The Day of the Triffids 

When a comet blinds nearly everyone in the world, a genetically-engineered species of plant takes over.

Stars:

John Duttine, Emma Relph, Maurice Colbourne

Cast

Series cast summary:
John Duttine	...	Bill 6 episodes, 1981
Emma Relph	...	Jo 4 episodes, 1981
Maurice Colbourne	...	Coker 4 episodes, 1981
Jonathan Newth	...	Dr Soames 2 episodes, 1981
Gary Olsen	...	Red-Haired Man / ... 2 episodes, 1981
Perlita Neilson	...	Miss Durrant 2 episodes, 1981
Jenny Lipman	...	Mary 2 episodes, 1981
Desmond Adams	...	Dennis 2 episodes, 1981
Elizabeth Chambers	...	Car Attacker 2 episodes, 1981
Morris Barry	...	Car Attacker 2 episodes, 1981
Bernie Searle	...	Car Attacker 2 episodes, 1981

Storyline

A terrible catastrophe has struck the population of Earth. Almost everyone on the planet has been rendered blind by the arrival of a bright comet and its debris lighting up the darkened skies, but the brightness has caused permanent eye damage. Bill Masen, who was unable to watch the spectacular but deadly free firework display, finds himself in a nightmarish world where he believes himself to be the only sighted person left. But soon he finds a soul-mate, Jo Pleyton, who can also see. As the days progress, they find more and more sighted people and together they make plans to build a future. But there is a problem. A walking, carnivorous plant called a "Triffid," which up until now was kept safely in paddocks and zoos, has broken free and has discovered a taste for rotting, human flesh. The remaining blind are helpless and many fall prey to the Triffids' lethal whipping sting, but can the sighted keep this fearful plant at bay?

---

Plot Keywords:

plant | tv mini series | post apocalypse | based on novel | 

---

Taglines:

Fantastic, frightening, but entirely plausible. John Wyndham's famous story of a world dominated by monstrous, stinging plants catches the imagination like the best of HG Wells.

---

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 September 1981 (UK)

Also Known As:

Dan Trifida

Filming Locations:

Senate House, University College London, Malet Street, Bloomsbury, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Australian Broadcasting Commission,British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),RCTV Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min (3 episodes) 26 min (6 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mortar bombs are ineffective against Triffids because they share a tree's ability to take great damage without lethal harm. Or they can wait for their prey to emerge just by putting down roots to lull people into a false sense of security and then suddenly spring to life and attack, even a passing car, covering the windscreen in their poison. Spraying the ground with arsenic can deter Triffids but only temporarily. If they do find a way in they'll surround a house right up to the windows. Wearing protection from the Triffids includes thick clothing, gloves, a leather helmet, goggles and a mesh mask. You could hack your way through with a carving knife wearing all this, but their poison can penetrate a mask if there are enough of them. Triffids can collapse a fence (even if reinforced) by concentrating their efforts, even if it means dying in the attempt. Triffids can be electrified but not without a steady power source.

---

Goofs

At several places in the series, Bill Masen calls out for Emma instead of Jo. Emma Relph was the actress who played Jo Payton.

---

Connections

Referenced in The 100 Greatest Scary Moments (2003)

User Reviews

This is the real story of ... The Day of the Triffids!

This is the best ever version of this famous science fiction novel. Even the choice of John Duttine as Bill Masen is very close to how I imagined him to look like. An average 36 year old man, who is lying in hospital, with his eyes bandaged up. This was the result of a Triffid sting. In the 1962 film, we do not find out why Bill Masen has this treatment! The triffids themselves are spot on! in detail and you see the sting lash out about 10 feet long.That is how John Wyndham describes them. So the BBC and Douglas Livingstone ,got this spot on! and we see Bill Masen as a child experiencing his first Triffid in his back garden. This DVD that I now have, has been eagerly awaited by myself. The opening music, is composed and conducted by Christopher Gunning. and is very stirring. every part of the dialogue was also as spoken in the book, (Yes I have read the book) and I know just how the story should unfold on the screen. It is a pity that widescreen TV's did not exist in 1981! as this would of been a great widescreen production. This series was in 6 parts by the way. You get a collector's booklet and all 6 parts on the DVD! Number BBC DVD 1152!