Dan's Top 10 TV Hits Of 2007

I think we're living in a little golden era of TV, particularly for fans of intelligent sci-fi, exciting fantasy and dramas with high-concept twists. Even better, many of them have crossed over into the mainstream, with everyone recognizing their strengths.

It's wonderful to see the types of shows I've always enjoyed being embraced by the masses and 2007 has been a particularly strong year -- with established shows refusing to let the quality slide (despite a few wobbles) and new shows hitting the ground running with intriguing concepts...

There were many TV shows that caught my eye and entertained me this year, but my heart is always captured by scripted drama. Below are 10 shows, that aired in the UK this year, and demanded my blogging commitment, loyalty, admiration and respect...

In ascending order...

10. Robin Hood

season 2, BBC1

The first series was poor, but not irredeemable. The major flaws of Robin Hood were in its youthful casting of the outlaws, irritating anachronisms, cheerful panto violence, slothful storylines and repetitive action.

But, against expectation, series 2 has managed to fix some of the problems (but there was no major recasting, obviously). While it's still flawed, and nowhere near as gritty and complex as I'd like, Robin Hood is now good fun. The storylines are more cohesive, the plots feel fresher, and the tone is more willing to paint with darker colours.

Best Bit: At time of writing (and there's only 1 episode to go), I think the most successful moment in Robin Hood this year was when Marian's father died in Show Me The Money – which was both heartfelt, much darker than usual, and instigated the real blossoming of the Robin and Marian romance (which isn't usually a compelling aspect of the show.)

9. Dirt

season 1, Five US

This Courteney Cox vehicle was a surprisingly enjoyable watch, being slick and often naughty entertainment. I never expected to like it, but thanks to Cox's committed portrayal, Ian Hart's twitchy performance as ratty photo-journo Don, and a few eye-opening scenes of nakedness, violence and personal betrayals, Dirt became a little treasure on Monday evenings. But not one you'd easily admit to watching -- as it's the TV equivalent of a trashy magazine you protest about in polite company, but keep hidden in a drawer...

Best Bit: I could choose a rude bit involving Courteney Cox, but I'll try and refrain from something so obvious. Instead, Dirt really slapped me round the face when slimy publisher Brent Barrow (Jeffrey Nordling) was threatened with castration by two goons in his own home – one played by cheerful Wayne Brady from the US version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?!

8. Prison Break

season 2, Five

I never expected Prison Break to last one season, as the prison escape premise sounded too restrictive. So it was a surprise to see season 2 evolve into a sprawling Fugitive-style adventure, introducing William Fichtner as conflicted manhunter Agent Mahone. The second year became very slapdash after a confident start, but the series has always been able to keep things going at breakneck speed, and is seldom boring.

In many ways, Prison Break is actually a bad show, but it's so ruthless efficient and entertaining you can overlook the meandering subplots, dozy conspiracy, repetitive goings-on, and the fact half the characters just don't work outside of confinement. Even more surprising, season 3's setting in a lawless foreign jail has successfully extended the lifespan of the series once more... although surely a fourth year would be pushing it?

Best Bit: After being captured by the Feds mid-season, escapee brothers Michael (Wentworth Miller) and Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) are being transported through a tunnel, and are allowed to escape by corrupt FBI Agent Mahone (only so he can kill them later), and find they have an unexpected ally in the shape of government hitman Kellerman…

7. Life On Mars

season 2, BBC1

The 70s cop drama with a sci-fi twist returned for its second and, disappointingly, final season. Contemporary cop Sam Tyler (John Simm) was still trapped in 1973, on the beat in Manchester with sexist dinosaur Gene Hunt (Philip Glennister) and trying desperately to get back to the present.

As with the first series, the mysteries themselves were never that taxing (the culprit tends to be the only guest star with a sizable role!), but it certainly ramped up the time-travel/coma mythology, and generally had more fun with its premise. The final episode was very fitting, albeit totally illogical… but that's another debate. We eagerly await Hunt's return in 80s-set spin-off Ashes To Ashes… and brace ourselves for the American remake, with Irish Star Trek actor Colm Meany as their version of Hunt…

Best Bit: I can nit-pick it to death, but the finale's reveal about exactly what happened to Sam after his car crash was still compelling and emotionally done. Great use of the Bowie track "Life On Mars" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", too.

