Threads (TV 1984)

Documentary style account of a nuclear holocaust and its effect on the working class city of Sheffield, England; and the eventual long term effects of nuclear war on civilization.

Director:

Mick Jackson

Writer:

Barry Hines

Stars:

Karen Meagher, Reece Dinsdale, David Brierly

4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Karen Meagher	...	Ruth Beckett
Reece Dinsdale	...	Jimmy Kemp
David Brierly	...	Mr. Kemp (as David Brierley)
Rita May	...	Mrs. Kemp
Nicholas Lane	...	Michael Kemp
Jane Hazlegrove	...	Alison Kemp
Henry Moxon	...	Mr. Beckett
June Broughton	...	Mrs. Beckett
Sylvia Stoker	...	Granny Beckett
Harry Beety	...	Clive Sutton
Ruth Holden	...	Marjorie Sutton
Ashley Barker	...	Bob
Michael O'Hagan	...	Chief Supt. Hirst
Phil Rose	...	Medical Officer
Steve Halliwell	...	Information Officer

Storyline

Documentary style account of a nuclear holocaust and its effect on the working class city of Sheffield, England; and the eventual long running effects of nuclear war on civilization.

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Plot Keywords:

nuclear | nuclear war | nuclear holocaust | birth | no survivors | 

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Taglines:

The closest you'll ever want to come to nuclear war.

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | War

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Details

Country:

UK Australia USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1984 (UK)

Also Known As:

Catástrofe Nuclear

Filming Locations:

Buxton, Derbyshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Nine Network Australia, Western-World Television Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Dolby Digital (DVD Release)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Often referred to as Britain's answer to The Day After.

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Goofs

When the air-raid siren sounds, we see an elderly woman in a red coat and black hat running toward a department store door. Seconds later, after we see the police car and other people running, the camera goes back to an overhead view of the square. The same woman is now standing in the middle of the square, well away from the doors.

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Quotes

Michael Kemp: Jimmy's getting married!
Alison Kemp: Are you? Well it's a bit sudden! You're not even engaged!
Jimmy Kemp: How do you know? Anyway, it's nowt to do wi' you, so keep your nose out.
Alison Kemp: Are you getting married in a church or in a registry office?
Michael Kemp: Alison, what's an abortion?
Mrs. Kemp: Michael! I've told you once...
Alison Kemp: Oh! So *that's* it!

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Connections

Referenced in Time Shift: Apocalypse Now... and Then (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Johnny B. Goode"
Written by Chuck Berry
Performed by Chuck Berry

User Reviews

Shocking yet extremely realistic nuclear-war telemovie...

As with most other reviewers who saw this movie, I too have had shocking images burned into my brain that I will never forget.

I first saw this when I was in 8th grade. Our teacher showed us the first half but then she went on sick leave and for some reason, we never got to see the rest of the film. Most of the other students didn't really care, but for years I've always wondered how the movie turned out.

Well I recently rented this after I saw it at video store I just signed up at and all I can say is, "Oh my God." Although captivating, this movie is shockingly and frightfully sickening in the most humane way possible. It focuses on the threat of a nuclear war that is imposed on the residents of an industrial town in Britain, "Sheffield". The nuclear war will affect all of Britain and penultimately, the rest of the world, but we focus on several different characters and families that reside in Sheffield.

We spend the first half of the movie focusing on people in every day life situations which lead into reports of a nuclear war scare and finally, widespread panic in society that results after it becomes apparent that a nuclear war WILL most likely occur.

The halfway point of the movie is the nuclear explosion itself. We see buildings explode, bodies incinerate and perhaps the end of the world as we may all know it.

The second half of the movie focuses on the aftermath of the nuclear devastation and the collapse of a working society. I can't even begin to name all of the horrors that are examined to great detail. We witness cannibalism, famine and disease. We particularly follow the exploits of one character, 'Ruth', pregnant with a child before the nuclear war, we witness the birth of the 'nuclear generation', and particularly, the exploits of her daughter once she is exposed to what world and life has become.

When the credits rolled, my brain couldn't tell me to find the remote and press stop. It was too busy filtering through all the images and 'what if' scenarios that were running through my brain after watching "Threads". I realise that at the time of this movie's initial release, nuclear war was a possible threat. It is now almost 16 years later and this movie still has enough power and grist to tell and show you that ANYTHING 'nuclear' is wrong.

This is a movie every school child should be forced to watch. I admit that it may induce nightmares, but this is a movie that has a message that MUST be received.