1918. As the Armistice bells rang out across the world to celebrate the end of World War One, a silent killer made its way home with the soldiers - Spanish Flu.This devastating global pandemic infected up to a third of the world’s population and killed more than 50 million people. Now, using compelling eyewitness testimony from doctors, soldiers, civilians and politicians, and aided by dramatic reconstructions, this one-off special brings to life the terrifying onslaught of the disease, the horror for those who lived through it, and the hope of the pioneering scientists who desperately sought for a cure.Co-produced with Wellcome, The Flu That Killed 50 Million uncovers new and previously unseen archive material, and, in telling the dramatic story of the Spanish Flu in 1918, provides insight into how we might prevent and respond to future outbreaks.
