The Day of the Triffids (1981): Part Three

 "Full bodied. Mature. Just a little pretentious, I would say."

This is more first tier television, right from the cliffhangerrresolution as Bill and Jo find their Ford Cortina attacked by a load of terrifying blind people, one of whom is Morris Barry.

They soon escape from that, and begin to bond as a very real and very well-written couple who both need each other. It's 1981 so, of course, it's Jo who does the cooking and there's a bit of social class awkwardness which is nicely brushed away.

But there's realism. They must leave London. Now civilisation has ended the risk of typhoid and tetanus is too great: they need somewhere less populous, and dream of a place in the country with a well and a generator while philosophising aboit what will happen to human civilisation and the hard choices that lie ahead. They can't save everyone. For humanity to survive, most of the blind must be abandoned. It's horrible, but unavoidable.

Such dilemmas are writ even larger when they meet Michael Beadley and his scarily efficient and certain gang, naive about Triffids, mostly sensible and harsh, but disturbingly insistent on polyamory with a little light misogyny. Surely polygamy, with a small population, just means inbreeding?

This is fascinating, philosophical disaster telly. And the cliffhanger is both exciting and an indicator that our favourite couple may well not be partaking in this dubious utopia.