarium, he and a young woman seem to be haunted by the ghost of Buddyboy, the star attraction…

Martin Shaw as Dave
Pamela Moiseiwitsch as Lucy
Wolfe Morris as Hubbard

Episode 4: Baby
Directed by John Nelson Burton and written by Nigel Kneale
Main stars:
Jane Wymark as Jo Gilkes, Simon MacCorkindale as Peter Gilkes, T.P. McKenna as Dick Pummery,
Mark Dignam as Arthur Grace and Norman Jones as Stan Biddick
Synopsis:
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…

Jane Wymark as Jo Gilkes
Simon MacCorkindale as Peter Gilkes
T.P. McKenna as Dick Pummery

Episode 5: What Big Eyes
Directed by Donald McWhinnie and written by Nigel Kneale
Main stars:
Patrick Magee as Leo Raymount, Madge Ryan as Florence Raymount, Michael Kitchen as Bob Curry, Gerald James as Joe Nash and Bill Dean as Duggie Jebb
Synopsis:
An RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) officer is horrified when he discovers a pet shop owner has been conducting experiments on a wolf, trying to turn himself into a wolf…

Madge Ryan as Florence Raymount
Michael Kitchen as Bob Curry
Patrick Magee as Leo Raymount

Episode 6: The Dummy
Directed by Don Leaver and written by Nigel Kneale
Main stars:
Bernard Horsfall as Clyde Boyd, Clive Swift as 'Bunny' Nettleton, Glyn Houston as Sidney Stewart,  Thorley Walters as Sir Ramsey, Lillias Walker as Joan Eastgate, Patricia Haines as Sheila Boyd and Simon Oates as Peter Wager
Synopsis:
An actor has a nervous breakdown and believes that he is the movie monster that he has been hired to play…

Bernard Horsfall as Clyde Boyd
Clive Swift as 'Bunny' Nettleton
Glyn Houston as Sidney Stewart
Patricia Haines as Sheila Boyd and Simon Oates as Peter Wager

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