The Invisible Man (1984 TV series)

Last updated

The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man (DVD cover).JPG
GenreScience fiction drama
Based on The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells
Written byJames Andrew Hall
Directed byBrian Lighthill
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes6
Production
ProducerBarry Letts
Original release
Network BBC One
Release4 September (1984-09-04) 
9 October 1984 (1984-10-09)

The Invisible Man is a six-part television serial based on the science fiction/fantasy novella by H. G. Wells, screened by the BBC in the UK throughout September and October 1984. It was produced as part of the BBC 1 Classic Serial strand, which incorporated numerous television adaptations of classic novels screened in serial form on Sunday afternoons. Out of all the numerous film and TV versions of H. G. Wells' 1897 book, this remains to date the most faithful to the original text. [1] The series was adapted by James Andrew Hall and directed by Brian Lighthill. [2]

Contents

Plot

Starring Pip Donaghy in the title role, the series follows the same plot as the original book, of a deranged scientist who discovers a formula by which to make himself invisible, but is driven to insanity by his inability to reverse the formula and is evoked to use his invisibility to terrorize those around him.

Cast

The show had the following casts: [3]

Episodes

#TitleOriginal air date
1"The Strange Man's Arrival"4 September 1984 (1984-09-04)
A sinister stranger arrives in the small, quiet village of Iping, where he hires a room at the local inn. The innkeepers, Mr. and Mrs. Hall, are immediately unnerved by their guest's bizarre appearance, for his head is completely wrapped up in bandages, his eyes concealed by large dark goggles, and his body wrapped in a thick black coat despite the intense summer heat. As the locals become suspicious of the strange man, who seems to be conducting some kind of scientific experiment in the inn's parlour, Mr. and Mrs. Hall begin to wonder if they have made a dreadful mistake by allowing the stranger to stay...
2"The Unveiling of the Stranger"11 September 1984 (1984-09-11)
As the stranger's conduct becomes more and more suspicious and he falls behind with his rent, Mr. and Mrs. Hall begin to fear that his wrappings conceal a terrible secret.
3"Mr. Marvel's Visit to Iping"18 September 1984 (1984-09-18)
When Mr. and Mrs. Hall decide to finally confront the stranger, they receive a dreadful shock when he peels back his bandages and reveals he is completely invisible. Escaping from the inn, The Invisible Man enlists the services of a reluctant tramp named Thomas Marvel to help him steal his research books from the inn.
4"Dr. Kemp's Visitor"25 September 1984 (1984-09-25)
After Thomas Marvel betrays the Invisible Man, the Invisible Man attempts to kill him but winds up being wounded by a gunshot. He flees to take refuge in the house of a young doctor named Samuel Kemp (played by David Gwillim).
5"Certain First Principles"2 October 1984 (1984-10-02)
The Invisible Man reveals his true identity to Kemp – Griffin, Kemp's old university colleague. Recovering from the gunshot wound, he tells Kemp the story of how after leaving university, he discovered the formula for making himself invisible, but wound up alone and stray on the streets of London, struggling to survive in the open while unseen by those around him. He has been trying ever since to reverse the experiment, but he has other plans which involve Kemp himself...
6"The Hunting of The Invisible Man"9 October 1984 (1984-10-09)
When Griffin reveals that he intends to begin a Reign of Terror and terrorize the vicinity with his invisibility, Kemp realizes that Griffin has been driven insane and summons the police. Feeling betrayed, Griffin announces that Kemp will be the first man killed in the Reign of Terror. The police, together with Kemp, concoct a plan to stop Griffin before it is too late.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Invisible Man</i> 1897 science fiction novel by H. G. Wells

The Invisible Man is an 1897 science fiction novel by British writer H. G. Wells. Originally serialised in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a scientist who has devoted himself to research into optics and who invents a way to change a body's refractive index to that of air so that it neither absorbs nor reflects light. He carries out this procedure on himself and renders himself invisible, but fails in his attempt to reverse it. A practitioner of random and irresponsible violence, Griffin has become an iconic character in horror fiction.

