Primeval.

[rustisstrikesagain]

What an excellent show!

Stargate meets Jurassic Park!

Those who havent seen it: A series of wierd time portals erupt all over England which enables a whole hord of different DinoMonsters to come through and a team of scientists and soldiers are sent to clear up the mess.

The show is billed as ITV answer to Doctor Who but i think its a totally different show. For starters the show is aimed firmly here on Earth where DW is a bit of a squib where the show is capable of leaving earth just rarely does.
The characters are a 'little' bit more believable basically a team of science student nerds that helps their professor and the MI5 soldiers track down the Dinos.
No BBC politically correct ballracks, no message of the day cr*p. No token ethnic minorities or chavvy families or anything like that. Its pure adventure from start to end. Dino hunting, end of.
There is an arc story which leads to a brilliant season cliffhanger!

Bring on season 2!

[stewymartian]

I found it disappointing, which is a shame because the basic idea behind the programme was brilliant. I found the execution of the idea poor, with stock, cliched, characters (the unlikable boss who won't listen to the experts, how many times has that boring old nugget been overused?).

This is a problem that seems to dog most british attempts at TV sci-fi. The characters are unrealistic, and the writing full of plot holes. Look at the ending (I'll try not to leave any obvious spoilers here, but look away if you don't want to know!). Something changes in the present, but it's only one specific thing, and nothing else is affected, not even the clothes that everyone is wearing. That just doesn't make any logical sense, and spoils the suspension of disbelief.

Torchwood had similar problems (backstory good, some individual episodes appalling), and Invasion Earth from a few years ago was unwatchable because of the awful way it was written.

But with all these things the basic idea was sound, it was the way it was done that let it down. I don't know why this keeps happening. Maybe it's because these things are written/produced by people who aren't experienced in sci-fi. Maybe it's because these things are made so rarely in this country that there isn't the expertise around to pull it off properly.

[Methos]

I thought that “Primeval” was horror, not sci-fi? Wait, this is a TV show? “Primeval” is also the name of a horror movie that’s coming out, about a serial-killer.

[rustisstrikesagain]

Not heard of that.

[bayne]

[glow=red,2,300]I didn't mind it. I certainly rather liked some bits.

When the characters discover that that annoying guy from Pre-historic Park is causing the time anomalies as a side effect of his nicking critters from the ages They'll be mighty miffed!
[/glow]

[stewymartian]

A primeval/prehistoric park crossover series, my son would be in heaven! The little fella worships both Nigel Marven and Dr Cutter (have I got that name right?), I even had to make an Arthropleura cake for his 4th birthday.

My opinion of 'Primeval' has softened a little since my first post on the matter. I gave my 2 boys the dvd for easter, and have had a chance to watch it again (and again and again and again, since Max can't get enough of his dinosaurs). Some of it is good, some of it is not so good, but on balance it's alright and not the completely wasted opportunity I first thought.

If anyone wants a good laugh then check out the lastest tachyon tv, its take on primeval is hillarious.

www.tachyon-tv.co.uk/feb2007.html