Psychoville - Season #1

I've decided that watching just the first episode of each of the twenty-odd TV series that I've recently bought is not a very good idea. As such, I'm going back to taking one season at a time and reporting on my overall impression in the form of these here reviews on my blog. The fifth one up, then, is this creepy little number that goes by the name of Psychoville; not for the faint-hearted or squeamish. Before we get started though let me just announce that if given the option to go blu-ray or DVD, I'd certainly recommend going for the former option. Again, I was very impressed with the picture quality of the blu-ray disc; images are crisp and superbly detailed and it comes packaged with the most pristine, crystal-clear photo-gallery that I've seen in a long time. The menus are easy to navigate and the discs come with a reasonable amount of extras.    

Psychoville is brought to us by the same people that gave us The League of Gentlemen so let's not beat about the bush; the humour, tone, atmosphere and sheer all round absurdity of the show is right there on a par with it. Similarly, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton play four different characters. However, like The League of Gentlemen, I wouldn't say this is a "laugh-a-minute/laugh out loud funny" sort of comedy series because it veers far too heavily towards the dark side for that. But by drawing on the more disturbing side of human nature and exploring its more sinister side it is equally proficient at pulling the viewer into its quirky world. Most of us probably have all sorts of these types of emotions and qualities lurking deep down within us as well so seeing them enacted on screen in such a bizarre fashion certainly appeals to our more subversive side.

Once again I have to point out that we have here a British-based drama show which, I'm sorry to say, cannot touch those big-budget US dramas when it comes to creating scope, scale and depth. Seven, 30-minute episodes cannot compete with 45-60 minute affairs that weigh in at about 12-24 episodes per season. Indeed, the huge production costs of the US dramas practically make them little movies in their own right! Still, we can enjoy it for what it is...

The title menus and all-round outer-packaging create that mildly mysterious feel created by those slightly creepy victorian puppet shows; also, with a fully made up clown and theatrically attired dwarf, brings in that weird circus/fairground atmosphere that often has the outward appearance of wanting to be entertaining but which doesn't look quite right - as if hiding something dark underneath the surface. As mentioned, that's pretty much Psychoville in a nutshell.

The general structure of the first episode prepares us effectively for the season. Five eccentric characters each receive a letter that simply reads, "I know what you did." The sender is a mysterious black-gloved man who remains masked and whose identity remains hidden right up to the denouement at the end. There is a constant reference to blackmail but the conditions or terms of these are never discussed or made known. When each character receives the letter they are already deeply involved in dramatic events of their own so while the letter has obvious significance, as we're already thrown into the twisted development of their lives from the off, it's almost of secondary importance to the characters.

We trace the characters' lives by being shown sketches of their key moments in the form of 1-3 minute snippets. We flit backwards and forwards between the characters' stories by transitions that are marked by a burning film effect. When this occurs, we know that we are going to be focusing on a different character again and pick up on the action where we left off. The effect is that there are mini-cliffhangers within each episode but it also drives the story forward nicely. There are no hard-to-follow complications and  we always know exactly what predicament the characters are in. This adds up to making the series enjoyable and dynamic viewing.

Before moving onto the characters, a word about the content (mild spoilers ahead). Well, it's by the fellas who gave us The League of Gentlemen so expect the weird and the disturbing at almost every turn. It'll be the women, however, who will cause the most cringe-inducing moments of the show. Maureen Sowerbutts, in one scene for instance, takes a sausage from the plate of her fully-grown son and then masticates on it before shoveling the chewed up mush back into her son's mouth (no editing in sight); while Joy Aston, meanwhile, performs a makeshift blood transfusion that sucks almost all the blood out of her victim - as it then enters the body of a doll till the blood seeps from its eyes. If you can stomach these types of goings-on then you'll probably get a good kick out of the many other bizarre goings-on.  

