The mini-series is based on the eponymous science fiction work by writer John Wyndham. It tells the story of a global catastrophe in which a large portion of the population loses their sight. The tragedy occurs due to a green meteor shower, which blinds most of the population and gives rise to enormous poisonous plants called Triffids. These plants begin to kill those who have survived. At the center of the events is biologist Bill Mason, who studies the Triffids.