Dark Season

I've wanted to see this series for years and finally a kind friend provided me a copy. Written by Russell T Davies before everyone knew his name thanks to "Queer As Folk". Starring Kate Winslet long before "Titanic" but already demonstrating star quality.

I came to the series with heightened expectations and after a while I realized that I had to remember that this is a superior children's TV series, rather than a major peak-time adult drama. Yet as the serial unwrapped itself across its six 25 minute episodes, it revealed unusual and cliche busting depths. The three young heroes are personable without being bratty whilst their teacher ally, a marvelous performance by Brigit Forsythe, emerges as a drily amusing, complicated woman trying to do her best, rather than a caricature. These are people who rarely appear in SF drama. "Dark Season" is a satisfying British programme in its attitudes. It doesn't feel the need to compete with US fantasies; instead it draws direct from the works of John Christopher, HG Wells and John Wyndham, filtering them through the then popular theories of millennium angst. It's exciting, subversive and just a bit weird.

Another uniquely British touch is its main heroine Marcie, sharply played by Victoria Lambert. It's hard to imagine a plain, bossy, abrasive and cynical fourteen year old being the lead in a US series. They'd have probably wanted a kooky Melissa Joan Hart type or would have relegated her to a sidekick and made Kate Winslet's Reet character the star. But here we have a deeply flawed character who nevertheless wins through thanks to her intelligence and honesty. Marcie doesn't like the world, she thinks everyone else is stupid and the place is a mess, and yet she fights to save the Earth. It's touches like that give the storyline its poignancy and shades of grey.

It's great to see Jacqueline Pearce back in action as the evil Miss Pendragon, camping it up like a good'un. But she's matched sneer for sneer by Max Headroom-alike Eldritch played by Grant Parsons, who seems to have stepped straight out of a Japanese anime. He's a great melodramatic villain.

The cliffhangers are terrific, particularly the emergence of Behemouth and its here that the series recalls the "Doctor Who" spirit the most. Davies' dialogue is smart and vinegary whilst his ideas are hugely entertaining. The only frustration is that the series finishes after two mini adventures when there was clearly plenty of potential for more. Certainly there are hints of a greater plotline unfolding whilst the characters and their relationships had lots of mileage left in them. It would be a good series for someone to release on DVD, alongside its stablemate "Century Falls". Recommended.

After having seen Dark Season for the first time now in mid-1999, it's amazing just how relevant it seems. Made for children's TV, it looks more like story from "Doctor Who" without the eponymous hero, and deals with neo-Nazis, mind control and millennial angst in quite a humourous way.

The six episodes are split into two three-part stories, a device which further provides comparisons with Doctor Who. It's not altogether successful - the two stories would have worked better as a whole (they are connected, but the events of 1-3 are all but forgotten in episode 4 onwards).

Spirited performances from Jacqueline Pearce and Brigit Forsyth (in a criminally underwritten role - one that seems designed for an actress about twenty years older) help to detract from some of the less than convincing child actors on display. Still, it's an interesting chance to watch a pre-Titanic Kate Winslet in a spirited supporting role as the red-haired rebel, Reet.

This is the pinnacle of children's drama from the BBC... They wetted our 80's child appetites with 'Moondial' (actualy.. thats another pinnacle..but you know. peaks and troughs.. peaks and troughs) and then gave us incomprehensible (but genius) babble like 'Earthfasts' that one with the woman in the golden mask coming out of a burning Greek temple.. and then gave us this glorious piece of televisual extravagance.

'Dark Season' not only is two three part stories that are interconnected with an amazing plot twist (well amazing for a 10 year old), spooky BBC micro B computers, hockey sticks, a machine called Behmouth, green lighting, has a woman who looks like Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. and a man in shades who may have been from the band Bross (or that one form the really wild show with short hair... apparently he has nerve endings in it so cant get it cut very often.. well thats what my mate said at school).. but it also features Kate Winslet. Amazing.

well done BBC...... however you are not excused for the tragedies that followed.. 'Elidor'? 'Return of the Psamiad'? 'Kerching'???????? .. hang your heads in shame!

I wanted to watch this because I like science fiction, writer Russell T. Davies is the best (the new "Doctor Who" series and the English "Queer As Folk"), and I was curious about the young Kate Winslet.

The series basically concerns ordinary children who face two separate pretty self-contained hideous, evil plots in episodes 1-3 and 4-6. Both plots involve monstrous computer shenanigans, but you'll have to watch the series to see how that all plays out. In the second plot, there are various indications that the evil is ancient and that one or more of the characters is somehow immortal, but that is never made concrete and is left more in the realm of suggestion.

The first few episodes are somewhat lackluster and are definitely more for children, but the series picks up with over-the-top derring-do and adventure in the last three episodes, which are definitely more in the "Doctor Who" genre.

The children are typical middle-class children at a comprehensive school and wear hideous clothes and hideous haircuts. It's so incredible that Kate Winslet, who in a few short years would be so pretty in "Heavenly Creatures," is so GINORMOUS here. She wears light blue mom jeans, weird layered vesty things, and has garish hennaed hair pulled back with barrettes.

In the first few episodes it's interesting to see the memorably dour character actress Rosalie Crutchley, whom you've almost certainly seen in other things. And there are several other good people here. Of the kids, Kate Winslet is definitely the best, but she's still just a kid and it's amazing the way she has since grown as a truthful actress, living in the moment.

Definitely ahead of its time, Dark Season is split into two three part stories. The adventures at school of three children, Marcie, Reet and Thomas.

In the first, Mr Eldritch attempts to take over the children's minds with computers, in the second Miss Pendragon attempts to raise an ancient force, the Behemoth.

There is a variation in quality it's fair to say, some of the acting varies from good to questionable, the best throughout being Bridget Forsyth, who plays reluctant hero teacher Miss Maitland.

Sci fi like this was well ahead of its time, stories like this are great for youngsters, and lovers of sci fi like myself.

Russell T Davies couldn't help but throw in some Doctor Who themed elements, the opening credits, which sees a Who liked theme, and the Master race archaeology team, who seem a cross between The Thaals and Nazi inspired Daleks.

I loved this as a kid, I think it holds up well, right now as a viewer I'm watching Jodie Whittaker's Doctor, with Chris Chibnall at the helm, watching this desperately makes me want to see Russell return.

It deserved to run a bit longer, and uncover the truth about Eldritch. 7/10