Reviews

Although the first episode is not particularly engaging (not a good sign) I persevered and from the second story on they have definitely got better and better.

The thing that makes this series most interesting to me isn't the science fictiony bits - not that there's really that much involved in this story. The main influence of science fiction on the plot is mainly on the delivery of the plot line pictures but the suspense in the story comes down to good old character interaction and the way that that the three police officers interact with each other and the scientist running the satellite that appears to be taking the photographs that are cuing the police into the incidents they are investigating.

Each of the characters has a particular view on what these pictures represent, from the DS's continuing scepticism of the photographs reality to the scientist's belief that the pictures are showing the future but he has issues with his bosses in the shadowy section of the MoD that is contracting the work he's doing.

It's been good in the way that the Beeb haven't shied away from letting people die - this power has not given the cops god-like abilities to change the future, and there have been moral dilemmas as to who can be saved.

All-in-all an interesting set of story lines.

Having recently bought this on DVD from Amazon.co.uk with a fair degree of trepidation - I last saw this on it's original transmission when I was all of twelve(!) - I feared that it would lack it's original punch.

There was no need to worry though!

Although some of the story does not quite live up to memory and other bits are clearly aimed at children, the overall tension of the series is still nicely maintained and the last couple of episodes, as the changes sweep through the children and their parents is still terrifying.

Given it's age (26 years on) it is mostly remarkably undated, mainly helped by the fact that much of the terror is not dependant on flakey special effects but the "Off-scene Lurking Horror"! The sound track is another major tension builder, with the chanting building to a crescendo in keeping with on screen events.

Hendrick's computer system buried in the church vaults provided a(n unintended) momentary laugh for me, surrounded as I am by Micro computers capable of doing everything that cellar full of equipment could :-).

Iain Cuthbertson was wonderfully understated as the evil Hendricks