Journey to the Unknown

Journey to the Unknown

1968 - United Kingdom, United States

The seventeen episodes that made up Journey to the Unknown were a mixture of psychological suspense, medical experimentation and science fiction with a little murder and mystery thrown in for good measure -So it's not surprising to learn that executive producers Joan Harrison and Norman Lloyd had previously worked on another TV series, with the master of suspense himself...Alfred Hitchcock. 

Hammer Films made the series in Britain although US filmmakers Twentieth Century Fox financed it to the tune of £70,000 per episode. This was Hammer's first venture into TV after establishing itself in the mid 1950's with cinematic retellings of such classics as Frankenstein and Dracula (although its first international success came in 1955 with The Quatermass Xperiment - US title The Creeping Unknown.) 

The series premiered in the US several weeks prior to its UK debut (on ABC) but even then it was not afforded a steady run, being shown mainly in the London area with only sporadic viewings elsewhere. A steady mixture of American and British stars appeared and they included Michael Gough, Dennis Waterman (pictured above), Milo O'Shea, Stephanie Powers, George Maharis, Joseph Cotton, Nanette Newman, David Hedison, Jane Asher, Bernard Lee, Roddy McDowell, Ingrid Pitt, Barbara Bel Geddes, Jack Hedley, and Paul Daneman. The 'Unknown' referred to in the title was the Human Mind. 

Published on December 28th, 2018. Written by Laurence Marcus for Television Heaven.

Read Next...

Ten British Shows - The Best of British

We asked two writers to choose 5 ‘must see’ British television shows - here are the ten that deserve a place in Television Heaven...

Also starring Dennis Waterman

The Sweeney

Cops of Scotland Yard's Flying Squad tackle big crime in the capital city.

Also starring Dennis Waterman

Father Brown

TV's first sleuth in clerical clothing was adapted in 1974 from the novels of G.K. Chesterton.

Also tagged Mystery

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 tagged Suspense Series

The Life and Loves of a She-Devil

BBC drama serial adapted from Fay Weldon's 1983 novel about the destruction of love and the burning need for revenge when a dowdy wife discovers her husband is having an affair with a glamourous romantic novelist

Also starring Dennis Waterman

Detective TV series 1964 & 1968

BBC anthology series in which each week a different famous literary detective is brought to the screen. The series spawned several long-running series including 'Cluff,' 'Father Brown,' and 'Sherlock Holmes'

Also starring Michael Gough

Come Back Lucy

A Victorian house is haunted by a malevolent force in this unsettling blend of psychological drama and ghost story, laced with themes of identity, loss, and the seductive pull of the past

Also tagged Suspense Series

Poker Face

Stylish character driven murder mystery series, adapting the inverted detective story format popularised by Columbo, centred round a casino worker with a 'special talent', who goes on the run from her boss when he threatens to kill her

Also tagged Mystery

My Cousin Rachel

Based on Daphne du Maurier’s gothic novel of suspicion, mistrust and murder.

Also tagged Mystery