Darling it’s better, where it is wetter, under da sea!
If Sebastian was insinuating what I think he was insinuating with this line, then he should take a long hard look at himself in the thingamabob. Anyway, none of that has got anything to do with the brilliant new BBC 1 drama, The Deep. The phrase “it’ll have you on the edge of your seat” gets misused all of the time to describe thrillers and dramas, but last night I literally sat with my bottom cheeks pursed on the edge of the arm chair next to my bed, leant forward like a mad man, watching the fourth episode of The Deep.
Set on the Orpheus, a futuristic research submarine, the crew delves into the deep waters of the arctic ocean in search of its sister ship, Hermes, which had disappeared. The crew are also tasked with following up on The Hermes’ research into rare micro-organisms in the hopes of finding a solution to the world’s dwindling energy reserves.
The tension is packed tight and the all star cast is impressive to say the least. Alongside Minnie Driver, who plays Frances Kelly, Captain of the Orpheus, there’s also James Nesbit and Goran Visnjic (Luca from that there ER). When all goes wrong under the sea (under the sea) there’s more than a few serious acting moments, but equally it’s a BBC production, so there’s also that slightly corny feel to things too, which is kind of endearing. This is probably most prominent in the special effects and the scenery. While they’ve obviously done a great job in putting it together, no one will ever be fooled into thinking that they are actually under the sea (under da sea).
There’s only 2 more episodes to go now, but all of the first 4 can still be watched on iPlayer, so if you’ve got time to spare and like the comfort of the edge of your seat then give it a look. I reckon it’ll probably be released on DVD soon too. I’m hoping that Hollywood gets wind of it and turn it into a The Bourne Identity meets The Hunt For Red October kind of thing.
The Deep, BBC, review: 4.1/5
