The Lakes (DVD)

...well as being one of the most beautiful areas of the UK, 'The Lakes' is a 14 part TV drama series, originally broadcasted in 1997 on BBC1. Series 1 consisted of four of these episodes, the first lasting 90 minutes, the next three 50 minutes.

HOW DID I FIND THIS SERIES?
As many of you may have guessed, I'm a huge fan of British actor, John Simm. I have found that anything with him in is worth the watch and definitely worth paying ...
...your parents!). This was arguably the programme that put Simm on the map too; up until that point, he'd had a few minor roles in established TV shows such as 'Heartbeat' and had been in cult like movies such as 'Boston Kickout' but never had he been in such an extensive BBC production.

Away from the obvious attraction of John Simm, what I initially liked about the show is that the storylines appealed to me because they sounded edgy ... more

As well as being one of the most beautiful areas of the UK, 'The Lakes' is a 14 part TV drama series, originally broadcasted in 1997 on BBC1. Series 1 consisted of four of these episodes, the first lasting 90 minutes, the next three 50 minutes.

HOW DID I FIND THIS SERIES?
As many of you may have guessed, I'm a huge fan of British actor, John Simm. I have found that anything with him in is worth the watch and definitely worth paying the money out for (especially if it is a Christmas prezzie from your parents!). This was arguably the programme that put Simm on the map too; up until that point, he'd had a few minor roles in established TV shows such as 'Heartbeat' and had been in cult like movies such as 'Boston Kickout' but never had he been in such an extensive BBC production.

Away from the obvious attraction of John Simm, what I initially liked about the show is that the storylines appealed to me because they sounded edgy without being too over the top yet realistic without being boring.

BASIC PLOT OUTLINE
'The Lakes' follows the story of Liverpudlian Danny Kavanagh (John Simm), who is sick of being on dole. With little to no prospects, he flees on a whim to the Lake District where he instantaneously meets and falls in love with local girl, Emma Quinlan (Emma Cunniffe). Through sordid tales of sex, lies and rebellion, 'The Lakes' chronicles the existence of the locals in one of the most scenic parts of the world...

THE SETTING
One of the reasons why I found this series to be intriguing from the get go is due to the fact that it is set in the Lake District, a place which I have visited a few times before and loved. At least when I've been, it has a warm, friendly buzz but with all of the beauty and charm of the surroundings to reinforce this almost docile feeling.

I think the reason why the setting is so important to the overall presentation of the programme is, undoubtedly because of the great juxtaposition there is between the scenery and drama that is created by the storylines and characters. Arguably the biggest plot of the first series means that the Lakes in themselves hold a key role within the context of the series but I'm not going to spoil that for you as it is the heart of series one in terms of character development and story wise.

THE CHARACTERS
As with all good television dramas, it's the characters that drive the storylines and make each episode unmissable. 'The Lakes' is certainly no exception.

The series primarily follows the life of Danny Kavanagh, portrayed stunningly well by John Simm which is no surprise to many who are familiar with his extensive back catalogue of work. I was very impressed with how well he managed to maintain his Liverpudlian accent as he is originally from Leeds and he managed to make his voice sound very convincing but not in an impressionist kind of way.

Danny is arguably the most complexed character in the series, ranging from sensitive and poetic to radical and reckless. As the protagonist though, he has many afflictions that cause a lot of bother throughout the series, the main one of these being where he was born and grew up, as well as his excessive gambling which ultimately puts a strain on his marriage to Emma.

Emma is a part of one of the most well liked and recognised families of the Lakes, the Quinlans. Her portrayal by Cunniffe is rational but I don't honestly believe the character was intended to be that likable. Despite the fact that Danny is the rebel without the cause, I always felt that when they were having problems within their union, despite the fact that it was mainly his fault, I was still on his side. None the less, Emma is very much 'every woman' in the sense that she is very down to earth and family orientated, which leads to a whole host of problems throughout the course of series one...

The rest of the Quinlan's are involved in a number of captivating sub-plots throughout the series which accumulates in a rather interesting storyline in the middle of series two. Mary Jo Randle takes on the role of Bernie, a middle aged housewife and part time hotel worker who is run down by her hectic family life but with an incredible amount of faith which is tested ever so slightly at some points. Her husband, Peter, as played by Paul Copley, is an old fashioned, hardworking family man who worships his wife immensely. There are moments when he manages to drag a different facial expression out of Bernie other than extremely anxious which is a miracle in itself!

The Quinlan's do feature heavily in both series. However, I feel that their portrayal in series one is less significant than in the second as they are mainly there to act as the very concerned parents to daughters Emma and their youngest child, Annie (Jessica Perry). None the less, they are included as a way for the show to relate to a number of different audiences despite the fact the protagonist is a younger male.

