BIG SCREEN TV - "ON THE BEACH"

'The Doctor Blake Mysteries'
"A Night to Remember" (2015)
It is mentioned that Jacqueline Maddern had recently had a role in an American film about the end of the world based on a book by Nevil Shute.

DR. LUCIEN BLAKE:

What sort of mood was Miss Maddern in? 

PAMELA GILCHRIST:

Excited. She was preparing for her trip. 

DR. LUCIEN BLAKE:

Trip? 

PAMELA GILCHRIST:

To the United States.
She, er, just had a role in that big American picture they were shooting here. 

DR. LUCIEN BLAKE:

Oh, yes. The one about the end of the world, the Nevil Shute book? 

PAMELA GILCHRIST:

Yes.

From Wikipedia:

"On the Beach" is a 1959 American post-apocalyptic science fiction drama film from United Artists, produced and directed by Stanley Kramer, that stars Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins.

 

This black-and-white film is based on Nevil Shute's 1957 novel of the same name depicting the aftermath of a nuclear war. Unlike the novel, no blame is placed on whoever started the war; it is hinted in the film that the threat of annihilation may have arisen from an accident or misjudgment.
"On The Beach" was mentioned in another TV series set in the main Toobworld, but one which also could be found in the Audioverse originally.

'Hancock's Half Hour'

"Sid in Love" (1960)
Tony and Sid have been to see the film. Tony finds it a thought-provoking experience, but Sid is less sure. "Not my fault Fred Astaire didn't do any dancing," mutters Hancock.

And "On The Beach" also can found in an alternate TV dimension which had a different line of succession for the President of the United States.  (First there was the POTUS played by William H. Macy, and then his successor, President Benjamin Castillo who was in three episodes played by Benito Martinez.)  Even with that major difference, the alteration to their dimension didn't prevent "On The Beach" from being made.

'The Unit' 

"Sub-Conscious" (2007)
Kim refers to an old black-and-white movie "about the end of the world" with Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner.  (She had fallen asleep while watching "On The Beach" on the late show and it influenced her dream.)

There was a TV movie based on the book, which would make the characters multiversal, but they wouldn't be found in the main Toobworld, not with that plotline.  I suppose that version of Shute's novel would be in one of the many TV movie dimensions.

I'm actually surprised there were that many references to the movie.  I mean, it's a real downer.  But at least there were reasons for each.  Patricia Maddern appeared in the Toobworld version of the movie, and Tony and Sid went to see it in April of 1960, just over four months after it had opened.  By the time Kim had seen it, "On The Beach" was already playing on TV... and I would not be surprised if it was showing on the televersion of TCM.

BCnU!