Written by Mike Gray & T.S. Cook and James Bridges, who had written Alfred Hitchcock Hour episodes, as well as The Paper Chase and co-wrote White Hunter Black Heart. Very prescient nuclear thriller - just after it was released came the Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania where radioactive gas was released into the air - luckily there were not found to be long-term health problems as a result.
Bridges has a good way of shooting TV monitors as part of the story involves news presenter Jane Fonda and cameraman Michael Douglas (who's playing it a bit like Richard Dreyfuss, who was originally cast in that role). Jack Lemmon is brilliant as the worried nuclear power plant manager who senses something is wrong. The evil power company will stop at nothing to keep the plant open.
Decision to use no music was a good one as tension mounts (there's no sound at all under the end credits). Good editing too (on the performances) by David Rawlins. DP James Crabe.
Lemmon and Fonda (good too) won BAFTAs, Lemmon also took the Cannes and David di Donatello awards.
All of which makes me wonder why we'd never seen it before.
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