 He was most active in television , joining BBC Television in 1951 ; his final script was transmitted on ITV in 1997 . Kneale wrote well @-@ received television dramas such as The Year of the Sex Olympics ( 1968 ) and The Stone Tape ( 1972 ) in addition to the Quatermass serials . He has been described as " one of the most influential writers of the 20th century , " and as " having invented popular TV . " 