<i>Forbidden Planet</i> 1956 science fiction movie by Fred M. Wilcox

Forbidden Planet is a 1956 American science fiction film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, and directed by Fred M. Wilcox from a script by Cyril Hume that was based on an original film story by Allen Adler and Irving Block. It stars Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, and Leslie Nielsen. Shot in Eastmancolor and CinemaScope, it is considered one of the great science fiction films of the 1950s, a precursor of contemporary science fiction cinema. The characters and isolated setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and the plot contains certain happenings analogous to the play, leading many to consider it a loose adaptation.

<i>Flash Gordon</i> (serial) 1936 film serial

Flash Gordon is a 1936 superhero serial film. Presented in 13 chapters, it is the first screen adventure for Flash Gordon, the comic-strip character created by Alex Raymond in 1934. It presents the story of Gordon's visit to the planet Mongo and his encounters with the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless. Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton, Priscilla Lawson and Frank Shannon portray the film's central characters. In 1996, Flash Gordon was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vera Miles</span> American actress (born 1929)

Vera June Miles is a retired American actress, known for roles in two Westerns directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, The Searchers (1956) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). She is also known for playing Lila Crane in the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho, a role she reprised in the sequel Psycho II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commando Cody</span> Science fiction film serial character

Commando Cody is the hero in two 12-chapter science fiction serials made by Republic Pictures, played by George Wallace in Radar Men from the Moon (1952) and Judd Holdren in Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (1953).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tor Johnson</span> Swedish professional wrestler and actor

Karl Erik Tore Johansson, better known by the stage name Tor Johnson, was a Swedish professional wrestler and actor. As an actor, Johnson appeared in many B-movies, including some famously directed by Ed Wood. In professional wrestling, Johnson was billed as Thor Johnson and Super Swedish Angel.

<i>Flash Gordons Trip to Mars</i> 1938 film

Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars is a 1938 Universal Pictures 15–chapter science-fiction movie serial based on the syndicated newspaper comic strip Flash Gordon. It is the second of the three Flash Gordon serials made by Universal between 1936 and 1940. The main cast from the first serial reprise their roles: Buster Crabbe as Flash Gordon, Jean Rogers as Dale Arden, Frank Shannon as Dr. Alexis Zarkov, Charles B. Middleton as Ming the Merciless, and Richard Alexander as Prince Barin. Also in the principal cast are Beatrice Roberts as Queen Azura, Donald Kerr as Happy Hapgood, Montague Shaw as the Clay King, and Wheeler Oakman as Ming's chief henchman. The serial was followed by Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940).

<i>The Invisible Man</i> (1933 film) 1933 film by James Whale

The Invisible Man is a 1933 American science fiction horror film directed by James Whale based on H. G. Wells's 1897 novel, The Invisible Man, produced by Universal Pictures, and starring Gloria Stuart, Claude Rains and William Harrigan. The film involves a stranger named Dr. Jack Griffin (Rains) who is covered in bandages and has his eyes obscured by dark glasses, the result of a secret experiment that makes him invisible, taking lodging in the village of Iping. Never leaving his quarters, the stranger demands that the staff leave him completely alone until his landlady and the villagers discover he is invisible. Griffin goes to the house of his colleague, Dr. Kemp and tells him of his plans to create a reign of terror. His fiancée Flora Cranley, the daughter of his employer Dr. Cranley, soon learn that Griffin's discovery has driven him insane, leading him to prove his superiority over other people by performing harmless pranks at first and eventually turning to murder.

Planet of Evil is the second serial of the 13th season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 27 September to 18 October 1975.

<i>Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere</i> 1951 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Wallace Grissell

Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere is an American adventure horror science fiction film 15-chapter serial released by Columbia Pictures in 1951. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Wallace A. Grissel with a screenplay by Royal G. Cole, Sherman I. Lowe and Joseph F. Poland, based on a treatment by George H. Plympton. The serial is unique for several reasons--- in particular, it is the only film serial ever based on a television program, Captain Video and His Video Rangers.

