
The BBC series Doomwatch arrives on Talking Pictures TV this week – a rare scheduled outing for the surviving episodes of this thriller series, created in the 1970s by created by Gerry Davis and Kit Pedler, who previously collaborated on scripts for Doctor Who. (During the late 1960s, Davis was also that drama’s story editor and Pedler its unofficial scientific adviser).
Doomwatch will premiere on Talking Pictures as part of The Cellar Club with Caroline Munro every Friday from 9.00pm starting on the 17th January.
Featuring John Paul, Simon Oates and Robert Powell, the series centres on a scientific government agency led by Nobel Prize winning physicist, Doctor Spencer Quist (played by John Paul).


Doomwatch is the nickname for the “Department for the Observation and Measurement of Scientific Work”, who are responsible for combating environmental and technological dangers.
The Doomwatch team struggled, for three seasons, to keep an eye on the environment and supervise government and private sector research in an attempt to prevent pollution and other disasters that might be caused by the misuse of new scientific developments, discoveries and technology.
While confronting dangers ranging from a plastic eating bacteria to hyper intelligent species of rats, from mind destroying sound waves to toxic wastes and genetic mutations, the Doomwatch team always found themselves under the gun, from unsupportive governmental superiors, and openly hostile corporations, and the powerful influences they could wield.
The Doomwatch team initially consisted of Quist; former intelligence agent, Dr. John Ridge; eager young researcher Toby Wren; technician and computer specialist Colin Bradley; and secretary Pat Hunnisett.
38 episodes were recorded and all but one aired between 1970 and 1972, with a spin-off film directed by Peter Sasdy, starring Ian Bannen and Judy Geeson, produced by Tigon British Film Productions, released in 1972, between seasons two and three.
Talking Pictures has previously screened this Doomwatch feature film, available on Blu-Ray and DVD, but currently Legend Extra has screenings for this lined up in the UK, the first on 21st January 2025.

Channel 5 bought the rights to revive Doomwatch from the BBC in 1999 and broadcast Doomwatch – Winter Angel, a continuation of the story, a 100-minute TV movie starring Trevor Eve, produced by Yvette Hanson for the independent production company Working Title Television. Sadly, it did not go on to a series, despite a positive reception from many critics and viewers .
Unfortunately, Doomwatch was produced just early enough to be a victim of the BBC archive purges, with five episodes missing from season one, and nine from season three, although season two is, thankfully, complete. In all, 23 of the transmitted episodes are known to survive to date.
Doomwatch on DVD

The surviving episodes of the series, including the never transmitted Sex and Violence, have previously been released on DVD by Simply Media, in 2016.
Surviving Season One Episodes: The Plastic Eaters; Tomorrow The Rat; Project Sahara; Re-Entry Forbidden; The Devil s Sweets; The Red Sky; Train and De-Train; The Battery People
Surviving Season Two Episodes: You Killed Toby Wren; Invasion; The Islanders; No Room for Error; By The Pricking Of My Thumbs; The Iron Doctor; Flight Into Yesterday; The Web Of Fear; In The Dark; The Human Time Bomb; The Inquest; The Logicians; Public Enemy
Surviving Season Three Episodes: Waiting For A Knighthood; Hair Trigger; Sex And Violence (Never transmitted)
Further Reading
• Variant 14 – Doomwatch dedicated fan site
• Cyberman – The Quest for Pedler, by Michael Seely (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)

Kit Pedler was a man of ideas, both scientific and fictional. He brought his thoughts on the future of science alive to millions of television viewers as prescient drama.
As a writer, he will forever be associated with creating the Cybermen with Gerry Davis for Doctor Who. The ultimate in human upgrade; they were less fearful from being a monster, but as a potential echo of our future. He also devised the process of regenerating one Time Lord into another incarnation, thus succeeding in securing the continuation of Doctor Who to the present day.
He became a household name when he co-created Doomwatch, the BBC serial starring Robert Powell. It thrilled audiences and speculated on the dangers of runaway science and the impact it could have on humanity.
In the 1970s, he turned away from the conventional path of a career scientist and embraced the new movement of alternative technology, becoming a public advocate of living modern life in a way which would impact less harmfully on the planet.
In this revised edition of Cyberman – The Quest for Pedler, Michael Seely traces the path of Kit’s life, and with help from his friends, family and colleagues, explores the many fascinating ideas and campaigns that Kit Pedler took to his heart.
With thanks to Michael Hibbert
- About the Author
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: downthetubes News, Other Worlds, Television
I think this is also being shown on Legend channel.
Hi James, thanks – Legend Extra is screening the the feature film, transmission dates here