The
lowdown: This six-part BBC series is best described as a murder-mystery-musical.
It stars David Morrissey as
Ripley Holden, a local entrepreneur
who owns a video game arcade and has ambitious plans to build a casino
and turn
Blackpool into the new Las
Vegas. When the body of a youth is found in the arcade after the opening
night, Detective
Inspector Peter Carlisle
(David Tennant) is called in to investigate the murder. Suspicion immediately
falls upon Holden,
and it is up to Carlisle
to find out the truth. The arcade is closed while the murder is investigated,
while Holden enlists
the help of an old friend
DCI Jim Allbright to get the investigation closed quickly.
Meanwhile, Holden has problems
at home, with his wife Natalie (Sarah Parish) feeling unappreciated by
her ambitious
and often unfaithful husband,
while his son Danny is hiding a secret and his daughter Shyanne is dating
a man who went
to school with Ripley! Complicating
Carlisle's investigation is the fact that Danny is also a suspect, while
Carlisle begins a
romantic relationship with
Natalie, but doesn't tell her that he is in fact the police officer investigating
the crime. If this were
not enough, the drama is
regularly interrupted by musical interludes, with various cast members
lip-synching to the lyrics
of the original performers.
The featured songs include Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley and There's
Always Something
There to Remind Me by Sandie
Shaw.
The
verdict: This is a marvellous production,
with an excellent cast. Tennant, Morrissey and Parish are all superb, while
the
supporting cast is also good. 'Blackpool' will be particularly enjoyable
for fans of Dennis Potter's drama-musicals such
as
'The Singing Detective'. Aside from the elaborately staged musical numbers,
the murder mystery is intriguing in itself,
and
the question of whether Ripley Holden is the killer remains uncertain until
the end. The dysfunctional Holden family's
troubles
and the relationship between Carlisle and Natalie adds to the tension and
intrigue, making 'Blackpool' compelling
viewing.
Will Ripley prove to be the killer? Will Natalie leave Ripley and go off
with Carlisle? Will Ripley get a casino licence?
Only
one way to find out. Watch and enjoy!
Quotes:
Ripley: I run a family entertainment
centre.'
Carlisle: 'And I'm a crime-citizen
interface consultant.'
Ripley: 'Political correctness
strikes again.'
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