Edge of Darkness

Edge of Darkness was first broadcast on BBC 2 thirty five years ago. Immediately afterwards, it was given a repeat on BBC 1 – yes, it was that good and it later won 6 BAFTA's. Watching it in 2020 via the superbly produced Blu-Ray release only confirms that what they got so right back then when broadcast in 1985 stands up all too well in 2020.

CD single and Blu-Ray

I know, I know, culturally, it’s a million miles away from where we are today – the fashion screams mundane ‘80’s, computers are quaintly text based with dot-matrix printers, every time a telephone rings, you’re deafened by the bell and, on the surface, the politics are ancient, but for all of that, this tale of international nuclear conspiracy holds up very, very well.

And whilst the nuclear conspiracy tale might be one to draw you in, it is the journey of Yorkshire police officer Ron Craven (a never better Bob Peck), whose daughter (a young Joanne Whalley) is murdered in front of him and the investigation as to why she was killed that drives the story. Indeed, Craven’s descent into what appears to be a grief filled madness takes up a good third of the story – visited as he is by her ghost and the flashbacks to her childhood.

The special features are a decent addition, but nothing different from the DVD release

It is not all about Craven though, though he is the glue that holds the story together, as we are introduced to a supporting cast that lifts each episode of EoD to new heights. From Joe Don Baker’s slightly unhinged CIA agent Darius Jedburgh and Jack Watson’s old-school union leader James Godbolt; to the perfect pairing of Charles Kay and Ian McNeice as government fixers Pendleton and Harcourt, there isn’t a duff piece of casting here. Being a BBC production, there are some lovely real-life cameo’s of then current TV presenters and politicians which adds flavour to the production.

Mixing nuclear politics, 1980’s socialism and Gaia theory, EoD never quite goes full mental with it’s story, remaining grounded throughout (though famously, Peck refused to entertain the idea that his character turn into a tree in the final shot). With 20 weeks of production and a budget of £2 million, writer Troy Kennedy Martin and director Martin Campbell are given more than enough room to tell their tale well. Over six episodes, the story is slowly unfurled and tension built and, despite what might seem a pedestrian plot, nothing is wasted. Every plot point is dealt with in some way, even if it is just a seemingly throw away line. There is no sense of bloat or padding – everything has it’s place. This is an intelligent drama and requires, nay demands the viewer's attention. That’s what gives EoD it’s deeper appeal. It's engrossing and by the time you get to the penultimate episode (Northmoor), you know a worthy finale is near. And it’s Northmoor that also demonstrates one of the key highlights of the show: the soundtrack.

Composed by Michael Kamen and Eric Clapton, the music is pitch perfect for the tone and feel of the program. Whether it be the soulful, slow beats that accompany Craven’s grief or the heart-pounding clean guitar work of Clapton during the action sequences in Northmoor, every track fits. It is a successful pairing that continued to Hollywood with the Lethal Weapon series. I used to have the soundtrack on BBC cassette until it disappeared during a house move. The replacement CD single was a great find and no, it’s not for sale. At the time of writing, there is one for sale on eBay for £50 which is just plain nuts – and no, I didn’t pay that for my copy!

CD single with adapter - it's so sute!

With spot on politics for its time, on the surface EoD might seem anachronistic now, but that is to ignore the undercurrent running through it. Despite the support of Jedburgh and help from Pendleton and Harcourt, Craven is on a one man quest and by the final episode, you understand that despite whatever actions undertaken by individuals, the greater political cause will continue in its own, monolithic way. This is shown in a lovely, understated manner when Harcourt, Pendleton and Bennett (a superbly slimy Hugh Fraser playing the boss of IIF, the owners of the nuclear site at Northmoor) sit down for a meal in the final episode. Also, any comparison of the political style and content of the two main UK parties in 1985 and their modern day counterparts are... well, that's up to you. 

I originally owned this on DVD which wasn’t really a good transfer – after all, it was broadcast quality, which for those of you who lived through the ‘80’s wasn’t that great. The Blu-Ray transfer, however, is superb. Seriously, some of the shots in this show look almost blockbuster in quality – such was the benefit of using film and having the effort put in for the Blu-Ray release. If you can only pick it up on DVD by all means watch it – the quality of the writing, direction and acting are still there, just you’ll get a better visual and audio experience on the more modern format.

