Opening scene from survivors.

[Matthew]

Probably only one for the British post-apoc purist but recently found myself rewatching the original BBC 'Survivors' and realised how odd the first scene is with Abby playing tennis against a machine that is serving balls for her to try and return.

Trying to work out if its meant to be symbolic of something or just nothing other than an opening scene.

[edwin]

Bored underemployed middle-class housewife killing time with the latest gadget and keeping in trim to keep her end up at the tennis club. Couldn't even get her own cold drink. Meant to contrast with the life she eventually led.

[edwin]

"I could, if I had to, make a stone tennis ball, Incredible"

"But could you knit the net, mine the asphalt, erect the Umpire's chair and duplicate the speed of service machine?".

"We must stop playing tennis with rubber balls until we can replace all that we knock into next door's garden."

[Matthew]

Aug 13, 2011 21:38:55 GMT edwin said:

Bored underemployed middle-class housewife killing time with the latest gadget and keeping in trim to keep her end up at the tennis club. Couldn't even get her own cold drink. Meant to contrast with the life she eventually led.

That works. Never thought about the cold drink bit but yes, I think you are spot on.

I must admit that watching it all again I realise just how good the storylines were. Shame that the remake did not learn from that.

[edwin]

And notice the neat chauvinist bit later when her husband automatically gets in and drives car and his flash of? Irritation, annoyance? when offered bacon and eggs for his dinner.

[northernraider1]

I was very tickled with the way the 70s version always portrayed the Middle Classes as the heros, the upper class as nut jobs and the working class as needing to be led by the middle classes But its still a million times better than the terible remake.