Threads on BBC4

[Clovius Boofus]

Threads is being reshown tonight at 22.20 on BBC4. I'm going to record it. I've not seen Threads since it was first broadcast back in 1984.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02kgkkg

[LeadBelly]

I saw it described somewhere very recently as the most frightening film ever made.

[LeadBelly]

I saw it described somewhere very recently as the most frightening film ever made.

Article in The Spectator is where I saw that I now remember, extract of which...

As we inch ever closer to Halloween, the inevitable lists of the scariest films ever made have already begun to crop up. Whenever these lists are compiled by people who actually know what they’re talking about, there’s invariably an honourable mention of a small budget, in-house BBC production which aired on BBC 2 and was never shown in cinemas.

It was written by the author of Kes and directed by a man who would go on to make Hollywood fodder such as L.A. Story and The Bodyguard. Yet when novelist Barry Hines and a director with the BBC’s science department, Mick Jackson, collaborated on Threads, they created what is now widely regarded as one of the disturbing, if not the most downright terrifying, films ever made.

[gawthorpe_view]

Thanks for the heads up.
I've set it to record, I watched it first time round and it was very much a product of its time.
Greenham Common protests about nuclear cruise missiles on UK soil, the Russians were still in Afghanistan.
A year or so later, Gorbachev came to power and things calmed down.
And yes it was scary at the time.

Spoiler alert - Sheffield gets nuked, several times.

[GetIntoEm]

I watched it maybe 12 months ago for the first time. It was decent enough, not scary by today's standards but I can imagine at the time it would have been.

Worth a watch

[karatekid]

It’s not the attack that is scary, it’s the aftermath.

[Boss Hogg]

It was a scary prospect if you watched it when it was still the Cold War.

[Clovius Boofus]

It was a scary prospect if you watched it when it was still the Cold War.

Aye. Today we are watching through our 2024 lens. Back in 1984 it was the actual time and place we lived in - we identified with the people, their homes, cars, fashion and shops etc. But yes, the aftermath will still resonate because it wouldn't be much different.

[martin_p]

Aye. Today we are watching through our 2024 lens. Back in 1984 it was the actual time and place we lived in - we identified with the people, their homes, cars, fashion and shops etc. But yes, the aftermath will still resonate because it wouldn't be much different.

Yep. I was 16 when this first went out in the days when death by nuclear holocaust seemed a real prospect. It was terrifying!

[Herts Clarets]

The world was a very different place back when this was first screened, I was 15 or 16 years old. There was the very real threat of a nuclear confrontation between the US and USSR - events the year before include the shooting down of a Korean airlines plane by the Soviets as it had flown close to a USAF squadron that the Soviets were monitoring before entering Russian air space. It was the time when the Reagan government was developing what the press called "Star Wars" which was a space based defence system that could intercept and destroy ballistic missiles. The Soviets viewed this as allowing the US to launch a nuclear strike on Russia with impunity as they could destroy any Soviet retaliatory missiles. It was the timne of nuclear warheads at Greenham Common amongst other bases and the protests that surrounded it and the annual procession through Moscow and Red Square of the Soviet military might and hardware. Look at the popular music of the year - 99 Red Balloons by Nena and Two Tribes by FGTH, both huge hits and both songs on the subject of nuclear war. I do remember watching this 40 years ago and it was very disturbing. I need to watch it again as time has dimmed the memory somewhat.

[claret2018]

It’s not the attack that is scary, it’s the aftermath.

I thought it was the build up that was the most effective - the snippets of news showing the escalation of war.

[Boss Hogg]

Watched it last night.Two things that I always remembered since l last saw it in the 80s was that car on the hill at the beginning looking down on a really dreary looking Sheffield and the speed and power of the blast. Talking one second and turned to dust the next.

Less than 2 years after its release we had Chernobyl. Not sure how anyone can live through that period and call
nuclear a green energy.

[Vintage Claret]

Also not seen this since it was first aired 40 years ago so will give it another watch as can't remember very much about it.

