In this episode of General Witchfinders, we revisit one of the most unsettling and prophetic dramas ever broadcast by the BBC – Survivors (1975), created by Terry Nation, the man behind the Daleks and Blake’s 7. Specifically, we’re talking about The Fourth Horseman, the chilling first episode of this 1970s British post-apocalyptic classic.

💀 Trigger warning / content note: this episode contains discussion of global pandemics, mass death, and social collapse. If the subject feels a little too close to home after recent years, we completely understand if you choose to skip this one.

Survivors imagines a world where a man-made virus, accidentally released by a scientist, spreads globally via air travel. Within weeks, nearly the entire population is dead. Society collapses, infrastructure crumbles, and the few who remain must fend for themselves in a near-empty Britain.

This isn’t zombie apocalypse stuff or glossy sci-fi. There’s no government bunker, no miracle cure—just grief, loss, and the brutal reality of surviving in a world where almost everyone is gone.

Created by Terry Nation—best known for creating the Daleks in Doctor Who—Survivors taps into the very real fears of the Cold War era: disease, nuclear disaster, the fragility of civilisation. Nation was also behind Blake’s 7, and brought his trademark bleakness to both series. But before that, he was a comedy writer for the likes of Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, and Peter Sellers—a strange career path that makes the grim tone of Survivors all the more striking.

The pilot episode features a brilliant, if doomed, ensemble cast. Peter Bowles plays David Grant, alongside Peter Copley as Dr Bronson. Bowles was a fixture of 70s telly (The Bounder, To the Manor Born, Only When I Laugh, Lytton’s Diary, and The Sarah Jane Adventures). Copley also had an enviable run, including The Forsyte Saga, The Avengers, Pyramids of Mars, and The Colour of Magic.

We’re also introduced to the show’s core survivors:

• Carolyn Seymour as Abby Grant – later seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Voyager, ER, Quantum Leap, and more. She’s also a prolific voice actor, particularly for Big Finish.
• Lucy Fleming as Jenny Richards – niece of Ian Fleming and a regular presence in British drama.
• Talfryn Thomas as Tom Price – the go-to Welsh character actor of his day, best known for Dad’s Army, Steptoe and Son, Hi-de-Hi!, and Doomwatch.

Although Survivors only ran for three series (1975–77), it remains one of the most grounded and frightening depictions of societal breakdown ever broadcast. The lack of music, the naturalistic dialogue, and the eerie emptiness all contribute to its unsettling power.

Whether you remember watching Survivors when it first aired, or you’re coming to it fresh in an age where its central premise no longer feels far-fetched, this is vintage British TV worth revisiting. It’s thoughtful, well-acted, and grim as hell. Just how we like it.

And if you’d like episodes early (and ad-free), you can support General Witchfinders over on Patreon.

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This time on General Witchfinders, we’re heading back into the blood-soaked, Rage-infected streets of post-apocalyptic Britain with 28 Weeks Later — the 2007 zombie horror sequel to Danny Boyle’s groundbreaking 28 Days Later.

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 28 Weeks Later builds on the legacy of 28 Days Later (which we covered in episode 43), expanding the world of the Rage Virus and the aftermath of a collapsed society. While Danny Boyle didn’t direct this time around — due to commitments on Sunshine — he stayed on as executive producer and even directed key sequences himself, including the ferocious opening scene.

The original creators — Boyle, producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter Alex Garland — initially considered a direct sequel called 29 Days Later, potentially continuing the story of Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris’s characters. Instead, they pivoted to a broader, bleaker vision: an infected London under military quarantine, a supposed victory against the virus, and the inevitable resurgence of horror.

Set weeks after the events of the first film, 28 Weeks Later follows the failed attempt to repopulate a ‘safe zone’ in London, guarded by the US Army. As expected in a British zombie film, things go catastrophically wrong.

Filming took place in iconic London locations, including Canary Wharf and 3 Mills Studios. A sequence planned for Wembley Stadium had to be shot in Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium instead. The film’s viral marketing campaign — quite literally — included a huge biohazard warning projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover.