6. Battlestar Galactica

season 3, Sky One

Season 3 was the show's weakest year, but that only goes to show how brilliant this revamp of the cheesy 70s sci-fi original is. The new series opened with a run of episodes that had obvious parallels to post-911 events in Iraq, with hints of WWII's French Resistance, as the human residents of New Caprica become enslaved by occupying Cylons.

From there, Battlestar Galactica built its mythology towards a pivotal moment in an ancient temple that pointed the way to Earth, before unfortunately hitting a bad run of standalone Cylon-less episodes. Fortunately, the courtroom drama finale was well-executed and left fans with some jaw-dropping reveals. Whether these brave twists will be the series' undoing, only time will tell...

Best Bit: The show has always had fantastic visual effects to hand, but they never take precedence over plot and character. However, I don’t think anyone will forget the exciting, unpredictable moment when the Galactica jumped into the atmosphere of New Caprica to launch a rescue mission. Big screen spectacle on your TV!

5. Jekyll
BBC1

Steven Moffat, the celebrated Doctor Who writer, was handed his own six-part series by the BBC, and chose to update classic Victorian horror Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. James Nesbitt took the dual role in this imaginative quasi-sequel, performing the part with infectious enthusiasm and charisma.

This mini-series was one of 2007's weirdest shows, as it constantly teetered on the brink of silliness, lurching from tense horror and playful dumbness every 10 minutes. It was more schizophrenic than its protagonist/antagonist, but never boring. It may not make logical sense by its conclusion, but it was a brave and immensely enjoyable Saturday night treat for summer.

Best Bit: There are plenty of moments to savour, and even chuckle at, but I think the show really surprised in the sequences when Hyde realizes Jekyll has gone and the empty space in his head fills with previously unobtainable memories…

4. Doctor Who
season 3, BBC1

It's now clear the revamp of the series in 2005 has worked a treat, as Doctor Who moved further away from farting aliens and into more grown-up stories. Series 3 took its time to get going, after introducing new companion Martha (Freema Agyeman, immediately consigning Billie Piper to history), but once that second-rate Dalek story concluded, things really got interesting...

Bizarrely, series 3's excellent second-half barely features The Doctor per se -- as he was transformed into a human for the superb Human Nature story, reduced to a cameo in the extraordinary Blink, and aged into a cripple for much of the finale! And, despite the last episode being a damp squib in some respects, the beautifully haunting reveal of nemesis The Master was a TV highlight of the year...

Best Bit: Yes... for pure spine-tingling brilliance, you can't beat the breathlessly-edited sequence when kindly Professor Yana (a superb Derek Jacobi) is transfixed by his fob watch, opens it, and is transformed into The Doctor's sinister nemesis: The Master!

3. Dexter
season 1, The FX Channel

One of the best new shows, Dexter is a slick mix of gruesome procedural and high-concept pulp, as an affable Miami forensics expert moonlights as a serial-killer. The central performance by Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under) is chiefly responsible for the shows success, as he manages to make Dexter into an engaging anti-hero, who you worryingly begin to really care about...

Indeed, the show's moral grey area is the most appealing aspect of the show, as audiences are made to like a cold-blooded killer purely because he at least only targets criminals and was trained by a legendary lawman.

It's patently absurd on many levels, but the sheer vigour of its storytelling, inherent tensions, and overarching mysteries, neatly off-set initial misgivings. By the time the final batch of episodes arrive, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more compelling TV show. And season 2 is even better in most respects...

Best Bit: Undeniably the moment the Ice Truck Killer's identity is revealed in a slow pan… causing a few gasps.

2. Heroes

season 1, Sci-Fi Channel/BBC2

Undoubtedly the year's most talked-about show, Heroes was also one of the most consistently entertaining. This tale of ordinary people discovering they have superpowers, and slowly coming together to thwart a nuclear bomb in New York, was the dictionary definition of must-see TV. It has a very engaging cast, frothy pace, exciting premise, great production values, and a keen sense of fun.

Of course, it helped enormously that everything about it was new and there was a lot of ground to explore (past, present and future). Unfortunately, season 2 has proved Heroes isn't quite so strong now we're acclimatized to its style and have a handle on all the characters' lives – with the surprises and sense of adventure being mostly absent. But... that first season was magic; even with the duff ending.

Best Bit: The show was very adept at providing jaw-dropping cliffhangers, but I'll always love the moment teleporter Hiro (Masi Oka) realizes he's actually in a future New York… just as a nuclear bomb destroys the city.

