The forgotten 1960s show that was the original Black Mirror

Out of the Unknown was the idea of ​​pioneering producer Irene Shubik. Initially working as a story editor on a show called Armchair Theater for the now-defunct British broadcaster ABC Television, her passion for science fiction eventually led to her producing 13 episodes of the series Out of This World (1962) for British broadcaster ITV. Shubik then served as story editor for the BBC anthology series Story Parade (1964-65). The series is a series of independent adaptations of contemporary novels, including a memorable adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s The Cave of Steel. The success of both ventures convinced Sydney Newman, the BBC’s head of drama, who had worked with Shubik at the ABC, to devise an anthology program dedicated to intellectual science fiction.

Television historian John Deere explains the original rationale for the series. “Out of the Unknown was the first time science fiction was presented as a serious, intelligent adult drama,” he told the BBC. “Today, series like ‘Alien: Earth’ and ‘Andor’ are not made for adults and clearly have their origins in cinema, but works like ‘Doctor Who’ feel too juvenile, and it was this series that many people first saw detective fiction.”

The series began airing in 1965, with the first story, John Wyndham’s No Place Like Earth, airing on October 4th. Shubik produced the first two series of 26 episodes, but then left to pursue other endeavors, handing over to producer Alan Bromley for two more series, which ran from 1969 to 1971.

Out of the Unknown boasted a wealth of talent both behind and in front of the camera. As well as the great writers whose works were adapted, each episode featured some of Britain’s best character actors, including former Doctor Who star Patrick Troughton, future lead actor David Hemmings, and some of the biggest names in British theater, including Yvonne Mitchell, Sylvia Coleridge, and Lynn Farley. Celebrities also appeared in roles in the production. For example, Ridley Scott, who would go on to direct Alien and Blade Runner, worked as production designer on an adaptation of John Brunner’s Lapse of Time, one of the series’ most powerful episodes.