Latest news with #MickJackson
Scotsman
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
BBC to air two of its most ‘horrifying' programmes tonight
Threads and The War Game to air on BBC Four - but maybe best not to watch them before bed 😨 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A double bill of two of the most 'horrifying' films will air tonight. The War Game and Threads will be televised on BBC Four. Both offer frighteningly realistic aftermaths of nuclear war. If you want to get a good night's sleep this evening, you may just want to avoid BBC Four. The channel will be airing a double bill featuring two of the most horrifying films ever made by the broadcaster. Classic movies The War Game and Threads will be playing this evening and could be set to traumatise a whole new generation. Dating from the 1960s and 1980s respectively, the films are a product of Cold War anxieties about 'The Bomb'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Each tackles the run-up to and the potential aftermath of a nuclear war happening. Fortunately, in the decades since, they have remained simple warnings and not prophetic visions. I have not personally watched The War Game, but during my A-Level history course we spent a deeply haunting two hour class watching Threads. It has remained seared into my mind ever since and I still get chills anytime I see the name. When is The War Game and Threads on TV? One of the most terrifying films ever made, 'Threads' is an account of the aftermath of nucleur war in the English city of Sheffield. Originally released in 1984, if anything it's scarier now than it was then. If you don't mind having nightmares, you can watch it on the BBC iPlayer. | BBC BBC Four will be running a double bill of the two classic apocalyptic visions this evening (July 30). First up will be The War Game, which is set to start at 10.10 pm, following a brief 10-minute prelude called Michael Aspel Remembers - The War Game. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The documentary will run for 45 minutes and is set to finish at 10.55 pm, according to the schedule. It will be followed by a second prelude programme in which Threads director Mick Jackson reflects on the 1980s movie. Threads itself is due to start at 11.15 pm and will run until 1.10 am. The movie has an approximate runtime of 112 minutes. What are the movies about? Both The War Game and Threads were born out of the Cold War anxieties about the looming threat of nuclear war. The tension between the communist bloc and the capitalist world threatened to bubble over on numerous occasions in the decades between WW2 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in the 1990s, most famous of which was the Cuban Missile Crisis. The preview for The War Game, via Radio Times , reads: 'Docudrama that imagines the events leading up to a nuclear strike on the UK, then presents its likely after-effects. Director Peter Watkins focuses on a decimated community in Kent as public health declines, order crumbles and martial law is declared.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Meanwhile Threads is about, according to Radio Times: 'Harrowing drama about the consequences of nuclear war, focusing on two Sheffield families in the days leading up to - and the years following - a direct hit on the city. First shown in 1984, the award-winning film pulls no punches in its depiction of the fallout.' Who is in the cast of The War Game and Threads? The War Game was made with an unknown cast with Michael Aspel as a commentator. Threads on the other hand features some more recognisable names. It starred . Reece Dinsdale and Karen Meagher. The former would go on to appear in shows like Spooks and Home to Roost. Are the films really that scary? I cannot personally speak to The War Game as I have never actually seen this docudrama. However, it caused such a fluster in the BBC and the Government back in the 1960s that it was pulled from its provisional premiere date of October 6, 1965. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The film would go on to be screened at the National Theatre in London from April 13, 1966, to May 3 of that year. It would not be broadcast on TV until 1985, the day before a repeat of Threads. Legendary film critic Roger Ebert gave The War Game four stars in 1967 and described it as featuring some of 'the most horrifying (scenes) ever put on film'. He hailed its 'remarkable authenticity'. On the other hand, I can firmly speak to the deeply unsettling and harrowing nature of Threads. It has been nearly 15 years since I watched the movie, on a spring afternoon in a classroom on the top floor of my sixth form (Nunthorpe Sixth Form in Middlesbrough). The hairs on the back of my neck still stand up at just the mention of the film's title. Some of the scenes feel like they have been permanently branded in my mind's eye. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Only a very few times in my life have I been so deeply affected by a movie or TV show that is has disrupted my sleep - and Threads was one such time. For reference, another was when watching the ghost train episode of Thomas the Tank Engine as a pre-schooler (I slept with my head under the covers for a year). It is not one for the faint of heart, and you would probably be wise to mentally prepare yourself before turning it on. Did you watch Threads when it was originally on TV - or in the years since? Let me know your thoughts and if it scared you as much as it did me by email: . If you love TV, check out our Screen Babble podcast to get the latest in TV and film.
