I watched this film on BBC4 when it was first broadcast, and I was impressed that it went so well, so when I saw the DVD on sale for £10 earlier this year, I snapped it up. If (like me) you're a fan of classic era TV (by which I mean the TV of the 50s, 60s and 70s) and especially if you're a fan of classic TV SF, then this DVD is a must purchase. Not because it's old - it was only made in 2005 - but because it was a deliberate attempt to pay homage to 1950s TV drama by employing the same methods that were available to TV production companies 50 years ago. By this, I mean it was broadcast live, with just the occasional pre-recorded film insert used when necessary - exactly the way the original TV serial was made.

Naturally there are some differences between this production and the original. The first and most obvious difference is that this version is set in the present day. The other major difference is that this version was staged as a single two hour play instead of a six part serial. This is a disadvantage in my view, as it doesn't allow as much time for character development, and doesn't give the same impression of time passing as weekly serial would. However, this is still a superior production to the Hammer film adaptation.

Despite being a modern production, the production team were very keen to keep it in the spirit of the original. This is evident from the start, as they re-use the original Quatermass titles, cutting to on-board black and white camera footage of a V2 launch from White Sands, then more modern colour footage of various spacecraft taking off - all the time the original theme music (Holst's "Mars - the bringer of war") is blaring away. A very effective opener. Some stock rocketcam footage was also used to represent the returning spacecraft (a space shuttle external tank represents the spacecraft's nuclear upper stage and a solid rocket booster represents the capsule itself). This was presumably done for budgetary reasons, but it works well enough.

The cast all turned out excellent performances, especially considering the live nature of the production. Jason Flemyng as Quatermass obviously had to carry the heaviest burden, but he did it very well, with an intense, guilt-ridden authority that was perfect for the role. I was surprised at first that they cast such a young actor in a part that has previously been played by older men, but I think it works when you consider that this version of BERG is an entrepreneurial private sector group. Also particularly noteworthy were Andy Tiernan as the stricken astronaut Victor Carroon (prepare to be creeped out when his character lapses into fluent German), Indira Varma (later of Torchwood) as his wife Judith and David Tennant (shortly to become the star of Dr Who, and thankfully speaking with his native Scottish accent) as Dr Gordon Briscoe. The main cast also includes Mark Gatiss (now the Producer of Dr Who) as Quatermass' embittered deputy John Paterson, Adrian Dunbar as MOD investigator Lomax and Adrian Bower as journalist James Fullalove (the latter gets to deliver some excellent lines).