This BBC miniseries has much going for it, so let me get the flaws out of the way first. The acting is good but not great as some have tried to credit it. It is very workmanlike with John Duttine as protagonist Bill Masen, Emma Relph as Josella Playton, and Maurice Colbourne as Jack Coker(he is the best). The supporting players are all very solid as well. The budget is, shall we say, limited. Yes, the plants are done almost realistically, yet other budgetary concerns are obvious particularly in the post-apocalyptic world shown in London. These; however, are minor concerns. For the best reason to see this is to read the novel first as I did and then watch this innovative yet faithful adaptation of the classic novel by a much under-appreciated John Wyndham. The 1962 movie was for me a nostalgic highlight. I then have read the book and realized what a piece of bastardized trash it is. It makes wholesale, unnecessary changes and dilutes the entire meaning and message of the book. What a shame, as the novel certainly has much to say about the world man lives in, has created for his future generations, and why he is ever so likely to destroy all of it over greed, envy, and warfare. This mini-series touches on much of this in a very subtle way. It doesn't stray much from the novel and even incorporates actual dialog throughout. The book and mini-series do indeed follow each other until Episode 4 or 5 when some characters are cut out - there are those budgetary concerns again. All in all for gritty story-telling, a science fiction story with entertainment value AND a real message for our day, The Day of the Triffids should not be missed. The 1962 film is fine for those perhaps who have not read the book. Read the book and any opinion you had of it is sure to change.
Review of The Day of the Triffids
