Anonymous wrote:I was 12 when it aired and it took me years to get over it. Traumatizing!!!!!

+1 terrifying and heartbreaking

I feel like we were maybe assigned to watch it for school and then had in class discussions but I could be wrong. It is hard to make kids understand how prevalent the nuclear war thing was at the time. I rewatched it and was like wow - this was a lot for us but we’re all ok. I do know that watching Roots was a school assignment. I was so jazzed to have tv as an assignment! I have rewatched that and it holds up and wow, everyone of note black and white, of the time was in that!

"Testament" filmed the same year had a theatrical release and was far better writing and acting. Jane Alexander starred. I saw both and Testament very impactful.

Anonymous wrote:I was 11 when this originally aired, and i remember the amount of prep that was done in school to get us ready. There were special newspaper inserts, scholastic articles, etc. Honestly, watching the movie then didn't really upset me. I happened to see it on tv a few years ago, when I was in my mid-40's, and then it scared the crap out of me.

I was the same age and definitely remember all of the hype surrounding it – and, as kids, it was a hot topic as to whose parents were going to let them watch it. I never saw the whole thing. My parents made me go to bed partway through it. I was SO annoyed.

I was ten. My mom locked me in my room, forgot I had a small black and white tv. I was pretty freaked out. Then I saw War Games and Red Dawn and felt better.

I didn't watch it. I was 12 and knew I couldn't handle it. Now, I have kids and still can't handle it.

I was 12 when it aired and it took me years to get over it. Traumatizing!!!!!

I was 11 when this originally aired, and i remember the amount of prep that was done in school to get us ready. There were special newspaper inserts, scholastic articles, etc. Honestly, watching the movie then didn't really upset me. I happened to see it on tv a few years ago, when I was in my mid-40's, and then it scared the crap out of me.

The explosion and destruction scenes were pretty state of the art and devastating to watch.

I found the ABC movie the Day After on YouTube. I was 15 when it aired and it scared the heck out of me.

My gosh the acting is terrible.

The DoD wouldn’t participate in the making of the movie.

Still it is an interesting look back at where we were in 1983.