Skip to main content

Jason reviews Bedlam: Season One

You read that right, bitches. We promised with a name change came the potential to expand beyond the film-review motif. And here is a prime example of that.

That's right, I'm reviewing a TV series! Boo-yah! How you like me now!?!

Now that that's out of the way: Bedlam is a British supernatural drama that aired on the BBC between Feb. 7 and March 15 of last year.

Seems the Brits love to keep their TV seasons short. This was six easy to digest episodes that I chowed down in as many nights. I dig. And it left me wanting more.

Best described as Kingdom Hospital meets 90210, Bedlam focuses on an upscale apartment block called Bedlam Heights -- which is renovated from the structure of an abandoned mental asylum -- and the strange hauntings that occur there. Theo James plays Jed Harper, a new arrival to the block who possesses the ability to see the ghosts and receives visions of their deaths. 

Given that this a TV series, each episode features a different malevolent haunting with Jed determined to discover the spirits' motives and thwart their sinister plans. When he's not busting ghosts, Jed makes nice with his flatmates: his cousin, Kate (the yummy Charlotte Salt), who manages the complex; Ryan (Will Young), who is troubled by the recent violent death of his brother; and Molly (Ashley Madekwe), a childhood friend of Kate and Jed.

Like any good TV series, Bedlam has a solid mythology behind it. Kate's family owned Bedlam Heights when it was an asylum and there's an interesting back story there that ties into the disappearances of local women. And Jed has spent time in the looney bin because of his supernatural powers.

Fortunately, Bedlam plays out better than I think I just made it sound. For one, it has some genuinely shorts shitting moments. The pilot episode is especially creepy, subsequent episodes not so much. But each episode presented an interesting new ghost and, given the short run, I didn't have time to get tired of the episodic nature of the series.

Creators David Allison, Neil Jones and Chris Parker wisely keep the soap-opera elements to a minimum, and play up the sexy Kate. This is good. We even get to see some boobies. Thank you, BBC!

I had a really good time with Bedlam. In fact, the season ended with such a perfect cliffhanger, and season two hasn't even started filming yet, so I'll likely watch the entire run again in order to get a fix. You know what that means: Bedlam gets a Good in this Basement Dweller's book.

Comments

  1. I totally agree with you. Roll on the 6th June. 10pm Sky Living. New season. Hope for more semi-naked Kate.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Awesome! So glad we're getting a second season. Will look for it Stateside! Thanks for the information.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#CocktailHour: Slushtail

  Summer approaches, inspiring thoughts of sunshine, backyard parties, and having a tip and sip with friends.  With that in mind, I bring you this week sunny beverage. To make a slushtail, mix a can of frozen orange juice, a can of frozen lemonade (or limeade), a can of pineapple juice, a couple cups of black tea (or English Breakfast), and two cups of bourbon- such as Southern Comfort, in a pitcher.  When it's all nicely mixed, put it in the freezer until it's a nice slushy consistency. Scoop the slush into a cocktail glass, and pour in some Sprite or 7-Up.  Add a little umbrella for some frivolous fun, and a straw. Voila!  Ready to enjoy. This is a very refreshing drink.  The fruit juices, Sprite, and bourbon- when chilled makes for a great punch-like drink.  The bourbon doesn't overwhelm juices.   In fact, they are all nicely balanced in terms of flavors.  The sourness of the citrus fruits contrasts well with the slightly sweeter Southern Comfort.  It was refreshing enou

Unlock your fate with The Puzzle

When my dad wasn't working, building stuff or being my dad, he was making puzzles. It was a guaranteed way for him to unwind. So it was with great interest that I sat down to watch Italian filmmaker Davide Melini's award-winning short The Puzzle. You see, the mother in the five-minute film likes to relax with puzzles just like my dad. Unfortunately, her good-for-nothing son keeps harassing her for money. Losing herself in her favourite passtime, the mother soon discovers that completing this puzzle might unlock a nightmare. The Puzzle has been an official selection at more European film festivals than you can shake a stick at, and was voted Third Best Italian Film at the Rome International Film Festival in 2008. Having watched it, I'm not surprised. It's a tight little film that hits you hard in the final few seconds. You can tell Melini cut his teeth as an assistant director for legendary Italian filmmaker Dario Argento. But enough chit chat on my part. See if yo

The Animated Addict: "The Adventures of Tintin" (2011)

If you're a 40 + white dude, like myself, you may remember a comic series called " The Adventures of Tintin ".  I know I remember them.  This series, dating back to 1929, got turned into a animated feature film by Steven Spielberg in 2011. After buying a model of ship called The Unicorn, teenaged journalist Tintin finds himself on adventure that will take him from the high seas, to the low deserts, and from the distant past to the present.  With his trusty dog, Snowy, by his side, Tintin uncovers a story connecting two men across the centuries.. . The story is really quite good.  It's well crafted, and high paced- with just enough slow moments to build and develop the world and the characters.  This is the sort of adventure story you'd find in the old serials of the 1930's and '40's.  In fact, it felt like it was the sort of tale that you'd find Indiana Jones undertaking.  I found myself swept up, and swept along as our hero swung from one e