Original subtitles

No-one would have believed

in the first years of the 20th century

that we were being watched by intelligences greater than Man's,

yet as mortal as his own.

That as men busied themselves about their various concerns,

they were scrutinised as narrowly as creatures that swarm

and multiply in a drop of water.

Yet across the gulf of space,

intellects vast, cool and unsympathetic

regarded this Earth with envious eyes...

...and slowly and surely

drew their plans against us.

- I think I saw it. - Oh, really?

- Really? - Yes. It...

There. Look.

- Do you mind if I...? - Please.

Good lord. So that's Mars.

Yes, but did you see a pillar of smoke?

Like a reddish flash round the edge?

- Yes. - Yes.

May I? If one of you kind people could, er...

I hope I can catch a...

...piece of this in time.

Now if you would please hold very still.

Gosh, look at that!

What do you think it is?

A volcanic eruption, perhaps.

Along the lines of Krakatoa, only bigger.

People saw something similar the last time Mars was this close to Earth,

during the oppositions of '94 and '98.

Keep it. It's a present.

- Welcome to the neighbourhood. - Well...

We're pariahs, you know, George and I.

- Well, yes. I'm afraid so. - Welcome to the neighbourhood.

At least it's nice to have someone to talk to in Woking.

Oh, is it really? No, that must be lovely for you.

Yes, thanks very much.

- Stop it, George! - No, it's the corner that's the worry.

- Try sitting. Sit. - No, it's actually easier standing up.

You wobble when you stand.

You're looking at me in a very meaningful way, George.

Well, you just make me feel very poetic, Amy.

Are you sure it's poetry you're thinking about?

- Poetry's very passionate, isn't it? - Yes. But it's brief.

Look. You've got one from the Socialist Society

for the Abolition of Capital.

Oh, they've tracked me down, have they?

- George? - Yes.

- You forgot something. - What?

Give me a kiss.

Mmm!

We won't be stuck here forever.

- Well, we might. - I promise.

Bye.

Gentlemen. Good morning.

It seems like the fuse we've all been watching for the last

year may have just been lit.

Six trawlers out of Hull, 50 miles offshore,

they were fired on and sunk.

12 dead. Family men.

Fired on by whom?

Russian navy's sailing south at the moment, en route to engage the Japs.

Working theory is they mistook them for Japanese torpedo boats.

What, a bunch of trawlers, 5,000 miles from Japan?

Either way, Arnold, Britain will be joining the show.

So response from the Admiralty, please.

They're readying the troops.

The Minister for War is going to be making a statement,

get me a decent quote.

You, Russian embassy, Naval situation.

- Sir... - George, general research.

Very good, sir, but would you mind awfully

if I went to the Admiralty instead?

It's only, I have a source there you see, sir,

who I would rather like to speak to.

Your brother?

All right.

Column and a half by midday. You can be in the finals.

Very good, sir.

Take Arnold with you, though.

And this is from the Empire range.

We have it in stock down in Weybridge.

Full of rather vivid colours.

Nursery colours, perhaps?

No, I grew up there.

Near the Charminar.

My father was part of the Survey. Ha!

How are you finding it in England?

- Oh, rainy. - Oh.

When I got off the boat at Dover, I thought

England was the most grey and cold place I could ever imagine.

Well, there's something to be said for the rain.

I know I would find India rather too warm.

And what does the man of the house do?

- He's a journalist. - Oh.

Oh.

That's you, is it?

Yes. That's us.

Six weeks at least.

Excellent! And thank you very much.

We are very much in love, sir. I'm sure the time will fly by.

In the light of this cowardly and unprecedented attack by Russia,

it is worth recollecting that if you asked any man

what nationality he would prefer to be,

99 out of 100

will tell you that they would prefer

to be Englishmen.

Anglo-Saxon territory is for the Anglo-Saxon race,

the best, most human, most honourable race the world possesses.

And any challenge will be faced

and defeated.

We are an empire on which the sun never sets.

Thank you.

Hear, hear!

Mr Chamberlain! Mr Chamberlain!

My secretary will take your questions, gentlemen.

What's your response likely to be, sir?

There's nothing much to add to what the Minister said so well,

but, erm, I shall do my best, if you need facts and figures.

- What are the losses to date, sir? - Good morning, sir.

Is this covered by the Lansdowne Treaty?

And, if so, how will the pact stand if the Russians attack us?

So, in regards to the Lansdowne agreement,

we are committed to wade in against Russia

after certain lines have been crossed.

And is this one of those lines, sir?

Yes, well, we don't like to comment

if we are not in full possession of the facts.

