Genre: Sci-Fi | Horror | Drama

Writer: Jack Thorne

Directors: Farren Blackburn, Tom Shankland

Cast: Iain De Caestecker, Daniel Kaluuya, Johnny Harris, Sophie Wu, Natalie Dormer

Number of discs: 2

Number of episodes: 6

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Release Date: February 21, 2012

Run Time: 338 min approx (main feature)

Video Format: HD 1080i/ 16:9 (main feature and some special features; some special features are in standard def video)

Audio: DTS HD-MA 2.0

Synopsis:

The Fades is a new supernatural horror series by 2011 Royal Television Society Award-winning writer Jack Thorne (the original UK Skins). Iain De Caestecker (Coronation Street) is Paul, a young man who is haunted by apocalyptic dreams that neither his therapist nor his best friend, Mac (Daniel Kaluuya, Skins, Sucker Punch), can provide answers for. Worse still, Paul has started seeing the Fades – the spirits of the dead – all around him. They’re everywhere but normally can’t be seen, heard or touched – until now. An embittered and vengeful Fade has found a way to break the barrier between the dead and the living. and Paul, Mac and their loved ones find themselves in the middle of it all. The worst is only yet to come as the fate of humanity rests in the hands of the two friends who already have enough trouble getting through a day in one piece, let alone saving the world.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p2sWjBWGdg[/youtube]

I love this show. Really love it. For me the best sci-fi shows are character driven but have enough action to keep my gnat-sized attention span engaged. This one starts a little quietly – I actually wasn’t overwhelmed the first time I saw the first episode – but it’s completely worth the time and attention, as it has an absolutely terrific build throughout the 6-episode season. I have a special place in my heart for genre-bending series with excellent chemistry and snappy lines – my “A” list – and this show is on it, along with Fringe, Haven, and Doctor Who.

Don’t let the fact that the main character is 17 years old throw you off; this is nothing like a teen soap. Teen things happen, but not in some angsty or overly romanticized way. One of the very best parts of this show is in fact the friendship between main character Paul and his bestie Mac. Paul is loveable like a Russell Tovey character but much more intense, and Mac is fast talking and hilarious. It’s the best kind of bromance, written and played so wonderfully that you will definitely get invested in those characters. Both of these young actors should go far. All of the young adult actors in this production should go far.

It isn’t only about teens, however, and the adult characters are well-written, well cast and well played. None of them are stereotypes, and there are no weak links in the ensemble.

As the season progresses, though, the episodes become more and more about the title characters, the Fades, who start out quite creepy and just keep getting creepier. The “embittered and vengeful Fade” referenced in the synopsis starts out completely creepy and then gets worse. Though I’m not steeped in the knowledge of all zombie stories, this one feels fresh – ironically – and different. There are some new-type beings as well, and nothing so overly complicated and contrived that you get lost. Don’t, however, be surfing the web or looking at a magazine while watching (nor, by the way, should you be eating; you should never be eating during a zombie show). The show is tightly written and edited, and there are few if any throwaway lines, and no throwaway scenes. Lose your focus on the show and you’ll likely miss something important.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG92AA7L7Cw[/youtube]

The special effects are terrific, though almost entirely limited to the Fades. It’s not an effects show, but you’ll see that doesn’t really matter, as the presentation works so well together that it all feels part of the whole. The setting is a small nondescript modern British town but could really be anywhere. Anywhere that is almost always overcast, at least, but it enhances the insular feel of the production.

If you were a fan of season 1 of The Walking Dead, you will likely love this show. If you were an on-the-fence fan of season 1 of The Walking Dead but found it got a little bogged down and didn’t have enough emphasis on the zombies. you will definitely love this show. In the best tradition of the short season, there is an arc throughout, and you WILL get a finale with a satisfying conclusion that won’t have you throwing things at your TV in frustration, though of course there is a lead-in to the next season. As of this writing, the BBC hasn’t renewed the show for a second season, but there are strong hopes that it will do so. Please, BBC, please.

The Blu-ray/DVD Set

This show, like all shows, derives great benefit from not being broken up by commercials. “Oh, but I have a DVR!” you say? You still have to take a moment to fast forward, and get it to the right spot, so there is still a disruption. It is a joy to watch great series TV on Blu-ray/DVD, and if you haven’t tried it, try it now.

My review set is Blu-ray but as all of the promotional materials are the same for both Blu-ray and DVD, I expect there is no difference other than the usual screen resolution and sound quality difference between all DVDs and Blu-rays so I’ll simply refer to it as “the set” for purposes of this review.

