The BBC's apocalyptic drama The Rapture, which depicts a UK engulfed by a terrifying heatwave, aired during actual record-breaking temperatures. Zoe Williams watched a preview in May and noted its increasing relevance as summer unfolded. By the time she met lead actor Ruth Madeley in June, the UK had recorded its highest ever June temperature, making the show feel prophetic.
Real-Life Heatwaves Mirror Fiction
During the interview at a central London hotel, the outdoor benches with metal armrests had become too hot to touch, reminiscent of a game of The Floor is Lava where everything is lava. Williams assumed the timing was perfect, only for two more heatwaves and fires in France to follow by late July.
Criticism Over Religious Portrayal
The Daily Mail's reviewer criticized the show for depicting Christianity as a “bastion of anti-science nutjobs and fundamentalists,” questioning if the BBC would ever create a similar drama about a Muslim imam. Williams dismissed this, comparing it to complaining about cats in the 1974 film The Towering Inferno, noting that religion is merely a symptom of the overarching theme of extreme heat.
Drama Foresees Political Division
Apple TV's Criminal Record season two opens with a far-right protest outside the Ministry of Defence that turns deadly after police fail to contain it. The series was conceived before recent violent far-right protests, including riots after the Southport attack, arson at asylum seeker hotels, and Elon Musk's talk of civil war. Creator Paul Rutman committed to describing a new, sad chapter in civic life, though the show would have been compelling even without that as Peter Capaldi delivers a standout performance.
Novels Also Predict the Future
The Rapture was adapted from Liz Jensen's 2009 novel, looking ahead to the climate crisis 20 years ago. Novels often hit the future accurately because they are not written by committee. Eleanor Catton's Birnam Wood and Naomi Alderman's The Future, both published in 2023, explored billionaire death wish fantasies before tech tycoons fully adopted post-humanist views. The ideas germinated around 2020, before billionaires openly planned for mass death events.
Politicians Look Away
Williams argues that while artists acknowledge extreme weather, division, and billionaire preparations for catastrophe, politicians remain in denial. They complain about net zero costs and squabble over the remaining North Sea oil as wildfires rage. The determination to avert their gaze from a future that has already arrived is remarkable.
