TV REVIEW: From There To Here

The slick but slight BBC NI production finds its bearings and becomes compelling family drama

A small but significant realisation dawns upon us all at the start of the final episode of the three-part drama serial From There To Here: the characters, at last, feel real. People who once felt like little more than writer's constructs in an uncertain, tragic nostalgia piece now feel like fully fledged human beings.

These people are the rightly unsympathetic family and lover of Daniel Cotton, played by Philip Glenister, who are coming to unwelcome terms with his numerous lies. Mild heart attack or not, Daniel's affair, which led to another child, is out in the open, and wife Claire (Saskia Reeves) and mistress Joanne (Liz White) justly let him have it, in their own ways.

But villanizing Daniel would be all too easy. By now, one can consider the whole of From There To Here in retrospect and realise why Daniel is as he is. "Ever since the Arndale bomb", Daniel says, "it feels like one life isn't enough." And so it proved, when he met Joanne and began a damaging double life.

It does seem that Daniel's ambitious politician of a daughter (Morven Christie) and wannabe boardroom bandit of a son (Daniel Rigby) were too oppressive for him, and Joanne, much to her understandable fury ("It didn't matter whose lives you messed up as long as it was not your own!") was the "relief". One does not condone his behaviour – that would be impossible – but one does gain a invaluable insight into it. And Daniel is just one of many liars in this family circus that will eventually explode before quietening down to a bittersweet conclusion.

Yes, Peter Bowker's script needs a handful of obvious contrivances to make and reach its points, but by now the story moves along smoothly enough that these are no longer seriously problematic. With the time period having passed through New Labour's landslide victory in 1997 and the Millennium celebrations in 2000, From There To Here settles and becomes a compelling tale of immorality, mistrust and resolve. The setting and cultural references feel slightly indulgent as the family story takes centre stage, but again, they aren't really a problem.

From There To Here does fall short, however, when attempting to deal with corruption in drugs, business and gangsterism. In fairness to Bowker, these subplots don't feel tacked on, though one can't help but feel that he perhaps doesn't fully grasp these elements. He sometimes appears caught between trying to please his audience and be significant; there's actually some slightly preachy moralism that recalls Christopher Nolan's heavy handed "noble lie" of The Dark Knight.

Thankfully this is a minor aversion, and the strong cast, especially a regretfully reflective and persistent Glenister, are given plenty of room to be expressive, leading From There To Here to a surprisingly pleasing finale that wraps things up as well as could be expected.

Catch up with From There To Here on BBC iplayer. Read more...

TV REVIEW: From There To Here (Episode One)

The cast and premise are squandered in a drama that never really finds its groove

The promotional material and trailers for the BBC Northern Ireland produced drama From There To Here seem to dare its audience to dream. A strong aesthetic, some classy pop tunes from a bygone era, and a great cast that reunites Life On Mars alumni Philip Glenister and Liz White are tantalising enough in themselves. But the concept holds strong possibilities: Manchester, June 1996. The setting of Euro '96 and the city centre bombing. An opportunity to merge tragedy with triumph, contrasting the best and worst of a "Summer Of Love" that in reality was anything but.

When From There To Here begins, Glenister’s Daniel and White's Joanne are as far apart as you can imagine. A sweet factory owner who lives with his wife (Saskia Reeves) and grown-up children (Morven Christie and Daniel Rigby); a single mother struggling to make ends meet as a cleaner. Stability and instability on two sides of a coin, soon to be united by a literal spark – sparks, in this case, resulting from the bomb blast, which Daniel's father Samuel (the great Bernard Hill) and brother Robbo (Steven Mackintosh) also find themselves caught up in. Football's coming home, Robbo’s gambling addiction escalates, Samuel's injured, but doesn't want to stop working, and Daniel and Joanne begin to hang out together.

It all promises to be more than a little messy. And messy is the best word for a drama that never really finds a groove. The cast and premise are squandered. What stands out in From There To Here is not the essence of Euro '96, the Manchester bombing and how they affected the lives of the people back then, but a will-they-or-won't-they affair that viewers should not be encouraged to celebrate. Glenister and White's obvious chemistry doesn't make it any easier.

Then again, couldn't that be the point? That Daniel's flirtation with Joanne, along with celebrating England’s "success" in Euro '96, is simply wrong? For despite their numerous advantages, the national team ultimately won nothing, and Daniel, who seemingly has everything going for him (a loving family, a successful business), is on the verge of finding himself empty handed. As is Robbo, who may well lose everything from both gambling and shady underworld dealings. Some might say (no pun intended) that From There To Here is successfully unveiling the dark side of lad culture and this particular "Cool Britannia" before our very eyes.

Except very nearly everything in From There To Here comes across as confused, poorly thought through and almost, I'm sorry to say, heartless. Both the pop tunes and Euro '96 footage (regretfully minus Barry Davies' original commentary) are poorly incorporated, existing only as nostalgia fuel. It is as if they have been tacked on to capitalise on growing World Cup interest. A horrid streak of misogyny runs through the production too, with the women either being sidelined, servile, objects of affection for men going through midlife crises, or even all three. Without the sterling work of the undervalued White, Joanne would be a construct, not a character.

