# Smallpox 2002

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{{Short description|2002 British docudrama}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| alt_name             = Smallpox 2002: Silent Weapon
| image                =
| caption              = 
| genre                = [Docudrama](/source/Docudrama)
| creator              = 
| writer               = {{unbulleted list| [Simon Chinn](/source/Simon_Chinn) | [Daniel Percival](/source/Daniel_Percival_(director)) }}
| director             = Daniel Percival
| creative_director    = 
| developer            = 
| presenter            = 
| starring             = {{unbulleted list| Bolen High | [Leigh Zimmerman](/source/Leigh_Zimmerman) | Tara Hugo }}
| voices               = 
| narrator             = [Brian Cox](/source/Brian_Cox_(actor))
| theme_music_composer = 
| open_theme            = 
| end_theme             = 
| composer             = [Andy Price](/source/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](/source/BBC_Two)
| first_aired          = {{start date|2002|2|5|df=y}}
| last_aired           = <!--// Chronology //-->
| related              = <!--// External links //--> 
}}

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

==Background==
The premise of it was one man who, in 2002, creates the [smallpox](/source/smallpox) virus himself, infects himself, and touches ten people in [New York City](/source/New_York_City). This eventually leads to a [pandemic](/source/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](/source/September_11_attacks) and is presented in the form of a [fictional documentary](/source/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](/source/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](/source/BBC2) according to overnight returns.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/feb/06/overnights Smallpox proves infectious for BBC2], [The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian), 6 February 2002</ref>

==Notes==
*The film was renamed ''Smallpox'' when it aired on [FX](/source/FX_Networks) 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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Smallpox 2002](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox_2002) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox_2002?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.