Scotsman
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
BBC to air two of its most ‘horrifying' programmes tonight
Threads and The War Game to air on BBC Four - but maybe best not to watch them before bed 😨 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A double bill of two of the most 'horrifying' films will air tonight. The War Game and Threads will be televised on BBC Four. Both offer frighteningly realistic aftermaths of nuclear war. If you want to get a good night's sleep this evening, you may just want to avoid BBC Four. The channel will be airing a double bill featuring two of the most horrifying films ever made by the broadcaster. Classic movies The War Game and Threads will be playing this evening and could be set to traumatise a whole new generation. Dating from the 1960s and 1980s respectively, the films are a product of Cold War anxieties about 'The Bomb'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Each tackles the run-up to and the potential aftermath of a nuclear war happening. Fortunately, in the decades since, they have remained simple warnings and not prophetic visions. I have not personally watched The War Game, but during my A-Level history course we spent a deeply haunting two hour class watching Threads. It has remained seared into my mind ever since and I still get chills anytime I see the name. When is The War Game and Threads on TV? One of the most terrifying films ever made, 'Threads' is an account of the aftermath of nucleur war in the English city of Sheffield. Originally released in 1984, if anything it's scarier now than it was then. If you don't mind having nightmares, you can watch it on the BBC iPlayer. | BBC BBC Four will be running a double bill of the two classic apocalyptic visions this evening (July 30). First up will be The War Game, which is set to start at 10.10 pm, following a brief 10-minute prelude called Michael Aspel Remembers - The War Game. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The documentary will run for 45 minutes and is set to finish at 10.55 pm, according to the schedule. It will be followed by a second prelude programme in which Threads director Mick Jackson reflects on the 1980s movie. Threads itself is due to start at 11.15 pm and will run until 1.10 am. The movie has an approximate runtime of 112 minutes. What are the movies about? Both The War Game and Threads were born out of the Cold War anxieties about the looming threat of nuclear war. The tension between the communist bloc and the capitalist world threatened to bubble over on numerous occasions in the decades between WW2 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in the 1990s, most famous of which was the Cuban Missile Crisis. The preview for The War Game, via Radio Times , reads: 'Docudrama that imagines the events leading up to a nuclear strike on the UK, then presents its likely after-effects. Director Peter Watkins focuses on a decimated community in Kent as public health declines, order crumbles and martial law is declared.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Meanwhile Threads is about, according to Radio Times: 'Harrowing drama about the consequences of nuclear war, focusing on two Sheffield families in the days leading up to - and the years following - a direct hit on the city. First shown in 1984, the award-winning film pulls no punches in its depiction of the fallout.' Who is in the cast of The War Game and Threads? The War Game was made with an unknown cast with Michael Aspel as a commentator. Threads on the other hand features some more recognisable names. It starred . Reece Dinsdale and Karen Meagher. The former would go on to appear in shows like Spooks and Home to Roost. Are the films really that scary? I cannot personally speak to The War Game as I have never actually seen this docudrama. However, it caused such a fluster in the BBC and the Government back in the 1960s that it was pulled from its provisional premiere date of October 6, 1965. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The film would go on to be screened at the National Theatre in London from April 13, 1966, to May 3 of that year. It would not be broadcast on TV until 1985, the day before a repeat of Threads. Legendary film critic Roger Ebert gave The War Game four stars in 1967 and described it as featuring some of 'the most horrifying (scenes) ever put on film'. He hailed its 'remarkable authenticity'. On the other hand, I can firmly speak to the deeply unsettling and harrowing nature of Threads. It has been nearly 15 years since I watched the movie, on a spring afternoon in a classroom on the top floor of my sixth form (Nunthorpe Sixth Form in Middlesbrough). The hairs on the back of my neck still stand up at just the mention of the film's title. Some of the scenes feel like they have been permanently branded in my mind's eye. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Only a very few times in my life have I been so deeply affected by a movie or TV show that is has disrupted my sleep - and Threads was one such time. For reference, another was when watching the ghost train episode of Thomas the Tank Engine as a pre-schooler (I slept with my head under the covers for a year). It is not one for the faint of heart, and you would probably be wise to mentally prepare yourself before turning it on. Did you watch Threads when it was originally on TV - or in the years since? Let me know your thoughts and if it scared you as much as it did me by email: .
