Viva Blackpool

No warning. Just zapping through Dutch and Belgian TV channels when I stopped by chance at 'Blackpool'. I don't know what held me - perhaps the sublime acting in the three main roles. David Morrissey plays the the cheap shallow amusement arcade owner - or so he seems at first! His protagonist is a sharp police detective played so convincingly by David Tennant. Detective inspectors don't usually fall in love with the wives of their chief suspects but David is the exception. He falls completely for Sarah Parish who plays the wife of Ripley Holden, the arcade owner. Of course David has to fall in love with Sarah. After all, she plays an intelligent emotionally honest woman with depth of character to such perfection that it is almost impossible to distinguish between the actress and the role she depicts. Three incredibly good actors develop through six episodes of a gripping story with moments frozen in brilliantly selected popular song. How could Natalie Holden ever have fallen for the the sleaze boss Ripley? You begin to understand when you realize that Ripley is also a human being with ambition, depth,intelligence and charm. The characters scintillate through the episodes first of all showing one side and then another. My only criticism was that it was impossible for the sixth episode to meet the expectations built up during the previous shows. It very nearly succeeded however. There is a fine balancing line between drama and soap. Although all the ingredients for soap were there in the story line, this movie never once strayed over the line. My congratulations to the writer and the actors - a fantastic production which I shall remember for a very long time.....

Blackpool is an unusual drama (with touches of comedy) which tells the story of an amusement arcade owner who finds himself and his family at the centre of a murder investigation when a body is found in his arcade. From time to time the actors burst into song (a la Singing Detective) & are transported into fantasy sequences which work quite well as an integral part of the plot. The actors' faces are well known to UK TV audiences from their regular appearances in supporting roles in other TV vehicles. As in all BBC productions, the performances are uniformly good. The real star of the show however is Blackpool itself. The wonderfully seedy holiday resort is well used as the backdrop and well known places/landmarks appear in most scenes. An enjoyable serial. (The soundtrack's pretty good too!)

Blackpool (released as Viva Blackpool in the US) is absolutely the best mini-series I've ever seen. It was unique, well written, directed and acted. Although both David Tennant and David Morrissey are wonderful actors, I felt that David Morrissey really stood out in his role of Ripley Holden. If anyone's seen any of his other work, they would see what an incredible actor he is!! And outrageously attractive as well. The musical numbers are well done. What a brilliant idea to have the actors sing along with the original artists, sort of like Karaoke. I was also impressed with new actor Tommy Morrisson, who played Danny Holden. I expect to see him in other films..he's very talented. Sarah Parrish is lovely and talented as always, and I'm looking forward to seeing David Tennant as Dr. Who. In conclusion, I highly recommend this series. I only wish that BBC would release the DVD for Region 1 soon, as my home VHS recording is getting worn from repeated viewings.

This is absolutely brilliant!!! Only UK would do this kind of show and go all the way :-) I love Sarah Parish and she's just amazing in this. Oh and those who complain about the fact that it isn't dancers and singers that does the characters thank god for that! I think the point is that it isn't perfect, it makes it more real and what joy would it be watching perfect dancers who can't act!? No they did the right thing casting actors for it... Anyway this is funny,touching,dark and a bit disturbing aka everything you can possibly want in a TV program and I can just pray it's true they are planning a sequel.... UK are brilliant at making TV that stays with you long after it airs unlike US...

I just bought the DVD of this series, as I have recently become a huge fan of David Tennant. I was planning to watch it in 6 installments, but by the end of the first episode, I was intrigued by the story and ended up watching it all in one session. The writing is excellent, with fine performances, and the use of popular songs as part of the narrative works well. David Morrissey plays the central character of Ripley Holden, who is essentially quite hard to like because of his attitudes and practices, but he manages to create sympathy for him by the end. David Tennant shows his fine acting skills (and his lovely Scottish accent), and is particularly winning in his scenes with Julie Parish. All in all, a very fine production.