Tonight, the BBC will air two of its most controversial films ever, one of which is airing for just the second time ever, after it was banned for 20 years.
One half of the duo is Threads, a nuclear war drama released in 1984 which simulates in horrifyingly realistic detail what would happen if Nuclear War broke out in the UK, and was shown last year for just the fourth time ever.
The film is considered one of the scariest of all time, receiving a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 4/4 score from legendary film critic Roger Ebert, and some even claimed it was so harrowing it changed Ronald Reagan’s view on the Cold War.
BBC, however, will also air The War Game tonight, and this film is perhaps even more controversial than Threads.
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The War Game similarly was produced in the midst of the Cold War, produced in 1965 to mark 20 years since the Hiroshima bombings.
The controversial film was then not aired on TV until 1985, with the BBC claiming the footage was simply too harrowing to air.
The War Game is shockingly realistic, depicting a reality in which China invading South Vietnam triggered an all-out world war.
It shows a town in Kent ravaged by fears of a possible Nuclear War, and then eventually a disturbing reality when a bomb goes off.
When Threads aired on TV last year, one film fan said: "Dare I say it if you want a nuclear war film that is even more grim then watch the BBC’s The War Game from the 1960s.
"So bad it didn’t get shown on TV until the 80s, and never since. It is truly shocking. Worse than Threads."
The film is presented as a documentary style drama with its presenter suggesting they wanted it to appear as if it was an official government broadcast.
Following political pressure, the BBC pulled the film from its imminent air date, though it still went on to win an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
When discussing the reasoning for pulling the film off the air, the BBC said it was simply ‘too horrifying for the medium of broadcasting’.
Tonight's rare screening will mark the 40-year anniversary of The War Game finally making it to air 20 years on from its planned release, and will be just the second time it is ever shown on TV.
The legendary Roger Ebert praised the film as ‘one of the most skilful documentary films ever made’, with The War Game sitting at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Despite both airing decades ago, the films are both incredibly to the fears of modern society due to the fears of war breaking out between Russia and the United States.
Threads is being remade by the creators of Adolescence, and finally, after 40 years, The War Game will appear on BBC televisions once again.
The War Game and Threads will air on BBC Four tonight, July 30.
Topics: BBC, Threads, Film, TV, TV and Film
Michael Slavin