Bugs

I used to be a devotee of this show; every Saturday night without fail was spent watching BBC 1's finest Saturday night show (admittedly there wasn't much competition). I loved it; the bangs, the fires, the fights, the hi-tec gadgetry.

And then I stopped.

What happened?

Steve Houghton. There is NO WAY he should ever have been brought into the show; Craig McLachlan was infinitely better as Ed, bringing some humour into the role and convincing viewers that he was a vaulable member of the team. Steve seems to convey the impression of being there just to make up the numbers. Sorry Steve fans out there, but he just isn't right for this show, and it was highly unsurprising that the show was axed. And a shame too, because it was once a great show.

Who says only the US can come up with good action shows ?? "Bugs" is thrilling, captivating and intelligent - simply great fun... I especially enjoy the characters development - it´s not as shallow as might be seen in other shows of this kind. If you have never watched it - do so if you possibly can - it´s definitely worth it... ;-)

The first series, apart from the epsiode "Assasins Inc." I thought was very good. For the first time in many years the BBC had applied a proper budget to a drama programme and added an element of SF/fantasy. Brian Celmins (who helped devise The Avengers) was a story consultant and the whole thing worked well.

After that things tended to go downhill, with the scripts getting less believable even though today, some years on, the idea of a computer virus attempting to take over the world through the internet isn't quite as far-fetched as we thought!

There were some entertaining episodes in later years but the ratings dropped from an excellent 9-10 million in the first series to more like 6 million I believe, and the BBC pulled the plug after four series.

I used to watch this show every Saturday night with my family, right through from the very first episode. It was brilliant, and I was really upset when the BBC said they would not be making any more, but even more upset that they left it hanging. What ever happened to Beckett, Ros, Ed and Alex? That's what I want to know.

However, I will say that i think that Craig made a much better Ed than Stephen ever did. The on screen chemistry between him and Paula (Alex), made it seem more real, but when Stephen came along, that chemistry fell flat. Why did they replace Craig in the first place? Th only good thing I have to say about Stephen's Ed, is that, unlike Craig, Stephen actually managed to make it look like Ed was a real tai-Kwon-Do expert, and made him kick butt. I think that this was one of the reasons why the BBC axed Bugs.

I've just been reacquainted with it, via the DVD series, after 6 (or is it 7?) long years, and, as a result, i think all us loyal BUGSs fans should start a campaign to bring a half decent TV show back to Saturady nights. BRING BACK BUGS! BRING BACK BUGS!

I absolutely adored this series as a 14 year old child and still do as a 38 year old. Even back in the day I saw it for its many many flaws but at the same time it is just pure entertainment at its best. My main draw for this series was the wonderful Jaye Griffiths whom I had seen as the formidable D.I. Johnson in the Bill (when it was good) and I went on to become a life long fan of hers. I liked enjoyed Craig McLaughlin as the original Ed (loathed the 2nd incarnation) but was never a fan of Jesse Birdsall.The shows quality dropped even too low for me in the final 2 series with the introduction of Alex and Jan but it will always always hold a special place in my heart. The theme tune alone still gives me chills of joy to this very day.