PREY For Relief

Article first published as PREY Review on Seat42F.

A British crime drama, PREY follows Marcus Farrow (John Simm, Doctor Who, Life On Mars) as he runs from the law. Marcus is a cop, but when his estranged wife and young son end up dead, he is the one the investigation points to. Is Marcus innocent? And if so, why is he being framed?

Despite the questions I pose in the first paragraph, I am pretty certain that Marcus is innocent. The first episode of PREY doesn’t show the actual crime itself, only Marcus finding his wife’s body, but the entire episode is from Marcus’ perspective. The viewer is made to care about and sympathize with Marcus, so it feels like a drama about clearing one’s name, not a mystery as to whether Marcus is evil or not. Though, there are plenty of unanswered questions as to what happened and why.

Having watched a number of British shows in this genre, PREY feels good, not great. Simm’s performance is terrific, of course; he’s a top-notch actor, and has proven that repeatedly in the past. But something about the story itself doesn’t seem as well put together as, say, Broadchurch or The Fall. I just didn’t find myself caring about Marcus all that much, and the clues we’re given and supposed to be following aren’t interesting or surprising enough to really grab my attention.

This is especially disappointing given the excellent opening, which is bizarre and intriguing. Beginning with a car crash in which viewers are not immediately told what’s happening, we get a sense of Marcus before we even know who he is or what’s happening. I liked the first scene a lot, and it’s a bit of a let down that it goes the way it does from there.

Even more disappointing is learning that Marcus is not the main character of PREY. I know, I know, I already said he was, and he is – for the first three episodes. Apparently, PREY changes direction after week three and there is a totally different case covered in weeks four through six, with an almost totally different cast. Simm exits and someone else replaces him.

There is one character, though, who is the connecting thread between the two stories, and that’s Susan Reinhart (Rosie Cavaliero, A Young Doctor’s Notebook). Susan is a co-worker of Marcus’ who is tasked with tracking down the officer after he goes on the run. She is the face of the law, the one trying to bring him to justice. She’s also totally forgettable.

I don’t blame Cavaliero for this. Looking back at her scenes, she does seem like a talented performer. But the way her part is written, on the fringe of the action with few notable qualities, make it very weird that she is actually the lead of PREY. Had I not done some research on the series before writing this review, I would never have guessed that, nor would I have thought it was a good idea. If she is going to be the spine of this series, I really wish more would be done to set that up or develop her further.

Because of my complaints about Susan’s character, and the mediocre enthusiasm I can muster up for the Marcus mystery, I can’t really recommend this one. Perhaps viewed by itself, it’s not bad, but slipping it in between episodes of The Fall (which I’m currently plowing through this week), it does not feel nearly as good by comparison, and so I am lukewarm on it. If you’re really into the genre, you might want to check it out. Otherwise, I’d give this one a pass.

PREY airs Thursdays at 10/9c on BBC America.

INTRUDERS Intrudes Onto My TV

Article first published as INTRUDERS Review on Seat42F.

BBC America’s latest original series (see my past reviews for gripes on the fact that this network even has original shows, albeit often-good ones, while hardly airing anything British) is INTRUDERS. A dark, dreary, plodding sci-fi / horror drama, the series is about a secret society that cheats death by intruding into other people’s bodies and taking control. With weird, uneven pacing, the show seeks to set a scary tone, but perhaps hits it a little too much on the head. It might pair well with Doctor Who, its partner on Saturday nights, but Who audiences might very well decide it’s not smart enough to be worth their time.

The pilot of INTRUDERS is not at all a good pilot. I know what the premise is because I’ve read media materials, but the plot is not evident from the start. One could conceivably watch the whole first hour and still be confused at the point of the show. All we see are people running around, being shot, and acting in unexplained manners, never really showing us what they are up to.

After awhile, you’ll realize that the main protagonist seems to be Jack Whelan (John Simm, Life on Mars, Doctor Who), a former cop whose wife, Amy (Mira Sorvino, Psych, Falling Skies), suddenly goes missing midway through episode one. He soon becomes obsessed with finding her, as one does, but avoids the traditional routes one might take to locate a missing person. His story thickens more when an old friend, Gary Fischer (Tory Kittles, True Detective, Sons of Anarchy), shows up to seek his help with a murder investigation. Intelligent viewers will assume there is connection between the case and Amy, though the series doesn’t seek to draw a thread between them yet.

