Sci Fi TV Genre Gems: Forgotten magic and hidden treasures from the worlds of sci fi TV
What Is It? This British mini-series takes place in the world of “London Below”, a hidden parallel world that exists beneath the actual city of London (referred to in the series as “London Above”). Here we find that the homeless and dissolute actually live a secret life unseen by the people above and it’s a throwback fantasy world that hearkens back to Medieval feudalism. A man from London Above helps a girl from London Below and finds himself drawn reluctantly into this alternate underworld as well as the sinister designs of a fallen angel to seek revenge.
Aired: BBC, 1996, 1 Season Totaling 6 Episodes
Starring: Richard Mayhew, Laura Fraser, Paterson Joseph, Hywel Bennett, Clive Russell
Created By: Neil Gaiman, Lenny Henry
Why It Stands Out: Like Doctor Who and other British sci fi shows of the 20th century, Neverwhere suffered from budget limitations, but with the germ of a good story by Gaiman and the breakout performances by key cast members this one rise above its limitations and delivers a bit of a diamond in the rough.
Is It Must-Watch Sci Fi TV? Not necessarily, but it is a fun and quirky genre entry that fans of British “telefantasy” should enjoy.
The Skinny: Neil Gaiman has of course established a name for himself as a well-respected genre author (of novels and comics) over the last two decades, and he has recently been very active in television working on productions such as American Gods (Starz) and the just-released Good Omens (Amazon). But it’s likely that many people in the United States have missed out on this odd little series that ran on BBC in the mid-90’s. The premise is interesting, though the delivery sometimes falls short and has a familiar feel to it and the story ultimately bogs down beneath multiple genre tropes. But it is the performances of Paterson Joseph as the Marquis de Carabas as well as Hywel Bennett and Clive Russell as the delightfully wicked Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar that elevate this to the next level. These three alone transform this from an interesting if lackluster fantasy series to an exceptional example of genre television. As mentioned, it does suffer from the low production values common to BBC shows, though fortunately it does not rely too heavily on special effects. And it does succeed in bringing to life a fantasy underworld with many possibilities, to which this six episode series only scratches the surface.
Neil Gaiman fans who have missed out on the series (though they may have read the book) will definitely want to give it a look. And most all science fiction and fantasy fans will likely enjoy it as well, as long as they set expectations properly considering the show’s cheesy look and tendency to slip into cliché. But at only six episodes of thirty minutes each, it’s a quick watch and well worth your time.
>Buy Neverwhere on DVD from Amazon.com
>Buy Neverwhere VOD from Amazon.com
Cancelled Too Soon? No, this one was intended as a six-episode mini-series and that is what it delivered.
Should It Be Rebooted / Revived? Some might argue that a reboot would make sense considering the low production values of this series, but I would say no. We’re not rebooting classic Doctor Who episodes (which were much, much cheesier), so let’s leave this original series alone. Neil Gaiman has claimed to be writing a sequel to the novelization, and he has published the short story “How The Marquis Got His Coat Back” which is set in the same universe. So a sequel series might make sense, though it could be difficult due to the ages of the original actors.
Interesting Fact: Neil Gaiman considers the novelization of the series as his preferred version (or perhaps director’s cut) of the story. Whatever he couldn’t do in the series because of budget constraints or disagreements with the BBC, he included in the novel.
Where Can You Watch It? The entire series has been released on DVD, though not on Blu-ray yet. It is not streaming anywhere that I am aware of, but you can purchase it VOD from places like Amazon.com.
Read More About the Show: Wikipedia | IMDb.com
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Little noticed fact: Laura Fraser ‘Door’ went on to play ‘Lydia Rodarte-Quayle’ in Breaking Bad, and later Better Call Saul.