6 /10 1 Votes
5.4/10 TV Original language(s) English First episode date 4 September 1981 Number of episodes 7 Number of seasons 1 | 6.8/10 Genre Science Fiction Country of origin United Kingdom No. of series 1 Final episode date 16 October 1981 Network ITV | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Starring Tony HaygarthPatsy RowlandsPrunella GeeColin Jeavons Cast Similar Beasts, The Year of the Sex Olympics, The Stone Tape, Quatermass, Quatermass II |
Kinvig is a sci-fi comedy television series made by London Weekend Television 1981.
Contents
Synopsis
Des Kinvig (Tony Haygarth) runs an electrical repair shop in the small town of Bingleton. One day his store is visited by Miss Griffin (Prunella Gee), who is from the planet Mercury and in need of Des' help. Kinvig's friend Jim Piper (Colin Jeavons) is a lifelong UFO watcher and is consumed by jealousy when he discovers that Kinvig has encountered extra-terrestrials. It is left intentionally ambiguous whether Kinvig's experiences with aliens are real or the product of an overactive imagination.

The show was produced by LWT, and only ran for one series of seven episodes. It was written by Nigel Kneale (more famous for Quatermass), directed and produced by Les Chatfield, with original music by Nigel Hess.
Reception

Around the time of original transmission, Kinvig was positively reviewed by The Times, the preview stating that "Cast splendid, direction deft". However, to later TV historians, Kinvig is not considered to be one of Kneale's better productions. The Guinness Book of Classic British TV claims that apart from Jeavons' performance, Kinvig was "a huge disappointment". Peter Nicholls also criticised the program, saying the scripts "lacked the precision required for decent farce". Nicholls also noted that some viewers objected to Kneale's depiction of science-fiction fans as being the same as UFO enthusiasts, and states Kinvig is notable for its "contemptuous treatment" of the leading characters.
Cast
