Overview

Nigel Kneale is perhaps best known for his pioneering work in television fantasy, notably the creation of Quatermass, and his landmark adaptation of George Orwell's 1984 for the BBC. This book is the first in-depth study of another, arguably lesser known but equally as important, Kneale creation: the 1976 Folk Horror anthology television series, Beasts. Each of the six episodes of Beasts was a stand-alone supernatural drama exploring themes and ideas prevalent throughout Kneale's work, all within the confines of a lowly British television budget. From pilot episode Murrain to cult favourite Baby, Beasts charted an uncanny British landscape, where the ghost of a dolphin haunts an aquarium and a supermarket is plagued by a mysterious animalistic presence. In researching and writing this book, author Andrew Screen was given rare access to Kneale's original scripts and production paperwork and provides an exclusive account of Kneale's trials and tribulations in developing the series. There are also interviews with members of cast and crew, a discussion of episode treatments that were prepared but never realised - and the reasons why Kneale abandoned these at an early stage. Moreover, each storyline is contextualised with real life developments and events, exploring the mythological and cultural inspirations that place the series within its immediate historical framework. Written with full permission from the Kneale estate, THE BOOK OF BEASTS is a comprehensive overview of a cult television series and its enduring impact on viewers today. With a foreword by Johnny Mains.

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9781915316097

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Reviews

I learned so much! It's so informative, lovingly written, and full of detail. --Jonathan Dryden Taylor, actor, writer, and son of Beasts director Don Taylor A loving tribute to one of the most unique voices in British television. Screen's book thoroughly examines Beasts in its cultural context, digging deep into the folklore that illuminates Kneale's work. -Maria J. Perez Cuervo, founder and editor of Hellebore magazine An astonishingly detailed and insightful deep dive into one of Britain's best cult TV series. -Tom de Ville, writer and director of Damned Andrew (BBC Radio 4), Hannibal (NBC), and Urban Gothic (Channel 5) While The Book of Beasts will be rightly viewed as the definitive work on the series, it's so much more than that. Andrew Screen has delved into both the origins of the episodes, and the cultural factors at play in their creation, to create something as close as you can get to viewing the world through the eyes of Nigel Kneale. Simply unmissable. -Jon Dear, film and television writer and critic, host of the Bergcast and Due signori in giallo podcasts

""A loving tribute to one of the most unique voices in British television. Screen's book thoroughly examines Beasts in its cultural context, digging deep into the folklore that illuminates Kneale's work."" -Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, founder and editor of Hellebore magazine ""An astonishingly detailed and insightful deep dive into one of Britain's best cult TV series."" -Tom de Ville, writer and director of Damned Andrew (BBC Radio 4), Hannibal (NBC), and Urban Gothic (Channel 5) ""I learned so much! It's so informative, lovingly written, and full of detail."" --Jonathan Dryden Taylor, actor, writer, and son of Beasts director Don Taylor ""While The Book of Beasts will be rightly viewed as the definitive work on the series, it's so much more than that. Andrew Screen has delved into both the origins of the episodes, and the cultural factors at play in their creation, to create something as close as you can get to viewing the world through the eyes of Nigel Kneale. Simply unmissable."" -Jon Dear, film and television writer and critic, host of the Bergcast and Due signori in giallo podcasts

"""A loving tribute to one of the most unique voices in British television. Screen's book thoroughly examines Beasts in its cultural context, digging deep into the folklore that illuminates Kneale's work."" -Maria J. Pérez Cuervo, founder and editor of Hellebore magazine ""An astonishingly detailed and insightful deep dive into one of Britain's best cult TV series."" -Tom de Ville, writer and director of Damned Andrew (BBC Radio 4), Hannibal (NBC), and Urban Gothic (Channel 5) ""I learned so much! It's so informative, lovingly written, and full of detail."" --Jonathan Dryden Taylor, actor, writer, and son of Beasts director Don Taylor ""While The Book of Beasts will be rightly viewed as the definitive work on the series, it's so much more than that. Andrew Screen has delved into both the origins of the episodes, and the cultural factors at play in their creation, to create something as close as you can get to viewing the world through the eyes of Nigel Kneale. Simply unmissable."" -Jon Dear, film and television writer and critic, host of the Bergcast and Due signori in giallo podcasts"

Author Information

Andrew Screen saw Beasts on first transmission when he was nine years old and it cemented a lifelong love of Nigel Kneale, horror, and unexplained phenomena. After graduating and working in film and television post-production, Andrew retrained as a special educational needs teacher and has been a practitioner in this area for over 30 years.

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