The Others

"The Others" is a curious show. An ensemble cast stumbles their way through a seemingly perpetual stormy night, dabbling in the occult and generally having Scooby Doo hijinks, only with more backlighting and less running around and cries of "Zoinks!"

On the downside, the characters and actors are fairly anodyne and uninvolving, and there are too many of them for the viewer to identify with any of them in particular. The dialogue tends towards the cliched, and the acting is occasionally over the top and verging on the farcical.

Plusses though: the cinematography is excellent, with a genuine sense of tension and claustrophobia. This is difficult to sustain, but "The Others" does a fine job of it. Or rather, *did* a fine job of it, before it was cancelled.

Like "Space, Above and Beyond", Wong and Morgan have created a show that you want to like more than you really do. It's easy to convince yourself that "The Others" is a better show than it actually is. It's good, but not great, the sort of show that you'll happily watch if it's on, but not one that you'll go out of your way to catch if it's in an awkward timeslot, and that was it's bane. Special interest shows have to be much better than average to break out into the mainstream. "X Files" managed it, "The Others" failed.

It's a shame that this show didn't last longer because it deserved to. There's very few shows like this available on television. I found it genuinely creepy which is very rare. The subject matter is treated seriously and the writing is very good with interesting story lines. The viewing audience is treated with respect unlike most shows in this genre that are very formulaic and only appeal to the lowest common denominator. The cast is likable and the characters are all conflicted which helps build the drama. Perhaps most importantly, the thrills and chills are honestly earned through the stories, not through cheap stunts. The wonderfully creepy atmosphere supports the stories rather than the reverse. I would highly recommend this show to fans of the supernatural genre.

I really enjoyed watching "The Others". I think they were just starting to really build the characters and the plot and boom "It was canceled!" Seems to be the way it goes with a lot of the really great shows.

I felt it was an original idea by taking all types of characters and all types of their psychic abilities and meshing them together to make up a wonderful show. Each with their own unique ability and each helping the others learn to use and understand their gifts. Furthering them along in their own individual journey.

I would've loved to see this show continue but maybe it was just ahead of it's time. I know I watched and waited for each new episode. I was really sorry to see this one end.

I loved it and would encourage you to watch it if it ever comes out on VHS or DVD.

I am not the biggest fan of TV shows (particularly "supernatural TV shows), but this one caught my eye last weekend and I thought I would give it a shot. I was not disappointed (nor was I overly impressed, but hey, it was the first episode). This seems like a potentially interesting show about psychics and the supernatural which could achieve some level of respectability if it does not allow itself to get too bogged down in stereotypes and cliches. I like the chick that plays the main character (I think she is cute, and I thought she was wonderful in The Love Letter), and I think that the rest of the cast has potential.

I see that in traditional X-Files fashion they have already planted the seeds for at least one peripheral, continuing plot line (which should be able to hook people), and that they are not afraid to do some genuinely creepy things (the dead chick in the bathtub was pretty intense for TV). With any luck this show will overcome its lame beginnings (anyone remember the first season of STNG?) and perhaps produce a fine serial story line for Saturday night viewing. However, in all likelihood it will be cancelled immediately and no one will even notice.

I always enjoyed watching this TV-series with a supernatural basis. In my opinion it had lots of potential and could had become the new "The X-Files". The 'low' budget was however painfully notable at times with its special effects and it was obvious that the creators had to restrain themselves with the stories for the different episodes because of the 'lack' of money. I'm positive that with some more money this TV-series could had become a big success but unfortunately they stopped the show after one season.

The characters were all solid and all had their own interesting background. The characters were most definitely strong and interesting enough to carry the series.

My favorite episode most definitely was "Souls On Board", later I found out that that episode was directed by no one less then Tobe Hooper who made the movies "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974) and "Poltergeist" (even though I'm still convinced of it that Spielberg did the most directing on that movie, I think Hooper only did some of the technical aspects on that movie.).

I'm sorry it must have been years since I've watched an episode of "The Others" but I seem to remember that the series had a good opening theme composed by Klaus Badelt, who is now a much better known and acclaimed composer for movies like "The Time Machine" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl". A bit off topic but you should also check his musical score for "K-19: The Widowmaker" out. It's a score worth owning but unfortunately not one easy to get. The score for the series itself was composed by highly underrated composer Shirley Walker, who worked with Danny Elfman as an orchestrator and conductor for years.

If you get the chance of watching "The Others" on TV as reruns, make sure to do so then. The series is worth your time and has solid characters and some good writing. Unfortunately this series will most likely not be easy to catch and I also don't think that they are ever going to give it a DVD release. A shame because this series had tons of potential and is worth to be seen by everyone.

8/10

P.S.: Oh and could someone please remove the Nicole Kidman poster on this page! This series has absolutely nothing to do with the 2001 movie "The Others" starring Nicole Kidman and directed by Alejandro Amenábar.

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