Blackpool

I just bought the DVD of this series, as I have recently become a huge fan of David Tennant. I was planning to watch it in 6 installments, but by the end of the first episode, I was intrigued by the story and ended up watching it all in one session. The writing is excellent, with fine performances, and the use of popular songs as part of the narrative works well. David Morrissey plays the central character of Ripley Holden, who is essentially quite hard to like because of his attitudes and practices, but he manages to create sympathy for him by the end. David Tennant shows his fine acting skills (and his lovely Scottish accent), and is particularly winning in his scenes with Julie Parish. All in all, a very fine production.

Blackpool is a comedy/drama. It was great acting by the whole cast and every episode ended on a cliffhanger which left you wanting to watch the next episode straight away! The way the songs were done was brilliant and the chemistry between David Morrisey and Sarah Parish was good. There are a lot of twists in the whole story which make it even more fun to watch because it is unpredictable. The music, the dancing and the singing make this drama a part comedy because however serious the song is it still manages to make you laugh. I really liked the way the director used the songs and put them into the mood of the scenes as well, it helped you to understand what the characters were thinking and feeling with out them telling you. Overall I think this is one of the best dramas the BBC has produced in years!

I was flicking through the channels on TV slightly bored had not a lot to do until i came across a program that was just starting. I didn't know what it was about but it was called Blackpool. It seemed pretty good nothing more than you normal melodrama and about five minutes in they burst into You Can Get It If You Really Want (Jimmy Cliff) and to my amazement i found it hugely captivating.

The musical choruses are great through out the series ranging from Gabrielle to The Clash i think that you don't have to be into musicals to appreciate the bursts of songs as they almost fall into a category of music video within the program having there own dance routines even little fantasies they help a great deal to build the plot.

Apart from the music the program takes very sinister turns that make very significant changes to the plot throughout and as the truth gradually seeps out you will begin to see darker secrets and darker changes in the characters Which after every episode had me eager for more. From watching the casino owner Ripley opening his brand new casino to have his whole world fall apart in 6 episodes will bring out many emotions but inevitably entertain you throughout.

The cast is brilliant The chemistry between David Morrisey (Ripley Holden) and David Tennant (D.I. Carlisle) they have a great passion to hate each other although will stop at nothing to get one over on the other one. Tennant however falls in love with Sarah parish (natalie Holden) and the romance between them is great along with the music you can really feel a great passion between them which on screen is captured so well the rest of the cast really pull the whole thing together and ensure a great performance on the whole.

This program is well worth a watch to anyone who enjoys being entertained. The blend of music great characters and a superb and captivating story all set on the back drop of the sunny seaside resort of Blackpool will have you wanting more.

This program gets my vote i hope it gets yours.

Blackpool (released as Viva Blackpool in the US) is absolutely the best mini-series I've ever seen. It was unique, well written, directed and acted. Although both David Tennant and David Morrissey are wonderful actors, I felt that David Morrissey really stood out in his role of Ripley Holden. If anyone's seen any of his other work, they would see what an incredible actor he is!! And outrageously attractive as well. The musical numbers are well done. What a brilliant idea to have the actors sing along with the original artists, sort of like Karaoke. I was also impressed with new actor Tommy Morrisson, who played Danny Holden. I expect to see him in other films..he's very talented. Sarah Parrish is lovely and talented as always, and I'm looking forward to seeing David Tennant as Dr. Who. In conclusion, I highly recommend this series. I only wish that BBC would release the DVD for Region 1 soon, as my home VHS recording is getting worn from repeated viewings.

As a huge fan of David Tennant, I had watched clips of "Blackpool" before. Mostly the musical bits. I had just never gotten around to watching the whole thing before. And here's my verdict. I absolutely loved it. The story itself was very well written. Half-way through, though, you realise that it's more about the growth of the characters and about the changes in their relationships, than about the unsolved murder or Ripley's money troubles.

I loved that the three main characters were nicely complex: they are broken in some ways but very good people in others. That is, Ripley isn't just a gambling bastard out to make a profit, Peter isn't just an officer intent on nailing him and his son because he falls in love with Natalie, and Natalie isn't JUST a bored, unhappy woman. Part of it, of course, is the writing. We see Ripley's adoration of his children, and even his tense relationship with his wife shows that he really loves her. He is also fiercely independent, and seems to care about the economic future of his town. As for Peter, we see how gone he is for Natalie almost at once, but we also see that his moral compromise and his obsessive investigation is something he is pulled towards slowly, not something inherent in him. There is a lot more to him: determination, and copious amounts of charm, cleverness and sarcasm. As for Natalie, she is, besides a wife and mother unhappy in her marriage, an altruistic woman who, despite having fallen in love with Peter, has the strength of character to break it off and decide she won't leave Ripley until Ripley gives her his blessing. The two children were also nuanced. Danny isn't just a troubled teenager who deals drugs and has trouble with the police. He is also very depressed and starving for affection from his father. He's also possibly the bravest of the bunch. And Shyanne isn't a brat marrying an older man to spite her father. She genuinely loves Steve AND adores her father.

The acting was phenomenal. No matter how much I try, I cannot seem to find a bad thing to say about David Tennant's acting. He is wonderfully nimble, enormously charming, endlessly magnetic, and the way he conveys the emotions of his character is beautifully clear. He is quite simply a dream. David Morrissey shined through and through. He was perfect for the part, especially in portraying the contrast in the different sides to Ripley. It wasn't hard to buy what a good father he can be and what a bastard he can be as well. Very well done on his part. Sarah Parish was measured and explosive when she needed to be. She played the moral dilemmas very, very well, but also clearly let us see how her marriage has affected Natalie before she met Peter. Great acting over all from all of the cast.

The music choices were a few times in complete disharmony with the story, but most of the time this served to get further inside the characters' minds. Loved how surreal the sequences were sometimes. My favourites were "Should I Stay or Should I Go," "Cupid," "The Boy with the Thorn In His Side," and "Viva Las Vegas."

I recommend this mini-series to everyone. It is a great story that is a lot of fun to watch, and a refreshing departure from the usual TV crime-fiction.