Simply Media, out now

Two nuclear bombs explode over Sheffield – and the true reality of nuclear war hits home.

For those who weren’t around in 1984 when Threads was first broadcast, it’s quite hard to explain how shocking the experience was… but, given the current tensions in the world, perhaps it’s not so hard to imagine the scenario playing out now. All too often Barry Hines and Mick Jackson’s film feels like a documentary rather than a drama (as Karen Meagher points out in her commentary, people at the time didn’t accept that an actress played Ruth, it was so real), and it’s not lost its power to shock 34 years later. The performances from Reece Dinsdale and Meagher are powerful and heartrending and the film will haunt your dreams.

The new Second Sight edition is a terrific package, including all the extras from the recent American Blu-ray release (and from expert comments made online, it seems the quality is better on this than the Blu-ray) as well as an exclusive extra – Meagher’s commentary goes into many behind the scenes areas on the production, rather than, as sometimes happens with actor commentaries, focusing purely on her role.

Verdict: One of the most important BBC productions of the 1980s given excellent treatment. 9/10

Paul Simpson