09/02/1970      The Plastic Eaters

While on a flight to San Pedro in South America, a passenger airliner crashes after all the plastic on board inexplicably melts. Later, scientist Tobias ‘Toby’ Wren applies for a job at Doomwatch, the governmental watchdog group run by Doctor Spencer Quist; he is immediately given the job, and promptly sent off to investigate the crash. Meanwhile, Quist’s colleague Doctor John Ridge investigates at a laboratory in Beeston, and uncovers events surrounding a new experimental chemical. However, Toby soon finds himself on board another airliner, which has somehow become infected with the same plastic-eating virus - it seems his time at Doomwatch/05/19be briefer than he first expected…

16/02/1970      Friday's Child (Missing)

Doctor Quist and Doomwatch become embroiled in an enquiry into the heart transplanting practises of Doctor Patrick. Several uncomfortable questions are raised: what has he been doing to a new-born baby that has been placed in his care, and should genetic engineering be permitted in society..?

23/02/1970      Burial at Sea (Missing)

When a lifeboat crew discovers a luxury cruiser adrift in the English Channel, they find on board are a group of wealthy popstars and their girlfriends - one of whom is dead. Doomwatch investigate, and discover that the death was not from drug abuse as was previously suspected; instead they begin to uncover the facts behind the dumping of a deadly chemical warfare compound in a deep sea trench, which seems to be far from dormant…

02/03/1970      Tomorrow, the Rat

Doomwatch are alerted to reports of a number of attacks on children being rats. Toby and Bradley investigate the house of Mr. and Mrs. Chambers, victims of a recent attack; the two scientists lay traps in the kitchen, but the rodents display unusual intelligence by jamming the traps open using cutlery found on a worktop, and then viciously attack the men. Meanwhile, Ridge becomes involved with Doctor Mary Bryant, who has been conducting experiments on a group of rats in a room in her flat - but the rats have managed to escape, and have now turned carnivorous…

09/03/1970      Project Sahara

Doomwatch are joined by Doctor Robson, sent to undertake tests on the new ‘Sahara’ spray which is apparently capable of destroying all plantlife on the planet. But when Quist receives a phone call from the ministry, he is given orders to immediately suspend both Robson and Toby without any explanation. Closer investigation leads Quist and his team to discover that a new computerised security system run by Commander Keeping and Barker has become far too powerful, and is making its own decisions about government personnel…

16/03/1970      Re-Entry Forbidden

The first nuclear-powered rocket, Sunfire One, is sent into space with the first British astronaut, Dick Larch, on board. After the rocket enters Earth orbit, Larch enters an incorrect course alteration, and fails to see the error indicator, which results in Sunfire One splashing down in the sea. Quist is asked by Doctor Goldsworthy to determine whether Latch is suitable for any further missions, as another such mistake could result in the spacecraft becoming a nuclear bomb…

23/03/1970      The Devil's Sweets

While on the way to work, secretary Pat Hunnisett takes a free promotional chocolate from a group of girls on the street. Meanwhile, at the Doomwatch office, Quist and his team are investigating the sudden increase in the country’s smokers, and are surprised when Pat arrives and lights up a cigarette for the first time in five years. Quist suspects that there could be a link between the promotional chocolates and ‘Checker Board’ cigarettes, whose recent sales are doing unexpectedly well. Should subliminal advertising be allowed..?

06/04/1970      The Red Sky

Quist takes a holiday, and stays at the Cornish home of his friend Colley and his daughter Dana. He learns of the death of Captain Gort, who inexplicably threw himself off of the nearby cliffs after writing the phrase ‘the flames of hell’ on the walls of his lighthouse home. Colley visits the lighthouse, and he too sees a vision of the sky turned a fiery red. Quist suspects that these strange events are caused by the testing of a prototype jet plane, and that the noise of the engine is being amplified by the structure of the lighthouse, causing sensory damage to anyone caught within its effects…

13/04/1970      Spectre at the Feast (Missing)

In order to decide on new proposals for dealing with the dangers of pollution on the environment, Doctor Quist assembles a conference amongst the world’s top scientists. But soon several of the delegates become ill, apparently from food-poisoning. However, Quist becomes suspicious, and suspects that the sickness may have been caused deliberately…

20/04/1970      Train and De-train

When the Doomwatch team investigate the mass-destruction of wildlife in Somerset, Toby is dismayed to learn that the person seemingly responsible is his old tutor, Ellis. But closer examination uncovers the fact that Ellis is being slowly forced out of his job by American ‘de-training’ methods, and soon the finger of suspicion is pointed squarely at the company he works for, and his boss, Mitchell…

27/04/1970      The Battery People

Doomwatch hears that in South Wales, tough ex-miners have taken to drinking gin instead of their usual beer, and are unresponsive to their wives’ sexual advances, instead preferring to attend secret cock-fighting tournaments. After Quist is asked by the minister to look into the situation, as it is happening within his constituency, he and his team trace the cause to the local fish-farm, which is using a special chemical to dissolve the bones in the fish. Unfortunately, this has led to the workforce and anyone eating the fish to become sterile...

04/05/1970      Hear No Evil (Missing)

In an effort to prevent unofficial strikes by its workforce, a company in the North of England decides to use the latest scientific discovery, and attempts to manipulate both the working and the private lives of its employees by bugging them with listening devices. But when Quist hears of this underhanded practise he is furious, and decides that the only way to stop the unethical management is to turn their own method against them…

11/05/1970      Survival Code (Missing)

A military plane ditches into the sea whilst carrying three nuclear weapons on board. While the RAF mounts a search mission, an unidentified object is washed up on the shore near Byfield pier on the south coast of England. It is found by two men, Geoff Harker and Sam Billings, who decide that it must be a weather detecting device, and so begin to strip it down for parts. Toby is sent to investigate the device, but he soon finds himself faced with the terrifying prospect of disarming a very live bomb…