ÔSaliva only has to make contact with the skin. Rabies doesnÕt even need a scratch. If itÕs in the bloodstream, itÕs too late.Õ
Mad Dog (1977) is a standout instalment of the third and final series of the BBCÕs post-apocalyptic series Survivors. A touchstone in the seriesÕ switch to a tougher, bleaker sensibility, the episode is rightly remembered for its portrayal of rabies and its gripping chase sequences. But itÕs also a story offering fascinating insights into the wider human predicament, which dramatize the tension between optimism and cynicism and between altruism and self-interest. Above all, itÕs a story that foregrounds the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world in a fictional post-pandemic Britain.
ÔIn 166 pages Rich Cross covers as much ground as Charles Vaughan does in the episode.Õ