Reviews

Definitely got a 'Fortitude' vibe about it, and that's no bad thing. Arctic Circle, scientists, things in the ice, polar bears, unhinged residents...and Christopher Eccleston. Remains to be seen whether it has the dark humour. I'm not saying it's a rip-off, more 'inspired by'. I loved 'Fortitude', until every season tried to out-weird the previous one (still compelling viewing), and so far this latest TD season has a very similar, claustrophobic, feel. It remains to be seen whether the supernatural elements of the show are grounded in reality but I suspect they are. Maybe, like 'Fortitude', it'll leave it up to the viewer to decide. Definitely winter viewing where you can watch it wrapped in a blanket.

I hadn't read the source material by Hugh Howey before I watched the first season, and I'm glad I didn't because of the reveal in the final episode, but rather than wait until next year before knowing the 'big picture', I read the synopsis of the first two books in the series on Wikipedia and have started reading 'Wool' from where Juliette is sent out to clean. I didn't read the synopsis of the final book, 'Dust', because I don't want to know (yet) how it all ends. At least now I know more about the world the story is set in and future characters. Knowing the story in advance isn't for everybody but how many films and series are based on historical facts...we all know the Titanic sank.

I was a member of the family of £10 poms at around the same time as this drama is set and, although I was around 5, I have many vivid memories of that time as well as overhearing stories when my parents and their friends got together. Granted we only stayed on the hostel for around six months but I got the impression it was an exciting time for adults as well as kids. Maybe we were lucky being so close to the beach and the relatively big urban area of Wollongong. Our hostel was Balgownie, not to be confused with the fictitious 'Galgownie' which seemed to be simultaneously in the Outback and near the beach! Most hostels, in NSW at least, were near major urban centres and were nothing like depicted in the show. Jobs were plentiful and we were given a house in pretty short order. Most of the streets in the equivalent of UK council housing areas were 50/50 Aussie and mainly British immigrant families. There was never a hint of xenophobia from the Aussies and everyone just got on...probably down to the shared experience of WW2. Diggers and Tommies sharing war stories. Southern European immigrants probably weren't so lucky. Not exactly a premise for riveting drama, so can't really blame the makers for ratcheting up the tensions and concentrating them in a short time frame. Just don't watch it as a documentary!