Daily Record
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC war film so 'realistic and horrifying' it was banned from screens for 20 years
Threads first aired on BBC2 in 1984 and was watched by more than 6m people but was subsequently withdrawn from public view and not broadcast again for 20 years This 'horrific' film premiered on BBC2 in 1984 but then vanished from the public eye for two decades. Threads is a chilling apocalyptic war drama that delves into the aftermath of a nuclear war in Britain, portraying its "realistic" medical, economic, and environmental impacts that initially left viewers shell-shocked. Over time, the grim predictions of the film have seemed increasingly plausible. The script, penned by Barry Hines and direction by Mick Jackson, hauntingly depicts the struggles of families in Sheffield enduring the catastrophic effects of a Soviet nuclear attack. The scale of the calamity is immense, with widespread chaos and countless casualties across Britain. One viewer said: "I first saw this when it came out – the public were often still fairly innocent about the bomb, and of course the Berlin Wall still existed, a symbol of issues with Russia. 40 years and many disaster films later, all with special effects and everything, and this old TV film still hits extremely hard." They added that Threads' portrayal of "normal people" renders the film "absolutely horrific". They said: "It's hard watching, but it does what it means to do – underlines that there are no winners in nuclear war. Fantastic film which still holds its own, if extremely depressing. Bring a tissue or two.", reports the Express. What sets the film apart from other war movies of its era is its unique focus on ordinary civilians caught amidst destruction rather than glorified war heroes. Threads portrays the aftermath of conflict as individuals attempt to navigate their lives in a world scarred by death and devastation. The chilling impact of the film continues to resonate to this day, cementing its status as a "unique" masterpiece in the annals of British cinema. It has even beckoned a new generation of filmmakers, one of whom is Charlie Brooker, the mind behind Black Mirror. Brooker shared his poignant experience of the film on Desert Island Discs in 2018, reflecting on the confusion and dread it stirred in him at the age of 13: "I remember watching Threads and not being able to process what that meant, not understanding how society kept going... While the world has changed in so many ways since Threads was first broadcast, it retains its harrowing power." Despite a period of prohibition, the film managed to garner a staggering seven BAFTA nominations, ultimately securing four wins that included Best Single Drama and Best Design. Critics and viewers alike attribute the film's "realistic and horrifying" quality to the meticulous and deliberate artistic choices made by its creators. One review reads: "It is bleak to its very final frame and is something I can understand most viewers only watch once. Very well made and a powerful message. "Though I do debate the accuracy of some of its claims, this is an important film for multiple generations to see." More than four decades after its debut, amid escalating worldwide tension, movie enthusiasts are encouraging folks to view Threads, currently accessible on BBC iPlayer.
The Guardian
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘The time is right for it': Adolescence team to reboot nuclear war drama Threads
With several wars raging, powerful countries squaring up and the world seemingly tilting towards authoritarianism, it would seem a challenging time to expose television audiences to a notoriously bleak story of a British city experiencing the fallout from nuclear war. Yet a UK team of producers behind the global Netflix hit Adolescence believe it is precisely the right time to recreate Threads, a British film from the 1980s that had audiences weeping and horrified at its pitiless storyline. 'It feels really clear that all the news is getting a little scarier,' said Emily Feller, the chief creative officer at Warp Films, the Sheffield-based production company that co-produced Adolescence. 'In the last few years, we've seen more wars coming into our lives again … there has been talk over the last couple of years about various nuclear powers, and I think it feels incredibly prescient to be talking about it again.' The company is developing an episodic TV drama based on the original film, which was made by the British director Mick Jackson and written by the Kes author, Barry Hines. It proved controversial when it was first broadcast on BBC Two in 1984. Some viewers thought it was a documentary, while others argued its harrowing depiction of post-apocalyptic Sheffield should not have been aired at all. However, Mark Herbert, Warp's chief executive, who grew up near South Yorkshire city and remembers the impact Threads had on the country, said he hoped the remake would highlight 'the best of humanity and the worst of humanity' – which he regarded as another contemporary talking point. 'I was born in Doncaster,' he said. 'I grew up in a mining community, and Sheffield was about 15 miles away. I was 14, and I remember walking into school and everybody had seen it. People thought it was real. It had this real public-safety film vibe to it. They had budget limitations, so they had to use real public service and news footage. 'It's a different time now – we're 40 years on – but it feels like the time is right for it. There's also a bit of what people have brought up about our previous work, like This is England. Even the darkest stuff, it's got a huge heart to it. And I think there is a huge heart in Threads that we can explore. It feels like enough time has passed that we can take that original and do something a bit bold, original and fresh with it.' It is early days for the project. No writer, director or cast have been signed up or announced. But the Warp team believe Threads provides echoes of Adolescence, in the story's ability to display authenticity and heart in the most desolate of situations. With increasing concerns that British stories may be squeezed out of TV drama as broadcasters search for hits that work worldwide, the Warp team also believe Threads can be another project set in a British city capable of drawing global audiences. 'The way the original film was written and made, it absolutely had that voice of Sheffield,' Feller said. 'And I think that's the kind of place, again, where you find that very rounded heart to the storytelling.' There is no doubt taking on the project is a challenge. Jackson, who also produced the original film, said he suspected Threads was not enjoyable for most viewers – and should not have aimed to be. 'I feel very strongly that it shouldn't be entertaining,' he said. 'To use something as important as nuclear war as a vehicle for entertainment is quite, quite wrong.' Herbert said projects focusing on realistic characters in a recognisable urban setting would attract and challenge viewers. 'It's that authenticity,' he said. 'It really has to come from the page, from the characters. It's a bit like my favourite gangster series, Gommorah, which is so specifically Naples. Yet it's just mind-blowing – and then has characters that are different. 'I'm quite attracted to slightly outsider stories. For us, it's trying to think: how do we surprise someone next?'