Here are the five characters who receive those sinister messages from the black-gloved man (mild spoiler alert):

Oscar Lomax (Pemberton) is an old and blind millionaire eccentric who enlists the help of "Tea-Leaf" (a petty thief on community service) to read to him. His story lies in his obsession to find the last "first-edition" Beanie Baby in order to complete his collection. He is a bitter, bad-tempered and repulsive old git who has nothing better to do than to try to track down that elusive toy. We warm to him due to these weaknesses and vulnerabilities but also because of his ludicrous out-of-touch opinions.      

Mr Jelly, like Oscar Lomax, is played by Reece Shearsmith. He always appears in a clown costume but hardly ever gets any work as a children's entertainer because his twisted and aggressive attitude frightens the kids. Mr Jelly's story revolves around his bitter rivalry with Mr Jolly (ex-doctor now children's entertainer), who amputated the former's hand during a routine operation AND stole all of Mr Jelly's routines. We appreciate this character for his hopeless attempts at turning his career around.   

David Sowerbutts is the "man-child" played by Steve Pemberton. With learning difficulties but an encyclopedic interest in serial killers, along with a very strange mum and a misunderstanding about a murder that never happened, the two of them go off on a murdering spree of their own. We sympathise with this character because he is led on by his insane mother and is involved in situations beyond his understanding. Pemberton has a calmer, more restrained acting style than Shearsmith who can sometimes come across as a bit forced.  

Joy Aston, played by Dawn French, is arguably the most disturbed character of the pack. Her problem is that she has formed such a close relationship with a doll that she starts to believe that it is human and that it is her very own baby! Anyone who suggests the doll is otherwise or if she's ridiculed for her unhealthy attachment, she reacts with the wrath of the devil himself. I had my doubts whether such a big name could fit in with the tone of the show but she has one of those faces and acting styles that plays the delusional, naive crackpot very well.

Robert Greenspan is a dwarf who is playing the role of one of the seven dwarfs in the pantomime production of "Snow White" in the glitzy seaside town of Eastbourne. Although he's probably the most normal of the five, this little fella's problem is that he's fallen in love with Debbie, who plays Snow White, and is mocked for it by the staff around him. The practical jokes and humiliation keep getting heaped upon him until an interesting twist leads him away from the theatre and into a dark wood with a mysterious cottage... The actor, Jason Tompkins, plays the role of a tormented soul very well.

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These are just the five characters who receive letters, there are many other key roles that help to make the story fit together including: Micheal Fry (Tea-Leaf), the carer for Oscar Lomax; Mr Jolly, the rival of Mr Jelly; Maureen Sowerbutts, the manipulative mother of David; George Aston, the long-suffering husband of Joy who's forced to play along with the baby charade; Kerry, the dwarf who is trying to protect Robert from himself; Debbie, the dipsy actor who plays Snow White; and then there is the black-gloved man himself, the mysterious figure who links them all together.

In conclusion, the show is certainly worth giving a whirl (at the time of writing Season #1 and #2 can be picked up for less than £6 each on blu-ray from Amazon) and with plenty of added extras to keep your interest up it's a very good value package. In my opinion, the tighter first three episodes eclipse the later ones as the mystery and intrigue remain high in those whereas in episodes 5, 6 and 7 the plot loses its way just a tad and the puzzle doesn't quite pique the curiosity as much. Also, the musical interlude with singing and dancing in the waxworks is blatantly filler in my eyes; totally pointless and incongruous tripe. 

There are also just a few other niggles: I am not a fan of watching an entire episode filmed on one set (as if it's a play) and (seemingly) in one long take. To me, this just seems like a cost-cutting exercise and I felt put-out because I was so used to the dynamic format of earlier episodes. In this respect Episode 4 was a bit of a fail for me, despite the great performance of Mark Gatiss (He of The League of Gentlemen fame). Finally. stereotyping plays a large part in this series (eccentric old millionaires, creepy clowns, dwarfs mistaken for children, the doll springing to life, the Nurse Ratched type tormenting the patients... etc etc) and I think it fair to say the show is riddled with them. Therefore, although surely original, unique and watchable in many respects, the odd reliance on these stereotypes must be held against it.

14

20  (GOOD)