If you watch American TV, the best show of 2007 was either Dexter or Mad Men, depending on the critic. Both are fine shows with my preference being Dexter, which might not be the best kind of admission to make.
But neither was amongst the two best shows of 2007. The second-best show of 2007 was the second series of the British show, Life on Mars. John Simm's tour-de-force is not science fiction. Not really. The title comes from a David Bowie song that is playing when Simm's detective character gets shot and wakes up 30 years ago. Okay, that's SF, but it's almost covered by the ongoing question of whether Simm has indeed been comported to the past, or is just having one humdinger of a dream/nightmare. Whatever the transport mechanism, playing a 70's cop with 21st century sensibilities and memories proves a daunting task. He's aided by Philip Glenister's morally-ambivalent top cop and lone lady cop Annie Cartwright played winningly by Liz White. There's a shop specializing in British imports in Mississauga's Square One. Both seasons of Life on Mars are excellent. The American remake, with David Kelley at the helm, will eventually grace our TV's. But find the original.
Oddly enough, Simm and Glenister had worked together in 2003 in the first series of State of Play. Glenister is still a tough-talking policeman, while Simm is a crusading journalist. I had the first episode kicking around for months before seeing it during Christmas. I've been searching for the full series since then. That first episode ended so shockingly, I was completely thrown. Might be as good a debut episode as I have ever seen. I hope to complete the review in the future.
Now, what were we talking about? Yeah, right. the BEST show of the past year. Not even close. Jekyll. Another British series. This latest play on the Jekyll and Hyde plot has James Nesbitt doing amazing things physically to show two personalities living inside one body. He's a doting father of two, Dr. Tom Jackman by day, a lecherous psychopath nicknamed Mr. Hyde by night. Tom does battle with his evil side with the help of a surprisingly good Michelle Ryan, who shows none of the lacklustre ability tormenting her turn as the Bionic Woman.
It's tempting to say this is Nesbitt starring in the spotlight by himself. He's certainly capable. I have seen the pilot for the Murphy's Law series and have the full first year to watch. But that show certainly shows Nesbitt's acting chops. So his performance, as good as it is in Jekyll, is almost confirmatory rather than revealing. No, the spice that makes this such a superlative entertainment is Jackman's wife, a role played with confidence by Gina Bellman. She grows during the six episodes of the series to the point where she gleefully refers to the nasty Hyde personality as "MY HUSBAND!" And you believe her!
Everybody who I shared this series with shared my viewing patterns. I watched the first episode one night, the second a night later and then the concluding four episodes in one session on the third night. A session that went later than it should have. But I couldn't turn the TV off. It was like the story was good enough to watch on back-to-back-to-back nights, but TOO good not to finish that third night, sleep and the next day's work be damned. It was that good.
There is a shock twist at the end that I really didn't see coming, although others did. And there is talk of a second series being at least in the planning stages. I'd rather not see a redux of series one's dalliances with Mr. Hyde. That leaves the two tots to grow into the divergent roles or better yet, a turn for the worst by Mrs. Jackman. I think Bellman would be up for it. Good Claire was finding Strong Claire at the end of the first series anyway. With her real background, it might not be too much of a stretch for Strong Claire to find Bad Claire appetizing.
We can only hope.
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