The Tripods [Season 1 - 10/06/84#4]

In the fourth episode of the BBC's epic expansion of John Christopher's long-post-alien-invasion novel, the young heroes find themselves in the ruins of Paris, where they investigate what turns out to be "Porte de la Chapelle" station on the Métro. In the darkened tunnels, they find weapons - specifically a sub-machine gun and hand grenades - presumably left by the last humans attempting to resist the Tripods a hundred years previously.

Naturally lacking the budget to actually go to Paris, the BBC adaptation relied heavily on "enhancing" British locations with what were at the time state-of-the-art(ish) video-effected backgrounds, as seen in the first shots of the Métro entrance. Once inside, though, we see a commendably effective use of the inclined walkway leading to British Rail-run Waterloo & City line platforms "Bank," and then platform 7 itself. One of the line's unique 1940 English Electric-built Class 487 trains stands on the platform, still sporting its green BR livery. As with the 1968 feature film Otley, BR were clearly quite happy to have special effects explosions on the platform! "Porte de la Chapelle" is itself a terminus, the northernmost station Métro line 12.
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The London Underground in Films & TV

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12/10/08 First upload
22/10/17 Hosting transfer & amendments