Cold Equations

Cold Equations

1962 - United Kingdom

Cold Equations was the third play in ITV's anthology series Out of this World

Broadcast on Saturday 14 July 1962 it introduced 16-year old Jane Asher as Lee Cross, who stows away aboard a rocket flying a mercy mission to take serum to the planet Woden-thereby putting eight lives in jeopardy. 

Innocently, Lee thinks she will be able to see her brother after an eight-year absence. Instead she discovers that her extra weight means the rocket doesn't have enough fuel to land safely on reaching its destination, and the resulting crash will kill both of them and six colonists awaiting the serum. This is the cold equation posed by Lee's escapade-an equation which the pilot (Peter Wyngarde), and ground control strive desperately to solve. 

Cold Equations was written by American science fiction and short story writer Tom Goodwin. It was first published in Astounding Magazine in 1954. In 1970, the Science Fiction Writers of America selected it as one of the best science-fiction short stories published before 1965. The teleplay was by Clive Exton, best known for his scripts of Agatha Christie's Poirot, P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster, and Rosemary & Thyme

Published on May 22nd, 2019. Based on original TV Times article (1962).

Read Next...

Man of the World

Armed with camera, typewriter and a trained eye for the unusual and newsworthy, freelancer Mike Straight enjoyed a glamorous lifestyle that continuously saw him getting involved in cases of blackmail, espionage and murder.

Also released in 1962

Tales of the Unexpected

Introduced by Roald Dahl, Tales of the Unexpected was a weekly, dark suspense filled anthology series with a different cast every week. Each story, with an unexpected and quirky twist in its tail had a moralistic message

Also starring Jane Asher

All Summer Long

Willie has tried to make his father aware of the danger to their house from flood water, but Dad thinks that Willie's fears are excessive. Willie decides to spend all summer long building a wall to keep out the river, but his efforts are in vain.

Also tagged Single Play

Brideshead Revisited

At the time it was made Brideshead Revisited was the biggest television film project attempted by any company including the BBC, who had considered it, but decided it too hard to make. There was a point where Granada must have been thinking the same.

Also starring Jane Asher

The Bulldog Breed

A single series of seven comedies about Tom, the perennial optimist, as he wanders through life leaving chaos in his wake totally oblivious to the problems he causes for everyone.

Also released in 1962

Journey to the Unknown

Psychological suspense, medical experimentation and science fiction, with a little murder mystery thrown in for good measure

Also starring Jane Asher

It's A Living

Long-time comedy double-act Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warris star in a sitcom about a couple running a small general store.

Also released in 1962

Alice in Wonderland TV play

The earliest television version of Lewis Caroll's fantasy masterpiece was broadcast before most people in Britain had televisions...

Also tagged Single Play

The Stone Tape

Nigel Kneale's classic ghost story represents possibly his best work outside of his legendary 'Quatermass' series.

Also starring Jane Asher