East Kilbride Town Centre - The Plaza, 1981. BBC Scotland's "The Mad Death"

[DaveWBedford]

Is this the same rabies drama from the 80s that started with a man picking up a fox from the side of the road?

[DaveWBedford]

Thanks for uploading this! I was sure there was a drama about rabies in the early 80s and you've confirmed it! I'll now have to see if I can find it anywhere. Great piece of action there though.

[BananaBoutRepublican]

It's just a dog....

[SuperVarulven]

I have not known how it ended until now aaaaaaaa

[ManMountain08]

someone did post the film on you tube and it was great to watch

[pierstheoneandonly]

I expect this has got Percy Edwards' animal impersonations all over the soundtrack. The 'bark' at 3.28 suggests as much.

[Kaosapts]

Has any-one out there got the entire "Mad Death" and could post it?

[Professor6871]

@Kaosapts You can see the whole drama of this in a film version at: veehd com./video/4570981_The Mad Death-1983-R. Some scenes have been taken out. For example where Ted Bishop has his first rabies hallucination, where the farmer of the combine harvester that Bishop's car has crashed into tries to strangle him. Later on you have a nasty scene where you have a soldier being attacked by pack of rabid dogs.

[PedalSteelKing]

I remember watching this in 80s along with all the Public Information Films about rabies. I was scared of dogs and cats for years. This was hard hitting and rabies is one awful death. I am still phobic about Alsation's and foxes and that creepy music just freaks me out more terrifying than any horror film...

[Kelly14UK]

@PedalSteelKing Don't worry. It was just propaganda. I haven't died of parsley flu, for example. Not yet anyway. Not once!

[martinwjordan]

What is HIVD? Would like to get all of this!

[brucedanton]

Many thanks for the posting, but please note that The Mad Death was first shown in 1983, and repeated in 1985, not 1981!

It was made by BBC Scotland at the time, and starred Richard Heffer, and was about an outbreak of rabies as I remember.

I hope that helps!

[superstrut75]

The dog who appeared in the film actually worked as a lifeguard at the dollan baths. i remember hearing his bark through the PA system.." male bathers, basket numbers 1 to 44, leave the pool now please"

[Debtwarrior]

ace! I didnt know this was east kilbride! Or scotland! No wonder I liked it - it looks like coventry!

[superstrut75]

@Debtwarrior at least Coventry had The Specials...

[Professor6871]

They don't make dramas like this anymore. This an Threads where telling story with good writing and actoring was the most important and not fancy camera work or being politically correct. This Tv drama series was those rare things where this was better than the book it was loosely based on not many drama adaptations you can say of that.

[andrewbarrett42]

@Professor6871 Yes I remember this series,I had all three episodes on the old betamax video and I use to love watching it.The first episode was the best when that guy takes a fox back to his home and the fox started attacking him.

[absolutevaleting]

i really appreciate what you've done here. what a find. i really enjoyed that.

[zzzzizzzz1]

A dog was in the mall?!!!!! That's impossible, how did the dog was going through in the mall? Oh, sir why?

[Professor6871]

@zzzzizzzz1 It showed it in the first scene where the old woman let it in. Weren't you watching it?

[eleven38]

@zzzzizzzz1 wasnt the mall its where hs samules is now, was clarkes shoes at the time

[DingKong]

I remember this show - it scared the crap out of me when I was a kid.

And this sequence was broadcast - I remember it vividly.

Please someone upload the whole thing!

[DingKong]

@Professor6871

Thanks! I must try and get hold of it.

[Professor6871]

@DingKong You can see it but not here its on Hivd in the edited 2hr veature length video from the states. The only thing I didn't like is that some of scenes have been cut ou of the f first rabid hallcination Silgar's has been left out where he his strangled by the driver of the combined harvaster he had an accident with. Instead it goes straight to the hospital. The first and third episodes are the most scary and upsetting, but all its still good watch.

Professor6871 4 days ago

[Professor6871]

@DingKong You can't get of it except from the States. Just watch it at Hivd save and yourself some money. It also shows films and tv programms it claims, in HD.

[reidnet]

I've never seen so many security guards in the town centre?! All you get these days is a wee woman with an oversized blue jacket with an earpiece?!

[zzzzizzzz1]

This dog is in the mall when the old lady let him in.

[avantgardi]

yay, I still have all 3 episodes on VHS, must be an East Kilbride thing!

[AerialRcoet]

thanks for the info on were it was filmed and iit is now thanks :]

[Professor6871]

@hairytroosers Stop talking like chav.

[andrewbarrett42]

Upload the first episode when that guy takes a fox back home and starts attacking him.

[thelearner60]

I second that but I fear he wont for copyright reasons.

[Professor6871]

@andrewbarrett42 Yea that's a really scary the first episode its still as powerful today as it was then with that guy devloping the disease. I hope this exellent drama it did scare people from thinking of illegally smuggling their pets into the UK, and for that reason that the BBC did sell thie entire mini series too Europe and world wide.

[mots777]

Brilliant stuff. I remember watching this when I was about five or six and getting all excited about seeing a jeep cruising through "The Centre". Especially when the showed the rides outside Boots, where my mum used to dump me while she did her shopping at fine fare...aah innocent times. ps - is it just me rose coloured glasses, or did john menzies in the plaza have THE best collection of magazines for sale?

[garyturner96]

I remember turning on the TV and seeing this drama when it first came out in 1983. I didn't that it was on it was on a Saturday evening I think, and it gave me nightmares for ages afterwards.

[garyturner96]

Goodness me your parents letting you watch this adult drama when you were 5 or 6 yers old whatever next?

[mots777]

nah from memory gary i was only allowed to see the ten minutes in and around the centre lol. Looking back at it all these years later, i think it has quite a 28 days / weeks later feel to it.

[LaughingPsycho]

Classic show

[TheExtremist123]

at 5:11 thats me and ma Crew goin for a drinkin session Near what now is the multy story Car Park

[markthemovieman]

PLEASE upload the whole series. I'll be yer best friend.

[Aubergineberger]

This is just brilliant. Do you by any chance remember a TV show called "EK OK" That was filmed in the late 80's too during a fun run?

I am laughing at all your labels :)

[Gasmeter123]

omg the centre has changed so much since then :O

[sharkytampy]

is this the bbc drama with the lady with all the cats in her house that have rabies that i last saw on tv in 1985

[spikenesmith]

Correct! The two main characters turn up to her house to take all her cats away, the old woman goes bonkers and traps them in a room. The female lead is terrified of cats, as you'll hear in the clip above, so she's in a bit of a tizzy.

[sinnednosbig]

I remember the theme tune to this program have not heard it in years

[spikenesmith]

yeah! It was a kid whispering the words to "All Things Bright And Beautiful".

[turner60]

Please up load to You Tube if you can the whole series. The quality is much better than the other one was. That DVD you said that you could buy doesn't work on British machine wrong code.

[spikenesmith]

Most DVD players' region coding can be changed. Google your machine's make and model number plus the word 'region', and it should tell you. Most of the time, all it is is a sequence of numbers you punch into your remote.