The Fades

"The Fades" is a BBC production that is unbelievable in its effects, cinematography, and acting. Regrettably, I have only found seven episodes (on Amazon Prime) and I am heartbroken I can't find any more. Because of this open-ended nature, I titled this piece so you will know that if you can live with absence of closure, then this series is a must see.

The plot is a mixture of teen angst and upgraded TV horror (think of "American Horror Story" but a little more bloody since it is designed for British audiences). Some have likened this series to "Buffy," but the acting, the effects, and the overall story line is far superior to "Buffy" (at least from my viewing of both).

Admittedly, there are types (since this is TV drama): close male friend, obnoxious twin sister, and typical high school drama. However intertwined is horror and real emotions (see Paul's relationship) that this series employees that recommends this series.

Keep in mind there are only seven episodes that I have found, so if you can live with that sort of ambiguity, engage in a binge weekend and watch these episodes. It is well worth your time!

Following on from the launch of Being Human a couple of years back, BBC 3 have struck gold again with The Fades. Teenager Paul (Iain De Caestecker) disturbed by apocalyptic dreams for years stumbles across their possible cause whilst trespassing with his best friend and film referencing geek Mac (Daniel Kaluuya).

Paul like so many characters from great TV shows is not your average teenager, he is special and can see the Fades - the ghosts of people who didn't move on. Now he must help to stop the future he sees in his dreams from coming true.

The show packs a lot of lore and mythology into its first episode and it will be interesting to see how it all comes together.

Well I have to say I loved it...and for the exact reason that there is more of a story to be told instead of holes in a story being filled up and/or hidden behind millions of dollars of CGI and other SPECIAL effects. While yes I will agree that perhaps the first episode was a bit slow at first but then I have found that to be true with some really good books as well as movies. For me..there were just enough effects to make this series special and I hope they keep it going by doing a second season. I'm an American living in the Netherlands and I watch a lot of British T.V. as well as Dutch and in the last few years having the opportunity to watch more movies and shows made in the U.K. I think many of what comes out of the U.K. is fresh and down to earth...no matter what the genre. The American market proves it yearly with all the programs that they copy for British television and import it to America and make it nothing like the original.

If I'd reviewed Fades after episode 1, I'd have given it a very impressed 7. After episode 3, I'd definitely have upgraded that to an 8. Now, however, I'm reviewing this refreshing, brilliantly suspenseful BBC Three thriller after episode 4 and I'm caught between a 9 and a 10.

This series has captivated me since the first trailer ran on BBC One a couple of months ago. It's dark, deep, clever and truly captivating and is a perfect example of the quality we should be expecting from the BBC. This series is just brilliant.

The plot is complex, twisting and turning with surprises galore, and the acting is superb with a few faces you've seen before, and some younger actors who have bright futures ahead of them.

I wonder how this series will rank once we get further into the series. With the way it's improving, I think we may need to ask IMDb to add a couple of numbers to their ranking system! The only annoyance? Having to wait a week to see what happens in episode 5!

What can I say about this show other than its great.

Interesting, well developed characters you really care about. An original story with compelling subplots. The mostly young, mostly unknown actors all play their parts with heart and soul. All in all a well acted, well thought out new show.

Recently I began to watch two new shows, this one and Terra Nova. Whilst I was fully aware of Terra Nova (and it was hard not to be with all the money Fox threw at advertising it) I found The Fades entirely by accident (and was already 4 episodes in). After watching the first episode of The Fades I was hooked and immediately dived into the other three. After watching the first three episodes of Terra Nova I decided not to watch anymore. These two shows highlight the current gulf in quality between American and British sci-fi/ fantasy with America starting to really fall behind (with honourable exceptions to Supernatural and The Walking Dead). Whilst Terra Nova boasts a massive budget and tons of CGI, its characters are weak, its plots are derivative and clichéd and all around is frankly uninteresting. The Fades has a tenth of its budget but manages to stand head and shoulders above it in terms of quality. American shows clearly have no respect for the intelligence of their audience and believe people are simpletons who will clap happily at expensive special effects and big explosions. Therefore, for the moment at least, I think I'm sticking with British shows like The Fades who do not feel they need to hold the hand of the viewer and prefer to rely on well crafted stories than meaningless CGI (then again American shows stopped being about storytelling long ago and these days are simply a vehicle to sell advertising).

The Fades has the potential to run for many years and puts me in mind of another BBC success that came from humble beginnings, Being Human. I can't recommend this show highly enough and if you yearn for fantasy with substance then this show is for you.

As a footnote I'd just like to make a prediction. The date today is Oct 21st 2011. I guarantee at some point in the future an American network will take note of The Fades and, as they always do, rather than simply re-showing the British version will remake it for American audiences. It'll boast a bigger budget but will end up, as every other one has, a pale imitation of a better quality original. It's about time the main American networks (and those who enjoy their p*ss poor programming) had a bit of humility and realised that their way is not automatically the best way.