1. Lost
season 3, Sky One

After a disappointing six-episode "mini-season" in late-06, Lost fought off growing criticism to produce arguably its most consistent run of episodes since season 1. We learned more about the mysterious Others, met new characters, witnessed the downfall of DHARMA, got a shadowy glimpse of the enigmatic "Jacob", and then the rug-pulling finale set in motion the beginnings of a rescue...

Lost is still the most dense, intelligent and entertaining genre show TV has produced in years, and shows no sign of running out of ideas. It's had a few upsets along the way (with some people abandoning it for being "too slow" – whatever), and the flashbacks are becoming more redundant, but the masterful writers never lose control and make repairs whenever necessary.

The core audience hated two new characters, who were subsequently killed off in one of the season's better episodes; and one that explained their assumed "pointlessness" as something more interesting. That's the way to do it!

Lost is a superb mystery show, with each episode like a beautiful piece of a jigsaw. You may have to put each piece to one side for now... but you know they'll fit together later, now the bigger picture is slowly emerging...

Best Bit: There are dozens to choose from in the second half of season 3, but I particularly liked the creepy reveal of ghostly Others leader Jacob, after Ben leads Locke to that abandoned cabin in the jungle…

JEKYLL - "Episode 6"

28 July 2007 - BBC 1, 9.05 pm
WRITER: Steven Moffat DIRECTOR: Matt Lipsey
CAST: James Nesbitt (Dr Tom Jackman/Mr Hyde), Denis Lawson (Peter Syme), Gina Bellman (Claire Jackman), Michelle Ryan (Katherine Reimer), Meera Sylar (Miranda Callender), Fenella Woolgar (Min), Linda Marlowe (Ms Utterson/Sophia), Christopher Day (Harry Jackman), Andrew Byrne (Eddie Jackman), Matt King (Freeman), Julian Lewis Jones (Carver), Paterson Joseph (Benjamin) & Malcolm Storry (Colonel Hart)

A conjoined Jackman-Hyde work together to find their kidnapped family, as the Institute struggle to protect their investment...

After an effective and enjoyable build-up, the conclusion of Steven Moffat's Jekyll & Hyde "sequel" is a curious mix of good and bad; much like its title character.

Episode 6 begins in a playful mood, as Moffat's comedic background bubbles to the surface. Here, the Institute attempt to recapture Mr Hyde by using their top man: a gruff Welsh mercenarie called Carver (armed with rippling muscles, a bowie knife and... a Crazy Frog ringtone!) After a few minutes of flashbacks, demonstrating Carver's regimented professionalism and combat-readiness... Hyde casually throws him over the roof to his death.

It's a moment that proves to be curiously indicative of Jekyll's finale, as Steven Moffat's five-episode build-up reaches a somewhat disappointing climax. Like Carver, the serial is thrown over the edge. That's not to say Episode 6 is an awful way to end the show... but it's certainly guilty of implausible twists in its final act that leave you disappointed.

The good: James Nesbitt has been the lynchpin of the show and, despite giving in to bouts of extreme hamminess, he's never been anything less than totally watchable. In particular, Jackman and Hyde are two very individual performances, so seeing them "merge" and fight for their family provides a satisfying advancement to their intrapersonal war.

Denis Lawson has also been wonderful as bad-guy Syme; a twisted little man who's one of the more textured and nuanced characters. Lawson's dour expressions work beautifully and his character has a satsfying conclusion.

Gina Bellman has been decent enough as Claire Jackman, a character rescued from the dolldrums by Episode 3. I'm not convinced Bellman was the best choice to play Claire, but she's had her moments and generally convinces with the more emotional stuff. Her maternal fight to save her children, who are locked into those sinister "containment boxes" here, is very nicely handled.

The bad: The supporting cast are again redundant. The lesbian detective partnership of Miranda (Meera Syal) and Min (Fenella Woolgar) hasn't developed since Episode 2. Their sole purpose here is to have handily captured an Institute employee, for pure plot reasons. Likewise, Katherine (Michelle Ryan), Jackman's sexy assistant, has been nothing but eye candy since Episode 2.

Episode 6 just isn't the barnstorming finale I was hoping for. It just goes through the motions, usually ratcheting up tension before deflating it with some dialogue-heavy chats. Jekyll is a low-budget series, but it's here that Moffat's frothy writing style can't gloss over a workmanlike conclusion.