The Rage Virus was back.

Opening in 2007, 28 Weeks Later landed in over 2,000 US cinemas and took nearly $10 million on its opening weekend. It didn’t match the cultural impact of 28 Days Later, but it cemented the franchise as a landmark of modern British horror — helping shape the next wave of post-apocalyptic zombie cinema.

28 Weeks Later features a fresh cast, including Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, Idris Elba, and a young Imogen Poots. While none of the original characters return, the film builds on the terrifying groundwork Boyle and Garland laid in 28 Days Later — exploring themes of infection, trust, trauma, and institutional failure.

The trilogy-that-never-was stalled with 28 Months Later, which entered development hell. But a proper sequel, 28 Years Later, has finally been greenlit, with Danny Boyle returning to direct and Cillian Murphy on board as producer. The Rage Virus isn’t done with us yet.

If you’re searching for podcasts about 28 Weeks Later, 28 Days Later, 28 Years Later, Danny Boyle, zombie movies, the Rage Virus, post-apocalyptic horror, or modern British horror cinema — you’ve found the right episode.

Expect discussion of British zombie films, Rage-infected lore, military horror, abandoned London, and whether 28 Weeks Later holds up next to its predecessor.

🎧 Subscribe to General Witchfinders for more British horror deep dives, and catch up on our previous episode on 28 Days Later for the full Rage Virus experience.

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This time we watched Tomorrow, the Rat — Episode 4 from Series 1 of Doomwatch, first broadcast 2 March 1970 and written by Terence Dudley. That’s four years before James Herbert published The Rats (which we covered in episode 4). It’s highly likely he was inspired by this vintage BBC sci-fi thriller—pen in hand, watching Doomwatch unfold.

Doomwatch was a vintage BBC science fiction series that aired from 1970 to 1972. A prime example of British sci-fi, it followed a government scientific agency led by Dr Spencer Quist (John Paul) investigating futuristic environmental and technological threats. Think of it as classic BBC sci-fi with serious Black Mirror energy.

The show was created by Doctor Who masterminds Gerry Davis and Kit Pedler—the very same duo who invented the Cybermen. Davis had been a Doctor Who story editor; Pedler served as scientific adviser. Their fascination with the dangers of science run amok became the foundation of Doomwatch, this cult BBC science fiction drama.

Series 1 and 2 each had thirteen episodes; Series 3 had twelve (though one, Sex and Violence, was never broadcast). The BBC got cold feet, possibly due to real execution footage and unflattering portrayals of public figures like Mary Whitehouse and Cliff Richard.

As with far too much vintage BBC content, parts of Doomwatch are missing—wiped or taped over. At its peak, the show pulled in over 13 million viewers, cementing its place in classic British sci-fi history.

Dr Quist was a Nobel-winning physicist haunted by his involvement in the Manhattan Project. (Yes, he appears in Oppenheimer.) John Paul, who played him, was a familiar face on British television: I, Claudius, Triangle, The Avengers, The New Avengers—proper BBC veteran.

Toby Wren, played by Robert Powell (who we talked about in episode 46, The Survivor), was a key figure in Series 1. He met a legendary end in the finale, Survival Code. Powell asked to go out with a bang—literally. The BBC received more letters about his on-screen death than any issue since World War II.

This episode, Tomorrow, the Rat, was written by Terence Dudley—then the producer of Doomwatch. Dudley directed three episodes and went on to work extensively in Doctor Who, including directing Meglos (1980), and writing Four to Doomsday, Black Orchid, and The King’s Demons. He also wrote Target novelisations and K-9 and Company. Classic vintage BBC sci-fi pedigree.

Simon Oates plays Dr John Ridge—you may remember him from Beasts (The Dummy episode, which we reviewed in 44a). He also played Steed in the stage version of The Avengers.

Penelope Lee appears as Dr Mary Bryant. She once auditioned to play Barbara, the Doctor’s original companion. She later voiced Lyn Driver in The Plague Dogs (a British animation not for the faint-hearted) and a computer in Doctor Who: Revelation of the Daleks. She also featured in Richard Donner’s Superman as the Ninth Elder. Peak British sci-fi credentials.

