Part 1 (28 Dec. 2009)

His eyes bandaged after a hospital operation Bill Masen misses the solar showers which blind much of the world's population and free the Triffids, carnivorous stinging plants used as a fuel... See full summary »

Director:

Nick Copus

Writers:

Patrick Harbinson, Patrick Harbinson (adaptation),

Stars:

Dougray Scott, Joely Richardson, Eddie Izzard

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Dougray Scott	...	Bill Masen
Joely Richardson	...	Jo Playton
Eddie Izzard	...	Torrence
Brian Cox	...	Dennis Masen (credit only)
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Durrant (credit only)
Jason Priestley	...	Coker
Ewen Bremner	...	Walter
Shane Taylor	...	Osman
Andreas Hoppe	...	Vorloss
Troy Glasgow	...	Troy
Nora-Jane Noone	...	Lucy
Genevieve O'Reilly	...	Michelle Beardley
Steven Elder	...	Doctor Kotch
Tim Frances	...	Colonel
Rita Davies	...	Old Lady

Storyline

His eyes bandaged after a hospital operation Bill Masen misses the solar showers which blind much of the world's population and free the Triffids, carnivorous stinging plants used as a fuel source, giving them mobility. On the panic-stricken streets of London he rescues Jo Playdon, a radio presenter who missed the showers when she was in an underground crash, from being used as a human guide dog and they search for her father, only to find Triffids have killed him. Following an emergency radio broadcast with Jo in which Bill spells out the danger of the Triffids, they travel to find Dennis, Bill's dad, and,like his son, a Triffid expert.Years earlier,Bill's mother was killed by a Triffid when she and her husband were researching the creatures in Africa.A meeting with a skeleton government yields nothing but the couple fall in with the altruistic military man Coker, who is rounding up survivors to combat the Triffids. His group includes self-seeking Torrence, who wants to become leader...

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Plot Keywords:

tv mini series | airplane crash | flesh eating plant | father son estrangement | research laboratory | 

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Genres:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 December 2009 (UK)

Filming Locations:

The Eden Project, St Austell, Cornwall, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Power, Prodigy Pictures, BBC Wales

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

(at around 17 mins) Jo Playton's scar is on the opposite side of her forehead.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bill Masen: How could it happen? How could the world get swallowed up so quickly? - It was because we had our eyes closed, even when we could see. And we'd let them get too close.

User Reviews

Appalling script

We all know the premise and it has been tampered with to some degree to form some kind of ecological morality tale. So far not too bad. However the script is really badly put together giving the cast little to work with. Eddie Izzard as a villain acquits himself as well as he is able but Dougray Scott and Joely Richardson have absolutely nothing to work with and to be honest it makes them look like amateur actors. The special effects are acceptable and one does want to know what happens next so I guess I will take a look at the second part of this two parter. It seems to me that the whole production would have been better constructed as a longer multi-episode series. 6 out of 10 for effort.Could do better. I think I preferred the earlier Howard Keel version which was much cheesier but much more enjoyable.