The New Invisible Man

From the archive

The Invisible Man (later known as H.G. Wells' Invisible Man) is a British black-and-white science fiction television series that aired on ITV. It aired from September 1958 to July 1959, on CBS in the USA, two seasons. Of which these shows amounted to twenty-six one-half-hour episodes. This series was loosely inspired by the 1897 novel which was authored by the famous H. G. Wells. This television program was one of at least four 'Invisible Men' television series. This interation deviates from the novel making the character's name Dr. Peter Brady. The character remains sane, opposed to a lunatic as in the book or the 1933 film adaptation. No characters from the novel appear in the series. The series also changed plot items from episode to episode. In earlier episodes, Dr. Brady's clothing becomes invisible if it is of natural fiber and natural material, but synthetic or artificial clothes stay visible. Later episodes assert that only Dr. Brady's original lab clothing is permanently invisible. Also later episodes minimize Dr. Brady's status as a scientist, and refer to him as either Mr. Brady, or just 'Brady' and as 'The Invisible Man'. The series follows the adventures of the fictional Dr. Peter Brady. He is a scientist. Dr. Brady experiments with light, and refraction. He attempts to achieve invisibility. He puts a guinea pig into an ionization chamber. The animal begins to fade from sight, Dr. Brady calls his assistant. The experiment goes wrong. There is a bang. Dr. Brady is permanently invisible. Dr. Brady doesn't understand exactly how the process occurs and is unable to duplicate it. The lab decides to lock him in. Invisible, he easily escapes making his way to his sister's house. With his sister, he returns to the laboratory. He is initially declared a state secret. He negotiates his freedom. He negotiates with the lab and the UK government, represented by Sir Charles Anderson, to allow him to return to his laboratory. Dr. Brady's sister and young niece are main characters in the series. One or both feature in a good number of the Doctor's adventures. His experiments focus on his return to visibility ("Secret Experiment"). British Intelligence recruits him for an top-secret Middle East assignment ("Crisis in the Desert") to rescue an undercover operative. After security is breached in ("Behind the Mask"), his identity is exposed. Soon he becomes a celebrity ("Picnic with Death"). Invisibility now is an avenue by which to help people who are besot with troubled predicaments, solve crimes and defeat enemy spies.