Thorne: Sleepyhead

"I have little doubt that author Billingham would be mortified at what has been done to his brilliant book and beloved characters..."

Before you go all self important with the 'book was so much better' garbage, you may want to get your facts straight. Mark Billingham is listed as an executive producer, which, as I understand it, has an awful lot to do with how a film's made. No, I haven't seen the film, read the book, or even heard of any of it before looking at the review, but it just bugs the crap out of me when people think they own a movie just because they read the book. And to assume that the author might be disappointed without even looking into whether the author had a role in the movie adaptation? I'm pretty sure your review is useless.

Now and then during channel surfing late at night there appears something new and unknown that results in making the viewer wish for more. Such is the case for the series THORNE. It is a high tension thriller of a series.

'Thorne' is DI Tom Thorne (David Morrissey) who in the Sleepyhead episode enters an investigation into a mysterious serial killer. His first three victims ended up dead. His fourth was not so fortunate. Alison Willetts (Sara Lloyd-Gregory ) is unlucky to be alive. She has survived a stroke, deliberately induced by manipulation of pressure points on the head and neck. She can see, hear and feel, she is aware of everything going on around her, but she is unable to move or communicate. In leaving Alison alive, the police believe the killer's made his first mistake. And it is this kind of complex story-weaving that makes this a very tense and enjoyable series. Written by Dudi Appleton and Jim Keeble and directed with panache by Benjamin Ross, the large cast includes some very fine actors - David Morrissey is at the top of the list - that includes Eddie Marsan, Sandra Oh, Lily Loveless, Neil Kelly among others. We can only hope that this 2010 series has more parts to it and that those episodes will reach our shores and TV screens. Definitely recommended for lovers of high mystery and thrillers. Grady Harp, June 21

Here we have a three-ring circus PLUS the kitchen sink. This show is so chock-a-block with clichés, red herrings, obvious plot contrivances, and all the current motifs of crime TV that it's hard to imagine what they left out. (We have the renegade cop always in trouble but with infallible instincts, the cold female boss, the seemingly genius serial killer that no one can catch no matter how many clues are strewn about in plain sight, the 'orrible, 'orrible crime, the cop himself and/or loved ones drawn into danger, dubious psychology made up on the fly, etc., ad nauseum.) The show is all so blatantly contrived that it seems to veer into self-parody on numerous occasions, totally undercutting whatever dread or deep engagement we're supposed to be experiencing. Sadly, with so much fine British TV to chose from, never seen on these shores, this is a show that Encore chose to bring over to the US. No thanks.

DI Tom Thornes (David Morrissey) is haunted by an incident years ago. He investigates victim Alison Willetts who has been left with locked-in syndrome. She was attacked and injected in the back of the neck. She is aware but unable to communicate or move. She is being treated by Dr. Anne Coburn (Natascha McElhone). There has actually been three previous victims. Kevin Tughan (Eddie Marsan) is Thornes' disbelieving boss and pathologist Phil Hendricks (Aidan Gillen) is suspicious.

The locked-in syndrome is pretty interesting. I like Alison's interior dialog. It's more compelling than expected. David Morrissey is a great actor. The biggest problem for me is the convenient reveal and connection to Thornes' problem from years ago. It's all too connected and I don't like it. There is no real reason for the connection other than it serves the writing.

After seeing the author speak at a literary festival I purchased a few of his novels from Audible then decided to listen to 'Thorne: Sleepyhead' and 'Thorne: Scaredycat' prior to purchasing the Blu-rays of the Sky1 dramatisation. David Morrissey was a great choice for the central role and the cast were very talented.

The plot, however was all over the shop.