Primeval - New Series

I'll give it 20 minutes. If it doesn't hook me, I'm putting "Taken" in the DVD player.

That should be long enough to make a valid judgement call.

Right. I'm 45 minutes away from tonight's premiere of Episode 3.



I think I need a drink.

If you don't need one now - you certainly need one afterwards.

Sid Seadevil wrote:If you don't need one now - you certainly need one afterwards.

I'll have it now, then. And probably several during transmission. If I'm completely incoherent posting afterward, you'll know why. Of course, there's always the possibility I'll simply loose consciousness, so if I don't post again until tomorrow, you'll now why in that event.

Wish me luck.

*adopts stiff-upper lip*

Best of British, old man. Your courage will not be forgotten.

*stands to attention and salutes*

Zero Hour in 24 minutes, SUH!

Go forth and do you duty, solider.

*returns salutes*

Zero Hour in 8 minutes, SUH!

Permission to turn on the television, and find BBC-America, SUH!

Permission granted.

Very good, SUH!

Cable channel has been found, and brought to screen, SUH!. Zero Hour in three minutes. Think well of me, everyone. I do this for all of you!

*Stands to attention, and heads through door into TV room*

*wipes manly tear from the corner of his eye*

Now there goes a truly dumb brave individual.

Dear heavens! Patrick has failed to return from his suicide mission to view the episode.

Can this be the final end for our Fast-Living Admin...?

*gasps*

*crawls into thread covered in mud, blood and beer*

Oh, the carnage! The blood-soaked strife! Oh, the humanity of it all! And that was just the audience! By the end last night's episode, those assembled to watch grew into a riot, demanding that lost hour of their lives back! It got ugly.

I witnessed Dr. Bashir's 'break the fourth wall' moment, and I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cringe at the metatext of the scene. All of this happening at headquarters because Rex, the flying cute lizard, got out of his cage? Can you say overkill as a lock-down solution?

Meanwhile, another of our team falls for a woman from 1840(!) who apparently has wrapped her mind quite easily around the concept of travelling through time using these 'anomalies' (you'd think after four seasons, they'd have given them a name, or an acronym, by now.) In the process, she gets Abby and the others to fight tree-climbing Velociraptors- creatures that never actually existed at any point in the history of the world- and introduces into our 21rst Century quasi-reality a psychopath who is undoubtedly going to turn out to be Jack the Ripper.

Add into this unconvincing performances from just about everyone, CGI dinosaurs that seems just slightly out of synch with the filmed elements they were supposed to be reacting to, and you can begin to understand the angry audience reaction last night.

Permission to get cleaned up, SUH!

Permission granted. Welcome back, solider.

Patrick wrote:*gasps*

*crawls into thread covered in mud, blood and beer*

Oh, the carnage! The blood-soaked strife! Oh, the humanity of it all! And that was just the audience! By the end last night's episode, those assembled to watch grew into a riot, demanding that lost hour of their lives back! It got ugly.

I witnessed Dr. Bashir's 'break the fourth wall' moment, and I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cringe at the metatext of the scene. All of this happening at headquarters because Rex, the flying cute lizard, got out of his cage? Can you say overkill as a lock-down solution?

Meanwhile, another of our team falls for a woman from 1840(!) who apparently has wrapped her mind quite easily around the concept of travelling through time using these 'anomalies' (you'd think after four seasons, they'd have given them a name, or an acronym, by now.) In the process, she gets Abby and the others to fight tree-climbing Velociraptors- creatures that never actually existed at any point in the history of the world- and introduces into our 21rst Century quasi-reality a psychopath who is undoubtedly going to turn out to be Jack the Ripper.

Add into this unconvincing performances from just about everyone, CGI dinosaurs that seems just slightly out of synch with the filmed elements they were supposed to be reacting to, and you can begin to understand the angry audience reaction last night.

Permission to get cleaned up, SUH!

Er, ok.. But did you like it ?

I loved it by the way.. And I was sufficiently inspired to watch four episodes of series three this afternoon.. Who cares if some details are slightly out of sync or whatever, it's damn good fun, and good science fiction.. I only wish I could write anything half as good..

John,
So far on this side of The Pond, we have only seen three episodes. The third episode aired last night, and my main criticism is the acting. Last night had bad acting all over the place. I'm not prepared to condemn the entirety of series 4 on the strength of three episodes, but given that it's only seven episodes in length, I'm not so far impressed.

I miss the first series- I loved the monster of the week from a different era in Earth's history. Those worms that lived in the fog are a particular favorite of mine. But this series seems not be breaking any new ground. And that's a shame, because the format of the show has so much potential.

Oh, and for those who aren't yet aware of it - there will be Series 6. It was shot back-to-back with the current run.

Sid Seadevil wrote:Oh, and for those who aren't yet aware of it - there will be Series 6. It was shot back-to-back with the current run.

Yes indeed, and as far as current information tells us, I am disappointed that Connor might not be in the next series, as Andrew Lee Potts who plays the part has apparently only been contracted for this series, but not the next.. Is he going to be lost through another anomaly? Or does it mean they are going to remove yet another good character who works? I hope not...

Sadly I suspect that if they do indeed lose him it'll be as part of another budget cost-cutting exercise, John. I imagine his salary rises with each new series, so either Connor or Abby are the most expensive regular characters - and no way they'll give Hannah the chop.

It would also tie-in with Connor increasingly being side-lined to base only activities for the past few episodes.

Sid Seadevil wrote:Sadly I suspect that if they do indeed lose him it'll be as part of another budget cost-cutting exercise, John. I imagine his salary rises with each new series, so either Connor or Abby are the most expensive regular characters - and no way they'll give Hannah the chop.

It would also tie-in with Connor increasingly being side-lined to base only activities for the past few episodes.

I fear you may be right.. It still won't be right without him if that's the case, as to me Connor IS Primeval, and Connor and Abby make a superb double act..

I agree. So let's cross our fingers and hope our hunch proves unfounded.

Well, not particularly worse, but no improvement either, on last weeks offering. The story tension still suffering from the lack or tension and credibility generated by the ridiculous paucity of the general public where these creature manifestations are concerned. I mean seriously, Abby driving a large mobile holiday camper at breakneck speed through a holiday camp and along main country roads with a thirty-foot crocodile serpent creature clinging to the roof intent on eating her and nobody notices?

Not to mention Abby and Conner being menaced by a pitchfork-wielding farm lady while armed with their Taser rifles - and doing exactly what she said when she tells them to "drop the weapons"?

As for Conner - another nail in the coffin of his future was very possibly hammered into the lid tonight.

There was no action at all on last nights primeval

Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say no action at all, young hatchling. Just not the type of action that you like.*

*which means that the creature didn't eat enough people*