BFI, out now

In a two-strata future society, television is controlled by the elite, subjugating the lower classes through pornography. But when even this material fails to stimulate the masses, a new genre is born – reality TV.

Nigel Kneale’s (Quatermass) prescient tale of a dystopian future addicted to reality shows gets a welcome DVD release with a number of interesting extras. Starring Leonard Rossiter, Suzanne Neve and Brian Cox, this film was first shown on the BBC in July 1968, and while transmitted in colour at the time, only a black-and-white 16mm telerecording is currently available.

It’s hard to see this drama through contemporary eyes, the 103 minute running time twice the length of how it would now be made. The pacing is very deliberate, the look is BBC ‘Play for Today’ and there are no frills in this production. The futuristic makeup and costumes are somewhere between the Sisterhood of Karn and Shirna in Doctor Who’s Brain of Morbius and Carnival of Monsters respectively. Kneale’s dialogue is peppered with strange words and affectations to make it more futuristic, and none of the characters talk to one another, but make speeches or profound statements. And yet, the writer was dead on the money – his prediction of the populist interest in reality TV was depressingly correct.

In addition to an audio commentary by actor Brian Cox, there’s an audio discussion between Kneale and Julian Petley, a short intro by Kim Newman, eight minutes on design and Le Petomane, a short comedy biopic of Joseph Pujol by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson and starring Leonard Rossiter.

Verdict: The ideas in Nigel Kneale’s dystopian TV drama are as relevant as ever, but its execution might be a slog for all but classic BBC aficionados. 7/10

Nick Joy