▁for ▁the ▁screen ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁The ▁BBC ▁did ▁begin ▁producing ▁more ▁science ▁fiction , ▁with ▁further ▁literary ▁adapt ations ▁such ▁as ▁The ▁Time ▁Machine ▁( 1 9 4 9 ) ▁and ▁children ' s ▁serial s ▁like ▁Str anger ▁from ▁Space ▁( 1 9 5 1 – 1 9 5 2 ). ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁the ▁six - part ▁serial ▁The ▁Qu at erm ass ▁Ex periment ▁was ▁broadcast ▁live . ▁An ▁adult - th emed ▁science - f iction ▁drama ▁spe cially ▁written ▁for ▁television ▁by ▁BBC ▁staff ▁writer ▁N ig el ▁K ne ale , ▁its ▁budget ▁consum ed ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁fin ances ▁reserved ▁for ▁drama ▁that ▁year . ▁This ▁successful ▁serial ▁ultimately ▁led ▁to ▁three ▁further ▁Qu at erm ass ▁serial s ▁and ▁three ▁feature ▁film ▁adapt ations ▁from ▁Ham mer ▁Film ▁Produ ctions . ▁The ▁Qu at erm ass ▁Ex periment ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁piece ▁of ▁British ▁television ▁science ▁fiction ▁to ▁partially ▁surv ive , ▁al beit ▁only ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁poor ▁quality ▁tel ere cord ings ▁of ▁its ▁first ▁two ▁episodes . ▁The ▁second ▁serial ▁Qu at erm ass ▁II ▁( 1 9 5 5 ) ▁is ▁the ▁earliest ▁BBC ▁science ▁fiction ▁production ▁to ▁exist ▁in ▁its ▁entire ty . ▁ ▁K ne ale ▁could ▁not ▁rely ▁on ▁s oph istic ated ▁special ▁effects ▁to ▁convey ▁his ▁narr atives . ▁Instead , ▁he ▁based ▁his ▁stories ▁around ▁character isation ▁and