Frankly, From There To Here doesn't know if it should celebrate the time period or condemn it. You are left with something that tries to have it four ways – family drama, love story, nostalgia piece, tragedy – and ends up having it no ways. Here's hoping these problems are ironed out by Episode Two.

Episode Two of From There To Here, a three-part serial, airs on BBC One NI at 9 pm on May 29. Catch up with Episode One on BBC iPlayer. Read more...

We've Made It Happen: Our City Of Culture 2013

A message from the editor on the final night of a momentous year for Derry-Londonderry

My fellow City-Of-Culturistas...

This is the 92nd time I'm going to be posting to you from this website in 2013, and the last. The end of this Legenderry year, as we've liked to call it, is almost upon us. It has been a pleasure, a privilege, and a downright honour to be one of your "correspondents" in writing and photography in this city, this year. Many of you have spoken to me and said, "well done", but I could say as much to you, if not more. But before the year ends, I'd like to share some thoughts with all of you in relation to this lovely city we live in.

I can still recall when, as a slightly younger man who didn't quite know where his career was going, I first heard when Derry-Londonderry was up for this inaugural cultural honour. It was there when I realised, like no doubt many of you did at the time, that I could make a difference, and passions for both writing and photography that I once thought were on the verge of dying were reawakened.

We won the honour. We had our moment. And now, two and a half years later, the city's cultural landscape shines strong and tall in a Silver City Risen from darkness to light. A new vision and a new legacy, created by the fittingly titled Sons And Daughters of Derry-Londonderry, so many of whom swept us up in a tidal wave of musical glory near the start of this remarkable year.

That, of course, was only the beginning of a series of standout events that defined Derry-Londonderry, so good they named it twice, as a thriving arts and cultural landscape. But it was, and is, more than that, of course.

When watching Finding Nemo for what seemed like the umpteenth time recently, seven words in the screenplay truly resonated with me: "When I see you, I see home." Seven words that are worth a thousand in the context of Derry-Londonderry, for it might not have been, and still might not be, the best place in the world to everyone, but it is our place. We created it. We are in tune with absolutely everything about it: people, landscapes, landmarks and opportunities.

And to my pleasant surprise, that was exactly how Derry-Londonderry felt to just about every tourist and traveller I’ve met on my travels around the city throughout 2013. We are a City Of Culture, but we are also a City Of Community and Great Company.

During these last twelve months, I've made it my aim, in some way or another, to both develop as a cultural writer and bring you the best from the City Of Culture 2013. Last year, Si's Sights And Sounds was born, and continues to thrive today. But it never belonged to me. It belonged to you, the people who provided me with the material to write about. I spread the word, but you made the words. I was just the messenger, someone who was lucky enough to be in the right places at the right times. The real heroes of Derry-Londonderry 2013 are the people as a whole, the technicians, artists, actors, directors, writers, photographers, musicians, spectators and so on who made it happen, men and women who relayed a continuous cavalcade of sights and sounds to a global audience. Without the people, the cultural "delights" we praised would not have had the heart and soul that they undeniably did.

No doubt, you will ask me if I have regrets, and I do. The economy is one of them. As much as Derry-Londonderry has flourished on the surface, there is the clear and present fear that the city is, in reality, dancing on a volcano, and that the lack of job opportunities may force many of our great talents, be they newly found or established, to look elsewhere. Tonight is no night for dwelling on that, but another significant matter ought to be addressed: what will we do now our year in the spotlight is over?

With that in mind, I refer to what was done with the famous Crystal Palace after the Great Exhibition of 1851: remove the building blocks of a short-term success and relay it for the long term. Even with both Ebrington's Venue and the Turner Prize Exhibition on their way down and out, respectively, there remains the chance to cement the whole of Derry-Londonderry as a cultural city by the people, for the people. Because that is what it should be, if it isn't already. Our newly found momentum must be carried well into the future, for there remains the danger of living in the moment and not considering the long-term consequences. Even if a feeling of "could do better" exists in the Derry-Londonderry air, what also exists is a genuinely warm, winning and welcoming spirit that will surely endure.

It has also been asked that, as big as a certain Big Weekend was, was there really a need for it? And the answer, in my view, is a resounding Yes. Not everyone was fortunate enough to live the experience at the Prehen Playing Fields nearly a decade ago, and this truly was Big. Even the music, to me, was almost irrelevant; what we saw during those nights were unprecedented levels of confidence, light and unity spreading around the city. All may not really be hunky dory in this current climate, but for the audience on those days, all was. They wanted big moments, and we delivered. Sons and Daughters. The spectacular Political Mother. CHIC, so good he came twice. The Fabulous Fleadh. Music City, especially the Sky Orchestra. The inaugural Walled City Tattoo. The Return Of Colmcille. Lumiere. And many more. Events that told the tale of a city both in touch with what made it what it is, and the wider artistic world.

