As part of TV On Trial, BBC Four recreated a cult classic, first transmitted live in 1953 and since lost in the archives. In the BBC Four version, which was performed live, Jason Flemyng stars as Professor Bernard Quatermass, whose attempts to push back the frontiers of space lead to terrifying consequences. When a rocket returns from its mission with only one of the crew still alive it soon becomes clear that something is terribly wrong...

Interview: Producer Alison Willett and director Sam Miller talk about the live re-make

BBC Four: Of all the classic shows from the early days of television you could have remade, why choose The Quatermass Experiment?
Alison: Quatermass was the first ever sci-fi on British TV and Professor Quatermass was our first TV hero. It has a huge cult following and that provided an interesting challenge for us. It was going to be really dynamic visually and provided an opportunity to put together a fantastic ensemble cast.
Sam: I'm a closet science fiction fan and Quatermass was seminal television. The subject matter was so exciting for people who had just got their TV boxes in the corners of their rooms back then. And what was interesting from reading the scripts was how the themes of the piece - space and the unknown and biological weapons - still feel relevant today.

BBC Four: How close to the original 1953 series are you aiming to get?
Alison: When it went out it was six half-hour episodes. What we've done is abridge those into one two-hour drama, stripped out a couple of extraneous sub plots and removed allusions to the Cold War. We've used the original scripts and dialogue as much as possible, but in places brought the science up to date. For example, in 1953 the idea of a manned rocket ship going into space was quite inconceivable so we've made it a privately-financed rocket ship, which is far more contemporary.
Sam: The script we're using is unchanged really. What's interesting is seeing how actors today take it. So far we've been really pleased because it feels quite modern and at the same time classic. Instead of looking at it as a modern version of or a nostalgic remake, we want to liberate the piece.

BBC Four: How involved has the original writer Nigel Kneale been in the production?
Alison: Nigel has come on board as a consultant. We have talked to him every step of the way and he has been incredibly informative. It's fascinating to hear how some of the characters first came about and how he conceived the monster and made it work without getting into rubber toy territory.

BBC Four: This will be the first live television drama on the BBC in 20 years. What challenges does this create for you?
Sam: My background is single-camera drama so I was interested in bringing a film mentality to what is a live, multi-camera event. It's been our aim to embrace the live aspect and use it to give the piece a drive and a pulse. I hope that if someone is channel hopping, that would draw them in.
Alison: Quatermass was originally shot live because the technology wasn't there to pre-record. We thought it being live could become a virtue for a project in 2005. Certainly in rehearsals we're finding it's really upping the energy in terms of the dynamics of performance and that ties in with the thriller aspect.

BBC Four: Have developments in audio-visual technology given you any advantages over the original when it comes to pulling off a live event?
Alison: Well, we're using more sophisticated lighting and camera techniques and we're going to have a couple of pre-recorded inserts but because the vast majority is live, you can't rely on special effects. There will be no delay, no nothing!

BBC Four: Tell us about the cast.
Sam: Nigel has written a balanced script, which makes it tricky to cast as each character is integral to the story. We just set out to find aggressive-minded actors who wanted to take it on and are very much of today.
Alison: I am incredibly proud of our principal players. We've been careful to choose actors who have a real body of theatre work behind them as well as film and television so they will be approaching Saturday 2 April as if it was an opening night. Mark Gatiss and David Tennant are also huge fans of the original and we wanted to give Professor Quatermass a modern feel and Jason Flemyng provides that perfectly.

BBC Four: In the context of TV On Trial, what light will the new version throw on whether TV was better in the 1950s or now?
Alison: All I can say is that Quatermass is just as resonant today as it was 50 years ago. The idea of people going up in a space rocket and bringing back a virus from outer space isn't far removed from what could really happen. There is an entrepreneur in Arizona struggling to build the first hotel in space for example, so the drama element still holds strong. It's a very well-constructed piece of work.

BBC Four: And finally, would you be interested in repeating the live experiment? Either by making more Quatermass episodes or taking on other lost classics such as Dixon of Dock Green?
Alison: There hasn't been talk of a series but I'd certainly love to make one if the opportunity arose. We have reinvented the wheel during this so it would be a real shame if we couldn't do it again.
Sam: Ask me again the day after the show!