Moffat is forced to keep things small, squashing the climax into an underground corridor confrontation between Jackman-Hyde and several armed grunts. Given the show's emphasis on small, personal moments over huge spectacle, it works well enough... but it's a shame director Matt Lipsey never gets a chance to cut-loose and have some fun with the Hyde character's strength, ferocity and speed. It remains mostly unseen; a threat the budget couldn't lift the veil on.

As things reach their conclusion, the answers to Jekyll's long-standing questions are finally answered... but prove to be disappointing. It turns out (no sniggering) that Hyde is "love" and the reason for his appearance was Claire's arrival in his life (as she's a manufactured clone of the the original Jekyll's amorous maid.)

As Episode 5 claimed with a note to Dr Jekyll, his transformation was because of "the girl" -- not a "magic potion". That hypothesis bares out here, but it means we're never given an adequate reason for Jekyll/Jackman's condition! Plenty of people fall in love... and nobody else has ever turned into a super-strong, fanged, sociopath!

Once the show's big question is fudged, some goodwill is lost and never fully recovered. I did enjoy the nod towards the end that Jackman's twins, Eddie and Harry, are able to switch bodies between themselves. That was cute. It might even play into a potential sequel, particularly when one of the twins puts his finger to his lips and "shushes" his fathes. Was that Hyde lurking in there? Or am I clutching at straws now?

Overall, Episode 6 is entertaining fluff. There are flashes of quality, but it's unfortunate that the big reveals are so usatisfying. Moffat even attempts a final twist in the epilogue, by revealing that Jackman's mother, not his father, carries the Jekyll gene... and she was actually spooky American Ms Utterson all along! Cue the fangs, in true Hammer Horror style!

It's an amusing last minute shocker... but, again, it crumbles under scrutiny. Why has Ms Utterson and her Institute spent over a century trying to manipulate Hyde out of Jackman if she herself already has the same disorder? Maybe a sequel (entitled Hyde?) could straighten things out. Moffat certainly leaves some loose ends blowing in the wind, custom-made for a sequel... but I'm not sure the concept could sustain a return trip.

Perhaps fittingly, Jekyll has been a very mixed bag overall: constantly enjoyable, frequently silly, often exciting, a little bit dumb, sometimes confusing and not quite able to pull itself together into one, satisfying whole. But, for all its faults and the cumulative disappointment of Episode 6, I think the ride was worth it.

JEKYLL - "Episode 5"

22 July 2007 - BBC 1, 9.00pm
WRITER: Steven Moffat DIRECTOR: Matt Lipsey
CAST: James Nesbitt (Dr Tom Jackman/Mr Hyde/Dr Henry Jekyll/Original Hyde), Gina Bellman (Claire Jackman), Denis Lawson (Peter Syme), Mark Gatiss (Robert Louis Stevenson), Meera Syal (Miranda Callender), Michelle Ryan (Katherine Reimer), Christopher Day (Harry Jackman), Andrew Byrne (Eddie Jackman), Fenella Woolgar (Min), Matt King (Freeman) & Linda Marlowe (Ms Utterson)

Claire waits to see which "side" of her husband survived the Institute's "cure", as flashbacks deepen the mystery in Victorian England...

The penultemate episode finds writer Steven Moffat firing on all cylinders, cutting loose now his premise is firmly established with moments of visual brilliance and intriguing flashbacks.
The Institute have seemingly cured Dr Jackman's "split-personality", but unfortunately Jackman has been completely dissolved by Hyde, who now reigns as the sole occupant of their body.

As wife Claire (Gina Bellman) refuses to accept her mild-mannered husband is lost forever, Hyde begins to experience lucid memories of Jackman's personal history... and that of Dr Henry Jekyll from 1886...

Just when you think Jekyll is finally going to settle down into predictability, the script effortlessly pulls the rug out from under you. The "memory download" Hyde experiences (brilliantly directed by Matt Lipsey), has Hyde walking through memories, pausing and rewinding them like a film on DVD. These are great sequences, particularly interesting for theorists because Hyde has access to memories belonging to Dr Jekyll -- who died in the 19th-century! How is this possible?