However,

in response to the atrocities in the North Sea, we are embarking troops.

Army and Navy leave is cancelled,

and that's all I can give you.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Fred? What is it? How the hell did you get in here? I had a press pass.

It's the only way I could think of to come and see you.

I thought I'd made myself perfectly clear I don't want to be seen.

I, er...

- I need your help. - With what?

Oh, no, no. You're... you're joking, George.

I just know that you've always been very close to Lucy.

Well, so have you. She's your wife.

Look, just... just come over to the house. Come and see us.

Come and meet Amy again. Spend some time with her.

We're, erm, in Woking. Near Horsell Common.

I know where you live.

Don't you have a deadline, whatever they call it?

There's a women's college on Bedford Square.

You could do a master's of Natural Sciences. Apply in September.

And how would a woman go about that?

Well, a woman would get some letters of recommendation,

speak to some of the old ladies.

Benny! Hey!

Stop it! Benny!

Leave her alone.

Stop! You know, you were just saying that you wanted to do something

with your degree.

It would be a shame to waste it. It's what you're good at.

Darling, that's very kind.

But there's a rather important piece of the puzzle that needs to

fall into place before anyone will give me letters of recommendation.

What?

George?

What is it?

There's an egg there, Mary.

From the duck?

Er, no, I think it's from... from the dog.

Mary, ignore him. I can do that.

- Thank you. - What is that?

It's a present.

It's, er, it's a clock that makes tea by distillation. George?

Yes.

I went to see my brother today.

What did he say?

Nothing good.

What sort of business has a clock got making tea?

Please tell me, what are they going to do? Have a, er,

have a lavatory that makes bacon and eggs?

George.

Old Greaves asks me for a column and a half, and I give him

the article, but he puts it in under Arnold Henderson's name.

Why don't you just leave if they won't print your stuff?

Amy, if I'm just going to leave, what are we going to live on?

I have the legacy from my father.

That's not very progressive, though, is it?

It's perfectly progressive. I don't need to be kept.

I should never have put you in this situation.

You didn't put me anywhere.

This was my choice too.

We'll make it work.

Do you think so?

I wouldn't be here if I didn't.

Nuts to them, George.

Come on. You're supposed to light.

Now let's see what it is.

What is that?

What? So you think it's come from space?

Like Halley's Comet, or something?

Well, they have elliptical orbits, decaying.

It might take thousands of years,

perhaps even go clean out of our sun's system,

and then suddenly, one day, they're back, and, bang!

Yeah, but I thought those things burnt up in the sky.

Thousands of miles an hour.

Perhaps even thousands of degrees of heat.

It's through here.

What could this be?

Somebody's got some clearing up to do.

So if it was, erm, say, thousands of degrees,

yes, why would it not have burnt all this down?

I think it got so hot, it just flashed out for a second,

scorched everything, and then, burnt out.

Is it a shooting star?

That's right, Mr Thing. A shooting star.

Imagine what would have happened if this had hit London.

Another couple of seconds, it probably would.

Careful, Amy.

You said you thought it could be a bomb.

Do you think... do you think it could it be a bomb?

How big would the gun have been?

Mr Thing, who would have fired this?

The Russians, perhaps.

George! How big would the gun have been?

All right.

Don't you think we should inform the Army?

Why?

Just seems that in situations such this,

that you inform the Army.

No, I telephoned to the Astronomer Royal.

This is common land.

We're perfectly entitled to be here.

The last thing we need

is a lot of rough men in tunics clogging the place up.

- George, you should wire your paper. - Yes, I think I probably should.

The telegraphs are out.

- What? All of them? - Went down when I called.

Right, well, then you've got to go in.

There's no way they won't print this. Just show them the photographs.

You have a rather high opinion of my employers.

We'll be all right here, won't we? Keep it warm until you get back.

All right, just don't... I mean it! Don't touch that, until someone's...

George, I promise I'm not going to touch anything.

- All right. - Hurry back.

OK, be safe.

Hang on. Turn round. Let's get a quick...

One.

Two.

Three.

Well!

Shall we?

If we don't break out this story, sir, then another paper will.

George, we clearly have bigger fish to fry at the moment.

Wait for a local to file it on the agency.

I'm local, and I'm filing.

You're news. There's hardly anything on these photographs.

With all due respect, Mr Greaves,

you haven't put anything of mine in now for six weeks.

Well, go and talk to your brother again.

We need more on the Russia mystery.

What, so you can promise ME a byline, then give it to Arnold?

It's not me.

It's his Lordship.

I'm sorry.

- His Lordship has views. - No, I'm sorry, sir.

