▁characters ' ▁re actions ▁to ▁the ▁strange ▁events ▁unfold ing ▁around ▁them , ▁using ▁science ▁fiction ▁them es ▁to ▁tell ▁alleg or ical ▁stories ▁such ▁as ▁par alle ling ▁real ▁life ▁ra cial ▁t ensions ▁with ▁the ▁Mart ian ▁" in fection " ▁of ▁Qu at erm ass ▁and ▁the ▁Pit ▁( 1 9 5 8 – 5 9 ). ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁December ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁a ▁live ▁adaptation ▁of ▁George ▁Or well ' s ▁Nin ete en ▁E ight y - F our , ▁produced ▁by ▁the ▁Qu at erm ass ▁team ▁of ▁writer ▁N ig el ▁K ne ale ▁and ▁director ▁Rud olph ▁Cart ier , ▁achieved ▁the ▁highest ▁television ▁ratings ▁since ▁the ▁coron ation ▁of ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁II ▁on ▁ 2 ▁June ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁It ▁was ▁so ▁controvers ial ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁deb ated ▁in ▁Parliament , ▁and ▁campaign ers ▁tried ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁second ▁performance ▁the ▁following ▁Th urs day ▁b anned . ▁The ▁BBC ' s ▁Head ▁of ▁D rama ▁Michael ▁Barry ▁refused ▁to ▁conced e . ▁ ▁Science ▁fiction ▁produ ctions ▁were ▁rare ▁and ▁almost ▁always ▁one - offs . ▁A ▁for ▁And rom eda ▁( 1 9 6 1 ) ▁( which ▁star red ▁a ▁young ▁Jul ie ▁Christ ie ) ▁and ▁its ▁sequ el ▁( The ▁And rom eda ▁Break through , ▁ 1 9 6 2 ) ▁were ▁exceptions . ▁ ▁Cre ation ▁of ▁Doctor ▁Who ▁and ▁I TV ▁Britain ' s ▁first ▁commercial