Takin' Over the Asylum

I won't re-tell the story. I will simply say that the casting is creative, the script scrupulous, the production perfect, the direction indiscreditable. A wonderful artistic construction.

However, as we move into the 21st century Governments, all over the western world, are closing the very services that are desperately needed by mentally ill people. They are now integrated into society while the hospitals are closed down.

But at what cost to those who are mentally ill?

Where are the patients of those hospitals now? Prisons, park benches or cemetery.

I just looked this up on IMDb in the hope that it might lead me to a DVD, but it doesn't seem to be on DVD. Are the BBC crazy? I was amazed to see that Takin' Over The Asylum is now 12 years old. I remember it so clearly. When it was first shown I thought it was the best TV series I had ever seen. Periodically the plot seemed too good to be true, at which point there was a twist to bring it back down to earth. Great writing and excellent acting. When it was repeated I told everyone I knew to watch it, but they didn't. I don't know why. I watched it all through again and it was just as good. Perhaps now that David Tennent is Dr. Who, somebody will think about releasing his earlier work on DVD. Whenever I see him I remember his slogan from Takin'Over The Asylum, delivered loudly in a strong Scottish accent: "We are loonies and we are proud".

Although this series was seen (and then soon after repeated) on Australian TV back in '94 or '95, it's brilliance still resonates. From the pen of Donna Franceschild, and directed by David Blair, it tells the story of a handful of 'loonies' - patients in a Glasgow mental facility. As in 'Girl, Interrupted', one is led to pondering the question: 'who are the real loonies?' Heavily laced with humour and poignancy, we - the 'normal' ones - are led into the lives of these people through the eyes of Eddie McKenna (Ken Stott), an alcoholic loser-type, whose desire is to be a radio disc-jockey, but who spends his days selling windows for the manager-from-hell. In my opinion, the salespeople at the windows company deserve to be behind locked doors far more than those in the institution. But I feel that this is the exact conclusion the writer wishes us to make. This series launched the extremely talented Ken Stott into regular TV appearances, such as 'Messiah' and 'The Vice'. It also features outstanding performances from David Tennant, Ruth McCabe, Angus McFadyen, and my favourite female actor, Katy Murphy. Ms Murphy seems to have a special knack for portraying wounded women. If you get a chance to see it, do.

This wonderful series in finally on DVD for everyone to enjoy. Funny and affecting, and with a brief cameo from Spike Milligan this is one of the best mini series I have ever seen.

The best thing about this series is that it doesn't patronise, insult or caricature mental illness, but treats it as a real thing, the 'loonies' as real people and shows that not all the loonies are inside the hospital.

Yes, some of the patient's illnesses are humorous, such as Rosaline obsessively cleaning everything, but this is never taken fun of, or used as a cheap plot device and there is a heartbreaking story behind her OCD.

I came to this program from doing an IMDb search on David Tennant. Yes, I came to this from Doctor Who, and yes, I am an unrepentant DT fanboy. But...

I was totally blown away by the talent shown in this early work of Tennant's. Already we can see why he's become such a big hit on stage & TV. Most 22 year old actors just don't have his level of skill. Throughout, as Campbell Bain, he steals the show from it's intended star. At no point did I ever fail to believe him in the character. He embodied it, just as he's done with so many of his other roles.

The story is good, too. A radio station located in an asylum changes the lives of the inmates and the DJ as well. Mostly though, it changes Campbell. At the start he is an uncontrolled manic. As time goes on and he finds an outlet for his mania, he develops a personality, not just a diagnosis.

It's definitely worth hunting down, even if you're not totally mad for David Tennant like me. Just a really good quality Brit TV show.