▁best - r ated ▁Sunday ▁night ▁movie ▁in ▁over ▁two ▁years . ▁The ▁second ▁part ▁was ▁watched ▁by ▁ 1 7 ▁million ▁view ers , ▁the ▁highest ▁number ▁of ▁view ers ▁for ▁the ▁channel ▁on ▁a ▁Wed nes day ▁night ▁for ▁the ▁fall ▁season . ▁T ogether , ▁the ▁two ▁parts ▁helped ▁to ▁push ▁the ▁channel ▁to ▁the ▁top ▁spot ▁for ▁the ▁year ' s ▁November ▁swe eps ▁week . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁high ▁ratings , ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁generally ▁p anned ▁by ▁critics , ▁except ▁for ▁almost ▁universal ▁pra ise ▁for ▁the ▁high - bud get ▁special ▁effects . ▁New ▁York ▁Magazine ''' s ▁John ▁Leonard ▁found ▁it ▁lack ing ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁feature ▁film ▁The ▁Day ▁After ▁Tom orrow , ▁though ▁he ▁did ▁feel ▁it ▁had ▁a ▁certain ▁" ra ff ish ▁z omb ie ▁charm ." ▁Charlie ▁Mc Coll um ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Jose ▁Mercur y ▁News ▁called ▁it ▁a ▁" third - rate ▁dis aster ▁f lick   — ▁with ▁l ame ▁dialog ue , ▁vo od oo ▁science ▁and ▁wooden ▁performances   — ▁spread ▁out ▁over ▁two ▁night s ▁and ▁four ▁seem ingly ▁end less ▁hours ." ▁A aron ▁Bar n hart ▁of ▁the ▁Kansas ▁City ▁Star ▁agreed , ▁feeling ▁the ▁film m akers ▁spent ▁their ▁budget ▁on ▁special ▁effects ▁to ▁the ▁det r iment ▁of ▁the ▁film ' s ▁dialog . ▁He ▁called ▁the ▁film ▁an ▁" ass ault ▁on ▁common ▁sense " ▁for ▁pos iting ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁the ▁power ▁out age ▁would ▁keep ▁everyone ▁in