Primeval

**Garrett** · 10-02-2007, 12:57 PM

New program said to rival Doctor Who called Primeval on at 19.45.

Looks as though its not 100% serious and slightly dumbed down for a younger audience.

PAH · 10-02-2007, 1:04 PM

Yeah saw the trailer. Looked like it's got the budget of an episode of Blue Peter. Maybe I'm wrong and they've chucked a million an episode at it like they do in the USA, we'll find out tonight!

PoochJD · 10-02-2007, 1:23 PM

HI,

ITV have officially announced that each episode cost over £1 million per episode, for this show, but in all honesty, I don't give it much hope, since most of ITV's ouput is aimed at people with the attention span of micro-seconds!

Hopefully, the show will fall on its ar*e in a spectacular way, and Michael Grade will be forced to start getting ITV1's programming output act together!

Pooch

andytabor · 10-02-2007, 8:09 PM

just started watching it, the special effects look really pants.

FruitBat · 10-02-2007, 8:48 PM

I didn't think it was that bad. More Torchwood than Doctor Who and less irritating.

russraff · 10-02-2007, 8:49 PM

Actually, looking at some of the effects in Angel, Buffy and other homegrown stuff like Who and Torchwood, Primeval looks to be pretty good. The small lizard was particularly effective (given the audience). The mechanical Cylons in BSG are just as ropey - especially considering shadows.

To be honest, this first ep of Primeval had more enjoyment than an entire season of Torchwood. The acting is and script is a damn sight better, too. Primeval gets the thumbs up from me.

Russell

Mark_a · 10-02-2007, 8:55 PM

Yeah, better than expected. Not fantastically great, but I'll be tuning in next week.

Regards

Mark

zz101 · 10-02-2007, 8:56 PM

I thought it was quite good if cliched and formulaic.

It avoided that awful Dr Who CBBC visual style and you could see it was obviously higher budget / better production values.

I'm surprised - was expecting pure crap but it should do quite well ratings wise.

Next ep looks better too.

nwgarratt · 10-02-2007, 8:57 PM

Absolutely appalling and the effects were terrible.

zz101 · 10-02-2007, 8:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nwgarratt

Absolutely appalling and the effects were terrible.

Dr Who???

russraff · 10-02-2007, 9:14 PM

Quite.

Yet, unlike most of Dr Who, the acting was universally good and the script was quite pacy - lots of info and just the right amount of intrigue. Even if the effects were a bit rough - so what? They aren't bad enough to spoil the program, unlike WW3 or Aliens of London in Dr Who, or that last Buffy ep.

Russell

nwgarratt · 10-02-2007, 9:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russraff

Quite.

Yet, unlike most of Dr Who, the acting was universally good and the script was quite pacy - lots of info and just the right amount of intrigue. Even if the effects were a bit rough - so what? They aren't bad enough to spoil the program, unlike WW3 or Aliens of London in Dr Who, or that last Buffy ep.

Russell

The acting was worse than the effects. I can't believe they spent £1 million on each episode going by that example.

Barbara2001 · 10-02-2007, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by russraff

Actually, looking at some of the effects in Angel, Buffy and other homegrown stuff like Who and Torchwood, Primeval looks to be pretty good. The small lizard was particularly effective (given the audience). The mechanical Cylons in BSG are just as ropey - especially considering shadows.

To be honest, this first ep of Primeval had more enjoyment than an entire season of Torchwood. The acting is and script is a damn sight better, too. Primeval gets the thumbs up from me.

Russell

I don't think I was watching the same programme as you. I thought the script and acting (apart frm Ben Miller) were very low standard. The cameraman/men seem to be 5 feet tall. The CGI was not very good (the dinosaur seemed to lose length at certain angles) and the cutesy Rex was definitely put in for the kiddies (I want one - but then I am in my second childhood).

Why is it being compared to Doctor Who and Torchwood? Primeval is not a patch on them. If £1,000,00+ per episode was spent on it, who got all the money? I think the first episode should have been another 20 to 30 minutes longer establishing the characters, maybe then they wouldn't have looked as if they were novices.

pjclark1 · 10-02-2007, 10:17 PM

The size of the Dino seemed to vary.
One minute it could reach in an upstairs window, the next it was donkey sized.

The actors were all too young for their occupations .......

nwgarratt · 10-02-2007, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbara2001

Why is it being compared to Doctor Who and Torchwood?

I got the impression it was a Torchwood rip off from the first trailer that has been going all week. Then, they showed a new trailer earlier before it started and knew it was different and thought it looked attrocious. I watched it anyway to see if I was wrong and I wasn't.

krish · 10-02-2007, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nwgarratt

I got the impression it was a Torchwood rip off from the first trailer that has been going all week...