In the second major subplot, a vicious assassin named Richard Shepherd (James Frain, Grimm, The Tudors) slays his way around, searching for a nine-year-old girl named Madison (Millie Bobby Brown, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland). It is likely safe to assume that Madison is the current host of a malevolent being who hurts poor, defenseless animals. This begs the question, is Richard, despite his brutality, a good guy out to save the world? And if not, should we care about Madison?

The thing is, I don’t care. The installment jumps around aimlessly, leaping between characters without direction and rarely giving us anything cohesive to work with. It actually feels like there are more players and elements than there are because of the disorganization. Rather than set up a structure for what should be a long-running mystery adventure show, we get a jumble of unrelated scenes with people that are not memorable. It’s really hard to follow INTRUDERS.

That’s a shame because the cast, well-seasoned, is good, if badly used. Frain plays bad beautifully, as we’ve seen from him before, and Simm has what it takes to be a leading man, if the writers would deign to give him the material. I like Sorvino, even though her smaller part is mostly confined to acting unattractively crazy, and Kittles seems a fine enough side kick.

Brown, though young, is distracting. It’s not that she doesn’t play creepy well, it’s just too much, her supposedly deceptive character hitting all the stereotypical notes. In this, she matches the tone that the score and lighting seek to set, which is overtly creepy so that no one can mistake it for anything else. Sadly, this is not a sign of a high-quality program.

I’m told other episodes of INTRUDERS get better and the story really takes off by week three. The problem is, a lot of viewers won’t stick around that long. I haven’t decided if I will. Delivering a pilot that is poor on so many counts makes it hard to get excited about the series, and thus fails in its mission. INTRUDERS is a false start for the up-and-coming network.

INTRUDERS airs Saturdays at 10 p.m. ET on BBC America.

Doctor Who: The Complete David Tenant Years

     Now available on DVD is a massive boxed set from the BBC, Doctor Who: The Complete David Tenant Years. For many, David Tennant, who became the tenth Doctor in 2005, and played the part until 2010, is still the iconic image of the revamped character. Tennant is known for his cheeky, yet sometimes vengeful, portrayal of the legendary character, with a tendency to babble and be rude at times, but in a delightful manner. To have all three series, eight specials, and two animated spinoffs together in one collection is amazing. For any Doctor Who fan, this is a must-buy for this Christmas.

     As series two of the modern reboot, the first featuring Tennant, begins, the Tenth Doctor retains the same companion as the Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler (Billie Piper, Secret Diary of a Call Girl). Waking from a coma just in time save Christmas (and the Earth), they go on many adventures, including rescuing Queen Victoria from werewolves. They play a part in the creation of Torchwood, an anti-alien institution that will eventually have its own spin-off series, and fight the Daleks, again, as well as the Cybermen. Rose's boyfriend, Mickey (Noel Clarke, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet), joins the pair, and they encounter former companions Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen, who starred in her own spinoff, The Sarah Jane Adventures, until her recent death) and K-9 (John Leeson).

     In series three, Rose is gone, and the Doctor picks up med student Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman, Law & Order: UK), who will eventually leave him when the Doctor doesn't return her affections. The Doctor and Martha battle The Master (John Simm, Life On Mars), speak with Shakespeare, encounter more Daleks, and meet back up with Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman, Torchwood). Also introduced is Donna Noble (Catherine Tate, The Catherine Tate Show), who refuses the Doctor's offer to be her companion.

     Series four gives the Doctor many companions to work with, including Donna Noble, who returns to stay, and guest appearances by Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness, Mickey, and Sarah Jane Smith. Additionally, several characters from Torchwood appear. Among their adventures in series four, the Doctor and Donna find the Adipose, visit Pompeii, stop the invasion of the Sontarans, meet Agatha Christie, explore a planet-size library, and listen to a fortune teller. The series culminates in a spectacular finale, featuring the Daleks, Cybermen, and many previously seen characters.

     But these three series, while making up the meat of Doctor Who: The Complete David Tennant Years, are far from the only stories included. All five of the specials that were produced following Tennant's announcement that he was leaving are in the set, as well as two animated series, "The Infinite Quest" and "Dreamland." Plus, there are the "Children in Need" specials and "Doctor Who Confidentials."