Episode 5 also has James Nesbitt giving his best performance yet, adding two more characters to his repertoire: the Victorian Jekyll and Hyde. Nesbitt is great to watch, despite the fact he often slips into a brash vaudevillian style for Hyde. Still, hamminess is forgivable in this context and Hyde remains gleeful fun and the infectious performance ratchets up the pace.

Unfortunately, characters like Miranda, Min and Katherine (Meera Syal, Fenella Woolgar and Michelle Ryan, respectively) are just playing second fiddle to Nesbitt and Gina Bellman these days. Their roles haven't progressed since Episode 3 and they're consequently superfluous now.

Thankfully, the story is engaging, delicious and crazy, in equal measure. Moffat sprinkles jokes and one-liners into the script at every opportunity, but never enough to upstage the story's quirky thriller mentality. Jekyll is having great fun with its premise, using humour to draw you in, but never totally forgetting its pulp horror roots. The show will never scare you, but it can unsettle occassionally.

A highlight here is a flashback to 1886, where we meet author Robert Louis Stevenson (played by the League Of Gentlemen's Mark Gatiss, a noted fan of Victorian horror) and the original Dr Henry Jekyll (played by James Nesbitt, with big side-burns). Here, the two friends discuss the circumstances behind Jekyll's genuine transformation into the savage Mr Hyde, in beautifully staged period scenes of crackling fireplaces and foggy streets.

Their chat prompts the show's latest twist (concerning the reason behind Jekyll's transformation) and sends Episode 5 flying off in a fresh direction. I don't fully understand how this new piece of information can plausibly fit into things, but I'm sure Steven Moffat has a good explanation.

We'll find out next week, when Jekyll concludes.

JEKYLL - "Episode 4"

14 July 2007 - BBC 1, 9.00 pm
WRITER: Steven Moffat DIRECTOR: Matt Lipsey
CAST: James Nesbitt (Dr Tom Jackman/Mr Hyde), Gina Bellman (Claire Jackman), Michelle Ryan (Katherine Reimer), Denis Lawson (Peter Syme) & Meera Syal (Miranda Callender)

Claire can only watch in horror as her claustrophobic husband is imprisoned in a high-tech containment box. Flashbacks reveal how she met Tom Jackman and when Hyde made his first appearance...

We're at the midway point of Steven Moffatt's very successful rethink of the Jekyll & Hyde story, with Jackman/Hyde now captured by the mysterious Institute and taken back to their H.Q, with confused wife Claire in tow.

Episode 4 offers a breather, of sorts, from the main storyline -- in that the contemporary plot is left dangling from Episode 3. Well, mostly. Instead, we're treated to a flashback-heavy storyline that sheds light on how Jackman met Claire, and exactly when Hyde first came into existence.

As Claire, Gina Bellman puts in a great performance, particularly in scenes where she takes a shine to quiet Tom Jackman during a dinner party with some friends. At first Jackman seems to be an aloof bore, the typical scientist stereotype; more interested in the virtues of an outside patio than anything else. Jackman eventually warms up during dinner, particularly when Claire notices he's taken his shoes off to eat, and promptly takes delight in hiding them. In perhaps the first manifestation of Hyde in his psyche, Jackman successfully flirts and their romance takes its first step...

It's not long before Jackman begins exhibiting other psychological and physical changes, such as: rapid arm hair growth, hallucinating a doppleganger in a mirror, hearing knocking on doors and handing an assistant notes with "I'M COMING" scrawled across them. All this leaves Jackman fearing for his own sanity, but he's just advised to take a holiday.

The story leaps back to the present time every so often, focusing on Claire's discovery of her husband's condition through family friend Peter Syme (the excellent Denis Lawson), and the later arrival of detective Miranda Callender (Meera Syal) -- who believes she has the answers behind the Institute's actions and Jackman's clouded past.

James Nesbitt goes from strength to strength, never better than in Episode 4 as events in his humdrum life conspire to awaken Hyde. One particularly tense scene finds Jackman and Claire enjoying a beach walk with ice creams, only to be picked on by a gang of young louts. The introverted Jackman can only watch in horror as the gang's leader takes pleasure in humiliating them both by smearing ice cream over their faces. It's a chilling scene, wonderfully played by Nesbitt and Bellman, making you urge psychopathic Hyde to spring into action...

