Out of This World – Little Lost Robot on DVD [read more]
Little lost TV series, for that matter
The BFI’s final DVD release this year as part of Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder is Out of This World – Little Lost Robot, which will be released on 24 November 2014 alongside Out of the Unknown. This long-awaited DVD presents the only surviving episode of the legendary ABC science fiction series, an adaptation of the Isaac Asimov story. Extra features include an audio commentary and audio recordings of two otherwise lost episodes.
Designed as an offshoot of the legendary Armchair Theatre, Out of This World was devised by television colossus Sydney Newman (Doctor Who, The Avengers) and Irene Shubik (Out of the Unknown, The Wednesday Play, Rumpole of the Bailey) in 1962.
An anthology series, produced by Leonard White, it dramatised the cream of literary science fiction, from such writers as Isaac Asimov, Clifford Simak and Philip K Dick, using the considerable scriptwriting talents of Clive Exton, Leon Griffiths and Terry Nation. The show was a tremendous success, paving the way for Irene Shubik’s later classic series Out of the Unknown (also released on DVD by the BFI on the 24 November). Hosted by veteran actor Boris Karloff, the series presented science fiction at its intelligent best. Each episode explored every aspect of the genre – from satire to suspense, from tense drama to sparkling comedy, with the greatest flair and invention that Sixties television could provide.
