The Mile High - Series 1 (Box Set) (DVD)

...never really one to resist the lure of an online dvd bargain (which is a reason why I REALLY shouldn''t visit amazon and play.com as much as I do) and it probably wouldn't have crossed my mind to purchase the series one boxset of "Mile High" if it hadn't been at a ridiculously low price (thirteen quid or something like that) on the day I happened across it on play.com. It was something I had seen advertised or heard when it actually was ...
...show, I'd never had the opportunity to watch it. But when I saw the low price, I really couldn't say no to purchasing it. And I wasn't sorry. For it's trashy, silly, funny AND dramatic - basically everything I could want in a tv show!!! I think I watched all thirteen episodes in about two days as I was engrossed in it within about ten minutes!!!

"Mile High" is the story of a bunch of young people who work as cabin crew for ... more

I'm never really one to resist the lure of an online dvd bargain (which is a reason why I REALLY shouldn''t visit amazon and play.com as much as I do) and it probably wouldn't have crossed my mind to purchase the series one boxset of "Mile High" if it hadn't been at a ridiculously low price (thirteen quid or something like that) on the day I happened across it on play.com. It was something I had seen advertised or heard when it actually was airing on tv, but as it was a sky one show, I'd never had the opportunity to watch it. But when I saw the low price, I really couldn't say no to purchasing it. And I wasn't sorry. For it's trashy, silly, funny AND dramatic - basically everything I could want in a tv show!!! I think I watched all thirteen episodes in about two days as I was engrossed in it within about ten minutes!!!

"Mile High" is the story of a bunch of young people who work as cabin crew for a budget airline called "Fresh!" - and they play just as hard (probably even harder) than they work. Permanently skint and all with so much personal baggage that they would have to pay an extra charge were it not psychological, they are constantly looking for ways to make an extra buck to fund their life outside of Fresh! (Even if that involves breaking airline rules or the law in general.)

The programme is filmed on location in London and Spain, so most of the action either takes place in the crew's flat (half the airline seem to live there and it is party central whenever there are more than two people in residence), onboard the aircraft, or in or around a Spanish hotel.

From the start it is action-packed, as a new recruit completely jeopardises his chances of keeping his job on his very first day with the company; and one of the air hostesses, who is off to Spain to get married, has her world shaken when her ex boyfriend (the love of her life) turns out to be piloting the flight which is taking her there. As well as their escapades, we get to meet and begin to know the other characters, who I'll briefly talk about now:

WILL (Adam Sinclair)- an extemely loud, camp and OTT gay guy, Will is the life and soul of the party, is always convinced every guy is gay (or can be turned) and a loyal friend who helps out the others whenever they get into difficulty. He also develops a bit of a soft spot for new boy Marco.

LEHANN (Naomi Ryan) - a party girl with a heart of gold, Lehann's mouthy exterior belies just how much is riding on her keeping her job. Every bloke fancies her and she sees quite a lot of action during the series - however, sometimes the relationships she forms can cause her friends (and the viewers!!!) to question her loyalty.

JASON (James Redmond) - the typical ladies man, but a good guy at heart. It's obvious he has a thing for Lehann but typically she isn't interested in him as anything more than a friend.

K.C. (Sarah Manners) - All K.C. is looking for is a rich husband so she can buy lots of things. This could lead her into more trouble than she's worth.

EMMA (Emma Ferguson) - Over-emotional Emma nearly selfdestructed over her relationship with John Bryson, who now reappears in her life hours before her wedding. She has to decide who she really wants and this is a problem that continues to dominate her life throughout the series.

BRYSON (Matthew Chambers) - a handsome, self-assured pilot, he seems unable to let go of Emma and is causing further trouble as a result.

MARCO (Tom Wisdom) - wet-behind-the-ears new recruit seems unlikely to last longer than his first day and also develops an obsession with the evil Janis.

JANIS (Jo Ann Knowles) - A domineering horror of a woman, Janis is a woman who no one likes, who constantly throws her weight around and seems to hate anyone younger than her who might make a success of their career. However, perhaps there is more to her than meets the eye...

None of the cast were super-famous previous to this show (and still aren't, as far as I'm aware) but any TV fan is likely to recognise James Redmond from "Hollyoaks" or "Casualty", Sarah Manners from "Casualty" and Naomi Ryan from "Corrie". The rest are only vaguely familiar and this is probably because they've popped up in other sky one shows at one time or another. But I think the fact most of the actors AREN'T well known can only be a good thing, as it means you don't have any pre-conceived notions of the characters based on the people playing them.

The thing I particularly like about the way the characters are portrayed is that they just seem so human. They're flawed, and they can do something totally despicable that makes you hate them, then turn it around an episode later and make you realise they aren't all that unlike yourself. So even the characters you may loathe and despise (ie Janis) can end up surprising you every once in a while!

I don't really want to give too much of the plotlines away, but if you're looking for something that is to me a British version of "Sunset Beach" on a plane, then this could be just what you are waiting for. And as it currently is a mere £12.99 on play.com (I've just checked this for you all, how thoughtful of me!), how in the world can you resist?

(AND if you like series one of "Mile High", the second series is £17.99, has almost twice the amount of episodes and is even MORE explosive) 

...less