BBC Dead of Night 1972

[felixdembinski]

Does anyone know anything about the bbc horror/ghost story series THE DEAD OF NIGHT. I know that out of its seven 50 minute episodes, only three exist. I have seen one, THE EXORCISM, on youtube, and thought it was very good. Does anyone know what happened in the other stories and did anyone see it on its original transmission?

[davidstead]

Hi Felix,
The remaining two stories 'Flight Path' and 'A Woman Sobbing' are about the same standard as The Exorcism'. Flight Path centres around a pilot who keeps hearing his wartime colleagues over the radio, while he's piloting a plane in 1972, with a rather predictable outcome! Also A Woman Sobbing again centres around someone hearing things no-one else can and again a rather predictable outcome! (I wont spoil it for anyone reading this who hasnt seen them, but you can always private msg me Felix and I'll tell you what happens.).
Davidxx

[felixdembinski]

I dont know myself what happens in the next two, and I'd like it to be a surprise. The person who uploaded THE EXORCISM onto youtube uploads things on a fairly regular basis so the next two should be along soon. Does anyone know what happens in the missing four stories though.

[Robert Manners]

I never found the remaining three to be that great so natural move was to not research of the content of the lost four stories. I hope no one now advises that they where the best examples of the series and I have robbed myself of some quality scripts all these years.

[Jeff Lewis]

I agree entirely with Robert. I seem to recall the programmes were first broadcast on Sunday evenings. Despite being eleven I can clearly recall large parts of episode one "The Exorcism" and the first half of episode two "Flight Path". The rest of the series I have no recollection of at all which could mean the series tappered off or my parents considered them too scary. I even watched "A Woman Sobbing" again last year and still can't recall anything of it.

[dbiddle]

series episodes-


Episode 1: The Exorcism
Episode 2: Return Flight
Episode 3: Bedtime
Episode 4: Death Cancels All Debts
Episode 5: Smith
Episode 6: Two in the Morning
Episode 7: A Woman Sobbing

Episode 3 - Bedtime-
Director: Simon Langton
Writing Credits: Hugh Whitemore
Cast: Sarah Bade, Neil Stacy, Terrence Hardiman, Joan Heath, Sidney Johnson, Lala Lloyd, Jacqueline Pearce, James Smillie & Yutte Stensgaard

Episode 4 - Death Cancels All Debts-
Director: Brian Farnham
Writing Credits: Peter Draper
Cast: Sebastian Shaw, David Baron, Lucy Griffiths, Charles Lamb, Graham Leaman, Doris Littlewood, Frank Littlewood, Preston Lockwood, Gladys Spencer, Nora Swinburne, Marjorie Wilde & Katya Wyeth

Episode 5 - Smith-
Director: Robert Knights
Writing Credits: Dorothy Alison
Cast: John Castle, Christopher Hancock, Ruby Head, Gwen Taylor, Stacey Terdeter, John Gabriel & Madi Hedd

Episode 6 - Two in the Morning-
Director: Paul Annett
Writing Credits: Leo Lehmann
Cast: Andrea Allan, Vivienne Cohen, Richard Dennis, Donald Douglas, John Gregg, Frederick Hall, Peter Jeffrey, Carrie Jones, Lois Kentish, Annabelle Lee, Vivienne Martin, Judy Matheson, John Nettleton, Ralph Nossek, Pam Scotcher, David Sinclair, Bernice Spivak, Marianne Stone & Pauline Stroud


not managed to find a synopsis of episodes missing yet but have got cast list/production team (above)if that helps will post more when i find out.

[johnstewart]

I can recall from some research - Smith about a rival at the time to Jack the Ripper.

Bedtime about a haunted bed a couple buy from an antique shop.