For me, Edge of Darkness is the quintessential 1980’s political thriller. It gets so much right, even if the politics, culture and tech have changed in the intervening years. Whether you watch this as a piece of entertainment or as an historical curio, it is certainly worth your time. It is truly a masterpiece! 

Year in Review - Television

The end of another year and a time to reflect a little on what I've been watching on TV in 2018. Not a great deal, to be honest, but there have been a few shows worthy of comment.

Starting off, we have Hard Sun, a so-called pre-apocalyptic thriller that the BBC aired in January. I put up a review post here and to avoid repeating myself, all I'll add is that I was disappointed with the show. It promised much but the execution was lacking.

Next up, the second half of season one for Star Trek: Discovery. I say second half as American broadcasters have this annoying habit of putting months-long break in TV shows instead of showing the whole season in one block. The break didn't hurt ST: Disco as the season ended on a high and delivered what I was expecting from a modern day ST show. The cast were uniformly excellent (especially Jason Isaacs who seems to have been having a ball!), the production values were top notch and the story engrossing. True, some didn't like it as it wasn't "true" to the values of Trek, but I think it mostly was and let's be honest here, if a show doesn't re-invent itself periodically, it disappears into the depressing void of formulaic nothingness. No, Disco was an excellent return to form for TV Trek and I look forward to the second season coming next month.

Another show that re-invented itself for the umpteenth time, Dr Who. I'll address the elephant in the room first - Jodie Whitaker is excellent in the role and the new (or should I say old) vibe of providing educational episodes (where you actually learn a bit about history) is refreshing compared to the convoluted series arcs that the Tennant and Smith era's provided. The three new companions, sorry, friends of the Doctor are worthy additions, especially Bradley Walsh, who gets to show some serious acting chops. One thing this Doctor has mostly avoided is terrible scripting, something that plagued Peter Capaldi's first series, doing much to undermine his great efforts to make the role his own. With a New Year special coming and a second series due at some point, the show has gotten past the kerfuffle about a female Doctor with style and hopefully has a bright future ahead. However, with rumoured issues between Chris Chibnall, the show runner and the BBC, it may be that we only get two series in total.

Another good TV show this year was Jack Ryan. A review of the show is here and that too is another programme I'm looking forward to returning.

The same can be said for Lost in Space, Netflix's re-imagining of the classic sci-fi show. Brought up to date and with vastly superior SFX, Lost in Space had a lot to prove as a flagship show and by God, did it prove it. With an excellent cast (minus the ever-so-slightly annoying Parker Posey as Dr Smith - you really want people to just think about what she's doing and kill her) and a re-jigged story line, Lost in Space provided an excellent counter to Trek and Who for sci-fi fans. It also boasted excellent production values and the pacing over the limited run of episodes was top notch. Again, a second season is due, probably next year.

Marvel TV shows got short shrift from me this year, with only the second season of Luke Cage getting a watch. That show, to be honest, was crap. Too long, too slow and boring, I made my feelings known here. They haven't changed.

This leads me to the Missing In Action section, shows that I haven't seen yet they were released in 2018. First up, the Marvel shows - Daredevil season 3 and Iron Fist season 2. After ploughing through Luke Cage, my lovely lady and I decided that we weren't going to waste any more time on these shows. Yes, Iron Fist season 2 got better reviews than the first, but that wasn't exactly something to shout about, and the third outing for Daredevil was considered a return to form, but when each series takes up to 13 hours of your time, you want to be entertained and they just didn't seem to offer that - and no, this does not break the Magnusson Protocol.

That leaves The Expanse season 3. With a 100% fresh rating on Rottentomatoes.com, this season was one I was really looking forward to appearing on Netflix. Sadly, it didn't. You see, Alcon Entertainment makes the show, with SyFy having first broadcast rights in the US, Amazon having re-broadcast rights in the US and Netflix pretty much covering the rest of the planet. SyFy cancelled the show despite the glowing reviews and obvious quality due to poor ratings - remember, they only have first broadcast rights. Fortunately, Amazon picked up the show for a fourth season, but in doing so, picked up the rights for all broadcasts worldwide. This happened before season 3 made it to the UK. Netflix have since pulled the first two seasons from their network and there is no sign of Amazon showing any of the seasons in the UK. It's a shame and it looks like I'll have to wait until the DVD release next autumn.

So that's it for television. Next year promises to have some corking shows and no doubt I'll have a comment or two on here. Also look out for the Year in Review posts for Films, Books and Games coming up over the next few days.

