#And could have made more of the tv cast. Still it's fun in a downbeat and moody sort of way (but then that's the whole show!)

[thisbluespirit]

#This was my very first exposure to Doomwatch many years ago and for a long time my only point of reference. I remembered it being a bit#Disappointing and being miffed at the actual tv cast barely appearing. Actually they're in it more than i recalled although still not#Enough. Instead we have Ian Bannen and his jaunty hat on a year's secondment to Doomwatch (in my head anyway) investigating a severe#Outbreak of potato faces on a cornish island. A mash up of elements of the islanders the fish one and the invasion it makes good use of its#Beautiful location work and some fine supporting actors. Geeson is a fantastic actor and sadly underused here but shelagh fraser pours her#Whole heart into a minor role. It's better than i remembered and very much recognisable as Doomwatch tho it may be a few minutes too long#And could have made more of the tv cast. Still it's fun in a downbeat and moody sort of way (but then that's the whole show!)#My dad's only comment after watching: Blimey they cleaned Colin up for this didn't they#Oh yeah! I didn't even mention the amazing new hq quist has or the small army of technicians he's somehow hired.

It is very Doomwatch still, isn’t it?  I think it gets a worse rep than it deserves because it looks like a horror film and then is just in fact sadness over science gone wrong in a properly Doomwatch manner.  More of the regulars would have been nice, though.

The extra budget for a whole giant lab full of technicians is very funny though, and totally unconvincing.  An unloved gov’t department would never get that funding even outside of the BBC!!

Doomwatch (1972)

"Why have you come here?"

"To study the effects on seashore life of that tanker sinking here last year."

"Oh, you're a scientist."

"That's right, I work for Doomwatch."

"The pollution people."

"That's anti-pollution, I hope!"