Since its unveiling one week ago, Facebook proprietor Meta has attracted more than 100 million users to the novel social media app Threads. Despite this, the title of the service evokes an altogether distinct sense to observers who watched a famous BBC show broadcasted nearly four decades ago.
Families gathered around the television on a Sunday evening in September 1984, unaware of the potential terror they were about to witness.
At 9:30, the movie Threads, which ran for 112 minutes, was broadcasted by the BBC.
With only four television networks available, the grim post-Cold War thriller from Sheffield managed to reach millions of households - often causing insomnia amongst those who had the misfortune of witnessing the dystopian spectacle.
Barry Hines, the writer of the film 'Kes', depicted the devastating effect of a thermonuclear explosion on common people of Britain in a very realistic manner.
Created on a modest budget and helmed by the documentary director Mick Jackson - who had future success with hit movie The Bodyguard - it made people shudder during a time in which the threat of nuclear war was an actual fear.
Threads depicts the breakdown of a South Yorkshire society, centred on a young couple, as a consequence of the Miners' Strike, and ultimately, the ensuing nuclear winter.
Stephen Brotherstone remarked that no matter how often he sees it, the sight remains just as horrifying and grim as ever before.
He and David Lawrence are the authors of Scarred for Life, a series of books examining the influence of 70s and 80s pop culture.
Brotherstone and his companion both recall the movie vividly; however, Brotherstone only managed to get through the first part of it when it was first shown, due to it being so overwhelming.
After the movie was shown a second time, he at last watched it from beginning to end--something that has resulted in his continuing to remember it.
I will never forget lying in bed in my room and being able to view the street in front of my parents' home. It was as if I was looking at an overlay of ruined houses and debris, and the scene impacted me deeply.
When Reece Dinsdale read the script for the film and saw that it was written by Hines, he was immediately drawn to it, as he was a fan of the writer's work. He said the script "looked really special".
Despite not being aware of the significance the drama would have, the actor from Normanton was about to star in the sitcom Home to Roost along with John Thaw.
"We were amazed at the prospect of pulling this off, never anticipating just how big of an impact it would have."
The filming of the movie took place in Sheffield and afterwards, a screening was held for 500 people in the same city.
The actor recollected that it was deathly quiet in the room, with the only sounds being the sobbing of various people. That was not my intent and I'm sorry for the pain I have caused."
People still hold me responsible for permanently damaging them. That was not my goal and I apologize for the hurt I have inflicted.
It's widely said to be the most frightening sight anyone has ever witnessed and still holds true today.
Threads was produced and released during a time of intense conflict between the West and the Soviet Union.
Lawrence and Brotherstone are in the process of writing a third installment in their series that examines the Cold War, including a chapter on Threads.
Lawrence remarked that 1983 and 1984 were the epitome of Cold War anxiety in the eighties.
Pop songs, television, comics, and the film Threads have all referred to the notion of nuclear war. Watching Threads can be especially chilling as it brings on screen every nightmare you've ever had.
Brotherstone was certain he wouldn't make it to the year 1990.
He asked when they would press the button rather than if they would press the button.
Dinsdale and Karen Meagher's characters, Jimmy and Ruth, are presented with the news of Ruth's pregnancy at the beginning of the movie.
Tensions between East and West that are escalating are apparent on TV and in newspapers, but Sheffield's residents are going about their everyday routines without addressing the danger that is looming.
Lawrence remarked that leading up to the war was not visibly present, but rather was talked about in passing while they deliberated what to have for dinner.
They are so deeply entrenched in their own lives, which I believe is quite impressive.
Dinsdale thought Hines's writing was "amazing".
They represent all people, typical individuals living commonplace existence, nothing unique about them, yet what occurs is exceptional and captures one's attention.
Brotherstone declared that Jackson, the director, had considered having the actors from Coronation Street employed at the beginning.
He mentioned that it was only suggested to him that it would be very disruptive if they saw Deirdre Barlow being exploded.
The atmosphere is very 70s and 80s Play for Today-esque; I think that it serves to add to the Britishness of the piece."
It has an unmistakable 70s and 80s Play for Today feel which works in its favour due to its strong sense of Britishness. This nostalgic vibe only further emphasizes the sense of Britishness.
That was a house reminiscent of my own; Woolworths was going up in smoke, and it really hit close to home.
The closing sequences of the film portray the characters going through immense hardship as they endure the frigid temperatures associated with the nuclear winter caused by the explosions.
It witnesses every person perishing and observes society crumbling permanently."
Brotherstone declared that it was clear society would never return -- language had disappeared, and skills had been lost, leaving people no better off than if they were only communicating by grunts.
Dinsdale declared that the actors and crew had a wonderful time making the film.
We had the most uproarious laugh I can recall; it was among the most joyous crews ever.
For him, Threads is a seminal work of television that still has an effect on the public.
He remarked that the BBC had crafted one of its most remarkable works.
This experience is truly ghastly and painfully accurate."
It is so dark and macabre and so honest and authentic and so dreadful. This ordeal is truly appalling and distressingly precise.
I take great pride in it.
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