Doomwatch (TV Series) The Plastic Eaters (1970) User Reviews

Guess what scientists are working on in 2023?

[Bert45 · 7/10 · 2 July 2023]

I don't recall everything about this first episode from 1970, but I do recall the premise of a man-made virus designed to eat and reduce plastic waste getting out of control and attacking everyday plastic items. The one scene that sticks in my mind is of airline pilots looking on in disbelief and horror as the plastic components in their cockpit controls begin to melt in their hands on a landing approach.

Well, fast-forward to 2023, and guess what scientists are working on as a solution to our planet's massive plastic waste problem - the production of enzymes that can eat plastic. Back in 1970, that may have sounded like fantasy science-fiction. Perhaps today's scientists may want to take a look at this episode!

Plenty of ambition

[keysam-02610 · 7/10 · 3 February 2022]

This is a classic case of a show let down by not having the special effects to back up what it wants to do.

It has the usual problems of a very first episode - we don't know these people yet, so we're not terribly invested in them. However, they do a pretty good job of introducing the main characters. Quist is a blustery genius, wracked with guilt for his part in developing the atomic bomb, Ridge is a typical 007-style ladies man/action man & Wren (who arguably gets least to do in this episode) is more thoughtful & not exactly thrilled by either Quist's bluster or Ridge's flippance.

The Minister is a stereo typical pompous idiot of the sort that popped up all the time in shows like this of this era - there are at least 2 or 3 in John Pertwee's run of Doctor Who stories.

The plot revolves around an entirely worthy desire to reduce plastic waste, which goes wrong due to a mix of hubris & the arrogance of the Minister.

There's a genuine feeling of jeopardy around the final section, even though the viewer nowadays knows that Wren goes on to appear in lots more episodes. It's just unfortunate that they can't really do a great job on either the plastic being eaten away or on the views showing the outside of the plane.

There's plenty of ambition here & good storytelling, it just suffers a bit from the times in which it was made.