Even something as simple as a tweet or a Facebook status update could reach out and touch thousands, millions even. My own City Of Culture status updates were inspired by legendary American actor Stan Freberg, but who, or what, inspired you? You may have found such things as the cobblestones on London Street, and the views from the walls, as inspirational as anything you could read. That's a cultural strength for you; inspirations, assets, success, from the least likely of places. And there have been many of those.

It's been a year of contrasts, a year of history. And one night, as I looked across the River Foyle at the illuminated STITCH IN TIME sign, an endeavour of industrial light and magic that stands proud and tall over everything around it, I found it hard not to contrast the numerous aspects of the city. The big and the small, the past and the future, the understated and the grand.  It is not merely, as Ronald Reagan put it, a "shining city upon a hill", but a city at sixes and sevens, as skilfully illustrated on one memorable summer night at The Guildhall.

A Stitch In Time may symbolise several of the things in this city, be they factories, craft or camaraderie. But we must not allow this year to remain a mere stitch in time, a footnote to be cast away into the forgotten annals of history. Better, instead, to think of what At Sixes And Sevens, and indeed every single cultural endeavour in 2013 illustrated: we have made history, and we have history, still, to make.

There isn't one aspect of this city that I take for granted today, from the wide open space in Ebrington Square, to the numerous art galleries, to the walls, to venues both indoor and open air, to the spectacular foot and cycle bridge that has symbolised our city for more than two years. We've made it happen. We, the sons and daughters of Derry-Londonderry, have made the city what it is.

And here's to carrying our spirit and soulfulness through to 2014 and beyond.

Happy New Year to all of you. Read more...

TV REVIEW: 6Degrees

Two episodes into its second series, the local drama is transcending its clichés and giving student life a welcomely realistic, if inconsistent, bent

We've all been there. We have imagined the shift from school to university as seamless, a journey from enjoyable but somewhat restrictive years into a fantasy world of respectability, freedom, new friends and possible partners. We believe that now we've earned our college years, growing up, settling down and getting our dream job will surely lie ahead. The joyous life that we've created for ourselves surely awaits.

Then, reality bites. The "party atmosphere" you probably dreamed about turns out to be extremely disruptive. Not everyone – especially your new housemates – respects you. Breaking ties with the friends you made in school is harder to do than you anticipated. Your new friend, or even your seemingly perfect "other", isn't the person you thought she or he was. And you’re no longer in the protective shadow of family, spoon fed work or watchful teachers. You're your own man or woman – and it's going to be a struggle to survive.

As its second series gets underway, BBC Northern Ireland's 6Degrees has found its voice as a pretty convincing chronicle of the above; a gloomier take on student life in Belfast, occasional glimmers of light at the end of what, contrary to expectations, are several long, dark and twisted tunnels. And this is a very good thing indeed. Because let’s face it, The Inbetweeners Movie, love it though we do, is a virtual exercise in dreamy wish fulfillment by the time it reaches its closing credits.

If no one would ever call 6Degrees original – the numerous plotlines and characterizations are rather well worn – its bleak, and more importantly human, outlook, reflected in both the cast and camerawork, is a refreshing change from the potentially damaging over-idealism that can exist in "young people's" productions.

Not one of our six protagonists can truly claim to be happy. Take Jess (Georgia Maguire, impressive); forced to relocate from England in series one, she is torn between her current boyfriend and the charms of the GAA team's coach. Sandie (Jayne Wisener, now fully grown into her role) must maintain her sanity and act as a mother hen to the group in an oasis of chaos, while attempting to figure out what she wants for herself.

The no-nonsense Eva (Derry-Londonderry's own Jamie-Lee O'Donnell) has gotten herself involved in a feud with a seasoned neighbour from across the road, and we know not if Eva's "hard as nails" approach to life is genuine or just a defense mechanism.

Elsewhere, Leech (Ryan McParland) is trying to not-very-convincingly re-invent himself as a ladies' man after splitting from his girlfriend. Danny (Niall Wright) is obsessed with both his work and his love life, perhaps overly so. And GAA captain Conor (Cillian O’Sullivan) has been forced out of the closet in circumstances beyond his control.

Admirably, the writers of 6Degrees have unveiled and intertwined these numerous plot threads into a likable and compelling tapestry. If the narrative is arguably too ambitious and riddled with occasionally unsubtle uses of pop songs along with the odd cringe-worthy line or two, 6Degrees should be commended for at least aiming to do something a little different as far as young people's television goes, whilst managing to retain a strong sense of local identity.

Even when the producers err along the way, they are at least erring in trying to do the right thing. The scenario and characters are believable, and there are more than enough shots of Northern Ireland's capital city and pop cultural references to keep teenagers happy. The challenge for 6Degrees, now, is to show us if and how it can blossom to its obvious potential.

Check out the official website for 6Degrees at www.6degreesni.com. Read more...