Phil Newton casts an eye on the TV scene letting you what you've missed and gives also give you the heads up on what to look out for.
 

No. 10 - 30th November 2008.

II'm really not sure what to make of Fringe (Sky 1), the brand new sci-fi series from JJ Abrams (Alias, Lost). Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) is an FBI agent investigating a virus on Flight 627 which lands with all of its passengers dead on arrival. Tracking down Peter Bishop (Joshua Jackson - Dawson's Creek) to Baghdad, she eventually persuades him to authorise the release of his father Walter (John Noble), a former Government scientist, from a mental institution to assist with their case. Their success leads to the FBI opening up Walter's old lab and hiring the three of them to investigate further instances of 'the pattern', a series of incidents that seemingly involve fringe science such as genetic mutation, teleportation and reanimation.

If it all sounds a bit like The X Files then I'd have to agree, for that’s the one show that Fringe imitates most of all with its case-of-the-week format and clandestine sci-fi story arc. Sad to say then that the other show it closely resembles is Boneknackers - sorry, Bonekickers - with its faintly ludicrous mix of mumbo-jumbo and convenient exposition. Honestly, you could devise a drinking game based around Walter's character who seems to trot out the same, "Ah yes, this reminds me of this experiment I was working on..." line every single week! Having a mentally ill scientist as one of the main characters certainly gives the show an edge, but all too often the comedic nature of the material jars with the seriousness of the actual cases and I can't help feeling they might just as well have given the job to Futurama's Professor Farnsworth.

That said, the premise of each episode is usually pretty solid and the pre-credits set up is often the best part of the show - a shame that it lapses into formulaic, predictable problem solving thereafter. Six episodes in and I was ready to throw in the towel but then came the best episode yet - opening with a woman with a rare disease who walks into a diner, causes the other patrons to bleed from their eyes and then expires when her head suddenly explodes. Nice! A much stronger story this one, it held my attention throughout and as a result Fringe has a stay of execution for a little while longer.

One show to get the boot from me after just one episode is Sanctuary (ITV4), another fantasy/sci-fi hybrid filmed entirely on green screen (so I'm told) and initially launched online. It starts promisingly enough with a Russian family getting wiped out by a young boy with a mutation - he has some kind of a pod growing out of his chest which, when under threat, extends and shoots his tormentors in the head. Enter Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne) a psychiatric consultant who has the ability to read body language and behaviour. He's soon recruited by Dr Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) to help find the kid and investigate other 'sentient beings' that are loose in the city but that no-one admits are real. Magnus and her biker daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup) want to protect these creatures who are being hunted by John Druitt (Christopher Heyerdahl) an English gentleman from another dimension who used to be Magnus's old flame.

A little bit of Torchwood, a little bit of Hellboy, it's complete bobbins. It's as if the writers and producers have thrown every idea in the book at this show in the hope that something will stick. Unfortunately Sanctuary lacks all of the elements that make those examples work (good scriptwriters, charismatic characters) so all we're left with is a Z-grade drama filled with bad CGI effects. As soon as I detected a frisson of sexual tension between Will and Ashley it was all too obvious where this was headed, and the revelation that Druitt might in fact be Jack The Ripper was the final nail in the coffin for me. No wonder it's tucked away on ITV4 on a Wednesday night, Sanctuary really is one to avoid.

* Warning! Spoilers coming up! *

After the rather silly Spooks: Code 9 attempt to capture the 'yoof' market it's a relief to get its parent programme Spooks (BBC1) back on our screens. A show that's never been afraid to shed its principal cast, the new series has gone straight for the jugular in episode one by wiping out its leading man, Adam Carter (Rupert Penry-Jones) in a car bomb attack. Welcome to life in MI5 where no-one is safe! His replacement is Lucas North (Richard Armitage), an agent who's just been handed back to the service after spending eight years in a Russian jail. Initially unsure whether to trust Lucas, MI5 chief Harry Pearce (Peter Firth - in fine form as always and the show's lynchpin) welcomes him to the team once Lucas proves that he's working as a double-agent, getting secrets from the Russians with help from his handler who also happens to be his ex-wife.

The Spooks team still have one mission each week but there's now a much greater emphasis on the season's story arc which this time involves corrupt Russians funding Al-Qaeda terrorist activities in the UK and a mole in MI5 who has been spilling the beans about their best kept secret, codename ‘Sugarhorse’. It remains one of the Beeb's best dramas; exciting, pacy, and pulling no punches. Despite the loss of one of its figurehead characters newcomer Lucas has quickly stepped into his shoes and is fast establishing himself as an admirable replacement. Ros Myers (Hermione Norris) - a character I’ve never liked up until now – has become the new section chief and is slowly winning me round, whilst Jo (Miranda Raison) is facing a crisis of confidence after her ordeal at the end of the previous series. It's a winning combination of great acting and great writing and long may it continue. FrightFesters should pay close attention to the upcoming episode on 1st December which is written by our very own James Moran (Doctor Who, Torchwood).

* End spoilers *

Next up, two very different documentaries about aspiring filmmakers. Bryony Makes A Zombie Movie (BBC Three) follows YouTube star Bryony Matthewman as she attempts to recruit an entire film crew online in order to make a zombie movie. With a self-imposed deadline of Halloween to deliver the film, the odds are soon against her as she tries to organise the shoot, placate the team of writers whose ideas have been ignored and deal with the constant 'flame wars' on her web forum. It's an interesting idea somewhat undone by Bryony's self-important attitude. You can't help feeling that the project is all about her, there's no genuine passion for the genre whatsoever. Bearing in mind the horror-savvy nature of us FrightFest contributors it's perhaps no surprise then that Bryony's film hasn't crossed the radar on our own forum. World Wide Dead currently remains unfinished and whilst the zombie make up looks top notch, I can't see it featuring on a FrightFest line up in the foreseeable future.

Rather more rewarding was Operation Filmmaker (BBC Four), a documentary about Hollywood giving an aspiring Iraqi filmmaker a chance of a lifetime, and the drama that follows as things don't work out quite as expected. Muthana Mohmed is spotted in an MTV spot from war-torn Baghdad by actor Liev Shreiber who is moved to give the lad a job as an intern on Everything Is Illuminated, a film he's directing in Prague. Initially grateful for the opportunity, Muthana soon reveals his true colours and is seen grumbling about having to run errands for the crew. He then gets another job on the set of Doom where he somehow persuades The Rock to finance his application to film school in London. It's a fascinating character study; there's no denying Muthana's determination and his ability to turn on the charm when it matters, but it's the exchanges with documentary director Nina Davenport that reveal his darker side. Highly recommended viewing if you can track it down.

Finally, just a reminder that Charlie Brooker is back on our screens after the success of Dead Set with a new series of Screen Wipe (BBC Four) on Tuesday nights. Not the funniest thing on telly this week though - that honour surely falls to Entourage (ITV2) with the sight of Smoke Jumpers’ mad German director (wonderfully played by Stellan Skargsgard) running riot through the Universal offices. Still the best show on TV currently.

Until next time,

Keep watching.

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