CBS took a bold move when they staged FAIL SAFE live on network TV in April 2000. The story follows a pilot (played by George Clooney) who is about to drop nuclear missiles on Russia. Unfortunately Clooney's character is unaware that the entire mission has been ordered by mistake, leaving the American president (played by Richard Dreyfus) faced with some tough decisions. The program was based on a novel by Harvey Wheeler and Eugene Burdick and is directed by the acclaimed Stephen Frears (THE QUEEN). FAIL SAFE was originally adapted for the big screen in 1964 by Sidney Lumet.