Hamilton Dyce turns up as the Minister. You might recognise him as Major General Scobie in Doctor Who: Spearhead from Space—another vintage BBC sci-fi staple.

And no, before you ask, none of this cast ever turned up in Boon.

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Sorry to audio-spam you all, but we've got two things on the go that we thought you might like to hear about:

First up, Jon’s teamed up with his designer mate Sean Rees to create a photography book celebrating his 25-year love affair with the South Wales Valleys. It’s 72 pages of full-colour images and B5 sized.

He’s currently crowdfunding it, so if you’d like to get a copy, head here:

👉 https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/valleys-photography-book

And secondly, the second issue of our General Witchfinders horror ’zine is now out!

76 pages of pagan rites, glam rock ghosts, Catholic dread, murderous roadies and more. Strange stories. Fantastic articles. Killer art.

You can pick one up here:

👉 https://ko-fi.com/s/b70a30924c

We’d love your support — whether it’s a purchase, a share, or just telling your spooky mates.

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In this episode of General Witchfinders, we take a close look at The Creeping Flesh (1973), a British horror film from cult studio Tigon British Film Productions. Best known for low-budget horror that ran alongside the likes of Hammer Horror and Amicus, Tigon was founded in 1966 by Tony Tenser and operated out of Hammer House on Wardour Street in London. This marks our first dive into their back catalogue—and what a place to start.

The Creeping Flesh stars Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (#BigChrisLee) as brothers on opposing ends of a bizarre scientific discovery involving an ancient skeleton, reanimation, and some very shaky ideas about inherited evil. Lorna Heilbron plays opposite them as the increasingly disturbed Penelope.

The film was directed by Freddie Francis, a key figure in British horror cinema. Francis replaced Don Sharp at the last minute and brought his usual visual flair, having previously directed Paranoiac, The Evil of Frankenstein, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, and Tales from the Crypt. He’s also better known in wider circles for his cinematography—earning two Academy Awards and five BAFTAs for work on Sons and Lovers, The Elephant Man, The Innocents, Return to Oz, and Glory. He also worked on Dune, Cape Fear, and even music videos for All Saints and Jimmy Nail.

Cinematographer Norman Warwick handled the visuals on The Creeping Flesh. Warwick was also behind the camera for The Abominable Dr. Phibes (see Episode 10), Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde, and Confessions of a Window Cleaner. The film was shot at Shepperton Studios and Thorpe House in Surrey.

We believe The Creeping Flesh was the 20th film pairing Cushing and Lee, likely falling between Horror Express (Episode 7) and Nothing but the Night (Episode 42). We’re happy to be corrected—find us on BlueSky @generalwitch.

Subscribe, listen, and join us as we explore the world of British cult horror, Tigon films, and everything in between.

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Join us for Hammer’s Hands of the Ripper, a 1971 British horror film released as the second half of a double feature with Twins of Evil. Directed by Peter Sasdy, produced by Aida Young, and written by L.W. Davidson from a story by Edward Spencer Shew.

Making good use of the large Baker Street set at Pinewood Studios—left over from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes—the production was denied permission to film its final scenes at St. Paul's Cathedral, so a replica was constructed instead. If the Pritchards' home and staircase look familiar, it’s because Hammer’s ever-resourceful set designers reused elements from The Curse of Frankenstein years earlier (see episode 2 of our podcast for more on that classic).

Director Peter Sasdy, who cited Hands of the Ripper as his favourite film, also directed the original Adrian Mole TV series (both The Secret Diary and The Growing Pains), three episodes of Hammer House of Horror, and two other Hammer features: Countess Dracula and Taste the Blood of Dracula (the latter coming to the podcast later this year, hopefully). Most monumentally, he directed the legendary BBC sci-fi thriller The Stone Tape (definitely check General Witchfinders number 5—our third most popular episode to date!).

Eric Porter stars as Doctor Pritchard. Renowned for his work in film, television, and theatre, he famously played Professor Moriarty opposite Jeremy Brett’s Sherlock Holmes and Soames Forsyte in The Forsyte Saga.

