Horrifying array of deadly weapons

Press, 23 February 1978, Page 15

Horrifying array of deadly weapons

After being bombarded with the horrifying array of weaponry and sophisticated spying equipment of the major powers, the new Thames series from TVI, “The Intelligence

Game,” soon palled in its appeal.

It is, of course, quite reasonable that we should know what the super powers are up to, to what use tax spending on

KEN COATES

By

defence is put and what the prospects are for peace. The research and filming of Thames Television certainly revealed the awesome size and extent of the armed readiness of the NATO forces and the Soviet Union.

The relative strengths of each side, and the argument that developed as to what would happen should an attack be made seemed to lose point with the realisation that little of the world as we know it would be left after wholesale offensives. ,Just where the NATO side stands was difficult to establish. The issue became clouded in the argument between the retired United States general and the cool, crisp English intelligence commander. It seemed to be very much the hawk versus the dove. There was however, a compelling fascination about the programme as the weapons were paraded — the aircraft called a “prowler,” for example, looked very much like a flying death trap. It was not very reassuring to hear the saying, of Chinese origin, that the more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in war. And it was interesting to have the teenage reaction to the announcement that next week’s programme in the series will be about “the superweapons.” “Who would want to know ” asked the young viewer. Perhaps it was the need for pure escapism which kept viewers in front of the set for a repeat viewing of the earlier “Avengers.” It was nice to see Emma Peel again after all this time, but somehow it is difficult to recapture the excitement that one remembers from the early series. “The Fear Merchants” were not nearly as awesome as when the series was first shown — and certainly not as frightening as the preceding programme.