Threads - Broadcast and Release History

Broadcast and Release History

Threads was first broadcast on BBC Two on 23 September 1984. It was repeated on BBC One on 1 August 1985 as part of a week of programmes marking the fortieth anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which also saw the first television screening of The War Game (which had been deemed too disturbing for television in the 20 years since it had been made). This repeat was also for the benefit of those who had 405-line TV sets at the time of the original transmission, which were incapable of receiving BBC-2. Threads was not shown again on British screens until the digital channel BBC Four broadcast it in October 2003.

Threads was broadcast in the United States on cable network Superstation TBS on 13 January 1985, followed by a panel discussion on nuclear war. It was also shown on PBS stations as part of fund raising drives. Threads was broadcast in Australia on the Nine Network on 19 June 1985. Unusually for a commercial network, it broadcast the play without commercial breaks. Subsequent broadcasts have often been heavily edited with the most graphic footage removed, including much of the firestorm sequence, Ruth walking through the devastated city and the hospital scene.

Threads was originally released by BBC Video (on VHS and, for a very short period, Betamax) in 1987 (catalogue number BBCV4071) in the United Kingdom but soon went out of print and became a much sought-after item in the 1990s. The play was re-released on both VHS and DVD in 2000 on the Revelation label, followed by a new DVD only edition in 2005. Due to licensing difficulties the 1987 release replaced Chuck Berry's recording of his song "Johnny B. Goode" with an alternative recording of the song. The 1987 release was also longer (114 minutes instead of 112) than the modern release. This is because certain scenes were reported to have been removed in the later release for unknown reasons.