I also got that impression ... didn't bother with it as I was expecting something as atrocious as Eleventh Hour with Picard. I do tend to avoid ITV (I caught the trailers at someone else's house

).

bowenjones · 11-02-2007, 1:05 AM

I forgot this was on.
Stumbled across it while flicking through the channels.
Saw a lizard thing nodding it's head along to some muzak while in a lift.
Switched off.

Starburst · 11-02-2007, 1:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bowenjones

Saw a lizard thing nodding it's head along to some muzak while in a lift.
Switched off.

I thought that was actually funny

I didn't think the show was really bad and I am no fan of ITV productions but it was alright and I'll be tuning in next week.
Would have liked a more adult version, dinos that don't go round eating people or bounce of pick up trucks is letting the side down.

Ian182 · 11-02-2007, 1:39 PM

Missed this last night - its repeated today at 4.30pm though........

Opinion on here seems pretty divided - I'll give it a chance and see what I think.

Ian.

pwood · 11-02-2007, 1:56 PM

Watched 5 mins and noted really poor PQ. So off it went. I take it the fuzzy picture was to disguise the ropey SFX. I'm probably being too hard on it after watching Torch Wood in HD and DD.

Starburst · 11-02-2007, 4:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwood

Watched 5 mins and noted really poor PQ. So off it went. I take it the fuzzy picture was to disguise the ropey SFX. I'm probably being too hard on it after watching Torch Wood in HD and DD.

Yeah ITV on Dsat is not a good exampe of PQ so I'll probably record off Freeview next week since it's a higher resolution and bitrate.

Anyone know if ITV actually made this in HD?

**Garrett** · 11-02-2007, 5:48 PM

Nether though it neither good nor bad very family fare, and at no point was you expecting anyone to get killed.

I also thought it quite funny the creature managed to track the lad home, then wreak his bedroom and then after 2 minute he mum ask what the racked was. Then the following day it tracks him to school and instead of going though the window of the classroom walks down the corridor.

I was surprised the time anomaly was not in Cardiff.

One of the best thing about the program is it has no gurning Doctor Who in it.

Starburst · 11-02-2007, 6:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garrett

I also thought it quite funny the creature managed to track the lad home, then wreak his bedroom and then after 2 minute he mum ask whet the racked was. Then the following day it tracks him to school and instead of going though the window of the classroom walks down the corridor.

I was surprised to see a school that had playing fields and by the looks of the desks less than 30 kids per teacher, a dinosaur running down the halls after that was perfectly acceptable

PaleRider1975 · 12-02-2007, 8:33 AM

I thought it was a bit of a cheesy show with ropey effects but I'll still probably end up watching it seeing as there doesn't seem to be much on on saturday nights at the mo.

I'm sure it'll do well with the kids, especially as the repeat viewing is at 4:30pm on a sunday.

Dunwa · 12-02-2007, 9:00 AM

Average to below par. Won't worry myself if I miss the next episode.

As others said the Dinosaur was rather poor, changed size and at one point could smash through a window, knocking bricks out of the wall then struggle to dent a school classroom door.

Ian182 · 12-02-2007, 4:56 PM

I thought it was OK, bearing in mind the timeslot it was on........
I'll probably give it another episode or two, but agree with what others have said, I wouldn't worry too much if I missed an episode.

I assume the main plot line will be monster of the week, coupled with the lead characters attempt to find his wife.

Hannah Spearitt in hotpants might make next weeks episode worth a look

Ian.

Battle · 14-02-2007, 8:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian182

Hannah Spearitt in hotpants might make next weeks episode worth a look

Exactly what I was thinking (i think it was underwear rather than hotpants which make it even better

) Certainlty worth a second look (both Hannah and the show

)

Master X · 15-02-2007, 1:50 AM

I know it wasn't done too seriously, but some of the physics were off. The dinosaur clearly rushed and ripped through steel. The amount of pressure it was putting forward trying to get through the boys window and the dinosaur would have walked through the wall and house as if it were toilet paper. Looking forward to giant insects next eek.

JayEm · 17-02-2007, 4:14 AM

I don't think the British do drama/sci-fi too well, but that's just my opinion. I'm sure it's okay but I'll stick to the US' offerings.

Master X · 18-02-2007, 3:30 AM

Good episode. Can't go wrong with giant insects...insects strengh at that proportion would have punctured straight thorugh his body though...but meh. Good to see there's something sinister going on in the background (especially if you saw the preview clip for next week). Oh...and you just know there's going to be a caveman age time period episode coming soon. Care to place wagers...?