In the early days before cable and satellite TV, it seemed like
Dr. Who was the only scifi/fantasy the BBC was piping over to the colonies, and you had to sit through
Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and
The Electric Company before it came on. But suddenly there was a need for more shows to fill new channel space and you found yourself watching alien things from foreign cultures. Actors who spoke in strange shakespearean accents. Barbaric!
Whereas there used to be two camps, those who dig the BBC aesthetic, and those who don't. Nowadays more and more yankees are getting turned onto shows emanating from the UK. And even with the less than spectacular special effects that still plague most of their shows, there are some gems that outshine poor budgets.
In Neil Gaiman's cult BBC miniseries, Neverwhere, average joe Richard Mayhew (Gary Bakewell) is hurtled into a supernatural world when he meets Door, a girl he rescues on the streets of London. When he learns of a plot to kill her, Richard travels deep into the London underground, where a strange sort of magical kingdom holds sway.
It's an engaging six-episode miniseries, with solid performances and a fascinating mythology.
The special features on the DVD contain a short interview with Neil Gaiman from 1996; and a nice little introduction done by Gaiman, Henry, and Brill. The commentary tracks contain a new track recorded by Gaiman with Henry and Brill as well.
There’s a nice little bonus gag with this DVD in the enclosure of the map insert with the packaging. I won't ruin it for you.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5