Kinvig
Kinvig | |
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![]() The original DVD cover with Kinvig and Miss Griffin | |
Genre | Science Fiction |
Directed by | Brian Simmons |
Starring | Tony Haygarth Patsy Rowlands Prunella Gee Colin Jeavons |
Country of origin | Vereinigtes Königreich |
Original language | Englisch |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 7 |
Production | |
Running time | 30 Minuten |
Production company | London Weekend Television |
Original release | |
Network | ITV |
Release | 4 September 16 October 1981 | –
Kinvig is a sci-fi comedy television series made by London Weekend Television 1981.
Synopsis
Des Kinvig (Tony Haygarth) runs an electrical repair shop in the small town of Bingleton. One day his store is visited by Miss Griffin (Prunella Gee), who is from the planet Mercury and in need of Des' help. Kinvig's friend Jim Piper (Colin Jeavons) is a lifelong UFO watcher and is consumed by jealousy when he discovers that Kinvig has encountered extra-terrestrials. It is left intentionally ambiguous whether Kinvig's experiences with aliens are real or the product of an overactive imagination.
The show was produced by LWT, and only ran for one series of seven episodes. It was written by Nigel Kneale (more famous for Quatermass), directed and produced by Les Chatfield, with original music by Nigel Hess.
Reception
Around the time of original transmission, Kinvig was positively reviewed by The Times, the preview stating that "Cast splendid, direction deft".[1] However, to later TV historians, Kinvig is not considered to be one of Kneale's better productions. The Guinness Book of Classic British TV claims that apart from Jeavons' performance, Kinvig was "a huge disappointment".[2] Peter Nicholls also criticised the program, saying the scripts "lacked the precision required for decent farce". Nicholls also noted that some viewers objected to Kneale's depiction of science-fiction fans as being the same as UFO enthusiasts, and states Kinvig is notable for its "contemptuous treatment" of the leading characters. [3] Science fiction historian Brian Stableford dismissed Kinvig as "very silly" and echoed Nicholls' criticism of the show, calling Kneale's script "ignorant" for implying that all science fiction fans are also obsessed with UFOs.[4]
Cast
- Tony Haygarth as Des Kinvig
- Patsy Rowlands as Netta Kinvig
- Prunella Gee as Miss Griffin
- Colin Jeavons as Jim Piper
- Danny Schiller as Sagga
- Stephen Bent as Loon
- Alan Bodenham as Bat
- Simon Williams as Buddo
- Patrick Newell as Mr. Horsley
- Betty Hardy as Mrs. Snell
See also
References
- ^ "Pick of the week's television". The Times. 1981-09-04. p. XII.
- ^ The Guinness Book of Classic British TV, by Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping, Second Edition. Guinness Publishing Ltd., 1996 ( pg. 398).
- ^ Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, edited by John Clute and Peter Nicholls, Orbit Books, 1993 (pgs. 669,672).
- ^ The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Science Fiction edited by David Pringle. Carlton, 1996. ISBN 185868188X (p.154)
External links
- 1980s British comedy television series
- 1981 British television programme debuts
- 1981 British television programme endings
- British science fiction television programmes
- ITV sitcoms
- Mercury (planet) in fiction
- English-language television programs
- Television series by ITV Studios
- London Weekend Television programmes
- 1980s British science fiction television series