One particularly poignant scene that I do seem to vaguely recall though is a young woman (maybe just had/ was soon to have a baby?) re-decorating a room whilst sobbing listening to the news of the seemingly inevitable onset of nuclear war.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Read an article on the film a few weeks ago. Watched it last night no wonder it terrified people at the time.

[ClaretOfMancunia]

Available on BBC iPlayer for 25 days. Recommend a watch.

[sjb]

I thought it was the build up that was the most effective - the snippets of news showing the escalation of war.

Agree with this. It's very well done and those news bulletins are very effective. 2 interesting points are a very young Jane Hazelgrove (Bernie in Corrie) and in the opening scene you can just about hear on the car radio that we are drawing 1-1 with Bolton at half time in a 3rd Division fixture!

[exilecanada]

From one who enjoys Cold War movies, thanks for the heads up on ‘Threads’. Being on this side of the pond I don’t have access to BBC4, I took a chance and searched the streaming app ‘Tubi’ and there it was! As the movie progressed I realized I’d seen it before, possibly around the time it was first released. If memory serves US also released a similar movie from their perspective about the same timeframe which leads me to believe both were released to commemorate an anniversary? If ‘Threads’ was first aired in UK in 1984 and both bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in August 1945, the timing doesn’t really add up. If it was first aired in 1985 it would be 40 year anniversary. Oh well, great movie none the less and hope we never witness such atrocities.

[MrTopTier]

We watched this in a school gym on a weekend.

Tickets were purchased in advance and there was a lot of hype around it, village mentality ( meant there were a lot of Chinese whispers about it.

Prior to it being on there was a an old school army jeep driving round with the nuclear siren going off.

When we got to the venue, there were people dressed in army uniform with gas masks on, both inside and out.

The film then added to the propaganda of fear. Proper spooked by it all.

[Plissken]

From one who enjoys Cold War movies, thanks for the heads up on ‘Threads’. Being on this side of the pond I don’t have access to BBC4, I took a chance and searched the streaming app ‘Tubi’ and there it was! As the movie progressed I realized I’d seen it before, possibly around the time it was first released. If memory serves US also released a similar movie from their perspective about the same timeframe which leads me to believe both were released to commemorate an anniversary? If ‘Threads’ was first aired in UK in 1984 and both bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in August 1945, the timing doesn’t really add up. If it was first aired in 1985 it would be 40 year anniversary. Oh well, great movie none the less and hope we never witness such atrocities.

The Day After.

It wasn't to commemorate an anniversary - both happened around the same time because the world was getting pretty close to nuclear war. Threads, The Day After were TV movies about it, When The Wind Blows is a book/cartoon, then musically you have stuff like 99 Red Balloons, Two Tribes, Dancing With Tears in our Eyes - all warning of the dangers of pushing the button.

What is interesting about the reactions of global leaders of the time, Reagan, Thatcher and others was "Is this stuff accurate?" When told yes, they began to realise what they were dealing with. I believe that similar feelings were aired in Russia and other places.

[exilecanada]

The Day After.

It wasn't to commemorate an anniversary - both happened around the same time because the world was getting pretty close to nuclear war. Threads, The Day After were TV movies about it, When The Wind Blows is a book/cartoon, then musically you have stuff like 99 Red Balloons, Two Tribes, Dancing With Tears in our Eyes - all warning of the dangers of pushing the button.

What is interesting about the reactions of global leaders of the time, Reagan, Thatcher and others was "Is this stuff accurate?" When told yes, they began to realise what they were dealing with. I believe that similar feelings were aired in Russia and other places.

Thank you for that information, I'll search "The Day After' on Tubi.

[hoskinsgoalatswansea]

The Day After.

It wasn't to commemorate an anniversary - both happened around the same time because the world was getting pretty close to nuclear war. Threads, The Day After were TV movies about it, When The Wind Blows is a book/cartoon, then musically you have stuff like 99 Red Balloons, Two Tribes, Dancing With Tears in our Eyes - all warning of the dangers of pushing the button.

