The DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS

   1. Film (1963). Security Pictures/Allied Artists. Dir Steve Sekely (uncredited), Freddie Francis, starring Howard Keel, Nicole Maurey, Janette Scott, Kieron Moore. Screenplay Philip Yordan, based on The Day of the Triffids (1951) by John WYNDHAM. 94 mins. Colour.

   This unsuccessful version of a good novel had a moderately generous budget, but no sense whatever of how sf works. Thus there is plenty of preaching, lots of florid love interest, but only intermittent attention paid to the basic situation, which, while silly, should have been interesting: most of England's population blinded by light from a meteor shower, and a small group, still sighted, trying to cope with attacks from lethal 7ft (2.1m) mobile vegetables. The triffids are more absurd than frightening.

   2. UK tv serial (1981). BBC. Dir Ken Hannam, adapted from Wyndham's novel by Douglas Livingstone, starring John Duttine, Emma Relph. 6 30min episodes (aired outside the UK as a 2-part miniseries). Colour.

   This was a low-key but successful dramatization of the story, much better than the film.

   JB/PN