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...a blog by Richard Flowers

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Day 3417: Luthor

Tuesday:


With its mournful soul/country ballad theme, not to mention its star, it's clear that Auntie Beeb were hoping that this might be a British "Wire". But it doesn't have the sprawling character set, slow-moving-yet-gripping intertwined plots or documentary filming style to do that.

Rather, as psychodrama dressed up as police procedural, and with an anti-heroic lead – Mr Idris Elba: subtle and awesome – whose brilliance and insight are set off against his self-destructive personality, its true ancestor is ITV's acclaimed "Cracker".

But watching last night, we realised what this REALLY is: it is BATMAN without the dressing up!

John Luthor: brooding, brilliant, powerful but "captured by the dead" – remind you of anyone? And we have NEVER seen a better performance as the Joker than Ms Ruth Wilson's crazy/scary Alice.

There are three world class actors on show: the lead, of course, and Ms Ruth – also on the tellybox as the OTHER one worth watching in ITV's rehash of "The Prisoner" (more on that story later, as they say) – and also the other lady in Mr Luthor's life: Ms Indira Varma – formerly of "Torchwood" and "Rome" and, ahem, lots of proper acting – as his separated wife, Ms Zoe.

Oh, and Mr Dr Paul McGann is quite good too.

It is a BIT scary for some viewers – and you might get upset with the first episode when a DOGGIE gets murdered (also some people), but it looks like it might be quite GRIPPING viewing.

After all, what else could keep you glued to your tellybox on a Tuesday after the election is over?

Oh… that…

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