The Yellow Pill

The Yellow Pill

1962 - United Kingdom

Who is the strange man brought by the police to Dr. Frame? Is he a murderer? How did he gain his uncanny knowledge of Frame's private life? Is it possible that he really comes from anothert time? This is the most unusual case the doctor has ever had.

The Yellow Pill, starring Nigel Stock, Richard Pasco, Peter Dyneley and Pauline Yates, was the first in ITV's new anthology series, Out of this World.

Originally it was planned to be the second episode with Dumb Martian preceding it, but ITV Head of Drama, Sydney Newman, decided to put Dumb Martain out under the Armchair Theatre strand a week before. Therefore, The Yellow Pill (which sadly no longer exists in the archives) takes its place in television history as the first episode of ITV's first science fiction series.

Broadcast on Saturday 30 June 1962 the episode was (as was each in the series) introduced by Hollywood's British born master of horror, Boris Karloff. Immediately following the broadcast of Dumb Martian Karloff appeared on screen in a promo to tell viewers: "Tonight's play has taken us to Jupiter 4-2, the second moon of Callisto. A mere pebble in space about forty miles across - four hundred and eighty-three million miles out of this world. Out of this World! - the first play next Saturday evening is called The Yellow Pill. If you do not find it a most unusual story, then my name isn't Boris Karloff."

The episode pulled in 11 million viewers and was the eleventh most popular ITV broadcast of that week. Nationally it came 18th - equal to the BBC's long established series Z Cars. The original story was written by American science fiction writer Rog Phillips and adapted for television by Leon Griffiths.

Published on April 4th, 2020. Adapted from original TV Times article..

Read Next...

Dr. Fiunlay's Casebook

Based on a series of stories 'The Adventures of a Black Bag' by Dumbartonshire born novelist A. J. Cronin, Doctor Finlay's Casebook proved to be an instant hit with viewers in spite of stiff competition from US exports Dr Kildare and Ben Casey.

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

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

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

Colditz

War drama about the infamous German POW camp and the prisoner's attempts to escape it.

Also starring Nigel Stock

Knights of God

Set in the year 2020, Great Britain has been devastated by civil war after years of political unrest, the government has been overthrown and the Royal Family executed.

Also starring Nigel Stock

Already It's Tomorrow

After a road accident, an attractive girl recovers consciousness in a strange room. With her is a young man she has never seen before.

Also released in 1962

Dumb Martian

Earthman Duncan Weaver on a solo tour of duty on one of Jupiter's moons buys a Martian woman as a companion. He mistreats her, assuming her to be just a "dumb Martian." He learns, to his cost, that she has more intelligence than he gives her credit for.

Also tagged Single Play