As a member of the "Baby Boom" generation I lived as a child with the specter of nuclear war hanging over me. As I type this I remember how, at 12 years of age just how frightened I was during the Cuban missile crisis. Just before this global crisis occurred a book was created which was so well written that I do not believe it will ever be improved upon in ANY medium. That book was 'Fail Safe' by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler.<br /><br />The movie version released in 1964 faithfully represented the book as it was written and you felt the coldness of what I believe is the best third person narrative description I have ever read. The third person narrative of the book was almost like a character in the story and it was palpable, cold, and horrible in it's indifference and was captured in the 1964 movie perfectly.<br /><br />I was very very disappointed with the liberties taken with the TV version, not only did they change parts of the story (an unforgivable crime when presenting a masterpiece), but to my taste the casting was WAY off the mark. For instance, Henry Fonda played an excellent portrayal of the president in the movie version .... Richard Drefuss wasn't even on the same planet with Fonda's performance and his over-acting ruined the seriousness of the situation - Fonda's cool disposition in his performance (like the book) was like fingers on a chalkboard that increased the nervous intensity of the '64 movie to the sublime.<br /><br />I think the TV version was a desperate attempt to remake the movie and employ the same effects .... but it didn't work. I cannot in good conscience recommend the TV version as much as I would the 1964 movie version or better yet - the book, but I feel the TV version did score one home run ... it made people aware of this little gem . I feel sorry for those who had never read the book or seen the 1964 movie before because as you know (without including spoilers) you can't experience this story twice the same way.