Black Books

For those of you, like me, who didn't watch Black Books when it had its first run on Channel 4 between 2000 and 2004, well, you missed a little cracker.

Created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan, Black Books is a small scale, low budget sit-com centered on Bernard Black (played by Moran) and his unique bookshop, the aforementioned Black Books in the heart of Bloomsbury. Bernard's closest friend, Fran (Tamsin Grieg), owns a trendy gift shop next door selling, as she describes it, a "load of wank". This changes at the end of series two when Goliath Books moves in. Finishing off the central trio of the cast is the ever superb Bill Bailey as Manny, a former accountant who by sheer luck ends up as Bernard's assistant in the shop and the perfect foil to Moran (Manny's surname is Bianco, just to confirm the point).

Bernard hates the world and pretty much everyone in it, especially customers, who always seem to interrupt his drinking, smoking and reading. Manny and Fran try many different ways to get Bernard to change his view of the world, whilst he resolutely ignores every attempt made to do so.

The show lasted three six-episode series and benefits, like that great sit-com of the 1970's, Flowery Twats, of a limited run and very tight scripting. Less is definitely more. At the same time, the show managed to get pretty much a who's who of British comedy at the time to star. Kevin Eldon, Simon Pegg, Keith Allan, Martin Freeman, Nick Frost, Sam Kelly (klop!) and Peter Seranifowicz are just a handful of the guest stars. Some may only have a couple of lines but they all bring their best to the show.

Black Books combines word play and physical comedy, the latter coming most from Bailey who is on fine form. He also bears the brunt of Bernard's scathing barbs, a running gag concerning Bailey's appearance; Hawkwind, Gandalf and Jesus are just some of the names he gets tagged with. He also provides some of the most surreal moments of the show, the first episode, after swallowing the Little Book of Calm being a prime example.

Greig gives and takes as good as Bailey though, adding a layer of neurosis to Fran that breaks the surface at all of the wrong times. She has some good standout moments too, especially with a school friend hen party. She doesn't have much luck with men, despite trying her best but fate always seems to intervene.

It is Moran, however, that holds the show together, whether surrounded by a fog of cigarette smoke, knocking back the wine or just being plain unpleasant to people in general. He gives the show its icy/flinty heart and never lets go. He personifies the "don't give a shit" attitude and despite his friend's best efforts (and the feelings of friendship and paternity he has towards Fran and Manny respectively), he is never going to change.

Picking stand out episodes out of the eighteen made is difficult as there isn't a bad one among them. True, some are better than others but even the weakest is still good. However, I'll have go:

Series One:

Grapes of Wrath - having to leave the shop as it needs to be cleaned (by Kevin Eldon, "Dirty!"), Bernard and Manny agree to house sit for a friend of Bernard's. They can drink any of the cheap wine but none of the special vintage that the friend will give to the Pope. Well, they drink one of the vintage wines and spend an hysterical five minutes of the show re-inventing the wine. It is a perfect homage to every Frankenstein film ever made, completed perfectly by the under-played punchline at the end of the episode.

He's Leaving Home - the final episode of the first series, Manny leaves the shop as he is tired of the abuse he is receiving and ends up being exploited by an adult photographer (Omid Djalili). Surreal doesn't begin to describe what happens, and whilst Manny does end up materially better, morally he is in a much worse place. Suffice to say, he does return, but watch out for the final shot of the item that falls out of Manny's pocket.

Series Two:

The Entertainer - kicking off series two with style, this episode focuses on Fran learning to play the piano. Nether she, nor Bernard can, but Manny's ability, and their lies, end up with Manny inside the piano whilst Fran brags to a trio of blind Russian musicians and Bernard shows off to a woman he fancies. Bailey carries off the episode brilliantly, giving a manic yet resigned performance.

Hello Sun - the yoga episode where Fran takes up a healthier lifestyle with friend Eva (Jessica Hynes). Despite her best efforts, the controlling Eva puts too many limitations on Fran. That and a second plot where Bernard starts diagnosing Manny using Freud intertwine is a great way.

