Aug 29, 2019
Doomwatch: The Human Time Bomb (2.10, BBC, 1971)
"Look, we don't intend to imprison a lot of people in little boxes like a lot of broiler chickens."
"I'd say that's exactly what you are doing."
"On the contrary! We want people to be happy."
"Of course, every farmer knows that unhappy chickens go off their feed."
#doomwatch#The human time bomb#Bbc#classic tv#1971#John Paul#Jean trend#Simon oates#Patrick godfrey#philip bond#Roddy mcmillan#John quayle#Kevin brennan#Joan Phillips#Talfryn thomas#Ray Armstrong#Ursula hirst#Doreen andrews#Joan kemp welch#Louis marks#Oh louis marks you clod. This is an intensely frustrating experience because although the episode as a whole is a bit of a dud as#@thisbluespirit had warned it does contain the framework of something very very good. The horrors of high rise living was (and to a degree#Remains) a very timely and relatable concern. And again the show accurately comes down on the right side of things in predicting that#Anonymous grey blocks of living space have a detrimental effect on mental health and overall wellbeing. But marks spoils it by focusing so#Much of the episode on what a troubled lady dr Chantry is and how her feeble woman self can't stand up to the strains of investigation (the#Same dr chantry who quite capably coped with a deadly virus killing schoolchildren in her first episode) and by having Ridge and worse#Quist treat her like a hysterical little girl. It's horribly patronising and entirely out of character for them all (well certainly Chantry#And Quist). A strong but large guest cast means great actors like McMillan and Philip Bond are sidelined in very minor roles#A lot of potential here for a j. G. Ballard style critique of batteryfarm living but let down by Marks' mishandling of the leads#Kemp welch's direction however is urgent and effective so this is at leasy more compelling than the islanders
