History Trivia / TheDayAfter

*** Also, in the same early draft, the attack sequence was supposed to be done with miniatures and models instead of stock footage, but budget and time constraints forced them to use the latter. (If you're curious what that might have looked like, the attack sequence in ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' [[https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/terminator-2-nuke-scene/ used miniatures]] for the blast wave portions.)

*** Also, in the same early draft, the attack sequence was supposed to be done with miniatures and models instead of stock footage, but budget and time constraints forced them to use the latter. (If you're curious what that might have looked like, the attack sequence in ''Film/Terminator2'' [[https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/terminator-2-nuke-scene/ used miniatures]] for the blast wave portions.)

*** Also, in the same early draft, the attack sequence was supposed to be done with miniatures and models instead of stock footage, but budget and time constraints forced them to use the latter.

* AmateurCast: At the time ''The Day After'' was released, everyone except Jason Robards (and possibly John Lithgow, a recent Oscar nominee) was a relatively obscure actor cast intentionally to avoid having easily-recognizable actors take away from the performance. Jason Robards was only cast because ABC had arranged for theatrical release of the film in Europe and insisted on one "name" actor for marketability. Now, however, most of the actors have become famous for later roles. It's not uncommon for modern viewers to claim that ''The Day After'' was intentionally "[[AllStarCast crammed full of stars]]."

* OffTheShelfFX: The mushroom clouds were generated by injecting ink into a tank that was used to create the nebula in Meyer's previous film, ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan''.

* BackedByThePentagon: Almost. They had to get by with using footage from the documentary ''Film/FirstStrike'' after the military backers insisted it be made clear that the Soviets had started the war. Meyer naturally refused, as a big part of the film's message was that it didn't matter who fired first; everyone would still be dead. A more practical reason is suggested by ''Film/{{Threads}}'' a Soviet first strike would most likely happen in the early morning hours. A nuclear strike at three in the morning would cause difficulties in filming it. Not enough light... well, for about thirty minutes.

* ExecutiveMeddling: ABC censors severely toned down numerous graphic scenes in order to reduce the body count of corpses and severe burn victims.

** According to an early draft of the script, the attack sequence was longer and supposed to have VERY graphic, yet very accurate, shots of what happens to a human body during a nuclear blast, with people being set on fire, their flesh carbonizing, eyes melting, faceless faces, and skin hanging; similar to what happened in Hiroshima. Unfortunately, there was no way any of this could have been allowed on national TV.

* ActorAllusion:
** [[{{Film/AnimalHouse}} Not the first time]] that Stephen Furst played a college student.
** Speaking of doctors, Jason Robards also played one in the film adaptation.

* DawsonCasting: Steve Guttenberg looks older than his 25 years, but his character Stephen Klein is only nineteen.
* TheDanza: Steve Guttenberg's character is also named Steve.

** Nicholas Meyer vowed never to work in TV again due to all the meddling.
* RetroactiveRecognition: At the time of filming, most of the cast were obscure, small-time actors except for Jason Robards and recent Oscar nominee John Lithgow, so as to prevent recognition of famous actors from breaking WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief. Nearly all of the actors are now famous for their later roles, though, causing the unaware to mistakenly believe that the cast was picked ''because'' of their fame.

** Speaking of doctors, Jason Robards also [[{{Main/TenderIsTheNight}} played one]] in the film adaptation.

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** [[Series/ThirdRockFromTheSun Dick Solomon]] is a university professor. [[Film/AnimalHouse Flounder]] (aka [[Series/BabylonFive Vir Cotto]]) is one of his students.
** Looks like one of [[Film/RoboCop1987 Clarence Boddicker's henchmen]] moonlights as a doctor.
** Before he became a cop, [[Film/PoliceAcademy Carey Mahoney]] was a university student.
** Series/{{Moesha}}'s dad is an airman who later succumbs to the radiation fallout.
** Who knew that [[Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit Barry Moredock]] was a farmer before becoming a lawyer?
** [[Film/ToraToraTora General Short]] is a doctor who was outside Kansas when the bombs fell. [[Film/{{Poltergeist}} Diane Freeling]] is one of the nurses who survived the bombs, but later dies from meningitis.
** Arthur Ashe (yes, '''that''' one) has a cameo as a news reporter.
** [[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan Dr. Carol Marcus]] has relocated to rural Kansas. Reportedly, Bibi Besch said that had ''The Day After'' been made first, she would have played Dr. Marcus very differently.
** It bears stating that only famous actor at the time of the original air date was Jason Robards. They ''purposefully'' cast unknown (at the time) actors for the express purpose of averting this trope.

** [[Film/ToraToraTora General Short]] is a doctor who was outside Kansas when the bombs fell. [[Film/{{Poltergeist}} Diane Freeling]] is one of the nurses who survived the bombs, but later dies from menegitis.

* BillingDisplacement: At the time ''The Day After'' was released, everyone except Jason Robards (and possibly John Lithgow, a recent Oscar nominee) was a relatively obscure actor cast intentionally to avoid having easily-recognizable actors take away from the performance. Jason Robards was only cast because ABC had arranged for theatrical release of the film in Europe and insisted on one "name" actor for marketability. Now, however, most of the actors have become famous for later roles. It's not uncommon for modern viewers to claim that ''The Day After'' was intentionally "[[AllStarCast crammed full of stars]]."

** [[ToraToraTora General Short]] is a doctor who was outside Kansas when the bombs fell. [[Film/{{Poltergeist}} Diane Freeling]] is one of the nurses who survived the bombs, but later dies from menegitis.

** According to an early draft of the script, the attack sequence was supposed to be more a LOT more graphic, with people being set on fire, skin carbonizing, eyes melting, and skin hanging, similar to what happened in Hiroshima. Unfortunately, there was no way any of this could have been allowed on national TV.

** Before he became a cop, [[PoliceAcademy Carey Mahoney]] was a university student.

** Who knew that [[LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit Barry Moredock]] was a farmer before becoming a lawyer?

** [[ThirdRockFromTheSun Dick Solomon]] is a university professor. [[AnimalHouse Flounder]] (aka [[Series/BabylonFive Vir Cotto]]) is one of his students.

** {{Moesha}}'s dad is an airman who later succumbs to the radiation fallout.

** Looks like one of [[RoboCop Clarence Boddicker's henchmen]] moonlights as a doctor.

** [[ThirdRockFromTheSun Dick Solomon]] is a university professor. [[AnimalHouse Flounder]] is one of his students.

** [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moesha Moesha's dad]] is an airman who later succumbs to the radiation fallout.