Burn It

There seems to be a tradition in the U.K whereby the BBC gives all the truly great shows no exposure and airs them at ridiculous times. Its almost as if the programme controller wants to keep these 'gems' to himself and 'burn it' joins a long list that includes 'seinfeld'. 'curb your enthusiasm', 'arrested development' and 'nighty night'.

'Burn It' is without question the greatest drama the BBC has ever produced. Every person i have introduced to the show have described themselves as 'hooked' and have described it as 'the greatest television they have ever witnessed'. Series 1 and 2 were originally aired on BBC3 (at a time when nobody watched BBC3) and were then given one late night airing on BBC2 with virtually no marketing.

I doubt the BBC will ever release the series on DVD (despite campaigning on the BBC3 message board by the few who have seen it) but maybe in 20 years it will be 're-discovered' by an Indiana Jones explorer of television archives and given the praise it deserves.

Why is it that the BBC, in fact most TV executives are doing still in their jobs ? as it always seems to me that the best stuff never makes it up and running. Because I was really glad I stumbled across 'Burn it' sort of late one night and was lucky enough for it to be the first episode of the first series. I avidly watched it until the end of the season and since it seems to me that it must have been on at a silly time or up against something great because I have not really met many other people that did see it from the first show.

Then the second season came around and I thought that the beeb were going to run with it, but it was not as good as the first season, but still worth the watch. Its not like I wanted my time back or anything, its, just... well it did not have the same mix of computer / high tech versus the background lives of all the people involved and because it went more for the lives, loves and back stories thing lost out a bit by becoming more like most other run-of-the-mill TV drama types about a bunch of friends doing something and each other. They were running a web site after all and I liked all the going ons (being in that sort of thing myself) about the problems interweeb companies were having at that time, trying to sell something that was not really worth anything to the people with the cash to keep it going.

It did look like the home work had been done, because it did feel like a few places I have seen with the person, or a couple of friends in charge after they have a good idea for a site, or as I remember it being called by one member of the cast 'a lifestyle internet magazine site' and have the balls to get up and do something about it. Then that was it no repeats, no nothing... I have heard that this was on BBC3 before it was on 2, well I did not think there was a BBC 3 at the time I watched this but I could be wrong... its has got to happen one day :)

I have not looked that hard for a DVD or video of this but if I was to come across it I think it would be my shelf soon as yet another great show cut down before it ever got anywhere.

When i first watched Burn it i loved the acting it is brilliant and the show itself is excellent with great plots. This is a great Drama from the BBC which also feature EX - Spice Girl and Former Holby City star Lisa Faulkner. I hope that the first series is released on video soon and i also hope that a second series will follow.

The above review is, unfortunately, about a completely different TV show. Burn It has nothing to do with websites or the internet in any way.

Burn It was a TV drama, set in Manchester in the early noughties, about a group of friends approaching 30 who don't quite want to give up their youth yet.

Having grown up in the Madchester scene and the rave culture of the 90s, Jon, Carl, Andy and Emma paint a picture of Generation X-ers - more used to drug-fueled parties in abandoned warehouses than the commitment and responsibilities of adulthood. Set to a backdrop of The Verve, New order, the Charlatans and the Stone Roses, Burn It follows the group of friends as they are forced to look at their lives, deal with their pasts and face their demons - all while coming to term with the fact their 20s are nearly over.

Broadcast on BBC Three and later BBC2 in 2003, Burn It remains, to this day, the best drama ever to be shown on the BBC. It's hard to say whether it's the truly brilliant screenplay by Matt Greenhalgh, the convincing characters portrayed by an amazing cast (Chris Coghill - Eastenders, Lisa Faulkner - Casualty, William Ash - Waterloo Road, Kieren O'Brien - Coronation St, Greuy)or the excellent soundtrack, but whatever it is, there's something about Burn it that makes it stand out from any other TV drama ever made.

Burnt It has most definitely developed it's own cult following. Although it seems very few people have actually had the chance to see it (repeats stopped some years ago and it never made it to DVD), many of those that have, like me, have developed some kind of obsession with the show.

Over two series it shows a part of society who do not always want to fit in to a stereotypical lifestyle; who don't want to grow old, who do not want to follow convention and who don't want to give up the lust for life that defined their lives in their 20s.

And it's that raw energy and passion for life, coupled with believable characters and believable lives that makes Burn It the most compelling, truly outstanding, touching drama ever to be made.

Just please, bring it out on DVD!