This series is a high-tech adventure show, with lots of gadgets, excitement and large explosions. At the start of the first series, the audience is introduced to three people Ros Henderson (Jaye Griffiths), Nick Beckett (Jesse Birdsall) and Ed (Craig McLachlan) (his last name isn't revealed.) They team up to form high-tech investigators. Ros is extremely good when it comes to computers and electronics. Ed is a daredevil, a pilot and addicted to risking his neck. Beckett used to work for the government and has various connections and a lot of experience.
The three of them combat a variety of criminals and illegal organisations in highly exciting, and always explosive, plots each episode. The villains are different each episode, with one or two exceptions, but I don't want to spoil the surprise for those who don't know the show that well. This means that the plots are hugely varied apart from the minor detail of the major explosions that are bound to occur before the story is through. Frequently, the defeat of the bad guys involves the careful use of tiny radio
transmitters, hence the name of the show.
In a high-tech show, there is bound to be a lot of science involved, or at least mentioned. This varies from mildly dubious to downright ludicrous, though it is one of the few shows that has an explosion in a vacuum without a sound. Some of the more amusing breaches of the laws of physics include gravity in an orbital space shuttle and, in the same episode, the fact that a spanner appears to have the same mass as a main character, since throwing it away not only stops him moving through space but actually sends him backwards. There's a computer virus that manages to transfer to humans. And there's a technology to put knowledge directly into the human brain.
After the first two seasons, the three join up with two new characters, Jan (Jan Harvey) and Alex (Paula Hunt), and form the Beureau 2. Beureau 2 is the reforming of an organisation that is mentioned very early in the first series, called the Beureau of Weapons Technology. Their job is to monitor illegal weapons. As with the earlier series, this involves a lot of stuff blowing up.
For the fourth season, Ed's actor changes to Steven Houghton. The character never has quite the same life and humour after this.
~~~ The Characters ~~~ Ros Henderson (Jaye Griffiths) is a technological genius. She runs the company Gismos that specialises in electronics. She had a bit of a misspent youth spent hacking into government computers... and she hasn't stopped.
Nick Beckett (Jesse Birdsall) is former government agent, framed when he thinks his friend and collegue may have been killed. It is in trying to clear his name that he encounters Ros. Now he uses his experience to help the team.
Ed (Craig McLachlan/Steven Houghton) enjoys motorbikes, abseiling, paragliding, helicopter flying and anything else that might involve risking his neck. He 'likes a challenge'. He is a highly amusing character, though I much prefer McLachlan to Houghton.
Jan (Jan Harvey) puts on the persona of a strict boss, but is very defensive of her team if they are threatened.
Alex (Paula Hunt) is the secretary. She also teaches martial arts in her lunchbreaks, which makes her very useful to the team.
~~~ DVD Features ~~~ The only language on the DVD is English and there are no subtitles.
Each episode is only split into two chapters, so you either start watching at the beginning or about half-way through. This isn't a major problem, but it is rather unusual.
There is a disk devoted to special features, including an interview with the series writer. There are cast biographies and information on the heroes and villains of the series. On the whole, the extras are a let down. You should buy if you want to watch the series, not if you want a load of special features.
~~~ Overall ~~~ I much prefer the first two series, but will happily watch series three and four. Although all the actors are good, I think it is the interactions between the original three that makes the series so good.
If you think you might be interested in the whole series, buy it in this format. It's a thirteen disk set, with four disks for each series and a further disk of special features (though I don't think much of this disk). That's a lot of DVD for your money.
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Science Fiction - Director: Hiroyuki Yamaga - Original Language: Japanese - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Ayako Kawasumi, Fujiko Takimoto
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
Great review very interesting I was not keen on the show though, lou xx
bawney123 04.01.2006 19:07
Great review, thanks.
Newfloridian 04.01.2006 18:25
You've made it sound very interesting but at 13 discs I wonder (a) how digestible it is - I have sat thorugh three versions of "24" to date at 6 discs per session and (b) how much will it set me back. - Cheers NF
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