Message from the future

For those old enough, does anybody remember a strange thing that came on telly sometime in the eighties? (Not Danny LaRue)

It was during an adbreak and the screen suddenly went fuzzy and then a woman came on and said something like "This is a message from the future, we are transmitting from the year 2050". Then it started showing images of war and poverty, interspersed with futuristic graphics of the Earth and vast ruined cities etc. I think there was then a message that the world we inherit would be a terrible one if we didn't change our ways. Then the screen went fuzzy again and the normal ads returned.

I was watching it with my family at the time - it was early evening. I clearly recall my Dad turning to me and shrugging with a bemused look on his face.

I've never met anyone who recalls this. It was very weird!

(For the record, I don't actually believe it was a real message from the future)

Aw, has it been worrying you ever since?

I've not heard of it I'm afraid.

Quote: Lee Henman @ April 29 2009, 3:46 PM BST

For those old enough, does anybody remember a strange thing that came on telly sometime in the eighties? (Not Danny LaRue)

It was during an adbreak and the screen suddenly went fuzzy and then a woman came on and said something like "This is a message from the future, we are transmitting from the year 2050". Then it started showing images of war and poverty, interspersed with futuristic graphics of the Earth and vast ruined cities etc. I think there was then a message that the world we inherit would be a terrible one if we didn't change our ways. Then the screen went fuzzy again and the normal ads returned.

I was watching it with my family at the time - it was early evening. I clearly recall my Dad turning to me and shrugging with a bemused look on his face.

I've never met anyone who recalls this. It was very weird!

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I do recall this but I can't for the life of me remember what it was being advertised.

Quote: zooo @ April 29 2009, 3:50 PM BST

Aw, has it been worrying you ever since?

I've not heard of it I'm afraid.

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Nah, my sister reminded me of it last night.

Quote: David Bussell @ April 29 2009, 3:51 PM BST

I do recall this but I can't for the life of me remember what it was being advertised.

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Bloody Hell Dave you're the first person I know who saw it too. Did you ever see it again? I didn't.

Maybe it was an ad for Tomorrow's World.

Quote: Lee Henman @ April 29 2009, 3:53 PM BST

Bloody Hell Dave you're the first person I know who saw it too. Did you ever see it again? I didn't.

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I have only the dimmest recollection of it. It's only you mentioning it again that's reminded me of it at all. I wonder if I even saw it in person or heard about it from a friend. I'm certain it was a stunt to sell something or other though. The fact that I can't remember what it was says nothing for the quality of the advert though. Why would they only use the advert once in any case? Could this be some mass hallucination? Is it you mentioning it that's convinced me it happened at all? What's going on? I'm hungry.

Quote: Lee Henman @ April 29 2009, 3:46 PM BST

It was during an adbreak and the screen suddenly went fuzzy and then a woman came on and said something like "This is a message from the future, we are transmitting from the year 2050". Then it started showing images of war and poverty, interspersed with futuristic graphics of the Earth and vast ruined cities etc. I think there was then a message that the world we inherit would be a terrible one if we didn't change our ways. Then the screen went fuzzy again and the normal ads returned.

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Could have been a Party Political Broadcast.

I've heard of it, but didn't experience it. Was it this...?

http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12772

I don't remember this, which is weird. But I do remember when a hoax transmission came on, in a similar way, from 'aliens'. This was about '78 or '79.

Quote: Bad dog @ April 29 2009, 4:45 PM BST

I've heard of it, but didn't experience it. Was it this...?

http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12772

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Sounds like that was it. Too bad there's no info on who was responsible for it though.

It sounds a bit different from Lee's memory, so perhaps there were more than one.

I think it's a nice touch that they never owned up. Keep the mystery alive, too many of these things turn out to be hoaxes when someone makes deathbed revelations.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ April 29 2009, 4:50 PM BST

I don't remember this, which is weird. But I do remember when a hoax transmission came on, in a similar way, from 'aliens'. This was about '78 or '79.

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Quote: Bad dog @ April 29 2009, 4:45 PM BST

I've heard of it, but didn't experience it. Was it this...?

http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12772

View original

That's what I remebered. Doesn't sound like Lee's memory though.

The news thing was a bunch of students. No idea about the advert though. Could it have been trailing another show on the same channel?

The advert was obviously a resounding marketing success if so many of us can remember so much about it and what it advertised. The second showing was pulled after the advertising committee were buggered to death by an enraged Alan Sugar and a talking mountain gorilla sidekick called Albert.

Lee, was it the now infamous Snickers rebranding?

Maybe it was an advert for AIDS or something? Wasn't that big in the 80s?