November 28, 2008 

Day of the Triffids makes a return

One of the best British Sci-Fi series

One of the best British Sci-Fi mini-series

“Day of the Triffids” is a great classic British Sci-fi mini-series. The BBC have remade the concept a number of times but this one done in 1981 is by far the best.

Everyone knows the concept. Meteors rain down over the planet blinding everyone who watches them. Then the planet is over run with man eating plants (the aforementioned Triffids). These things are no match for able bodied people. But a population of blind people are easy pickings.

The story revolves around Bill Masen (Centre of picture). He wakes up from an operation only to find the hospital is deserted. It slowly dawns on him that has happened, and what it takes to escape the city and the triffids. Bill finds a group of survivors and this is when it goes from bad to worse for him. Not only are the triffids a problem, but so are other people.

It is a great mini-series to watch (only two parts). The production values are pretty good for the BBC, and the acting is well done. The thing I like the most is they try and move the story on from just the initial shock. Looking at what it takes to survive in that situation.

If there is one problem is it, it is the ending. The story doesn’t really seem to end, as if they were after a second series. It would have made an excellent second series, but that never came to be. So you are left with an ending that works, but leaves you wanting more. Maybe that is why I enjoy it so much.

But the great news is the BBC will be remaking the show. Setting it in the close future when fossil fuels have run out. The concept sounds good, and I have high hopes they will pull it of. More info from the Guardian

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  • nikobe

    Can you believe I never saw this, not sure why maybe it just never came on tv as a kid. I’ll be sure to remedy this soon.

  • binny

    You really should see it. I didn’t see it until about 5 years ago. They show it every now and then on UKTV Gold,

    But you can get it cheap on play: http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/619637/Day-Of-The-Triffids/Product.html

  • nikobe

    Finally got round to watching it all, very good if dated.

    Was interesting though how much scarier the blinded people were than the killer plants, at least the plants were predictable the people they met were very random and almost all very weird (that guy who enjoys randomly shooting survivors).

    I think Sarah’s comment about the end was “Is that it?” but she enjoyed it over all.

  • binny

    The ending is very disappointing, but also a lot of fun in many ways. It is obviously keeping the story open, but I think provides a nice close. You have only got to see a snippet of there life and that’s all you are going to get.

    You have hit the nail on the head. The scary part of the story is not the killer plants, its us. We are the ones who make all the problems. We are the ones who are far more dangerous and irrational. The plants are just doing what they are supposed to do.

    Its a series of its time. Dated definitely, but I think its got a strong cast, and a good take on the story.

    Now you have seen that, its on to “Blakes 7″ :)

  • nikobe

    The new version is coming out at Christmas isn’t it?

  • http://www.biggiantrobots.com/movies/day-of-the-triffids-is-back/ Day of the Triffids Is Back | Big Giant Robots

    [...] time ago I wrote about one of my favourite Sci-Fi TV Series “Day of the Triffids“. Made in 1981, much like “Blakes 7” it is a little known British gem of a show that [...]

  • ali

    loved this series as a child, very scary!