Fail-Safe

Fail Safe is a televised play, based on Fail-Safe, the Cold War novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, and broadcast in 2000. The play, broadcast live in black and white on CBS, starred George Clooney, Richard Dreyfuss, and Noah Wyle, and was one of the few live dramas on American television in four decades. The novel was first adapted into a 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet; the TV version is shorter than the 1964 film due to commercial a... more

Fail Safe is a televised play, based on Fail-Safe, the Cold War novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, and broadcast in 2000. The play, broadcast live in black and white on CBS, starred George Clooney, Richard Dreyfuss, and Noah Wyle, and was one of the few live dramas on American television in four decades. The novel was first adapted into a 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet; the TV version is shorter than the 1964 film due to commercial airtime and omits a number of subplots. An unknown aircraft approaches North America from Europe. American bombers of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) are scrambled to their fail safe points near Russia. The bombers have orders not to proceed past their fail safe points without receiving a special attack code. The original "threat" is proven to be innocuous and recall orders are issued. However, due to a technical failure, the attack code is transmitted to Group Six, which consists of six Vindicator supersonic bombers and four escort fighters.... less