Tuesday 13 September 2011

The Body Farm: Blood, guts, and episodic gruesomenessness

You know, I’ll be frank, but it’s been a while since I’ve posted about a TV show, here on Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar.

As you’ve possibly guessed, by now, I’m something of a science fiction fan.

So the few show’s I’ve written about, just recently … ?

Have been Dr Who and Torchwood: Miracle Day.

And those … ?

Those I’ve happily opined about about, over on Nik Nak and Grub’s Who Peculiar, along with my co-author, Grub.

You’ve probably noticed the ensuing domestic incident, haven’t you … ?

At ANY rate, I’ve got to confess, I’ve just seen a show on BBC1 that I really felt couldn’t go on the Who Peculiar.

Because I’m talking, here about a police drama, rather than out and out SF.

The first episode of the Waking the Dead spin-off, that is The Body Farm.

The Body Farm opens with formerWaking the Dead forensic pathologist, Dr Eve Lockhart — reprised by series regular, Tara Fitzgerald — being offered an interesting little forensic job from DI Craig Hale: played with his usual mix of threatening aplomb and dark ambiguity by Keith Allen.

The job in question is a perfect one for Dr Lockhart’s team of forensic researchers: Mike, played by Mark Bazeby, Oggy, played by Finley Robertson*, and Rosa, played by Wunmi Mosaku, Lockhart’s team of assorted bodies and geeks at the Body Farmº in question.

I’ll let you read the footnoteº and Wikipedia entry, shall I … ?

At any rate … ?

Much like the original Star Wars^, this first episode of The Body Farm throws us into the deep end as Eve arrives at the crime scene: and, briefed by DI Hale, finds herself looking at the remains of two bodies, in a bathroom.

Well …

Smeared all over a bathroom, being accurate.

In a way that DI Hale needs confirming is an explosion …

››•‹‹

Now …

I’ll be frank, I’ve been listening to a lot of Radio 4, just recently.

I’ll be honest, there’s not much TV that’s caught my attention.

But The Body Farm … ?

But I’m happy to say The Body Farm did. I don’t know if it’s scientifically accurate — in fact, I’ve an old friend, Victoriaª, who felt it to be RATHER unrealistic … ! — but I know THIS much …

The Body Farm was gruesome: but bloody entertaining!


















* Who I’d last seen in the Dr Who episode, Blink.

º I’m not too sure if there’s any of these in the UK: but there’s about half a dozen in the US. Debbi, bless ’er, will possibly be able to tell us a little more, if she’s come across them in her legal work: but if I’ve understood things correctly, a body farm is devoted to what happens to us once we die. Or, not to whether we ascend to a heaven, hell, purgatory or — as ZZTop claim — Huston. But what happens to our bodies. You know, how fast it takes for a corpse to decompose, what eats us when we ARE dead … and how long it takes for the vultures to start circling. Picky little theological details like that …

ª Who’s much more of a scientist that I could ever hope to be. My brief foray in collage, MANY moons ago, was in performing arts: what can I tell you … ?

^ From what I can remember from reading — believe it or not — the Star Wars Role-playing Game many years ago, the technique of starting a story in the middle of a significant scene is called In Media Res. Which translates as “in the middle of things” … …

3 comments:

Debbi said...

I must confess I've heard the term "body farm" and know it's a place where forensic research is conducted.

But I mainly know that because I read this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Body-Farm-Patricia-Cornwell/dp/0751530476 :)

Nina, the Wonder-Wench said...

Actually, I thought Body Farm kinda sucked after the first 10 minutes... First I thought YES! Blood and guts! ...But then it just went on getting more and more tedious. Ridiculous story line, badly written. Poor actors, they are GOOD, actually. And does that guy fro "Blink" EVER manage to look anything but vacant??
One can hope it gets better... Don't know if I'll bother with it though!
(Nik Nak, we don't seem to agree on much tv-wise! ;))

Nik Nak said...

Be boring if we DID, Nina … !