Angharad Rees plays Anna, the daughter of the Ripper. She appeared in Boon (take a drink), starred as Demelza in 28 episodes of Poldark, and, the year after Hands of the Ripper, featured in Under Milk Wood alongside Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, and Elizabeth Taylor. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, had a pub named after her in Pontypridd (sadly now a card shop), and founded a Knightsbridge jewellery company, Angharad. Pieces she designed were featured in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Wikipedia also notes she was once in a relationship with Alan Bates, which we mention only to plug episode 35, where we talked about The Shout.

Lynda "Nurse Gladys Emmanuel" Baron appears as Long Liz—a curious name choice considering Long Liz was an actual canonical Ripper victim. Here, she’s depicted alive and well (at least initially), years after Saucy Jack's supposed demise.

Baron appeared as a recurring character in both Coronation Street and EastEnders, and played three different characters in Doctor Who across three Doctors.

Dora Bryan turns up as Mrs Golding, one of two clairvoyants in the film. You may know her from 50 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine, Boon (drink), or as Helen in A Taste of Honey (written by Jon's mum's mate Shelagh Delaney). She (Dora, not Shelagh) also appeared in both a Carry On and a St Trinian's.

Lastly, Norman Bird pops up as the Police Inspector. If he looks familiar, it's because he had over 200 TV and 60 film roles. He was in Spywatch (as Mr Jenkins), Boon (drink), Woof!, Whack-O!, and Help! (with Stephen Mangan). He also did a stint in Jim Davidson’s Up the Elephant and Round the Castle—only mentioned because Ross was convinced it was alongside Marina Sirtis, but IMDb says she was in just one episode?

Anyway, back to Norman Bird. He appeared in The Adventure Game, Whistle Down the Wind, Steptoe and Son, Fawlty Towers, Please Sir!, and The Medusa Touch (on our long list since day one). He was Mr Braithwaite, the farmer, in Worzel Gummidge and voiced Bilbo in the 1978 Ralph Bakshi Lord of the Rings.

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Bear with us this month, listeners, as we take a left turn down Duckett's Passage to talk about something a little different from our usual classic British horror.

Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst, born April 1961, is an English actor who began his career as a child actor and is best known for his role as Rodney Trotter in the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, which ran from 1981 to 2003.

PART ONE:

Tonight's first topic covers his role as the time-travelling bigamist Gary Sparrow in the British sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart. Created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran and produced by the BBC, Goodnight Sweetheart ran from 1993 to 1999, broadcasting a total of six series.

The sitcom follows Gary Sparrow, an accidental time traveller living a double life through a time portal that connects 1990s London with 1940s wartime London. While the show's creators, who also made Birds of a Feather and The New Statesman, wrote most of the episodes, we chose to watch series six, episode one ("Mine's a Double") and episode five ("The 'Ouses in Between") because they had at least a tenuous link to our podcast's premise. These episodes were written by Gary Lawson and John Phelps (as a writing team) and Geoff Rowley, respectively.

‘Sweetheart featured Victor McGuire as Ron Wheatcroft, Gary's best friend in every episode of the show. McGuire is best known for playing Jack Boswell in Carla Lane's Bread. Related to our areas of interest, he appeared in an episode of Chernobyl, was a bar patron in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, played Police Officer No. 1 in 2005's Hellraiser: Hellworld, and portrayed Gerald Hardy in the 2012 Daniel Radcliffe version of The Woman in Black.

Dervla Kirwan played Gary's wartime love interest and later wife, Phoebe, in the first three series before being replaced by Elizabeth Carling. Carling was briefly engaged to Neil Morrissey, whom she met while both were in the oft-mentioned Boon; she also appeared alongside him in an episode of the BBC sitcom Men Behaving Badly. After ‘Sweetheart, she released an album of wartime covers, also titled Goodnight Sweetheart.

