I loved Merlin - great show, limited FX but great story telling, honest and good acting, good chemistry overall. This not so much. After wrestling myself through the 3 first episodes and fast forwarding the forth I found me left with awe in the bad way; not satisfactory at all this monster; stiff and disconnected acting, no chemistry between the cast or characters, some poorly directed scenes,... It was USA-series worst alike. For example Terra Nova was something with potential, relaunched Knight Rider was and many others but all of them killed of way to soon. This one was a just call to cut if of short since it wasn't going anywhere. Really.I hope next British productions are better.

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 terrific original series that I couldn't wait to see each week.Thankfully it's a UK produced show so, even though the first season ended in a nicely rounded off manner, we were still left with the possibility of a return next year, unlike the American produced quality programs which seem to get cancelled on the whim of some executive who decides that because he doesn't like it no-one will.The Fades isn't expensively made, it doesn't feature established stars and it doesn't run for more than the usual (UK) 6 episodes, but it's quality.We have Mr Joe Belowaverage (Paul) thrust into the unfamiliar realm of Fades; ghosts of people who have died and not ascended and Angelics; living people who have the ability to see Fades and interact with them.Paul, very ably supported by his best mate and wing-man Mac, finds out that he's also an Angelic just at the time where the Fades (royally pi**ed off because they haven't been able to ascend) decide it's time to hit back.There's a well balanced mix of surprises, thrills, horror, humour, and pathos with this series and I can't wait for Season 2.I highly recommend it and guarantee you will too if you watch more than one episode.*Update: Well it seems that The Fades has run into an American style TV Executive and has not been renewed for a 2nd season after all :( Don't let that stop you from seeing this excellent series though because, as I mentioned above, it does finish in a nicely rounded off fashion and doesn't leave you hanging out for answers.

If I'd reviewed Fades after episode 1, I'd have given it a very impressed 7. After episode 3, I'd definitely have upgraded that to an 8. Now, however, I'm reviewing this refreshing, brilliantly suspenseful BBC Three thriller after episode 4 and I'm caught between a 9 and a 10.This series has captivated me since the first trailer ran on BBC One a couple of months ago. It's dark, deep, clever and truly captivating and is a perfect example of the quality we should be expecting from the BBC. This series is just brilliant.The plot is complex, twisting and turning with surprises galore, and the acting is superb with a few faces you've seen before, and some younger actors who have bright futures ahead of them.I wonder how this series will rank once we get further into the series. With the way it's improving, I think we may need to ask IMDb to add a couple of numbers to their ranking system! The only annoyance? Having to wait a week to see what happens in episode 5!