'The Day After:' Nuclear-attack TV movie horrifies America in 1983

NEW YORK (WABC) -- On Nov. 20, 1983, 38 years ago this Saturday night, almost 100 million terrified Americans watched the horror of a nuclear war in the historic TV movie "The Day After," shown right here on ABC.

In New York, there were viewing parties and a church even hosted a screening of the scary film.

Nobody wanted to watch the end of the world alone. The movie depicted a nuclear attack by the U.S.S.R on the United States.

Shown at the height of the Cold War, the film proved too close for comfort for viewers, showing a scenario that many feared would actually happen.

We present Channel 7's original coverage from the Eyewitness News Vault, which aired after the movie.

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