1990

This series scared the crap out of me at the time and was the most real portrayal of what could happen here in Britain under a despotic government.

And guess what? It's happening, the bureaucracy, surveillance, scapegoatig class war, trila by jury being reduced, disclosure of "previous" which will pejudice juries and others. CCTV, smart cards without which you will become a "non-citizen", State accomodation for "public sector workers" (oppose the state and lose your home), intrusive bureaucrats and officials monitoring our offspring. Get the books and see what I mean.

Hopefully. the entire series will be released on video or DVD or perhaps repeated on terrestrial TV..

In 1990 there was a control freak Home Secretary obsessed with regulating everything and with Blunkett and what he is doing to our justice system will realise Wilfred Greatorex's nightmare.

If the centres for asylum seekers don't pan out they could become the New Labour ARCs (Adult Rehabilitation Centres)

"1990", along with "The Guardians", represents great British "political" sci fi from the 1970s. I heartily agree with the previous commentator who looked forward to a "1990" DVD reissue. Let's hope they do a double with "The Guardians".

The real innovation of the show was not the police state future conjured up, that's been done before, but the fictional dictatorship's use of "Authorised Systematic Harassment". This amounted to essentially the use of all the mundane irritating rules and regulations we are familiar with today, in a systematic, targeted and tyrannical way.

1990 was a lot more innovative and chilling than modern movie treatments like "V".

I just about remember this as a child, In was at 11-12 too young to really get it, though the limited understanding I had, was enough to stay in the memory as sinister.

It was a product of the time in that it took what some saw as the post war advance of 'big government' to one possible conclusion. Just like the best sci-fi, of the best, understated British kind, with the pessimistic view of a future inherent in this genre.

But I cannot agree with the idea that this series foretold today, the recent, under the previous government (though some may cite the handling of the 1984/5 miners strike by the government of the day as well) questioning of civil liberties, the expansion of a 'police state', all the CCTV, the DNA database, the (latterly) unsuccessful attempts to lengthen detention of terrorist suspects, were not, unlike in '1990', the systematic work of a very authoritarian regime. Rather it was driven by fear. Fear of hostile media on crime, fear of, if a massive '9/11' style attack happened, being thought of any neglect that allowed an attack. An obsession to meet targets to produce evidence of 'fighting crime'.

Reality check - most CCTV systems in the UK are not controlled by the police, the state in general, rather they are operated on private premises, shops, shopping centres, business parks etc. Central control only exists in the third Bourne movie.

For all that, it does now seem that the coalition are going to roll back many of the controversial changes of the last 15 years or so. Because in a democracy, a change of government can do this. Unlike the world depicted in '1990'.

Still, I would love to see a DVD release, it was a superior series which did make for useful comment of a possible future, some of which did occur, though not so far in the all encompassing way of '1990'.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series when it first graced our screens in the late 1970's. However, it seems that it is not well known, as many people I talk to who were around in those days, claim not to have heard of it. It's a pity it only lasted for 16 episodes - I would love to watch them all again, perhaps if and when they are put out on DVD.

Obviously now, with hindsight, the Great Britain of the future which we see portrayed in this series, has not (yet) eventuated. This 1990 depicts a distinct "ruling class" and an "under-class" consisting mostly of "non-citizens" as they are called. It is virtually impossible to do anything "anonymously", and society is, to all intents and purposes cashless, with currency (ie notes and coin) non-existent. Everything is paid for with "credits" (not pounds or dollars) from one's account. Transactional anonymity is only possible if one is able to pay with gold (assuming the seller is prepared to accept payment in gold). Not surprisingly, something of a black market and underground movement develops. This series is very much about "big brother", and whilst most of it has not come to fruition (yet), who knows what might happen in the future? It is for this reason that I highly recommend watching the series, if given the chance. Don't let its mere title deceive you by making you think that it lacks topicality - what it has to say may yet come to pass!

This series about an authoritarian Britain very much in the model of 1984 was timely in 1978 but even more so today.

With the overwhelming presence of CCTV, attempts to control the internet and the reluctance of the UK government to abide rulings that it destroy DNA samples of innocent persons picked up by the police but never charged or found not guilty in court cases and numerous reductions in civil rights because of "terrorism" etc. the scenario at the heart of "1990" is well and truly with us.

No wonder this series is not available on DVD ...the powers that be would be terrified of it!