Are we pretending His Lordship is perfect now?

George, you cannot expect to do what you've done

and have no consequences.

You're very lucky to have retained any sort of job at all.

Sod that.

Really!

Sod that.

George...

And sod His Lordship.

Get back to work!

It's a gossipy place, Woking.

I wouldn't worry. You should hear what they say about me.

- Why, what do they say? - Well,

a gentleman bachelor of advancing years...

...likes to keep himself nicely turned out.

Well, erm, George was married to his cousin.

They were somewhat manoeuvred towards each other by his family.

Well, his brother.

They were betrothed when they were 15. Ended up despising each other.

No-one was happy.

Then you appeared?

We met at a society for free thinkers.

Well, I'm sure it was worth the joining fee.

So what do you think?

Do you think it could be from Mars?

What the eruptions, you mean? I wouldn't think so.

I mean, something can't erupt from Mars and end up in Surrey.

Or at least...

...it's a million to one against.

How long have you been married?

Erm...

Yes, well. That's the other funny thing.

Erm, I'm rather afraid we're not.

Oh.

All right, stand back there.

Hello.

I hope no-one's been monkeying about with this.

- Stent. Astronomer Royal. - Ah...

- Ogilvy? - Yes, sir.

Thought you were a chemist, not an astronomer.

Jack of all trades.

Put a tablecloth on it, Cyril.

And the other stuff, and a pot of tea, please.

Right away, sir.

Good Lord!

Bigger than the Cape York one.

This might be the biggest meteorite ever found.

Come in, let's have a snap.

Come on, chaps.

Harold, on my right.

The rest of you just try not get in the way.

This is going to make some fellow very well-known indeed.

- Good afternoon, Lucy. - Good afternoon.

- I trust that you're well? - What do you think? Why are you here?

Have you come back?

I'm sorry.

Then why in hell are you here?

I'm here to ask you if you will sign the papers.

Are you not ashamed?

- I'm very sorry. - Of course you're not sorry.

I am! Of course I am extremely regretful for any pain

that I may have caused you.

But what was I to do?

I agonised over the decision and I had no other choice.

She's selfish, mark my words.

That girl with the red hair,

that girl will do whatever it takes to make sure she gets on.

This is nothing to do with getting on.

Lucy...

Amy and I are in love.

I didn't intend for this to happen.

But can you really say that you were happy?

- Lucy? - Clearly you're a coward.

That's your character.

Your brother says the same thing.

You're too afraid to face up to your responsibilities.

I'm sorry, Lucy, but I think this is about the only brave thing

that I've ever done.

I couldn't give you children, so you left,

for someone younger and prettier.

My father had the measure of you all along.

I left because we made each other miserable.

Because we had no conversations, often for weeks,

because we shared no interests, or views, or friends.

You left because you were too weak to stay and do the proper thing.

You deserve every bit of pain that is coming to you.

And, mark my words, pain will come.

If you want to marry again, you may do so when I'm dead.

And that's my last word.

Put off that music, Cyril, use your noddle.

There's something inside.

Sounded like clockwork.

You'd need a devil of a big key!

It's expanding.

George needs to see this.

Madam, who are you? Is this a place for a lady?

She's my assistant.

Ah, Mary! Is the mistress at home?

Been out all day, sir.

- On the common? - What about this bomb, then?

It's not a bomb, is it?

May I go up? My sister's there, and I should like to, before it's all...

Mary, would you mind waiting at the house,

in case the mistress returns? Thank you.

Keep these people back!

Where's your mamma, boy?

What's happening?

It's moving. Something's...

It's opening.

Where's Amy?

Come on. Back, back. Come on. Move, move!

Back. Back, I say!

ARGH!

Argh!

- AMY! Come on! - George!

- Mary? What on Earth was that? - I don't know.

- George? What happened to Ogilvy? - I don't know.

- Mary! - What on Earth's happening?

We don't know.

- Did you find your sister? - She didn't come back.

Let's go and find her, and then we'll look for Ogilvy.

- Jane? - Jane?

Jane? Jane?

- Jane? - Jane?

There she is!

- Oh! - Jane!

I can't think what would cause a reaction like that.

Maybe there was some kind of chemical in there, like phosphine.

Maybe something that combusts with the air.

Well, do you think perhaps it's burnt itself out by now?

Where's Benny, where's the dog?

Ogilvy!

Ogilvy!

No-one's allowed over the common.

Sir, I'm, erm...

I'm just trying to find my friend.

There's no-one alive down there. Only more like these poor sods.

Right.

Detachment of three, please.