[johnstewart]

Oct 15, 2010 10:39:32 GMT @dbiddle said:

series episodes-


Episode 1: The Exorcism
Episode 2: Return Flight
Episode 3: Bedtime
Episode 4: Death Cancels All Debts
Episode 5: Smith
Episode 6: Two in the Morning
Episode 7: A Woman Sobbing

Episode 3 - Bedtime-
Director: Simon Langton
Writing Credits: Hugh Whitemore
Cast: Sarah Bade, Neil Stacy, Terrence Hardiman, Joan Heath, Sidney Johnson, Lala Lloyd, Jacqueline Pearce, James Smillie & Yutte Stensgaard

Episode 4 - Death Cancels All Debts-
Director: Brian Farnham
Writing Credits: Peter Draper
Cast: Sebastian Shaw, David Baron, Lucy Griffiths, Charles Lamb, Graham Leaman, Doris Littlewood, Frank Littlewood, Preston Lockwood, Gladys Spencer, Nora Swinburne, Marjorie Wilde & Katya Wyeth

Episode 5 - Smith-
Director: Robert Knights
Writing Credits: Dorothy Alison
Cast: John Castle, Christopher Hancock, Ruby Head, Gwen Taylor, Stacey Terdeter, John Gabriel & Madi Hedd

Episode 6 - Two in the Morning-
Director: Paul Annett
Writing Credits: Leo Lehmann
Cast: Andrea Allan, Vivienne Cohen, Richard Dennis, Donald Douglas, John Gregg, Frederick Hall, Peter Jeffrey, Carrie Jones, Lois Kentish, Annabelle Lee, Vivienne Martin, Judy Matheson, John Nettleton, Ralph Nossek, Pam Scotcher, David Sinclair, Bernice Spivak, Marianne Stone & Pauline Stroud


not managed to find a synopsis of episodes missing yet but have got cast list/production team (above)if that helps will post more when i find out.

Sorry for that hasty posting. Yes I think BEDTIME the synopsis mentioned 'Victorian bedsteads being all the rage, but one four poster bed holding a surprise secret for one couple'. Something like that.

DEATH CANCELS ALL DEBTS - I'm sure this is the one referring to 'the legend of the doppelganger and how it says everybody has an exact double somewhere on the other side of the world'. The title may refer to a suicidal man (sounds a bit like OOTU 'Deathday').

TWO IN THE MORNING - Synopsis for this I think was about a couple who wake every night at 2 a.m. with the premonition something terrible is going to happen.

SMITH referred to 'a Killer whose crimes equalled Jack the Ripper but who never acheived the same noteriety' or similar. I think it's a period piece.

Unfortunately I don't recall these either (nor 'Return flight' actually). The 3 surviving are actually very good which is unusual. I would say the others sound a bit average in comparison from the summaries but would guess it may be a case like DOOMWATCH. I.E. They kept the first one which was probably as well known and impactive as TOMMORROW THE RAT but didn't keep the latter. So I'd guess some might be as strong or interesting others weaker. I can't present any argument to back up they might be stronger than the existing ones in this case.

[felixdembinski]

did the dead of night have a title sequence of such, the episode on youtube doesn't have one, the title captions and the closing credits are shown over film of an old house, if I hadn't know about this series I would of had no idea what it was. So does it have a title sequence?

[johnstewart]

Nov 7, 2010 10:36:02 GMT felixdembinski said:

did the dead of night have a title sequence of such, the episode on youtube doesn't have one, the title captions and the closing credits are shown over film of an old house, if I hadn't know about this series I would of had no idea what it was. So does it have a title sequence?

The exorcism is an edited repeat version truncating credits. However the other two have the individual series titles of someones view running through a wood at night put into negative and tinted red.

[davidstead]

I don't know whether you were specifically referring to the youtube 'dead of night', John, but the BBC master of 'The Exorcism', is complete with the wood at night and the red negative effect.

[Deleted]

I think he means that the Youtube version is taken from the BBC-4 repeat, which omitted the generic title, David.

[davidstead]

Thanks Laurence,
I didn't know it had had a rpt on BBC4.

[felixdembinski]

On the maverik media site it has plot summarys and screen grabs of the existing episodes but not for the lost ones, it only has cast list. It has this picture instead, is this a screen brag from the titles?

Attachments:

[davidstead]

Hi Felix,
Yes it is a screen grab from the title seqs. Fairly near the start of the titles by the look of it.
Davidx