Nineteen Eighty-Four (British TV programme)

Nineteen Eighty-Four
Opening title
GenreDrama
Based onNineteen Eighty-Four
by George Orwell
Written byNigel Kneale
Directed byRudolph Cartier
Starring
Narrated byRichard Williams
ComposerJohn Hotchkis
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes1
Production
ProducerRudolph Cartier
Running time105107 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC
Release12 December 1954 (1954-12-12)

Nineteen Eighty-Four is a British television adaptation of the 1949 novel of the same name by George Orwell, originally broadcast on BBC Television as part of BBC Sunday-Night Theatre on 12 December 1954. The production proved to be hugely controversial, with questions asked in Parliament and many viewer complaints over its supposed subversive nature and horrific content. It starred Peter Cushing (as Winston Smith), Yvonne Mitchell, Donald Pleasence and André Morell.

In a 2000 poll of industry experts conducted by the British Film Institute to determine the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four was ranked in seventy-third position.