Writer Steven Moffat certainly knows how to orchestrate tense scenes. The moment Hyde finally makes his "grand entrance" is brilliantly underplayed, but the vengeance he unleashes makes you feel guilty you ever hoped he'd appear. A later scene, with Jackman coming face-to-face with his alter-ego for the first time (via a camera recording) is another highlight. For fans, Moffat even paraphrases one of his early Doctor Who episodes with Hyde's creepy "are you my daddy?" question.

Overall, this is a fine example of Moffat's abilities: human drama, mixed with fantasy, creepily acted and brilliantly written. For fans trying to work out the serial's grand mysteries, concerning Jackman's past and the role of the Institute, the contemporary scenes are also must-see; debunking popular theories and giving small clues to the real answers. Brilliant stuff.

JEKYLL - "Episode 3"

30 June 2007 - BBC 1, 9.00 pm
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) & Malcolm Storry (Colonel Hart)

Dr Jackman attempts to suppress Hyde and learns more about the motivation of the organization hunting him...

After Episode 2's embarassing stumble with its lion-fighting oddity, things rapidly improve in Episode 3, as Jackman begins to psychologically battle with his dark side...

Writer Steven Moffat manages to give a visual signature to Jackman and Hyde's "battle of the brain", with their fight for dominance effecting electrical lighting. In one particularly creepy scene, Jackman simply sits alone in a train station, light bulbs flickering above him, as a curious young boy cautiously approaches...

James Nesbitt seems to be settling into his Hyde role now, reigning in some of the sillier mannerisms he displayed previously. There's no awful posing with lions, you'll be pleased to know. Instead, Hyde suddenly gets an injection of icy malice (with shades), tempered nicely by the suggestion he's similarly in love with Jackman wife Claire...

Gina Bellman, playing Claire Jackman, has been asked to play a pretty bog-standard clueless wife, but here she gets a chance to break out of that mould and really shine. Claire isn't the wallflower we've been led to believe, it seems; instead, she's capable of holding her own against Hyde's vitriol and punishes her husband's alter-ego, both verbally and physically!

Structurally, Episode 3 is quite different to previous installments, in that it's essentially a sequence of flashbacks that help us understand why Jackman is found lying under a tree, near a country mansion, wearing a blood-stained shirt and cliutching a key, in the opening scene.

It makes for an interesting plot-device, despite being undoubtedly used to disguise Episode 3's relative simple narrative. Also performing the same trick as Gina Bellman, the wonderful Denis Lawson also steps up a gear as Peter Syme, now revealed as being in cahoots with villain Benjamin (Pateson Joseph; still chewing scenes while everyone else plays it straight, to distracting effect.)

For once, James Nesbitt delivers the goods when it comes to Hyde's supposed bloodlust, too. Sure, he's stamped on a teenager, frightened his assistant, killed a lion and thrown a bodyguard through a pub window... but he often seems all mouth and no trousers... until now. Episode 3 sees Hyde turning sadistic in one scenes (an unseen torture), and a late sequence with Hyde foiling a team of armed guards, just by frightening them, is wonderfully done.

There are also definite signs Jekyll has a deeper backstory than you might have originally expected. Is orphan Jackman a clone of the 19th-Century Henry Jekyll? I guess we'll have to wait and see.. but Moffat certainly seems to be leading audiences down some interesting avenues.

Episode 3 is a step in the right direction for this interesting and entertaining serial. It's engaging, goofy fun, both satisfyingly mysterious and pleasantly creepy. There are a few annoyances along the way, such as: why does Hyde torture a naked man but take the time to light candles around the room? Is he that bothered about creating a "mood"? Or, why don't hospital staff recognise Jackman as the sadist who dumped a dying man on them in his Hyde persona? The two are near-identical -- so shouldn't his face be plastered all over the news?

Despite many quibbles, Jekyll is proving to be one of the more resolutely enjoyable fantasy dramas of recent years, nicely performed by Nesbitt, Bellman and Lawson, in particular.

JEKYLL - "Episode 2"

23 June 2007 - BBC 1, 9.00 pm
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), Jason Hall (Waiter), Virginia Emmery (Sophia), Fenella Woolgar (Min), Linda Marlowe (Ms Utterson), Al Hunter Ashton (Christopher), Andrew Byrne (Eddie Jackman), Christopher Day (Harry Jackman), Matt King (Freeman), Bruce Mackinnon (Malcolm), Victor Power (Pete) & Suzanne Proctor (Nurse)

The Institute plot to capture Mr Hyde using Dr Jackman's children as bait at a local zoo...