Series Three:

Manny Come Home - the series opener where Goliath Books has opened next door (led by manager Simon Pegg) and Manny has left Bernard to work there. This is a sublime episode, Pegg bringing an eerie seriousness to his role. What really got me about this episode was the management speak used by Pegg's character. If you work in any job using current management practices, you'll find this episode both funny and disturbing, in that whilst the show takes the mickey out of the whole "smile and you will enjoy it" attitude as you get to do really crappy jobs and change your personality to fit the corporate template, the real world has changed. It demonstrates that what was almost a fad fifteen years ago has now become standard practice in the modern workplace, at least having asked a few friends. The show took another swing at management speak in series two (The Fixer) and hit a boundary with that too. I'll say no more, so as not to spoil the show or get myself into too much trouble! Oh, and the picture of what Manny should look like in the workplace!!!

Moo-Ma and Moo-Pa - where we get to meet Manny's parents (Annette Crosbie and the forever brilliant Sam Kelly (klop!)). The best part of this episode, outside of Manny's fibs to his parents as to how his life is going, is the restaurant scene where, to get away from the conversation, both Bernard and Fran hide under the table and find a cocktail bar ready for them. Surreal as hell, yes, but also brilliantly funny.

One of the extras on the DVD copy of Black Books I watched were the out-takes for each series. Watching those was as funny as the show itself and definitely gives the impression that the show was a hoot to make and that every member of the cast enjoyed themselves immensely (Crosbie dropping the F bomb is a sight to behold). As a sign of how times have changed, I don't think Black Books could be made in the current climate, the amount of alcohol and smoking would guarantee a hissy fit from any of the major TV networks these days, even Channel Four. And yet, if you get the chance, give it a go. Each episode is only 25 minutes long and it doesn't take too long to get through a series. As I said above, the scripting is tight and the characterisations spot on. Highly recommended.

Hard Sun - TV Review

Every once in a while, one of the mainstream UK television networks tries its hand at science fiction. Sometimes, these can be successful (I am thinking season three of Torchwood), yet many times, they fall more than a little flat (pretty much anything on ITV, they always seem to either go kiddie safe or full on mopey drama). That's not to say they shouldn't keep trying and here comes the BBC with a Hulu co-operation: Hard Sun.

Before I go any further, beware, there are going to be spoilers so if you are watching the series on BBC One, beware. However, since it was also full released in BBC iPlayer, you can do what I did and get through all six episodes over a couple of nights.

So, the premise is pre-apocalyptic, the sun is going to kill us in five years, humanity and all life on earth. This knowledge is being tightly controlled until a hacker steals the data and promptly falls off the top of a tower block, triggering the involvement of out two protagonists: DCI Charlie Hicks (played by Jim Sturgess) and DI Elaine Renko (played by Agyness Deyn). From this point, the show becomes a standard cop show with some conspiracy theory leanings, the sci-fi angle is a macguffin that essentially exists to motivate the cast. And what a set of characters we have: Hicks is a rotten person, he steals from the underworld, is suspected of killing his former partner (who Renko has replaced), has a pregnant wife with a daughter and is also sleeping with his late partner's widow. Yep, he literally has no redeeming features - even the displays of love for his unborn child are tempered by the extra-marital activity. Renko has been secretly given another chance to prove herself by investigating Hicks on behalf of the departments head, DCS Roland Bell. She also has a teenage son, the result of a rape attack when she was a teen, who is severely mentally ill and has extreme issues with her. These two are not the best examples of modern Metropolitan Police recruitment and it's hard to think of many shows with main characters that are so completely f**ked up. Sturgess plays Hicks as if he wants to be the next strongman of Eastenders and Deyn, all vulnerable yet handy with a baton, gets to show her acting chops well. The dialogue does let them down though, all hard-boiled, over-wrought and hyperbolic.

The supporting characters are much more likeable: the standouts being sarkey DS Mishal Ali (with a decent Geordie accent) and blokey Welshman DS Keith Greener. There is a pretty much even coverage of the countries and regions of Britain in the unit and smacks too much of quota filling - even so, whilst not overly realistic, the characters themselves are pretty well rounded.

Once we get out of the info dump of episode one, setting up the premise and the characters, episode two switches from conspiracy mode to "nutter of the week" territory, neatly destroying the urgency and paranoia of the first outing. Episodes three and four cover one nutter (so "nutter of the fortnight"), Five covers Renko's son and the need to take on the almost ever present security services, and Episode Six rounds off the series by a game of cat and mouse between the duo and Security Service agent Grace Morrigan (a lovely controlled and meticulous Nikki Amuka-Bird) as well as a second plot strand about missing people - it turns out a cancer victim is taking people to be happy then forcefully lobotomising them. That particular story has a couple of stand outs - one, if you have any fear of something getting in your eye, this episode is not for you, and two, Gotham actor Anthony Carrigan plays the cancer victim, Mr Weiss who, we thought when he first appeared, had walked off the set of Fringe, pale, hairless and wearing a black suit. For one second, we thought cross-over!!! Sadly, it wasn't to be.