This is a standard edition, so there isn’t any special packaging. There isn’t any guide or index to be found anywhere, and the discs are simply numbered One and Two. None of this is a problem, however, as there are only six episodes, three on each disc, and there are special features on each disc. Navigation on the menu is a little frustrating only because you can’t just use the right arrow to advance to the next selection when the options are in columns. The only “play all” is at the main menu, so you’d get episodes then special features directly after, right in a row, but there’s no separate “play all” within the episodes or special features. There’s also no auto advance, so when you’ve finished an episode, your cursor doesn’t automatically highlight the next in order, but again, these are just minor things in such a short-season series.

A quick advisory note: If you watched this series on BBC America you likely giggled or at least rolled your eyes at the way they would always blur-out nudity; be advised that nothing is blurred out in this set, though none of the nudity is gratuitous. And here’s an interesting bit o’ trivia: the age of consent in Britain, I am told, is 17, the age of the younger characters.

You can’t skip past the previews, or at least I couldn’t, but that’s okay as there is only one per disc, and they’re good: Being Human season 3 on Disc 1, and Bedlam season 1 on Disc 2. Disc 1 also has the very funny advertisement for BBC America, one of those ads that’s a treat to watch.

There is really only one big problem with the set, and that’s the sound level inconsistency between the menu screens and the content. The music that plays with the menu screens is set at a normal level, but the sound level of the actual content is much lower. Obviously the solution is to simply turn up the volume (the sound consistency within the content is absolutely fine), but DO NOT forget to turn it down or hit the mute button before it goes back to the menu (or before you go back to regular TV) or you will be blown out of your seat. People with heart conditions, take note. This is a bigger issue when viewing the special features, since none of them are longer than 5 minutes, and since as mentioned above there is no auto advance, it’s best to just watch them with your volume control in hand at all times.

Special Features

Note: I sometimes recommend watching one or more of the special features before watching the episodes, if you’re new to the series. This time, I do not. It’s best to wait to watch them until you’ve finished the disc, so don’t watch the Disc 1 special features until after you’ve seen episodes 1-3, and don’t watch the Disc 2 special features until after you’ve seen episodes 4-6. The Disc 2 special features in particular include clips from the finale, and you DO NOT want to be spoiled.

Also, although most of the special features were released online by BBC America (and many were posted here on SciFi Mafia) while the season aired, they were never broadcast on TV, and it’s great to have them here together with the episodes in one set, and like the episodes, it’s great to watch them all in a row.

Finally, you may have noted above that some of the special features are in standard format; I only noticed that in the interviews, and therefore really wasn’t an issue.

Extra Scenes – These all have the same setting, and are nice vignettes with (usually) Paul and Mac. If you really want to watch them before you’ve seen all the episodes, you can watch one after each episode (there are six) but make sure that you DO NOT watch the last extra scene before watching the episode 6 finale; it serves as an epilogue.

Deleted Scenes – These are each introduced by a producer or the director of the episode, explaining why the scene was deleted. For the most part they were deemed too quiet, or disrupted the action or momentum. Producers and directors of horror shows take note; character studies are great, but in the airtime battle between action and character, this show wisely chose action. There is no deleted scene for Episode 6.

Behind The Scenes – On Disc 1, there are two: “Interview with Johnny Harris” (Neil) and “Interview with Natalie Dormer” (Sarah). On Disc 2 there are six, though they aren’t tied to episodes:

• “Apocalypse” which is a general “making of” with comments by creator/writer Jack Thorne, the production designer, and a producer
• “Polus Revealed” about the “embittered and vengeful Fade” as he is referred to in the synopsis above, with comments by Thorne as well as the production designer, costume director, and makeup designer
• “The Chosen One” featuring the actors
• “The Fades are Here” featuring the actors, creator, and director talking
• “The Real Neil” featuring the actor, creator, and costume designer
• “Writing The Fades” featuring the creator and actors

“Mac Explains” web videos – These are on Disc 1 only, and called “web videos” because they’re meant to be (and do look like) videos made and posted by the character Mac, answering the following questions: “What is a Fade?”, “What is Ascension?”, “What is an Angelic?”, “How is Everyone Connected?”, “Why is Paul Special?”, and “What is a Reborn?”. These are sometimes a little hard to follow, either because he’s using terms we Americans don’t get, or because he’s talking pretty fast, but really, they’re terrific. If you like, you can watch these before you watch the episodes, but if you do, I’d recommend watching only the first three ahead of time, and save the second three for after you’ve seen episodes 1-3. Warning: the sound on these for some reason is even lower than all the rest of the content, so be especially ready to hit the mute button at the end of each, as you’ll be returned to the consequently-extremely-loud menu every time.

Outtakes – Found under “Deleted Scenes and Outtakes” on Disc 2, also known in the US as the “Gag Reel,” it’s short but fun.

The Fades is a 100% recommended series, and as a Blu-ray/DVD set only suffers for lack of an abundance of new content or special packaging, and the sound issue.

I give The Fades: Season One on Blu-ray Four Out of Five Stars.

 

 

Check out the official site and hit the link below to pick up your copy on DVD or Blu-ray at Amazon.

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