Takin' Over the Asylum

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.

I wrote this series a very long time ago. David Blair and I were just starting out on our careers and neither of us really believed it would ever be made. We used to meet in the Trevi, a small Italian restaurant near the old BBC Scotland building and David would give me "notes" on my drafts. When we got to the end of the last script he asked me what I wanted to do next. I said, "I don't know. Make this. Win an BAFTA. Make something else." Bizarre to think that it actually happened.

Anyway, I did want you all to know that Takin' Over the Asylum is coming out on DVD later this year. There were a lot of people who lobbied for this for a very long time. Someone even started an online petition, but I guess the Powers that Be remained unconvinced. However, it appears that the democracy/anarchy of the internet succeeded where everything else failed. The BBC finally responded to the fact that the entire series had been pirated and posted on You Tube and decided that maybe it would be an idea to release it on DVD after all. Will post when I know the release date once I know it! Thanks for keeping the faith with this series. It means a lot to me.

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.

A bittersweet series with extraordinary acting by all. How I would love to see it again on a video or DVD. Currently I am forced to watch it on a set of old videotapes which I recorded when the series was on TV in Australia. These tapes go back and forth between my daughter and myself quite regularly as she is also an addict. Having been in an "asylum" myself on a couple of occasions, I can identify with the "loonies" and also have quite a few laughs and wry smiles at the content. Having coped with an alcoholic in the family there is also a link with Ken Stott's Eddie - sometimes painful, but real nevertheless. Rosalie, with her OCD triumphs as her condition provides her with satisfaction as she puts things in order, and the acting of this role is superb. I find it sad that my husband cannot enjoy this series as much as I do.

What a truly great series this is! Such a pity that it probably won't be released on DVD, due to problems with getting the necessary approval to use some of the songs, according to somebody I asked. The cast is uniformly excellent and the direction, seamless. So many wounded people, but so many with a fire inside them to keep trying to live a life that makes sense! It's a show that made me grind my teeth at the inhumanity of government cost-cutting in the mental health arena. The loonies are by no means the ones inside the asylum.

David Tennant is simply magnificent as the manic, inventive, affectionate, good hearted Campbell Bain. His exchanges with his dad would break your heart.

Thoroughly recommended.

ETA 18.01.14 The DVD has now been available for a few years and contains two eps with audio commentaries. It's wonderful to be able to watch the show again and nothing about it disappoints.