TV Tomb: Beasts
A new, semi-regular (depending on how long it takes me to watch them) series on Mine Was Taller, TV Tomb will take a look at some bygone shows. Ranging from the ‘50s to the modern day with shows from the UK, USA and maybe even further afield, the only criteria for inclusion will be that the series has ended its run and thus been consigned to the “TV Tomb”. First up is an ITV show from the mid-seventies that lasted only one season.
Beasts is a series of six self contained dramas with a horror bent from the pen of Quatermass creator Nigel Neale. I didn’t watch the show when it first aired back in 1976, I was eleven at the time and it was probably shown after my bedtime, so this DVD release from Network was my first exposure to it.
It looks dated in its production values but for the most part the stories still stand up. As with many television dramas of the time is was shot on video tape and on the kind of ‘70s sets that never fooled anyone into believing they were the real thing, so it’s not particularly pleasing on the eye. Some of the acting is a little too broad, having more in common with stage acting than film, but there are some standout performances.
