A nutshell review -- longer one forthcoming.

Any human besides the virally-immortalized Bubble Boy knows the type of terror that can chill us to the base of our coldblooded reptilian brain: Missing children, airplane crashes, problems when giving birth, getting lost in New York City crowds, blackouts, riots, martial law, nuclear plant meltdowns.

So what better to terrorize a fat, dumb, and complacent public with? NBC took this skein of horrific threads and knit each of them into one designed-to-terrify movie: "Y2K, What If They're Right?" (The fact that a for-profit company serves up such dreck in response to consumer demand tends to weaken one's faith in the free-market, since I'm sure we can all agree such valuable air time can be best put to use airing educational seminars about agricultural policy and foreign aid, but I digress.)

The movie is scheduled to air Sunday.

-- Declan McCullagh (declan@y2kculture.com), November 19, 1999

Answers

Mikey doesn't seem too worried anymore.

Y2K Newswire Says NBC's Y2K Movie May Be Dangerously Misleading

CODY, Wyo., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Y2K Newswire, the Internet's most popular Y2K site, today called the upcoming NBC Y2K Movie, "Dangerously misleading to the American people." But unlike other critics who worry the movie may spark nationwide panic, Y2K Newswire's Mike Adams says the movie may do just the opposite.

"This movie may cause widespread complacency," says Adams, who explains that while the movie focuses on physical, catastrophic Y2K disruptions, in reality Y2K is more likely to appear as long-term, chronic disruptions. Adams' theory is that when the public doesn't see movie-like catastrophic failures on January 1, they will assume Y2K is a non-event. This assumption will cause them to be caught off-guard when the economic Y2K impact strikes.

Previews of "Y2K the Movie" show crash-landing airplanes, nuclear accidents, failing ATM machines, explosions, and general chaos. According to Adams, these scenes only serve to propagate "end of the world" myths about the Y2K problem. "Y2K isn't Armageddon," he explains. "You're not going to wake up January 1 and see explosions outside your bedroom window."

The real Y2K impact won't be immediately obvious on January 1. Y2K is not likely to result in a national collapse of electricity, telecommunications or bank services. "Most Americans won't notice Y2K failures until the first quarter corporate earnings roll in," Adams explains.

Y2K Newswire has documented efforts by corporate America to suppress the Y2K movie. Yesterday, the site published evidence showing how Kansas City area businesses pressured a local NBC affiliate to pull the movie. Similar actions have been taken in Miami, Boston, Atlanta and Cleveland.

NBC affiliates are clearly being pressured to refrain from showing the movie, bringing to light new questions about who really controls television programming. Can Big Business tell the television network what to air? With Y2K, apparently so.

Adams suggests that instead of airing the Y2K movie, NBC affiliates air a non-alarmist preparedness documentary that encourages Americans to get ready for potential disruptions -- both physical and financial.

-- didyou (everthink@youwould.seetheday), November 19, 1999.

My dear Mr. McCullagh

It has been one of pet peves for nearly a half century. This being that some one sets themselves up as a defacto judge as to what I should or should not watch (or think). Concerning enertainment, political stances/ politicans etc.

Your "wave of the hand" oh it is not fit to watch, just tells me that it might just be a good action / adventure flick. At least it has warrented your notice and condemnation. And so, viewing it in that light, I shall watch the thing, and form my own opinion...Thank you

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Shakey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Shakey (in_a_bunker@forty.feet), November 19, 1999.

Declan, Do you know the time it will air..

-- Marli (can'tget@it.duh), November 19, 1999.

9PM ET, 8PM CT.

Same time as the X-Files.

-- (duh@duh.duh), November 19, 1999.

Didyouever - Yes, it might make everyone complacent when nothing Y2K related happens during the rollover, agreed. However, this is the first New Year that I can remember that I'm going to stay up all night to listen to the news. Why?, if I was a terrorist or religious zealout or a virus disseminator or someone else that wanted to make there stamp on history I would use the chaos of the millenium New Year to do my "thing". Actually, I could only stay up all night if there was lots of excitement. I think if there was any exciting news it would take 5 - 8 hours to filter down to the masses anyway.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), November 19, 1999.

Thanksgiving is probably the biggest family get together holiday of the year. Kind of interesting they are televising this the Sunday before Thanksgiving, might make for some interesting family conversation.

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), November 19, 1999.

Declan's insatiable desire to be accepted as a member of the media "club" makes him an unreliable source.

Probably the movie will be lousy, but even a stopped clock gets the time right twice a day.

-- cgbg jr (cgbgjr@webtv.net), November 19, 1999.

Anything to keep the populace from knowing about Y2K: Year To Kill.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 19, 1999.

I'll watch it (yawn). But sure won't waste any videotape.

Just so I can say what a piece of crap it was, from personal experience.

Of course my ladyfriend Flakey Shakey will think it's the best thing since "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom".

-- Chicken Little (panic@forthebirds.net), November 19, 1999.

I don't know if I'd recommend it or not -- depends on the person I'm talking to.

As for being a member of the "media club," I've been there. I've done my stint on Air Force One and National Press Club stuff and lectures and faculty positions and whatnot, and it's tiring. I'd rather just sit and write.

-- Declan (declan@y2kculture.com), November 19, 1999.

Paula hon? Do you have some unresolved violence issues?

Maybe you oughta see someone who can help. Mean that sincerely.

-- Chicken Little (panic@forthebirds.net), November 19, 1999.

If this movie was considered in any way a threat to our "behavioral problem" and likely to cause even the slightest bit of panic buying or bank runs, you can bet your entire y2k stash that it would NOT be shown. It would be sitting on the shelf with the other movie that we are NOT allowed to see, Y2K: Year to Kill. The government would see to that. Period, end of story.

-- flb (fben4077@yahoo.com), November 19, 1999.

Declan

I now understand why newspapers and such are written on the junior high school level. The journalists appear to have only a junior high education.

"Just got done watching it" is extremely poor grammar.

Shame on you.

Your Junior High School English Teacher

-- English Teacher (te@chingproperenglish.com), November 19, 1999.

Actually I flunked out of elementary school.

It was those fractions that did it to me. Damn them!

-- Declan (declan@y2kculture.com), November 19, 1999.

Fractious fractions, oh my! Making us part company the big numbers.

-- ..- (dit@dot.dash), November 19, 1999.

Declan,

Do you feel like Robert X Cringely?

-- woe (to@themedia.at-the-endgame), November 19, 1999.

Declan, you are not alone. I recently heard that 6 out of 4 journalists have problems with fractions.

-- Bill (bill@tinfoil.com), November 20, 1999.