Robert Pugh stepped seamlessly into the part of Father Matthew, the Priest who throughout the episodes, battles to try and recover his fleeting faith. His portrayal of this character I thought may have been slightly predictable in places but then there were many flashes of greatness that just happened during many episodes, especially when he was working alongside Simm. I think that the impact of this character as well as the eldest Quinlan's were a mechanism to perhaps change people's perceptions of the supposedly sleepy Lakes. Through the dramatic plot, especially in series two, it shows just how essential these three characters were and how the contrast of younger and older generations might be stereotyped but don't always have to follow these preconceptions.

However, Father Matthew's loss of faith evolved nicely from the very first episode. The most tragic occurrence of both series helped this to move on steadily but to maintain the bulk of his questioning until series two. During series one though, it was very easy to see how this lack of faith was effecting his state of mind and was portrayed sympathetically but brilliantly.

The other main family of the series, the Archers, provided most of the drama and oddly enough, most of the comedic value. Lucy Archer, played with as much flare and enthusiasm as a firework by the tremendously underrated Kaye Wragg, is the vehicle for most of the town's angst in series two. Yet, sticking to series one, Lucy's purpose was to flirt tremendously with all of the town's men, and her parent's employees, which leads to another significant story later on. She was also a way to make Danny question his marriage to Emma; her girl next door, sex kitten type character was very entertaining if not crude in most situations. The on screen chemistry that she shares with Simm was brilliant and one of the reasons, in my mind, why the series was so good.

Her parents, Doreen (Elizabeth Bennett) and Cecil (Nicholas Day) run the local hotel in the Lakes where many of the sub-characters have jobs. They are very stuck up in their portrayal but this is again used to contrast greatly with their overly sexual daughter and their 'well to do' family image. In series one, they are simply there as the owners of the hotel and don't really maximise on any of the plots development too greatly, apart from the hiring and firing of several of the characters.

One of my favourite characters of the show was the demented John Fisher, played demonically well by Kevin Doyle. The storyline he is most heavily involved with is easily the one that keeps the viewers wanting to learn more about each episode, even though I did ruin it for myself slightly because I'm a suspecting media student (damn education!). The way in which the writers and producers chose to show his 'obsession' and unravelling was very well done and very entertaining to watch, in the most wickedly perverse way possible. Like with the Quinlan's and Father Matthew, his story is portrayed much more effectively in series two yet to understand the reasoning behind his menacing mind, it's essential that series one is watched or it might not be as thorough to as it could - and should - be.

However, praise should go out to many of the other characters in the programme, in particular the Chef (Chares Dale) whose fiery temperament matches with the heat in the kitchen. He was by far the most laughable character in the whole thing but he met a rather, uh, unfortunate end if you will. But in series one, he helped solidify Lucy's position as the bitchiest girl in the town.

EPISODE GUIDE (Warning: May contain a few spoilers!)
As I mentioned, there are just four episodes in series one, which is very uneven in contrast to series two. The first episode was a feature length episode, originally broadcasted in 1997. Although the repeats of this show are now on ITV3, it is worthwhile to keep in mind that it was a BBC1 drama in the first place.

Episode 1:
The show begins with Danny Kavanagh once again getting agitated by his parents constant nagging; he should be getting a job, working, out earning a living instead of spending his dole money on race horses and gambling. With just a duffle bag and a copy of 'Lyrical Ballads' for company, he heads off to the bus station, in a vague attempt at moving on with his life and making something of himself. However, once his eyes set upon local girl Emma Quinlan, a girl with lots of ambition and a university application, that all changes and his life up in The Lakes looks to be anything but an easy ride...

Marks out of 10: 9.5 - what I loved about the first episode was just how fast paced it was without losing sense. It was very easy to get to know the characters straight away but you knew that you'd be learning a lot more about them as the series progressed due to the town's shady secrets and the good contrasting of many characters.

Episode 2:
With Danny already in the local's bad books after a hasty affair with one of their own, things are set to turn from bad to worse as his gambling addiction is creeping and clawing back into his life at a rapid pace. His new job as a boat carer at the dock looks to provide much of the angst too with fatal consequences set to occur. Meanwhile, three young school girls decide to escape class as their battling, married teachers look to bring their domestic situation to a head. Tragedy is soon set to happen...

Marks out of 10: 9 - at this point, what I liked was the fact that the second episode strongly supported the first and said that this was a competitive, well written and brilliantly acted piece of British television. The cliff hanger ending here might not seem like it is leaving much to the imagination but believe me, it certainly does...

Episode 3:
The tragedy that has just unfolded requires serious moral questioning, something that the locals are quite willing to condemn poor Danny for before the real story is unveiled. As he tries to prove his innocence however, the locals try to do the exact opposite and with super bitch Lucy Archer coming into her own as a confused but recklessly determined young woman, the picturesque surroundings of the Lakes hide a much darker secret for all involved.

