Be afraid - very afraid - of scary sequels like Lockdown II

And like most sequels, we all know that it’s not going to be anything like as good as the original.

Anyone who has had the misfortune to have to sit through ‘Jaws: The Revenge’ will know exactly what I’m talking about.

The follow-up is usually rushed out, badly planned and with even the leading protagonists reluctant to have their names associated with it.

Sound familiar?

When we first went into lockdown in late March, there was uncertainty and concern, yes, but there was also a stronger sense of community, of pulling together, of that much-fabled British Spirit of the Blitz.

There were even those genuine moments of collective pride when we all stood on our doorsteps on a Thursday evening to applaud the courage and dedication of our NHS staff and emergency service heroes.

The first time round, there was hope and a united sense of sacrifice for a common purpose, we had socially-distanced VE Day street parties.

Working from home in the back garden as the sun shone down didn’t feel too bad at all, really.

That seems a lifetime ago now.

The novelty of lockdown has now well and truly worn off and the looming prospect of having to do it all over again in the dark days of winter feels a lot less appealing.

And despite the Government’s protestations that Lockdown II will end ‘come what may’ on December 2, unless a lot of other things change in the next month – like an infinitely better track and trace system or a breakthrough on immunity or vaccination – there’s a nagging worry that this might not be the last offering in the Lockdown franchise

Because the worrying thing is that one bad movie sequel often spawns another and then another.

You’ll usually find the worst culprits lurking in the horror genre section

Which is why you can end up with a Sharknado 6, an Anaconda 5 – or find we’re still in a lockdown situation this time next year.

Now that would be much, much, more frightening than Jaws: The Revenge.