Threads (1984)

I've seen a lot of retro-tv in my time, but Threads is definitely one of the more disturbing dramas out there. This acclaimed piece of television drama, written by Barry Hines and Mick Jackson, focuses on the idea of a UK in decline after nuclear fallout.

The story focuses on the Beckett and Kemp families. Ruth Beckett  becomes pregnant  with Jimmy Kemp's baby and they are due to be married. Their plans for the future are cut short when war breaks out and the Soviets launch nuclear missiles over the United Kingdom.

There is a sense of hopelessness. The Sheffield authorities try to survive in an underground bunker, but there is a cave in at the entrance. By the time the rescue team dig to the bunker all of the authorities are dead. Jimmy disappears and we never truly find out if he's still alive.  Jimmy's parents die of radiation sickness. Ruth's parents stick to the government regulations, they still end up dead - killed by looters who are trying to steal their food.

Jimmy's dissapearance means that Ruth is the closest thing to a main protagonist. She has no goals other than to survive. It is through her trying to live her life that we see the burned victims and

The one tiny bit of hope is the birth of Ruth's baby, Jane. The story flashes to ten years later and things have only improved a little Farming is difficult due to increase in insects and the use of old fashioned farming tools. Jane and the other children of the post-war world are illiterate. Jane gets pregnant and her baby is a stillborn mess.

There is no incidental music. The horrible sound of the howling wind, or the burning fires, help to create an atmosphere more than just shoving in some faux-dramatic orchestra. There is no need for music to bludgeon through.

Putting this in a blog called 'The House of Trivia' is somewhat troubling. The subject matter can hardly be considered trivial. All in all this is one of the more interesting depictions of a Britain in decline. I would highly recommend this, although the DVD version seems to have been coped from an old VHS release. It's not a particularly nice tale, but it is a very compelling one.

9/10