Threads - BBC4 - 9 October 10.15pm

[AlecTrevelyan006]

Probably the most harrowing television show ever made, Threads follows the build up to and aftermath of a nuclear attack on Great Britain.

It is being broadcast for only the fourth time, and the first time since 2003.

If, like me, you watched it first time around you will never have forgotten it. If you’ve never seen it before, it is a must-watch - but prepare to be traumatised.

I don’t know that I’m fit enough to survive. I can run 5k but pulling bits off a sheep without a steel sharpened kitchen blade are beyond me. I suppose I’ll skill up, but I’d have to survive long enough to gain strength, which seems unlikely given I’d be scavaging for radioactive tins and trapping rats

It occurred to me that one of the most disturbing things about it is that people are trying to leave and they are stopped from leaving and told to go back home; surely everyone would have realised that would likely mean certain death?
I understand that the roads were gridlocked but since even a few miles is going to make a difference, you might be better running across the fields as far as you could rather than turning round and going home to the city.

I wondered if the 'Return to your homes!' order was an attempt at irony. Given that the majority of people had no homes to return to, irony was the only explanation that made sense.

I was thinking of the bit before the bomb drops, when they’re trying to escape with suitcases on the roof rack, rather than later on. I agree re the time you are thinking of, the author is definitely aware of the irony and it’s meant to highlight the complete helplessness of the authorities.

You're right, Countess, I'd forgotten that bit. To me it made perfect sense for people to get out of the city if they could, but the authorities were hopelessly unprepared. I wonder if things would be any different now.

I think if this had been written after the Chernobyl disaster it would make no sense but obviously now we all have a greater understanding of the reach of a radiation leak. But it still highlighted that the government of the day was not prepared for such a disaster from the writers point of view. I think one of. the most shocking elements for me was the environmental factors such as the temperature of the country being lowered so significantly that it would cause the huge knock on effect as to the ability of any survivors to produce any food - even if that food was edible.

Escape to where and what though, just all so bleak. Bleak really is an onomatopoeic word isn't it ...

The Atomic Hobo podcast, and the book its author wrote quite recently, talks a lot about how initially, post-war nuclear war plans did include some evacuation (cf. The War Game), but by the time Threads was made, it was realised that society would essentially not survive intact and the policy changed to telling people to stay where they were (and if that meant death, so be it, though obviously they weren't told that. If you haven't seen the Protect and Survive films, look them up. One of them is all about this - called 'Stay at Home'. Chilling).

Personally I would prefer not to survive!

Thanks, I’m binge watching Protect And Survive now!

Thanks for the podcast recommendation, I’m hooked!

Burt the Turtle 🐢

@Augustus40 I agree - I would prefer to be instantly evaporated. Call me a pessimist but I watched threads when it first came out & I have watched Chernobyl - which whilst different is a chilling in its own way

Just saw this film. It's incredible that this was shown to kids in the eighties. Weaker stuff than this gets an 18 certificate! It's certainly powerful. And I think for British people who can remember 1984, it's extra powerful because it shows normality being brutally torn apart. It isn't scary so much as very sad. I don't think anything this strong could be made today because of the reluctance to show gore and violence visited on children (or even animals).

Apparently it’s now being remade as a series 🙄 Why they can’t leave things alone and make something original is anyone’s guess

To reach a younger audience?

Really ?
I dont think there is any need for that
It was realistic becsuse of the grim 80,s backdrop lack of big budget ,and special affects.

For me re-watching this was a reminder of just how much information we all have to have to hand now. Absolutely no way these days you would accept that the government guidelines of placing yourself under a table would allow you to survive a nuclear attack. But back in the day all you had to hand was the government sponsored information films and a leaflet… That said, a lot of the public information films whilst scaring the bejesus out of kids did mean that you knew what to do if a chip pan caught fire and not to turn on any lights if you could smell gas. Unless it’s in a two minute TikTok video, I’m not sure the younger generation would tune in anyway!

It's by the same company who made 'Adolescence'. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm24nedy37ro

I agree @x2boys , it was horrifying because it was so gritty and grim. I don’t know how I feel about a slick 4K modern made version.

This episode is on the Drama channel tonight.