The Fades

Following on from the launch of Being Human a couple of years back, BBC 3 have struck gold again with The Fades. Teenager Paul (Iain De Caestecker) disturbed by apocalyptic dreams for years stumbles across their possible cause whilst trespassing with his best friend and film referencing geek Mac (Daniel Kaluuya).

Paul like so many characters from great TV shows is not your average teenager, he is special and can see the Fades - the ghosts of people who didn't move on. Now he must help to stop the future he sees in his dreams from coming true.

The show packs a lot of lore and mythology into its first episode and it will be interesting to see how it all comes together.

I waited and waited and waited, bbc would rather knock out period dramas then make another season of something that was popular. Just because you can no longer keep track of the viewing figures doesn't mean this is a bad season. Make another season, still waiting!

This was a show with allot of potential that was stopped way to early. Just another smart show tossed aside for mindless drivel. Truly unfortunate.

All the problems with this show pretty much stem from the rushed ending. Through episode 4 everything was entertaining enough; probably an 8.3 or so but then the booster rockets ignited and a lot of weight (i.e. subplots and believability) were jettisoned in order to fit what probably was intended to be another seasons worth of plot into 2 episodes. So, most of the side characters became plot devices instead of people and what could have been somewhat believable developments, given enough time, became lobotomizingly absurd. It is a shame too because I think the writers had a lot more story to tell and they could write some believable and interesting characters. I think they knew they were going to be canceled though and decided to give some kind of ending even though it basically ruined it for me.

I can't recommend this show but there were some performances that I think are worth mentioning. Mac steels the show for me as his character is very well performed, mostly well written, and given some evocative scenes that left quite an impression. Neil, is another mostly well written character, well performed and is my favorite anti-hero of the show. Also, Anna and Paul need to be mentioned for similar reasons.

"The Fades" is a BBC production that is unbelievable in its effects, cinematography, and acting. Regrettably, I have only found seven episodes (on Amazon Prime) and I am heartbroken I can't find any more. Because of this open-ended nature, I titled this piece so you will know that if you can live with absence of closure, then this series is a must see.

The plot is a mixture of teen angst and upgraded TV horror (think of "American Horror Story" but a little more bloody since it is designed for British audiences). Some have likened this series to "Buffy," but the acting, the effects, and the overall story line is far superior to "Buffy" (at least from my viewing of both).

Admittedly, there are types (since this is TV drama): close male friend, obnoxious twin sister, and typical high school drama. However intertwined is horror and real emotions (see Paul's relationship) that this series employees that recommends this series.

Keep in mind there are only seven episodes that I have found, so if you can live with that sort of ambiguity, engage in a binge weekend and watch these episodes. It is well worth your time!