Rudolph F. Karscher [also known as Rudo Karscher, and as Rudolph Cartier] was born Rudolph Kacser in Vienna, Austria on 17 April 1904. He trained as an architect, however, switched career to theatre and dramatic arts attending classes given by Max Reinhardt at the Vienna Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna. In 1929 he moved to Berlin [where he changed his name to Rudolph Katscher] and joined the film studio Universum Film Archiv (UFA) as a scriptwriter. Opposed to the Nazis, in 1935 Katscher [who by now was known as Rudolph Cartier] emigrated to the UK. After an unfruitful period during which he tried to work in the British film industry, Cartier joined the BBC where he remained for the next 25 years working as a producer and director. During his time at the BBC he established a reputation as one of the most innovative figures in British television drama. He was reponsible for ground-breaking series such as ‘The Quatermass Experiment’ (1953), ‘Quatermass II’ (1955), ‘Quatermass and the Pit’ (1958), ‘Maigret’ (1961) and ‘Z Cars’ (1963), together with numerous plays. Much of his work was done in collaboration with the BBC staff writer Nigel Kneale. Cartier died in London on 7 June 1994.