Sf films and television followed very different paths in the 1950s, not only that but American sf films and television programs of the 1950s were substantially different from those made in Britain. To address both of these mediums as one in regards to the sf genre in the 1950s would be an inaccurate study of the genre. Other common accounts of the sf genre in the 1950s express sf film and television as predominantly about alien invasion narratives that parallel the tensions of the Cold war (pg 71). These too, are problematic studies of the genre in the 1950s. 
    In the United States sf films were more prominent in the 1950s than television sf.  While many movies during the 1950s were about alien invasion Jancovich argues that the alien invader was used in multiple ways that expressed anxieties about developments within the US, and not just outside threats. Movies such as The Thing From Another World (1951)  or Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) we see aliens associated with “new forms of rational bureaucratic management” (pg 71) such as scientists vs. the military, authority vs. subordinates. These movies make commentary on the elite of experts that had emerged in postwar America, and that they are just as much of a threat as any external threat from the Soviet Union or outer space.  The cycle of sf films in the 1950s began with two space exploration films, Destination Moon (1950) and Rocketship (1950), which set the stage for the allure of sf exploration. However, these films lacked a strong narrative and following these sf films made little effort to be “realistic”, such as Forbidden Planet (1956) that show explorers embarking on missions to new worlds where they meet alien civilizations. The biggest trend in the 1950s though, was not about human travel but rather alien visitations to Earth.  The start of the 1950s, stories of alien visitation were not considered horror stories about invading monsters and many alien visitors were saviors of humanity, and some were manifestations of humanity's own destructive urges (pg 74). Such as nuclear testing, scientific progress, and the gruesome aftermath of nuclear war. Following The Thing From Another world  (1951) there were a cycle of alien invasion movies that were cheaper to produce (73). Interestingly a lot of these films were referred to as horror films at the time. Sf films at the time were very horror-oriented and clearly blurred the two genres.  
     Genres work very differently in different mediums, which we see in the 1950s. American sf television was not nearly as respected as film, and they had many differences. American television sf was mainly ruled by stories that mirrored comic book heroes, whereas American sf films avoided this.  Television sf was seen as a product for children but began to break out of this by using different methods to begin to validate itself. Science Fiction Theatre (1955-7) claimed “every story in the series will be based on scientific facts” while Tales of Tomorrow (1951-3) was influenced by sf literature. These shows also used anthology format, meaning each episode was a discrete story/play rather than a weekly return to the same setting, characters, and stars, which created greater audience loyalty. It wasn’t until the end of the decade sf television finally established its credibility with Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone (1959-64). Sterling was already credible and had a strong reputation as a writer of several highly regarded plays that often caused a stir with their controversial social commentary. Twilight Zone was one of the first sf television shows to be taken seriously in the US. 
    America cinema was generally seen as more creative than television in this period, whereas Britain was the opposite and television is seen as the more creative of the two mediums. Several British films were inspired by television series (pg 75). The most well known film that was based off of a television series was the Quatermass serials. They did this not only in hopes to be as popular as the television show but also to gain popularity in America as a film. In order to gain popularity in America though necessary changes had to be made, such as using Hollywood actors/actresses. 
 While sf was still very much linked to pulp magazines and comic books in the US, the BBC already had deep roots in the “European traditions of the literary scientific romance and of science-fictional themes and forms in legitimate theater” (pg. 76).  A crucial difference of the early shows in Britain was that they were not made for children  The most well-known series, The Quatermass Experiment (1953), a  story about an astronaut who metamorphoses into a monster after being contaminated by an Alien lifeform.  It is story about scientific discovery and the threats it may have to earth. There were many other television series that went on to explore this theme of the “troubled scientist” in Britain television sf. Quatermass II (1955) and Quatermass and the Pit (1958) went on to explore the theme of a totalitarian future that Britain is doomed to.  
       Overall, while this chapter covered sf in the United States in regards to television and film as well as in Britain.  It is clear that Britain and United States experience sf differently as well as the two mediums; television and film. While even today people still remember sf in 1950s as only being concerned with alien invasions that are inspired by the tensions of the Cold War,  it is clear that sf is a complicated genre that pushes boundaries and this is a limiting account of sf in the 1950s.