Richard Fell adapted The Quatermass Experiment for BBC Four. He has also executive produced dramas including A Waste of Shame and Fantabulosa!
BBC Four: Why did you think A for Andromeda would stand the test of time
to be adapted?
Richard Fell: After the success of Quatermass, it seemed like a very natural choice when we were looking for another science-fiction story to do. It was to the 1960s what Quatermass was to the 50s. It really gripped the nation and was massively popular. It was an absolute classic of its time. It's a really interesting story and there are a lot of things about it that will still interest audiences today. It's a contemporary retelling of the story. We haven't recreated a 1960s sci-fi film. We had to strip out some of the stuff about the Cold War and there are whole layers of the original which are specific to the 1960s.
BBC Four: What are the key themes for a contemporary audience?
Richard Fell: I suppose the big questions are, firstly, 'How complex does a computer have to be before we consider it to have some kind of human qualities?' And the other one is, 'What responsibilities do scientists have with these new technologies?' They don't operate in a vacuum and indeed are often funded by the military. Computer technology is so advanced and we are now getting some very sophisticated thinking machines. This, as well as advances in biology with cloning, raise all sorts of issues that are as pertinent today, if not more so, as when it first came out.
BBC Four: Science fiction obviously has greater production demands than some other types of drama. Did that make for a difficult shoot?
Richard Fell: In a way, but the kind of science fiction that appeals to BBC Four's audience is much more the kind that is intelligent, ideas-based science fiction. It's not necessarily about monsters and space ships. There are more 'what ifs?' and 'what does that do to the people and their relationships?'. It's also not particularly set in the future, it's set now but it needed a kind of sheen, which I think we've brought to it.
BBC Four: The original introduced Julie Christie to the world. Is the same thing going to happen for your cast?
Richard Fell: We have Kelly Reilly who has already made her mark in films like Mrs Henderson Presents. She's a fantastic stage actress so I am absolutely convinced she's going to have a stellar career. The other lead part is played by Tom Hardy who we've seen recently in Gideon's Daughter and The Virgin Queen. He was fantastic on stage in the recent production of Festen. They are both really powerful, interesting, sophisticated actors who've really brought the production to life.
BBC Four: Is Jane Asher in there as a nod back to the 1960s?
Richard Fell: That's not really why we cast her but she certainly has the 60s appeal. She's a very good actress and has a kind of coolness and calmness and intelligence about her.
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