User reviews

Six serious-minded, though at times satirical, science fiction plays, none of which are very good. Varying degrees of heavyhandedness scupper most of them; they land with a thud. Also tonally uncertain and inconsistent, with cringeworthy earnestness rubbing up against would-be 2000AD style overstatement, in the same episode. There seems to have been indecision over whether to treat the terrible problems the evolving technological society would unleash with utmost seriousness or laugh in the face of such (frequently ironic) hopelessness, blackly and insanely. The best of the bunch (just) to my mind is 'The Nuclear Family', which resembles Peter Watkins awkward, less celebrated effort 'The Trap', only with a sense of humour. That said, I have a sneaking admiration for the attempt at 'serious' sci-fi, and find it perversely watchable, once a blue moon. I'd be surprised if the series ever gains much in the way of retrospective appreciation, but deserves at least an iota of recognition, and it is certainly interesting enough, if only in a time capsule sense, to warrant a small run bluray reissue (maybe as part of miscellany of similar items of the same vintage?).