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Nigel Kneale

Nigel Kneale

Writer · Died October 29, 2006, aged 84 · Lancashire, England, UK

BAFTA Award nominee

Thomas Nigel Kneale (18 April 1922 – 29 October 2006) was a Manx screenwriter who wrote professionally for more than 50 years, was a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award, and was twice nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British Screenplay. Predominantly a writer of thrillers that used science-fiction and horror elements, he was best known for the creation of the character Professor Bernard Quatermass. Kneale wrote original scripts and successfully adapted works by writers such as George Orwell, John Osborne, H. G. Wells and Susan Hill. Kneale was most active in television, joining BBC Television in 1951; his final script was transmitted on ITV in 1997. He wrote well-received television dramas such as The Year of the Sex Olympics (1968), The Stone Tape (1972) and Beasts (1976) in addition to the Quatermass serials. He has been described as "one of the most influential writers of the 20th century", and as "having invented popular TV". From Wikipedia

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 18, 1922
Died
October 29, 2006 (aged 84)
From
Lancashire, England, UK
Works as
Writer
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 65 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 4% in 30 days

What are Nigel Kneale's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Self.

Genres

Horror4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Horror movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
27%
Self
20%
Morality
19%
Power
12%
Bonds
11%
Ideas
9%
Society
2%
Survival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 11 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 3 · Dark 7

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 8

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 5 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 4

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 5 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Dread
8
Melancholic
4
Bittersweet
2
Contemplative
2
Other
4

How their films linger

Haunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Nigel Kneale's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Nigel Kneale's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

65 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Quatermass Experiment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Creator · Screenplay

  • Sharpe's Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Screenplay

  • Sharpe(1993)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Stanley and the Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 4 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • The Woman in Black(1989)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Gentry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Writer

  • Ladies' Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Writer

  • Unnatural Causes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Halloween III: Season of the Witch(1982)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Kinvig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 7 episodes · Writer

  • Kinvig (TV pilot) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Writer

  • Quatermass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 4 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • The Quatermass Conclusion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Writer

  • Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Writer

  • Late Night Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Beasts: The Dummy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Writer

  • Beasts: What Big Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Writer

  • Beasts: Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Writer

  • Beasts: Buddyboy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Writer

  • Beasts: During Barty's Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Writer

  • Beasts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • Beasts: Special Offer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Writer

  • Murrain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Writer

  • Against the Crowd (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Bedtime Stories (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Stone Tape(1972)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Chopper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Writer

  • Wine of India (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Writer

  • Bam! Pow! Zap! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Writer

  • The Year of the Sex Olympics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Writer

  • Five Million Years to Earth(1967)

    Original Story · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Quatermass Experiment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Novel

  • The Witches (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Writer

  • NET Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The World of George Orwell: 1984 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Writer

  • Out of the Unknown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Wednesday Play (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

  • First Men in the Moon(1964)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Writer

  • Theatre 625 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

  • The Crunch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Writer

  • The Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Writer

  • First Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Wuthering Heights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Writer

  • Damn the Defiant!(1962)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Drama 61-67 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Entertainer(1960)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Look Back in Anger(1959)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Quatermass and the Pit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • The Littlest Enemy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Story

  • Mrs. Wickens in the Fall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Writer

  • The Abominable Snowman(1957)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Quatermass 2(1957)

    Screenplay · Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Quatermass II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Writer · as Narrator (voice) · as Plant Spokesman (voice)

  • The Quatermass Xperiment(1955)

    Teleplay

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Moment of Truth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Writer

  • The Creature (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Writer

  • Nineteen Eighty-Four (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Writer · as Telescreen Announcer (voice)

  • Wuthering Heights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Adaptation

  • The United States Steel Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Golden Rain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Adaptation

  • The Quatermass Experiment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · Writer

  • Number Three (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Writer

  • The Affair at Assino (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Adaptation

  • The Web (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 65 titles from 1950 to 2005.

Biggest box office

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

$14M worldwide

Highest rated

Damn the Defiant! (1962)

Midcredits 82nd

Most popular right now

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Film career

  • 1954Screen debut· Nineteen Eighty-Four

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 65: 0 only acting, 2 with another roleWriting65 of 65: 57 only writing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thOther crew7 of 65: 0 only other crew, 7 with another role

65 titles, 8 with more than one role — writing and other crew overlap on 7 of them.

By decade

1950s18 · 2 acting · 18 crew1960s19 · crew1970s17 · crew1980s7 · crew1990s3 · crew2000s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

2 major nominations and no wins, 1960–1961.

  1. 1961
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best British Screenplay
  2. 1960
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best British Screenplay

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Nigel Kneale's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Approval · how many liked their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Reach · how many have seen their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 11

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

10 of their 12 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser10
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · writer

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

66th percentile spread · 36% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Sharpe (1993)

Midcredits 96th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 61/100 and the plot and story 62/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Nigel Kneale work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nigel Kneale's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Val Guest shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers