Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen

As usual Bill Paterson gives a wonderful, moving performance in this all too short a drama. One sometimes needs reminding how lucky we are these days when it comes to living standards and public health. It certainly showed in graphic detail the terrible, painful death suffered by people during the epidemic that raged between October 1918 and April 1919, and the fact that many victims were young men, returning from the horrors of World War 1, made it all the more poignant and tragic. In spite of the bleak subject matter, this is definitely an hour well spent and I thoroughly recommend it.

BBC4 should be applauded for showing such drama documentaries, and the fact there were no adverts to burst onto the screen at moments of particular emotion, thus spoiling the mood, made it so much better.

A quality drama as one would expect from the cast list dealing with actual events and almost a lone voice in the UK (it has been shown regularly by the Beeb) about what might be around the corner for us! On 18th Sept the USA had its sixth annual Preparedness Planning Day but in the UK the Civil Servants are determined to keep a low profile for fear of causing us to panic... Set in 1918 Manchester this film is pretty accurate in showing how people coped but also the poverty to which most were used in those days. We are used to luxury and 24 hr resupply by road which will be a challenge in our populace society. Dr Niven is shown applying basic principles - the big one being reduce contact between people - and the fatality rate in Manchester was far lower than elsewhere. I wonder who will be our Dr Nivens and doubt it will be the government medical officers currently saying no need to worry about the Kuwaiti man flown to London for traetment of a new SARS like coronavirus because he (or someone?) could pay for it...quote:

Prof John Oxford, a virology expert at Queen Mary, University of London, said he felt "somewhat relaxed" about the news (of the UK fatality from an unknown virus)

I advise everyone to watch this both as a quality gripping film and to ponder the lessons that have been forgotten - even if only in memory of a true public servant!

It is my experience that anything with Bill Patterson in it will be an enjoyable and satisfying watch - he is one of those 'good value for money' actors that never disappoints. Here he plays his usual determined, steadfast and 'man of great practicability' role in a slightly more subdued manner than usual which, given the gravity of the subject matter of this production - the Flu Pandemic of 1918, is entirely appropriate.

The whole cast (notably Kenneth Cranham) work well together to do good justice to this depiction of a serious episode in our history which may well be totally unknown to a great many people today. Sets, costumes and dressing are all first rate and there has been great use made of original movie footage from that time. I can recommend this little gem to anyone wanting an hour's serious entertainment and an insight to events which I suspect have been all but forgotten and yet which still resonate every year with the start of winter....