After a superb setting up of the characters and relationships in Episode 1, it's disappointing to see Episode 2 occassionally lose itself with some redundant sequences (prime candidate: Hyde's unconvincing stalking of Katherine, climaxing with a "Heeere's Johnny" jump-scare even Jack Nicholson would cringe at).

Steven Moffat continues to develop the ongoing story nicely enough, although now we're accustomed to the fun Jackman/Hyde dynamic, this episode is content to cruise along on Episode 1's fumes. Jackman is very concerned about the safety of his wife and children now that alter-ego Hyde is aware of his secret family. There are even hints Hyde may be about to break free of Jackman's subconscious, as Jackman uncharacteristically shouts at his son in a cafe.

Episode 2's focus is on a trip to the zoo, wherein Jackman takes his kids (Eddie and Harry) for a bit of fatherly bonding, under the surveillance of Peter Syme (Denis Lawson, doing his best sourpuss face).

Of course, unbeknownst to Jackman, he's also under surveillance by the shadowy Institude. In an uncharacteristic cliche from Moffat, said secret society are prone to signposting their presence by travelling in black SUV's with tinted windows. When will bad guys learn the art of stealth, eh?

After one of Jackman's children is placed inside the lion's den, the threat to his son unleashes his Hyde persona, who proceeds to wrestle with said lion (offscreen, thankfully). Lead villain Benjamin (Paterson Joseph) then engages in a tense exchange of dialogue with Hyde, who stands atop a boulder in a blood-stained shirt, striking macho poses, having turned the remaining lions into submissive pussycats.

It's very silly stuff, as you can tell. On the page it probably read as very exciting, original and dramatic. However, once made reality by director Neil Mackinnon, it's just laughable hokum. We fortunately aren't subjected to the sight of James Nesbitt fighting a stuffed animal, in true Tarzan-style, but the bad greenscreening of Nesbitt into shots with prowling lions is punishment enough for viewers.

The sheer dumbness of this sequence, together with Paterson Joseph's increasingly irritating Yankie villain, almost ruins Episode 2 entirely. Thankfully, mostly everything beyond the misguided zoo sequence is competent stuff and serves to nudge Jekyll's storyline forward an increment or two.

Overall, Episode 2 is enjoyable in parts, but contains the sort of lazy wafflings the first episode managed to masterfully avoid. All said, it's a sad misstep for Steven Moffat's six-part serial, but there's plenty of time to set things straight...

JEKYLL - "Episode 1"

16 June 2007 - BBC 1, 9.00 pm
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...

SEEK OUT HYDE!

Steven Moffat is a name that should be familiar to genre fans, as he's written arguably the best Doctor Who episodes of the revived show's run. He also created the sitcom Coupling, amongst others.

His latest venture is a modern take on the classic horror story Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, starring James Nesbitt (Cold Feet) as the eponymous split-personality, ex-EastEnder Michelle Ryan (soon to be the Bionic Woman for US TV), Meera Syal (The Kumars At Number 42), Mark Gatiss (League Of Gentlemen) and Denis Lawson (Bleak House).

The BBC have just released a press release for the new series on their website, here.

"Dr Jackman's life is in tatters. Recently, he's been playing host to an uninvited guest – a dangerous alter-ego. Desperate to protect his wife and children from his dark side, Jackman has been forced to leave his old life behind and strike a diabolical deal with his own devil.

Now the two share a body, and an impossible life is somehow lived. It takes a trusted assistant, lots of second–guessing and the best surveillance hardware around to keep the "night shift" in check.

Savage, carnivorous, carnal, Hyde is everything that the repressed Jackman is not – a narcissistic newborn in a grown man's body, with a Disney habit to go with his drink problem. And he's getting stronger. Every time Jackman falls asleep, gets angry or aroused –- Hyde threatens to take over.

He won't be chained up forever.

What neither of them knows is that an ancient organisation with limitless wealth and power is monitoring their every move, and a plan over a century in the making is coming to fruition.

Part conspiracy thriller, part horror, part love story, Steven Moffat's dark and very modern take on the Robert Louis Stevenson classic brings the ultimate tale of inner conflict to unforgettable new heights."

It sounds like a great show, so I hope it gets bumper ratings. Then maybe the BBC will start cranking out more quality, intelligent, imaginative television... and less cops and doc's dramas, sandwiched between singing and dancing reality shows.

We can hope...