BBC News
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Threads fans react to news of Sheffield remake 40 years on
Forty years after nuclear war film Threads shocked audiences, the production company behind hit TV show Adolescence have announced it is being remade as a TV series - but what do the people behind the original think?Set in Sheffield in 1984, the apocalyptic drama was directed and produced by Mick Jackson and written by Barry follows two families over 13 years as a war between the United States and the Soviet Union causes a nuclear film featured thousands of people from Sheffield who took part as extras. One of those was Rob Brown, who was 16 at the time."I had just left school and was going to college for drama and dance. A few of us from our class went down and helped out."It was like a low-budget film. I think it came out on early DVD, and you could only really get it from the library. "We just turned up on the day. We had a soup wagon and that was our wages for the day." Mr Brown says he was shocked to hear the show was being remade, but couldn't wait to see it."I wish them all the luck in the world to get it filmed in Sheffield - try and get Sean Bean in it - you never know," he says. He adds he thinks now, 40 years on, is the right time for a remake."Because of what's happening in Russia and other parts of the world it might be a good time to release it. "The technology might be better now too - it were good for its time, but it'd be better now." Rob Nevitt is the director of SURVIVORS: The Spectre of Threads, a documentary about the show celebrating its 40th anniversary. He says Warp Films - the production company behind Adolescence, BBC One show Reunion and This Is England - is the perfect choice for the remake."Warp Films are the natural successors to Barry Hines, who wrote the original Threads," he says."Warp have got this huge history in Sheffield and they've made some amazing productions, films and TV. So, if anyone's going to do it, they're the people to do it."He says Thread is an important part of the city's history and the remake "100%" has to be set in Sheffield"It's such a huge thing to people from Sheffield and it's a massive part of Sheffield's history so if you tried to take it elsewhere there would be uproar."For many people, Threads has stuck with them because of the brutal portrayal of the apocalyptic "facts" of a nuclear war, he says, and hopes that element of the remake will be upheld."It was so based on actual fact, because Mick Jackson who directed it had a background in science," he says. "He originally did the BBC science education programme called a Guide to Armageddon, which was all about the scientific facts of what a nuclear bomb would do to a city, so the way to do it is to take that fact and not make it too fictional."We talked to one of the advisers on the original production, and he said a nuclear bomb would be 100 times worse now in terms of the devastation caused, and the effects, if it dropped on Sheffield everywhere would be gone. "It's a grim prospect, but given the way the world is now, it becomes apparent that's it's a real threat again."We've interviewed extras who have said to us that now they see it they feel they should have never stopped worrying about it." David Lawrence is one of the authors of Scarred for Life, a series of books looking at the impact of 1970s and 80s pop culture - and producer of the spin-off says the original Threads was the "ultimate expression about the fear of nuclear war"."Where it was set is crucial. Everybody knows those streets, those buildings."I think seeing them get absolutely wiped out by a nuclear bomb is possibly more affecting."Seeing an ordinary city, a city that you know, is far more impactful - it grounds it in a reality, especially hearing voices, which are not received pronunciation, grounds it in the reality of most people."It's vital that successive generations are reminded of such horror so a remake is very timely and the message at its core is absolutely timeless especially as people don't seem to watch the news as much as they used to." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
