When the Cold War turns to open Nuclear War suddenly none of that matters at fucking all.
This infamous 1984 BBC drama documentary recounts the stark horror of nuclear war and the descent of Sheffield and nearby countryside into medieval barbarism with a clipped RP voiceover and matter of fact infographics.
Spanning a generation it aloofly observes Ruth and then her daughter Jane's brutalised existence until a shocking final shot. All joy and culture is stripped from the world, iconified by Jimmy's colour book of rare songbirds which Ruth carries through all the horror until it is abandoned uncaringly with her corpse.
Still quite a tough watch in a world where movies like "Children of Men" & "The Road" get cinema releases I can't imagine the effect this had on TV in the 80s. This is the first time I've watched it.
Very much of its time this is something that should be required viewing for anybody who wants to understand the fears of those who grew up during the Cold War. As a piece of drama relevant to modern times it has perhaps now been superseded as the yardstick for portraying the horrors of total war and societal collapse.
Recommended 9/10 but maybe only once ever when the time is right.