Out of the Unknown 1965
What is Out of the Unknown?
Out of the Unknown is a British television anthology drama series produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC2. Spanning four series between 1965 and 1971, the program featured dramatizations of various short stories.
- Type
- TV series
- Year
- 1965
- Status
- Ended
- Episodes
- 49
- Runtime
- 50 minutes
- First aired
- Oct 4, 1965
- Last aired
- Jun 30, 1971
- Original language
- EN
- Origin
- GB
- Networks
- BBC Two
- Genres
- Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama
- Updated
How long to binge?
Estimate the schedule using 49 episodes and an average 50-minute runtime.
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Find the trailer on YouTube ↗Overview
Out of the Unknown is a British television anthology drama series produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC2. Spanning four series between 1965 and 1971, the program featured dramatizations of various short stories. While some material was created specifically for the series, the majority of the episodes were adaptations of previously published works. During the first three years of production, the series focused exclusively on science fiction. However, this genre was abandoned in the final year in favor of horror and fantasy themes. As was standard procedure for the BBC at the time, a number of episodes were wiped during the early 1970s. This archival practice resulted in the loss of several installments from the original broadcast run. The series remains a notable example of mid-century British television production, reflecting the evolving genre preferences of the era through its transition from science fiction to horror and fantasy storytelling. Its historical significance is underscored by the subsequent preservation efforts regarding the remaining available episodes from its four-year tenure on air.
Should you watch it?
“Explore classic science fiction short story adaptations in this British television anthology series.”
- features adaptations of published science fiction short stories
- produced by the BBC across four series
- a number of episodes were wiped during the early 1970s
- the final year abandoned science fiction in favour of horror and fantasy
Watch it if you enjoy classic television anthologies featuring science fiction drama.
The series shifts from science fiction to horror and fantasy in its final year.
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Cast
Episode guide
Season 1 · 12 episodes
- E1 No Place Like Earth Oct 4, 1965
- E2 The Counterfeit Man Oct 11, 1965
- E3 Stranger in the Family Oct 18, 1965
- E4 The Dead Past Oct 25, 1965
- E5 Time In Advance Nov 1, 1965
- E6 Come Buttercup, Come Daisy, Come... ? Nov 8, 1965
- E7 Sucker Bait Nov 15, 1965
- E8 The Fox and the Forest Nov 22, 1965
- E9 Andover and the Android Nov 29, 1965
- E10 Some Lapse of Time Dec 6, 1965
- E11 Thirteen to Centaurus Dec 13, 1965
- E12 The Midas Plague Dec 20, 1965
Season 2 · 13 episodes
- E1 The Machine Stops Oct 6, 1966
- E2 Frankenstein Mark II Oct 13, 1966
- E3 Lambda I Oct 20, 1966
- E4 Level Seven Oct 27, 1966
- E5 Second Childhood Nov 10, 1966
- E6 The World in Silence Nov 17, 1966
- E7 The Eye Nov 24, 1966
- E8 Tunnel Under the World Dec 1, 1966
- E9 The Fastest Draw Dec 8, 1966
- E10 Too Many Cooks Dec 15, 1966
- E11 Walk's End Dec 22, 1966
- E12 Satisfaction Guaranteed Dec 29, 1966
- E13 The Prophet Jan 1, 1967
Season 3 · 13 episodes
- E1 Immortality, Inc. Jan 7, 1969
- E2 Liar! Jan 14, 1969
- E3 The Last Lonely Man Jan 21, 1969
- E4 Beach Head Jan 28, 1969
- E5 Something in the Cellar Feb 4, 1969
- E6 Random Quest Feb 11, 1969
- E7 The Naked Sun Feb 18, 1969
- E8 The Little Black Bag Feb 25, 1969
- E9 1 + 1 = 1.5 Mar 4, 1969
- E10 The Fosters Mar 11, 1969
- E11 Target Generation Mar 18, 1969
- E12 The Yellow Pill Mar 25, 1969
- E13 Get Off My Cloud Apr 1, 1969
Season 4 · 11 episodes
- E1 Taste of Evil Apr 21, 1971
- E2 To Lay a Ghost Apr 28, 1971
- E3 This Body Is Mine May 5, 1971
- E4 Deathday May 12, 1971
- E5 The Sons and Daughters of Tomorrow May 19, 1971
- E6 Welcome Home May 26, 1971
- E7 The Last Witness Jun 2, 1971
- E8 The Man in My Head Jun 9, 1971
- E9 The Chopper Jun 16, 1971
- E10 The Uninvited Jun 23, 1971
- E11 The Shattered Eye Jun 30, 1971
Frequently asked questions
What is Out of the Unknown?
It is a British television science fiction anthology drama series produced by the BBC.
When was it broadcast?
It was broadcast on BBC2 in four series between 1965 and 1971.
What were the episodes based on?
Each episode was a dramatisation of a science fiction short story, with most being adaptations of already published works.
Did the series change genres?
Yes, the first three years were exclusively science fiction, but that genre was abandoned in the final year in favour of horror and fantasy.
Do all episodes still exist?
No, a number of episodes were wiped during the early 1970s as was standard procedure at the time.