Sky to air version of 'horrifying' nuclear war documentary more than 60 years after BBC ban

Sky is set to air an adaptation of a "horrifying" pseudo-documentary that was once banned by the BBC . The Wargame was produced in 1965 and depicted the aftermath of a nuclear war, but was pulled by the BBC before it was set to air .

The feature went on to win an Academy Award but was banned by the BBC for more than two decades. After Sky started up a podcast of the same name, a new version , centred around the Russian conflict , will begin to air on television in the coming days.

Former politician Dame Penny Mordaunt took to social media on Friday night to tell her followers about the original documentary and warned that viewers this time round may be just as shocked as those who decided to censor the broadcast all those years ago.

Penny wrote on X, formerly Twitter : "In 1965 a British pseudo documentary was made about an attack on the UK and its aftermath. It was called The Wargame and the BBC banned it for 20 years deeming it to be “too horrifying”. Starting Monday next week, Sky will broadcast Wargame, the new TV version of its thought-provoking podcast. I took part in it and think people will be similarly shocked as the censors in 1965 were by what they will see."

The former Secretary of State went on to share her views on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, but claimed that there is a "new level" of threat at hand these days and is not convinced that every scenario will make it to the screen.

"I believe in @NATO, our partnership with the US, our nuclear deterrent, and their ability to deter the worst acts of aggression, but it is clear we are facing new levels of hostile activity and threats.

"I have long warned about compliancy, gaps in our capabilities and poor resilience (small selection of coverage below). This is not just about what we spend but how we do and our outdated approach to risk. I believe not every scenario shown next week will come to pass but the gaps in our capabilities and lack of resilience will be inescapable to anyone watching. This will not be news to our enemies.

"But it may be news to you and probably your MP too. As the Government prepares its ‘warbook’ to tell households what to do in wake of disaster, the future is not yet written.

"A month on we will have the budget. Copious asks from industry await action. Our allies want us to match their determination to rebuild. We need to act now. The material price of war is ten-fold the cost of preventing one. The human price, much greater. Please Britain, wake up. "

The original controversial pseudo-documentary finally aired in Great Britain on 31 July 1985, twenty years after its initial scheduled screening date of 6 October 1965.