Nightmare Man (1981)

Country of Origin: UK
Date(s) of Broadcast: 1 May 1981 - 22 May 1981
Number of Seasons: 1
Total Number of Episodes: 4
Average Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format: colour
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Producer: Ron Craddock
Production Managers: Graeme Harper, Carol Scott

SCRIPT
Script: Robert Holmes
Novel: Child of Vodyanoi by David Wiltshire
Script Editor: Jenny Sheridan

DIRECTOR
Director: Douglas Camfield

PHOTOGRAPHY
Lighting: Clive Potter
Cameras: Alistair Mitchell, Neil Cameron
Vision Mixer: Fred Law

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Videotape Editor: Dave Hillier

MUSIC
Music: Robert Stewart

SOUND
Sound: Jeff Baker

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Frances Needham
Costumes: Rupert Jarvis

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Designer: John Brace

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Allan Anson
Properties Buyer: Judy Ducker

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistant: Frances Graham
Assistant Floor Manager: David Tilley

CAST
PART ONE
James Warwick (Michael Gaffikin)
Celia Imrie (Fiona Patterson)
Maurice Roëves (Inspector Inskip)
Tom Watson (Dr Goudry)
Jonathan Newth (Colonel Howard)
James Cosmo (Sgt Carch)
Fraser Wilson (PC Malcolmson)
Tony Sibbald (Dr Symonds)
Elaine Wells (Mrs Mackay)

PART TWO
James Warwick (Michael Gaffikin)
Maurice Roëves (Inspector Inskip)
Celia Imrie (Fiona Patterson)
Tom Watson (Dr Goudry)
Jonathan Newth (Colonel Howard)
James Cosmo (Sgt Carch)
Fraser Wilson (PC Malcolmson)
Jon Croft (McGrath)
Ronald Forfar (Campbell)
Jeffrey Stewart (Drummond)
Elaine Wells (Mrs Mackay)

PART THREE
James Warwick (Michael Gaffikin)
Maurice Roëves (Inspector Inskip)
Celia Imrie (Fiona Patterson)
Tom Watson (Dr Goudry)
Jonathan Newth (Colonel Howard)
James Cosmo (Sgt Carch)
Fraser Wilson (PC Malcolmson)
Jon Croft (McGrath)
Ronald Forfar (Campbell)
Jeffrey Stewart (Drummond)
Tony Sibbald (Symonds)
Pat Gorman (the killer)
Robert Vowles (Lieutenant Carey)

PART FOUR
James Warwick (Michael Gaffikin)
Jonathan Newth (Colonel Howard)
Celia Imrie (Fiona Patterson)
Maurice Roëves (Inspector Inskip)
Tom Watson (Dr Goudry)
James Cosmo (Sgt Carch)
Jeffrey Stewart (Drummond)
Robert Vowles (Lieutenant Carey)
Pat Gorman (the killer)

The dismembered body of a tourist is found on the remote Scottish island of Inverdee. Other bodies soon start to turn up and the island's dentist and police officer start to investigate. Could the killer be related to the strange, spacecraft-like object that has been washed up on one of the beaches - and is the killer actually human at all?

Very spooky and atmospheric, with a cracking cast and moody direction from a former Doctor Who director and a taut, gripping script from another Who veteran. The revelation as to the true nature of the killer is unexpected and sends the story off in an entirely new direction and is even more startling than the original suggestion which in itself was unsettling.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
DVD Distributors: BBC Home Video (BBCDVD1454 )

1981
May
1: UK - episode 1 broadcast on BBC1
8: UK - episode 2 broadcast on BBC1
15: UK - episode 3 broadcast on BBC1
22: UK - episode 4 broadcast on BBC1

MAGAZINES

Broadcast n1107 (11 May 1981) p.11 (UK)
review (by W. Stephen Gilbert)

Television Today 14 May 1981 p.19 (UK)
review (by Patrick Campbell)

Time Screen 7 (revised) p.30 (UK)
note

BOOKS

The Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction (4th edition) pp.361-362
credits, review (by Roger Fulton)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

islands, scotland, serial killers, military, submarines, human experiments, dentists, police, mutilation, cameras, ornithologists, coastguards

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009