Editing Smallpox 2002

{{Short description|2002 British docudrama}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| alt_name             = Smallpox 2002: Silent Weapon
| image                =
| caption              = 
| genre                = [[Docudrama]]
| creator              = 
| writer               = {{unbulleted list| [[Simon Chinn]] | [[Daniel Percival (director)|Daniel Percival]] }}
| director             = Daniel Percival
| creative_director    = 
| developer            = 
| presenter            = 
| starring             = {{unbulleted list| Bolen High | [[Leigh Zimmerman]] | Tara Hugo }}
| voices               = 
| narrated             = [[Brian Cox (actor)|Brian Cox]]
| theme_music_composer = 
| opentheme            = 
| endtheme             = 
| composer             = [[Andy Price]]
| country              = United Kingdom
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 
| num_episodes         = 
| list_episodes        = <!--// Production-specific //-->
| executive_producer   = Jonathan Hewes
| producer             = Simon Chinn
| editor               = 
| location             = 
| cinematography       = 
| camera               = 
| runtime              = 90 minutes
<!--// Broadcast-specific //-->
| channel              = [[BBC Two]]
| first_aired          = {{start date|2002|2|5|df=y}}
| last_aired           = <!--// Chronology //-->
| related              = <!--// External links //--> 
}}

'''''Smallpox 2002: Silent Weapon''''' is a [[fictional]] [[docudrama]] produced by [[Wall to Wall (production company)|Wall to Wall]], showing how a single act of [[bioterrorism]] leads to terrifying consequences globally.

==Background==
The premise of it was one man who, in 2002, creates the [[smallpox]] virus himself, infects himself, and touches ten people in [[New York City]]. This eventually leads to a [[pandemic]] across the world that is later defeated, but not before 60 million people are killed.

The film was commissioned before the [[September 11 attacks]] and is presented in the form of a [[fictional documentary]], including false interviews and stock footage. The tagline for the movie was, "Drama, until it happens".

==Reception==
Newspaper reviews of the documentary were mixed, varying from "a sick stunt" to "extraordinarily good".<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/feb/06/firstnight.broadcasting Smallpox 2002 – Silent Weapon] round up of newspaper reviews, in [[The Guardian]], 6 February 2002</ref> The docudrama proved very popular with viewers, attracting 3.4m viewers, 15% of the audience, to a 9:00pm slot on [[BBC2]] according to overnight returns.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/feb/06/overnights Smallpox proves infectious for BBC2], [[The Guardian]], 6 February 2002</ref>

==Notes==
*The film was renamed ''Smallpox'' when it aired on [[FX Networks|FX]] on 2 January 2005.

==References==
{{Portal|BBC}}
<references />

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0320482|Smallpox 2002: Silent Weapon}}

[[Category:BBC television docudramas]]
[[Category:Films about viral outbreaks]]
[[Category:Science docudramas]]
[[Category:Fiction about smallpox]]