Most of the plots strands are tied up by the end, Hicks admits to Renko that he did kill his partner, it's hinted the the DCS was in love with the dead-partner, hence the fight to get Renko to nail Hicks to the crime, Renko and her son start the basis of a relationship that means he doesn't try to kill her and then there is the ending... (I'll get to that lower down).

As I said above, the series was released in one go on iPlayer and I am pleased it was. I don't think I would have stayed with the show for six weeks. The problem? Pacing. That familiar problem of pacing. I can see why they have six episodes, and theme wise, they work well and are well made, but each episode is 50 to 60 minutes long and there are far too many dramatic pauses, long shots, etc that act as just filler. The music is quite good, though when you get harsh sun glare shots, there is always an ominous note, and that gets a bit wearing after the fifth or sixth time in an episode. The opening credits, too, are distinct and stylish, even if they do steal a bit from the new Star Trek: Discovery show, even down to the Michelangelo hands shot.

Now, the ending - the last five minutes of Episode Six vex me. Why? Because at the very end, we realise the Powers That Be have lied, that Hard Sun wasn't five years away, and that it is starting now. A shot of the sun, a giant flare swinging out to one side, captivates everyone who sees it. And then that's it. So everything MI5 have done, the killing, the chasing, all of that was for no point. If the PTB already knew this, why the five years deadline anyway? It feels a cheat by the writer, a shock ending that finishes the story with a final exclamation mark. Much like the "one month later" note at the start of episode two, this feels like a con. This show could have continued for a coupe of years, much like Millennium, which was the vibe we got during the middle episodes, yet no, it's had its six ep run and there you go. Maybe there might be more, the series doesn't air in the US until March but I doubt it. If I were to mark this out of ten, I'd say 5 - average.

Of Things To Come

So a new year has begun and I feel it's time to take stock as to what is to come this year. Naturally, this year will involve some wargaming, with the aim of a Saturday game once a month, shows permitting. We actually have one today where we should hopefully have a good turnout for the delayed TWATS Tiny Tactica Tournament.

Show wise, I am hoping to get to the usual suspects, York (Vapnartak), both Partizans, Edinburgh (Claymore), Falkirk, Derby and possibly Newcastle (Border Reiver). Transport depending, the Battleground show in November is also a possibility, but we shall see. Last year's shows were mostly pretty good, though I have doubts about the Newcastle show this year. And Battleground for that matter. Both are medium regional shows, and last year, Newcastle seemed to follow a trend of being quieter than the previous year. Also take into consideration that Battleground's organisers actually release customer numbers for their show and it has been taking a 10% drop year on year. I get the impression that both shows have uncertain footing. Part of me really hopes they continue, but with declining attendance, how can you keep a show going if fewer people are spending money with traders? And let us not forget, without the traders paying for stands, the economics of a show are very dicey(!) indeed. We shall see...

When time permits (and the mood takes me), there are a couple of decent TV shows that have new seasons this year. Firstly, Sense8, which had a two hour special released over Christmas to tide fans over before the full second season arrives in May. I have written about the show previously and I am really looking forward the the new one.

Another show that gets a second season release very shortly is The Expanse. Based on the novels by James S A Corey, the show is set a couple of hundred years in the future in a divided Solar System. There is political intrigue, action and more than a little drama. Sort of a cross tonally between the Battlestar Galactica re-boot and Babylon 5, the show has a pretty good handle on realism and my good lady and I got through the first season in pretty short order. It even prompted me to buy the first three books of the series and they don't disappoint.

Gaming wise, the slate is a little bare - there is Mass Effect Andromeda coming in March and that's about it. I still have a ton of games to get through so that's possibly no bad thing. I am not even overly bothered about the release of the Nintendo Switch. It's a tad pricey for the two games I would want to play before the end of the year and not even the thought of portable Skyrim is enough to tempt a purchase. I am hoping the price either comes down or there are pack-in bundles that give a bit more value for money.

So that appears to be that for now. I shall, of course be adding to the blog on a more regular basis than last year, and be adding a few show reports as and when they happen. Toodle pip for now.