The Living and the Dead

The Living and the Dead is a very evocative celebration of rural England. It is powerful because, rather than present a life of twee corn-dollies and doilies, it presents the real struggles of life on the land, and what the agricultural year used to mean to people: i.e. everything. The haunting come across as an expression of this place in time and I think, despite other reviews, are truly original in that they are rooted in deep story. The central characters are mostly real and deep - especially Gideon and Nathan Appleby. I find Charlotte's character a little cookie cutter at times - she is the straightforward one. The acting by Morgan is really rather stop-you-in-your- tracks, but I must also acknowledge that I am a red blooded female with an appreciation for tortured souls in a waistcoat. The twists, and complexities of plot, the imagery of the thing and - most of all I think- the questions it raises about the nature of time, make this compelling TV viewing. Many are super keen for more.

A brilliantly constructed bit of telly showcasing the BBC at it's best. A feast for the eyes with views of the English countryside through the changing seasons. Excellent costume design, most notably for Colin Morgan's character where his clothes reflect his changing mental state. A scary, gripping and clever tale filled with surprising and unexpected twists and turns and a final scene which left me gagging for a sequel. Brilliant soundtrack. Colin Morgan gives a heart wrenchingly good performance as Nathan Appleby and the chemistry between him and screen-wife Charlotte Spencer is wonderful. Cannot recommend this show highly enough and I implore the powers that be to make a second series!

It is beautiful. Just beautiful Gothic story, served by impecable acting, inspired atmosphere, great care for details, haunting theme. A couple, a farm,possesed children and shadows of past, old stories, the effort to save the other and himself and beautiful love story. Short, just impressive.

It's 1894 Somerset, England. Pioneering Victorian psychologist Nathan Appleby with his wife Charlotte return home to visit his sick mother. When she dies, Nathan inherits the estate's farm. Charlotte tries to inject new thinking into the farm work but she is opposed by the locals. One night, Nathan finds local girl Harriet in a trance and waist-deep in the lake. He sees it as a psychological disturbance and the locals' fears as superstitions but dark forces may be abound.

This is an interesting BBC show. It's 6 episodes. It is obviously planning to continue but got canceled after the first series. I really like the old rural Britain society and the conflict between modern science and old superstitions. The show transitions into the modern world in the last episode and it's a little jarring. It almost feels like a different show. The book of light is a fun term but I don't really like the modern story of that last episode. It may work better if the modern day story is presented right from the beginning of the show.

The series is beyond words, truly another one of BBC's fine works. The plot is something that I have never encountered before, with its elegant and swift twists. The characters are absolutely lovely, and watching the character development flow is simply beautiful. The series take on paranormal is genius. It is nothing like being afraid of the beast under the bed, or the creature that lingers within the shadows. It is almost like a dreadful feeling of a living being stalking behind you, or eyes that follow you in a painting; and that's what managed to capture me in joining Naethan's journey. The concept of time between the living and the dead is very thoughtful. It allows the viewers to question themselves, "is time real?" and that's the beautiful thing about this show. It gives everyone something to ponder at night, staring into the ceiling with questions that have no right answer. Of course, I must mention the unique dark misgivings that invade the village. It is very interesting to watch how everyone copes with the hectic difficulty, especially Naethan. His struggle with trying to separate the blended lines can be frustrating for a viewer, but that's the whole point I think. You know a show is good when you have a love-hate relationship with it, and all you wanna do is smack the protagonist in the head, then point them in the right direction. All I can say is that it has potential, and hopefully the writers don't waste it.