Aldous Huxley was born on July 26, 1894. 38 years later, in 1932, he published his landmark dystopian science fiction novel, Brave New World — the book is celebrating its 85th birthday this year. In 1980 NBC brought the book to life for television audiences via a 3-hour miniseries that featured Harold and Maude star, Bud Cort in the role of Bernard Marx. Here’s ZeusDVDs with the skinny on this lost gem…

This 3-hour TV adaptation of the 1932 Aldous Huxley novel is set 600 years in the future. In this “well- ordered” society, the citizens are required to take mind-controlling drugs, sex without love is compulsory, and test-tube babies are commonplace because of a ban on pregnancy. Keir Dullea heads the cast as Thomas Grahmbell, “director of hatcheries”. Not everybody is satisfied with society’s lack of humanity and feeling; the loudest dissidents are free-thinking poet Heimholtz Watson (Dick Anthony Williams) and brilliant oddball Bernard Marx (Bud Cort). An injection of new “old” ideas are brought in by “primitive” John Savage (Kristoffer Tabori), who lives on an Indian reservation which still honors 20th century values. Meanwhile, Linda Lysenko (Julie Cobb) becomes a natural mother–and in so doing becomes a criminal. In keeping with the style of the original book, the script’s newly-minted characters are given names of pop-culture icons (Disney, Maoina, Stalina, and so on). Brave New World was first telecast March 7, 1980.

Here’s NBC’s Brave New World from 1980…

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