Marks out of 10: 8.5 - again, a fabulous episode with lots going on and plenty of strong characters emerging. It did get a little bit slow towards the end though but it's not significant enough for me to say I didn't enjoy this episode.

Episode 4:
The last instalment in the series proves to be one of the most hard hitting but enthralling parts of both series'. In episode four, Danny is in the dock and fears the worse; going down for a crime he played absolutely no part in. Yet, although he may get let off by the law, he may not be as lucky as he was hoping for with stern wife Emma on the warpath. Elsewhere, Father Matthew and Bernie Quinlan's close friendship proves to be too close for comfort and threatens to ruin not only their lives but those of the whole Parish...

Marks out of 10: 9 - one of the most intriguing and nerve racking series finales ever! The cliff hanger ending here would have been unbearable if I was unaware of series two! Again, there is some very powerful and emotive scenes here, making this chapter a winner.

DVD - EASE OF USE
The two disk DVD set is very easy to use; when you go on the scene selection pages, there are six images in which you can choose from to start the episode. Or alternatively, just selecting the 'play episode' function plays the programme from the beginning. However, as for the DVD being a two disk set, I think this is slightly excessive, a point I will explain in a few moments.

PACKAGING AND PRESENTATION
The actual DVD cover I think is quite well produced. Whilst I'm not a fan of the rather dingy, dark blue and green colours, the editing of the character of Emma in the background is very poignant as it seems as if she is a constant moaner to Danny; she is always there in the background, nagging about money and how he simply shouldn't be gambling as he needs to support them.

However, I am a fan of the opening credits page. It's basically a spinning out camera, showing Danny in bed, his dreams disrupted as a plane goes overhead. Within the context of the programme, the plane is important throughout both series' as whenever you hear the swooping sound and see it fly above the Lakes, it says that something bad is set to happen sooner or later. Oh dear...

With each episode too, the theme tune at the end varies. There isn't really a fixed tune but instead they have used British band's music at the end of each episode, including people like Radiohead. This also shows how out of place Danny seems to be in the Lakes; the modern music just shouldn't fit with the traditional, more secluded surroundings.

EXTRAS
This is the reason why I simply cannot understand why this is a two disk set; there are no significant extras to be seen on this DVD. In spite of this, there are audio commentaries from lead actor John Simm and director David Blair who talk about the experience of filming and - in the case of John - standing in freezing cold water for many scenes. Nice!

However, these audio commentaries are separate and I do think that for a double disk set, there should be something more than just a couple of commentaries, especially for people like myself who didn't see the show the first time round and who are interested in the background story and how the programme was written in a bit more detail.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
As I got my copy for a Christmas present, I'm not sure exactly how much it cost or where my parents got it from. However, prices are as followed:
Amazon.co.uk - £11.98 (eligible for Super Saver Delivery service)
Play.com - £11.99 (free delivery)
HMV.co.uk - £12.99 (free delivery)
DVD.co.uk - £11.95 (free delivery)
Cdwow.co.uk - £11.75 (free delivery)
Zavvi.co.uk - £16.00 (free delivery)

OVERALL
Overall, I really did enjoy watching the first series of 'The Lakes'; the fast paced action of the first episode showed how quickly Danny fell in love with Emma and how quickly his situation changed from being full of hope for the future to being at the end of his tether with the prejudice he faces, largely because of being from Liverpool.

One of the things I liked was the scenes when Danny was on his own and he was ready poetry written by Wordsworth and Coleridge. Ironically, I was studying their work at school whilst watching this series and was sad enough to guess some of the poems during a couple of the episodes!

Whilst the DVD is rated for ages 18 plus, even for someone of that age I did find that the sex scenes may have been a bit unnecessary at some points where they almost dominated the episode! Having said that however, it's fair to say that promiscuous sex is one of the key themes of the series, as a complete contrast to the idea most people have about the Lakes, a place which is meant to be docile but upstanding.

Although there are just four episodes in series one, before you give series two a try (review coming soon!), it's important to say that this is very much a soap opera in the sense that the characters lay the basic foundation with only a couple of new ones emerging come series two. The storylines are basically a continuation of each other and, whilst in each episode these are constantly evolving, there isn't really a set plot for any of them. This makes viewing very, very addictive!

'The Lakes' series one shows a completely different side of the Lake District and albeit fictional, it's one I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who is a fan of good, gritty British dramas!

QUICK STATS
Age certificate: 18
Year of original broadcasting: 1997
Number of episodes: Four
Number of DVD disks for series one: Two
Run time: approximately 3 hours, 50 minutes
Language: English
Warning: May not be suitable for some as the plots can get quite emotional and graphic in places. 

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