     The twenty-six disc set boasts almost forty hours of Doctor Who, along with more than twenty-five hours of bonus features. Among those features are In-Vision and Audio Commentaries on select episodes, deleted scenes, and outtakes. Billie Piper and David Tennant contribute video diaries, giving some insight into the episodes, as well as their characters. There are trailers and a tour of the studio with Freema Agyeman, Doctor Who visits Comic-Con, Cast members are interviewed. There is also an animation test for Tennant and animatics, character profiles, a photo gallery, and three Greatest Moments specials round out the set.

     It has to be mentioned that the packaging is beautiful. The discs are housed in a full-color book, with lots of photos from the series, laid out in a very interesting way. It's all sturdy cardboard, rather than cheap materials, so it should hold up over time fairly well. Some reviews on Amazon.com have complained of finding it difficult to pull out the discs, but if this was a problem, it appears to have been fixed; I had no such issues with my set. It is literally one of the coolest DVD sets I've ever seen.

     In short, there is enough to keep any Doctor Who fan busy for weeks, maybe months. No one who buys Doctor Who: The Complete David Tennant Years could justifiably be disappointed. Do yourself a favor and order a copy today. I highly recommend it.

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Article first published as DVD Review: Doctor Who: The Complete David Tenant Years on Blogcritics.

Life On Mars: The Complete Collection lands on DVD

     Many Americans are already familiar with Life On Mars as a network series in the states. But this DVD collection from Acorn Media, Life On Mars: The Complete Collection, is the superior, original British version, which aired on BBC America. The premise is the same in both. A modern day detective, Sam Tyler (John Simm, Doctor Who, Mad Dogs), is somehow mysterious transported to 1973, where he works on the same police squad he serves on in his time. Sam is a by-the-book type of cop, but this clashes poorly with his new boss, Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister, Ashes to Ashes, Cranford). While Sam solves the retro crimes and tries to adapt, he also is tempted back to the 21st century by strange voices.

      One episode shorter than the American remake, both are quite similar, though the original handles the complicated plots better. The biggest difference between the two is that the UK version builds towards a planned ending, while the American remake had to quickly and unexpectedly wrap things up.

     It's smart to add the time travel aspect to the concept, as it sets Life On Mars apart from other police procedurals, as well as period shows. Instead, Life On Mars doesn't choose a genre, but bounces between reality and the supernatural in a wholly original way. Add to that a fish-out-of-water element as Sam tries to go with the days of solving cases without technology, as well as a love story, and there's a lot going on. Not to mention, Sam isn't sure if he is dreaming, has gone crazy, or has actually traveled in time. This series is both great fun, and intriguing drama.

     As if all of that was not enough, Sam begins to wonder if he even wants to go back, should that option present itself. Many people in this premise would spend all of their energy searching for a way to get back to their own time. But Sam is tempted to stay by the beautiful Annie (Liz White, The Fixer), and isn't sure he's better off in the future. After all, once he makes the necessary changes to the way he does his job, life isn't so bad in the 1970's, and his old life wasn't that fantastic anyway. This is a really interesting question, and a bold approach at handling the central story.

     Life On Mars is full of references and allusions, beginning with the title, which points to a David Bowie song. Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is surely an influence, with the word Hyde appearing in the 1970s world. The Wizard of Oz also pops up frequently, not surprising, as the themes of being thrust into a different, hard to understand environment are the same for Dorothy and Sam. Plus, the final episode features the song "Over the Rainbow," and there is a character named Frank Morgan, the same name as the actor who played the Wizard in the film.

     The eight-disc DVD set features all sixteen episodes of Life On Mars, as well as audio commentaries for season one, a featurette on the music in the series, a look at production design, and a half hour focusing on the series ending. Also included are a forty-five minute documentary about the show, an hour look at the lawman, an interview with director Bharat Nalluri, a set tour, and outtakes. In short, this may by the richest collection of extras on any Acorn Media release, and definitely make the value of the collection rise. It is a must buy.

     Both series of Life On Mars are also available packaged individually on Blu-ray.

     Check out Life On Mars: The Complete Collection, currently available on DVD.

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Article first published as DVD Review: Life On Mars: The Complete Collection on Blogcritics.