Similarly, the role of Gary's modern-day wife, Yvonne, was initially played by Michelle Holmes, who rose to prominence as Sue, one of the babysitters in Rita, Sue and Bob Too. After three seasons, she was replaced by Emma Amos, who appeared in Vera Drake, Bridget Jones's Diary, and an episode of Murder Most Horrid with Dawn French (cue Jon singing the theme tune). We've mentioned "Rear of the Year" a few times on this show, so it's worth noting that Amos was (according to Wikipedia — although Ross can't verify this) voted as having "TV's Best Legs" by readers of The Economist.

PART TWO:

We also listened to Channel Crossing by Rosemary Timperley. This was an episode of Haunted: Stories of the Supernatural, which ran for several years on the BBC World Service in the early 1980s and has since had a second life on Radio 4 Extra (thanks to Mysterious Magpie on YouTube for sharing some of these stories so we count listen to review it today).

Rosemary Timperley was an author of over sixty novels and hundreds of short stories and feature articles, best known for her classic ghost stories The Mistress in Black and Christmas Meeting. Although primarily a mainstream writer, Timperley wrote numerous short stories that explored different aspects of the supernatural. She was well known for editing five volumes in a series of ghost story anthologies. Timperley also wrote several acclaimed radio and television scripts, and her short story Harry has been adapted to film multiple times.

This episode featured Nicholas Lyndhurst as Jack, Peter Sallis as Edward, Patsy Rowlands as Frances, Gregory de Polnay as Gregory, and Sonia Fraser as Annabelle.

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It’s 17th February 1964 – You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ by The Righteous Brothers is at number one in the UK. Sir Alec Douglas-Home is Prime Minister, Beatlemania has erupted in the United States, Southampton has been granted city status (can you tell this script was running short?), and the Channel Tunnel Agreement was signed, with an estimated completion time of five years (though it would actually take 30). Meanwhile, at the cinema, released as a double feature with The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, is today’s topic – The Gorgon.

Anthony Nelson Keys, one of four filmmaking sons of comedian Nelson "Bunch" Keys, is well-known in this parish for a number of topics we’ve discussed before, including Quatermass and the Pit (Ep 34) and The Reptile (Ep 19). He joined Hammer in 1956 as an associate producer, later becoming a producer and occasional screenwriter. Keys also served as General Manager of Bray Studios in the 1960s and eventually co-founded Charlemagne Productions with Christopher Lee—or should that be production (singular)? As we know, they managed only one film together: Nothing but the Night (covered in Episode 42).

Richard Pasco plays Paul Heitz. Late in his career, he starred as Tom Colley in The Watcher in the Woods, a favorite film from Ross’s youth that we must cover one day. Before that, he played Cardinal Richelieu in the 1966 TV adaptation of The Three Musketeers and Dr. Boris Zargo in Rasputin: The Mad Monk.

#BigChrisLee appears as Professor Karl Meister, while his best buddy Peter Cushing plays Dr. Namaroff. Despite popular belief that they always worked together, the pair hadn’t shared the screen in four years before this production began.

Barbara Shelley stars as Carla Hoffman. Born Barbara Teresa Kowin in 1932, Shelley appeared in over 100 films and TV series. She’s celebrated for her roles in horror classics like Village of the Damned, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Rasputin: The Mad Monk, and Quatermass and the Pit.

For the role of the monster, former ballerina Prudence Hyman was cast, as the creature was intended to float gracefully, almost like a wraith. (Spoiler alert!) Shelley had hoped to play her character’s Gorgon form herself for continuity and even suggested using a special wig with live green garden snakes for realism. Unfortunately, the idea was rejected due to budget and time constraints. After seeing the disappointing Gorgon effects in the final cut, Keys admitted to Shelley that her suggestion might have been the better choice. As #BigChrisLee quipped, “The only thing wrong with The Gorgon is the Gorgon!”

Visually, this film is stunning, so let’s give a shoutout to Michael Reed’s cinematography and Bernard Robinson’s production design. Michael Reed’s CV includes Dracula: Prince of Darkness, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and five episodes of CITVs Press Gang. Meanwhile, Bernard Robinson designed some of Hammer’s greatest productions, spanning from the very first to the last of their classic horror films.

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