The Day After

A peaceful Midwestern city attempts to recover after it is destroyed by a nuclear missile strike in this powerful and deeply disturbing testament to the folly of pro-military hawks who believed that annihilation was a justifiable means of attaining power and control. The Day After originally aired ...more

During a period of heightened Reagan-era Cold War paranoia, ABC aired this lightning rod of controversy and media attention, whose graphic depiction of nuclear holocaust engendered discussions about whether parents should allow their children to view the nightmarish images. The Day After remains one of the best-known made-for-television movies, and is still a halting piece of precautionary propaganda about nuclear arms control. If leveling a heartland Kansas city through a nuclear blast and ...more