What is interesting about the reactions of global leaders of the time, Reagan, Thatcher and others was "Is this stuff accurate?" When told yes, they began to realise what they were dealing with. I believe that similar feelings were aired in Russia and other places.

‘Dancing with tears in my eyes’ was penned by Midge Ure after reading ‘On the beach’ by Nevil Shute. I read it a few weeks ago. A decent read despite its grim topic.

A story about nuclear war breaking out in the northern hemisphere, and people in Australia waiting for the radiation to reach them there in the coming months, knowing that certain death awaits, with only the weather affecting when it will happen. An interesting take on how does society live their lives when the end is coming, but there’s still some time to live.

[ecc]

The Day After.

It wasn't to commemorate an anniversary - both happened around the same time because the world was getting pretty close to nuclear war. Threads, The Day After were TV movies about it, When The Wind Blows is a book/cartoon, then musically you have stuff like 99 Red Balloons, Two Tribes, Dancing With Tears in our Eyes - all warning of the dangers of pushing the button.

What is interesting about the reactions of global leaders of the time, Reagan, Thatcher and others was "Is this stuff accurate?" When told yes, they began to realise what they were dealing with. I believe that similar feelings were aired in Russia and other places.

Watched it on YT recently. It's a good film. I think it would have been better shot in black and white but that's just my opinion.

Apparently, the director didn't want any stars in it so it would seem more realistic which I think was a good idea. However, ABC (it was a film for TV) insisted on one well-known actor to sell the film in Europe. The actor chosen was Jason Robards who was a good actor without being an A-list star.

[boatshed bill]

Watched it tonight. Amazing and shocking.

[BigAlClaret]

As well as Threads and The Day After,QED:A Guide To Armageddon was shown on British television at a similar time.Well worth watching on YouTube it was also shocking at a time when fear of nuclear destruction was only too real.

[Vintage Claret]

On the same topic, 'Thirteen Days' is a movie worth a watch if you're interested in that kind of thing.

Based on real life events during the 'Cuban missile crisis' of 1962 it depicts how scarily close the world actually came to a nuclear war at that time

[Inchy]

I watched it last night.

Very good film but also quite scary

I was born in 87 so by the time I was aware of the world, all the nuclear fears were gone.

I imagine watching it during the Cold War would be very uncomfortable.

[MrTopTier]

Watched it again.

Not as freaked out this time.

Written by Barry Hines, the author of Kes.

[TsarBomba]

Watched it in the early hours of this morning when I couldn’t sleep. Was close to turning it off on a few occasions, especially when the young kid was walking through the streets shouting for his Mum.

Very powerful.

Had I watched that in the 80’s I probably would’ve signed up to CND.

Has anyone watched the American equivalent?

[exilecanada]

Watched it in the early hours of this morning when I couldn’t sleep. Was close to turning it off on a few occasions, especially when the young kid was walking through the streets shouting for his Mum.

Very powerful.

Had I watched that in the 80’s I probably would’ve signed up to CND.

Has anyone watched the American equivalent?

I re-watched the American equivalent "The Day After" last night on YouTube, saw it when it was first released. Pretty much rubbish compared to UK version. To me it came across like a regular movie rather than depicting the probable series of events after a nuclear attack.

[dushanbe]

For anyone with an interest in this sort of thing, theres a really interesting book called ‘nuclear war a scenario’ by Annie Jacobsen. It depicts how nuclear war could start almost accidentally and then follows it through from initial blast to years after.

[JohnMac]

Indeed the 1980's were a scary time during the Cold War, in 1983 only the common sense of Soviet Air Force Lt Col Stanislav Petrov prevented Armageddon!

The Soviet Missile detection system activated, showing incoming ICBM 's from the USA.

Petrov thought it strange only 5 missiles had been launched and took the decision to wait instead of launching a counter strike. As we now know it was a false alarm as the satellites mistook sun reflections on the clouds for incoming missiles!