WRITER: Steven Moffat DIRECTOR: Neil Mackinnon
CAST: James Nesbitt (Dr Tom Jackman/Mr Hyde), Gina Bellman (Claire Jackman), Michelle Ryan (Katherine Reimer), Denis Lawson (Peter Syme), Paterson Joseph (Benjamin), Meera Syal (Miranda Callender), Tallulah Sheffield (Pretty Girl), Steve Osborne (Barman), Sid Mitchell (Billy), Fiz Marcus (Prostitute), Stephanie Langton (Karen), Christopher Day (Harry Jackman), Andrew Byrne (Eddie Jackman), Gemma Baker (Billy's Girlfriend), Al Hunter Ashton (Christopher), Linda Marlowe (Ms Utterson) & Fenella Woolgar (Min)
Dr Tom Jackman suffers from a terrible condition; a dangerous, childish alter-ego shares his body...Steven Moffat, the writer responsible for many of the best Doctor Who's of recent years, uses Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novella The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde to create a television serial that's part modern remake, part sequel.
James Nesbitt takes the lead as Dr Tom Jackman, a middle-aged family man who has employed modern technology to keep his dangerous alter-ego under control. The manifestation of his dark side, who later becomes known as Mr Hyde, is a violent, unruly sociopath... with a fondness for Disney films!
The two halves of Jackman's personality have an uneasy truce, keeping tabs on each other's movements using satellite tracking and leaving messages for each other to explain their whereabouts once their "shift" is over (although Hyde is rarely courteous enough in this respect, taking great delight in confusing Jackman whenever the good doctor "takes over".)
Nesbitt proves to be a great piece of casting, particularly as the pragmatic Jackman, treating the material with respect and delivering a believable and entertaining performance. Of course, it's actually two roles, and Nesbitt has fun making Hyde an outrageous, egotistical, sadistic child. The first scene Hyde appears in isn't the best, as he toys with a young mugger and his girlfriend under a bridge, but Moffat's script later delivers the goods with a brilliant moment of violence in a pub.
Helping Jackman/Hyde live their dual existence is Katherine Reimer (ex-EastEnder Michelle Ryan), a beautiful psychiatric nurse employed by both identities to ensure they comply with their truce. Ryan acquits herself well in this opening episode, despite limited screentime, with confidence and intelligent verve.
The eclectic supporting cast is interesting. The wonderful Gina Bellman (of Moffat's sitcom Coupling) plays Claire Jackman, the unwitting wife of Jackman, although she's not fleshed out here given the necessary emphasis on the Jackman/Hyde situation.
Comedienne Meera Syal has a small role as private investigator Miranda Callender, delivering a decent performance, particularly when she's required to advance the story with a neat slideshow presentation explaining Jackman's connection to the Dr Jekyll of Stevenson's famous story...
The episode's one definite step into silly territory comes from Paterson Joseph (Peep Show), who puts on a broad Souhern American accent to play Benjamin, the apparent leader of a secret society who know about Jackman's situation. Joseph is clearly having great fun chewing the scenery, although his performance is so at odds with the other actors (who all radiate gravitas) that Joseph is left flapping at the opposite end of the spectrum.
While Nesbitt is undoubtedly the star of the show, most of Jekyll's enjoyment comes from Moffat excellent script. The Jekyll and Hyde story has been remade/re-imagined/updated numerous times in the past, so it's amazing to find Moffat has managed to tap some fresh veins. Indeed, the writers of Heroes, who have a similar character (Ali Larter's Niki/Jessica), shoud take a look at what Moffat achieves here, as they seemed to struggle with the "split-personality" concept on their show.
Jekyll's first episode is fantastic entertainment, brilliantly acted by James Nesbitt. It grabs your attention with the excellent first scene and never lets go until the chilling climax concerning Jackman's family being visisted by Hyde's "Cousin Billy". Episode 1 develops its story well and even manages to make its abundance of cutesy gags work ("I need to go home and change", etc.)
I wasn't convinced by the glimpses of Hyde's fangs (even though they appeared to be metaphorical, not physical) and was mildly disappointed Hyde is nearly-identical to Jackman. It was a wise decision to not go overboard with the concept and instead allow Nesbitt to convince audiences of the character's duality through pure acting, but Hyde is so physically similar I feel Moffat missed a trick here...
However, small irritations aide, Jekyll looks to be a superb fantasy story given a fresh, modern spin...
