The 1970s series followed a team who investigated environmental and technological dangers.

Back in 2021, we were excited to report that the Doomwatch film was coming to Talking Pictures TV. Now, the archive broadcaster has announced that it is about to begin airing the original television series.

Featuring John Paul, Simon Oates and Robert Powell, Doomwatch followed a scientific government agency led by Doctor Spencer Quist. The ‘Department for the Observation and Measurement of Scientific Work’ were responsible for combating environmental and technological dangers.

Running on the BBC between 1970 – 1972, 38 episodes were produced across 3 seasons (although sadly 14 are no longer in the archive). The show aimed to explore scientific concepts and came from creators Gerry Davis and Kit Pedler, who’d previously worked together on Doctor Who and created the Cybermen.

The show is rife with Doctor Who alumni behind the camera: Producer Terance Dudley (Survivors) both wrote and directed on the show. It also shared writers Dennis Spooner, Louis Marks, Bryan Hayles and Robert Holmes, and directors Darrol Blake, Lennie Mayne, Pennant Roberts and Hugh David.

Doomwatch airs on Talking Pictures TV as part of ‘The Cellar Club with Caroline Munro’ every Friday from 9pm.

The series begins on 17th January 2024 with ‘The Plastic Eaters’, where the Doomwatch team face its first challenge: to stop the spread of a man-made virus which has the power to dissolve plastic.