First Born (TV serial)
A genetic researcher creates a human-gorilla hybrid with tragic results.
Barbara Segal · CC BY-SA 4.0
First Born is a British science fiction television serial that aired on the BBC in 1988, directed by Philip Saville. The cast included Charles Dance, Jamie Foster, Julie Peasgood, Gabrielle Anwar, Philip Madoc, Sharon Duce, and Roshan Seth.
The story follows Edward Forester, a genetic researcher played by Charles Dance, who works at a government institute focused on creating hybrid animals. While the institute's official goal is to produce an orangutan-gorilla hybrid, Forester secretly aims to create a human-gorilla hybrid, a plan known only to him and his superior, Colonel Lancing. Unbeknownst to Lancing, Forester uses his own sperm for the experiments. After several failures, a female gorilla named Mary is successfully inseminated and gives birth to a baby, designated H07 but nicknamed Gordon, or "Gor." The child survives and thrives, defying expectations.
When Mary rejects Gor, Forester realizes the infant cannot stay at the institute. His colleague Chris Knott and Chris's wife Nancy, who cannot have children, agree to foster him. As Gor grows, his body hair falls out and he appears entirely human, leading Chris to suspect he was accidentally swapped with a human infant from the institute. Meanwhile, Lancing tells Forester that the government has ordered all hybrid research to stop and all embryos, including Gor, to be terminated. Forester falsifies the termination report, and Gor continues living with Chris and Nancy. When Chris confronts Forester, Forester admits Gor is a human-gorilla hybrid. Chris then hands Gor back to Forester, who puts the baby in a basket and sets it adrift in a river. After hearing Nancy's cries of anguish, Forester rescues Gor and takes him to a farmer named Jessop, who cares for some of the institute's animals. When Jessop neglects Gor, Forester arranges for Jessop's sister Emily to take him in.
Five years later, Forester checks on Gor, who is healthy but cannot speak because his vocal cords are fused like a gorilla's. After experimental surgery and speech therapy in Switzerland, Gor learns to speak and is adopted by Forester, to the dismay of Forester's wife Anne, who doubts his story that the boy's parents died in a car crash. Jessop sees a newspaper photo of Gor with the Foresters, kidnaps him, and tries to blackmail Forester.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Science fiction
- Creator
- Maureen Duffy
- Based on
- Gor Saga
- Writer
- Ted Whitehead
- Director
- Philip Saville
- Starring
- Charles Dance
- Julie Peasgood
- Philip Madoc
- Theme music
- Hans Zimmer
- Country
- Britain
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The serial was written by Ted Whitehead and adapted from the novel Gor Saga by Maureen Duffy. It was produced by Sally Head and directed by Philip Saville, with the theme tune composed by Hans Zimmer. A portion of filming took place in and around the North Wiltshire area, with the Forester family home scenes filmed on location in Calne. Woodland scenes from Episode 2 were primarily filmed at Savernake Forest near Marlborough, mixed with footage from Switzerland. Longleat Safari Park was used as the setting for kidnap scenes at the end of Episode 2.
The story follows Edward Forester, a genetic researcher at a government-run institute, who secretly uses his own sperm to inseminate a female gorilla named Mary, creating a hybrid child nicknamed Gor. The child is raised by various caretakers, eventually adopted by Forester, and later discovers his true origins. The serial ends with Gor being killed by his gorilla mother, and Forester realizing that Gor fathered a child with his half-sister Nell.
Reader's Guide
First Born is a three-part serial that aired on the BBC in 1988. Science fiction historian Brian Stableford gave it a negative review, describing it as a 'knee-jerk hymn of hate against scientists in general' and 'a kind of dumbed-down Doomwatch episode expanded to three times its natural length'. The serial was released on Region 2 DVD in the UK by 2entertain Ltd on 17 July 2006. Its significance lies in its adaptation of Maureen Duffy's novel and its treatment of genetic engineering themes, though it received mixed critical reception. The serial is also noted for its early score by Hans Zimmer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main premise of First Born?
The serial follows Edward Forester, a genetic researcher who covertly pursues a human-gorilla hybrid at a government institute whose stated mission is only an orangutan-gorilla crossbreed. His secret agenda is shared solely with his superior, Colonel Lancing, and leads to deeply tragic consequences.
What source material is First Born based on?
Ted Whitehead adapted the teleplay from Maureen Duffy's novel Gor Saga. The story uses the framework of genetic engineering to examine ethical boundaries and the personal cost of scientific overreach.
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