- You two. - Yes, sir.

- Him.

The second one landed in the lake at Byfleet.

After we clean up this mess, we'll join you there.

Sir.

Queen's Royal Artillery, move out!

- Are you West Surrey? - West Surrey Artillery, that's right.

What, is there no-one here from London?

It was a forest fire, that's all.

Sorry, this isn't a forest fire. This... this wasn't a forest fire!

Look, I'm sorry, but something falls down from space that's

boiling hot, all that gorse,

people go and look, get themselves killed.

We're going to fence off the second one before the same thing happens.

Get a move on, Bombardier!

Go home, mate. It's all in hand.

This wasn't a forest fire!

Ogilvy?

Ogilvy?

He has not made contact this morning?

I'm sorry, he hasn't, sir.

But we're not entirely sure he didn't resign yesterday.

Here's his desk.

We can let you know as soon as he arrives.

Where is he, in relation to what went on?

What exactly did go on, sir?

We're hearing a lot of very odd things about this story, sir.

Shooting star hits Horsall Common, crowd gathers,

and then some sort of explosion. No-one seems to know for sure.

There was a forest fire. West Surrey went in.

They haven't asked for reinforcements, so whatever it is, it's in hand.

There. That's where George said it landed.

That's where the fire was.

And that's his house.

- Did you find him? - No. No sign. You?

- No.

So the other one's come down in the woods near Byfleet.

- What? - Yes.

But that's so close to the first.

- That can't be a coincidence. - No.

I need to tell you something.

I, er, I went to see my wife yesterday...

...to ask her to sign the divorce papers.

And?

Do you think we've been selfish?

George.

Life is selfish.

Love even more so.

Silly to pretend otherwise.

Well, she said that she would let us be married when she was dead.

Clear these houses! Clear these houses. You two, over there!

You two, there!

What's going on?

Something's moving.

- Clear out now! You're in range. - Mary!

- Mary! - Mary!

Mary! Mary!

George, get help, quick!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

We can't help her. She's dead.

- Amy, come on! - We can't leave her.

Get on the bloody horse!

- Come on. We'll go to the Admiralty. - What? You're joking!

Look, if anyone's doing anything about this, it'll be my brother.

If we get separated, we meet there, all right?

- All right. - Ah, come on!

George, it's Benny. Stop, please!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Benny!

Wait there.

Benny! Benny, come here!

- George! - Benny!, GEORGE!

AMY!

- George! - Amy, go!

GEORGE!

Amy, go to my brother! I'll meet you there!

GO!

Something else is occurring to the south of London,

Hampton Court, Weybridge, near the site of the first impact.

I don't know what to make of the reports,

but there are bodies floating down river.

- We're to have them fetched up. - Yes.

Commandeer some porters.

We're not having corpses decorating the Thames.

- Where's your brother now? - Well, among this lot, I hope,

the refugees from the towns and villages around the event.

You trust what he said to his paper about the shooting star?

I don't know, Minister.

It makes as much sense as anything else we've been told.

They're not printing anything about...?

Not until there's confirmation, sir.

Where is the King?

Sandringham, with the Prince and Princess of Wales.

There is nothing to suggest it's not just an act of God.

A great piece of rock falls from space.

What are we hearing on the wireless?

Well, the local telegraphs stopped yesterday.

Stopped? The transatlantic cables

burnt out this morning. So we have no information.

What does that mean?

Does that mean it's happened somewhere else? Not just here?

What the hell are we looking at?

There's no chance this is the Russians?

I honestly don't know, Minister.

The Prime Minister's in Scotland. We're unable to contact him.

Until we know what this situation turns to be, I'm taking charge.

Yes, Minister.

Sir, one of the Surrey people wants to speak to you.

Where? Where is he?

Have you seen George? Please tell me you've seen George.

I was supposed to meet him here.

I'm afraid I haven't.

When did you last see him?

Just be concise and tell me what happened.

Something at the side of our house. Something. It fell down.

I just saw him swallowed by this smoke.

And he shouted at you that you should go?

Yes.

And you did so?

Yes. It was impossible for me to get back to him.

So did your horse bolt, or did you ride it away?

It was impossible for me to get back to him!

George has been my brother for 36 years.

When he was born, my mother allowed me

to carry him in to meet our father.

And I looked after him on his first day at school. He was scared,

and he'd forgotten his pocket handkerchief

and he was crying for it and I gave him mine, and...

...he was my baby brother.

My baby brother. And that was that.

Until YOU came along.

I'm going to have his child.

Is he here?

I'm afraid not.

Well, just keep on looking.

Come on.