<i>The Lost Planet</i> (serial) 1953 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet

The Lost Planet is a 1953 American science fiction serial film 15-chapter serial which has the distinction of being the last interplanetary-themed sound serial ever made. It was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet with a screenplay by George H. Plympton and Arthur Hoerl. It appears to have been planned as a sequel to the earlier chapterplay Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere and shares many plot-points, props and sets, as well as some of the same cast. However, the Video Rangers do not appear, and their uniforms are instead worn by "slaves" created electronically by Reckov, the dictator of the Lost Planet with the help of mad scientist Dr. Grood and enslaved "good" scientist Professor Dorn.

<i>The Phantom Creeps</i> 1939 film by Ford Beebe

The Phantom Creeps is a 1939 12-chapter science fiction horror serial starring Bela Lugosi as mad scientist Doctor Zorka, who attempts to rule the world by creating various elaborate inventions. In a dramatic fashion, foreign agents and G-Men try to seize the inventions for themselves.

<i>The Invisible Monster</i> 1950 film by Fred C. Brannon

The Invisible Monster is a 1950 Republic film serial, starring Richard Webb and Aline Towne.

<i>Man-Made Monster</i> 1941 film by George Waggner

Man-Made Monster is a 1941 American science-fiction horror film directed by George Waggner and produced by Jack Bernhard for Universal Pictures. Filmed in black-and-white, it stars Lon Chaney Jr. and Lionel Atwill. Man-Made Monster was re-released under various titles including Electric Man and The Mysterious Dr. R. Realart Pictures re-released the film in 1953 under the title The Atomic Monster as a double feature with The Flying Saucer (1950). On the film's original main title, there is no hyphen; it's simply Man Made Monster.

<i>The Beast with a Million Eyes</i> 1955 American film

The Beast with a Million Eyes is a 1955 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film, produced and directed by David Kramarsky, that stars Paul Birch, Lorna Thayer, and Dona Cole. Some film sources have said that the film was co-directed by Lou Place. The film was co-produced by Roger Corman and Samuel Z. Arkoff. and was released by American Releasing Corporation, which later became American International Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Miller (actor)</span> Czech actor (1899–1969)

Martin Miller, born Johann Rudolph Müller, was a Czech-Austrian character actor. He played many small roles in British films and television series from the early 1940s until his death. He was best known for playing eccentric doctors, scientists and professors, although he played a wide range of small, obscure roles—including photographers, waiters, a pet store dealer, rabbis, a Dutch sailor and a Swiss tailor. On stage he was noted in particular for his parodies of Adolf Hitler and roles as Dr. Einstein in Arsenic and Old Lace and Mr. Paravicini in The Mousetrap.

<i>Invisible Invaders</i> 1959 film by Edward L. Cahn

Invisible Invaders is a 1959 American science fiction film starring John Agar, Jean Byron, John Carradine and Philip Tonge. It was produced by Robert E. Kent, directed by Edward L. Cahn and written by Samuel Newman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances Robinson (actress)</span> American actress (1916–1971)

Frances Robinson was an American actress.

<i>The Strange Case of Doctor Rx</i> 1942 film by William Nigh

The Strange Case of Doctor Rx is a 1942 black-and-white murder mystery/horror B film by Universal Studios directed by William Nigh and starring Patric Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Anne Gwynne, Ray "Crash" Corrigan and Samuel S. Hinds. Although Clarence Upson Young is credited with the screenplay, the actors mostly ad-libbed their lines. The plot involves the search for a serial killer who is targeting men who have been acquitted of murder. The film received poor reviews upon release.

<i>The Invisible Man</i> (film series) American film series

The Invisible Man is a film series by Universal Pictures. The series consists of The Invisible Man, The Invisible Man Returns, The Invisible Woman, Invisible Agent, The Invisible Man's Revenge and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. The film series borrows elements from H. G. Wells's novel The Invisible Man, but it focuses primarily on the idea of a serum that causes someone to go invisible and its side-effects.

References

  1. Hochscherf, Tobias; Leggott, James; Palumbo, Donald E. (10 January 2014). British Science Fiction Film and Television: Critical Essays. McFarland. p. 24. ISBN   978-0-7864-8483-6.
  2. Mustazza, Leonard (2006). The Literary Filmography: Preface, A-L. McFarland. p. 268. ISBN   978-0-7864-2503-7.
  3. Fulton, Roger (1990). The Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction. Boxtree. p. 202. ISBN   978-1-85283-277-3.