A good new drama to get stuck into (Flashforward)

Member Name: yahoo2003

Product:	Flashforward
Date:	13/10/09 (43 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting Plot

Disadvantages: Find some parts annoying / frustrating

I hadn't heard too much about this until it came out but apparently there has been quite a lot of hype around it as the next big thing. I have watched the first 3 episodes so far on Channel Five at 9pm on a Monday night, and am already pretty hooked, and although we are only a few episodes in I thought I would write a review about it now in case people want to start getting into it now while it's on TV. For those who have missed the first few episodes you can watch it on Demand Five (which is like iPlayer and means that you can catch up on TV programs you have missed by watching them online through a website).

***** Where has it come from? *****

Like 'Lost', this FlashForward was made by ABC. The main difference, however, is that it has 22 episodes in the first season and 'apparently' there will not be another season after this and that all questions will be answered by the end. Many viewers of Lost have dropped off along the way as they got more and more frustrated with the ever-stranger storylines and the fact that nothing ever seems to come to a conclusion or end with answers. FlashForward is based on a science-fiction novel written by Robert Sawyer in 1999. It does seem to be a bit of a mixture of Lost, 24 and Heroes.

***** Storyline *****

Episode One starts with an introduction to the lives of some of the main characters in the program. We find out a little about their personalities, relationships, and situation in life. Then, suddenly, everyone in the world falls to the floor unconscious for exactly 2 minutes and 17 seconds. When they wake up there is worldwide devastation as cars and planes have crashed, people have fallen and hurt themselves, and people have died on operating tables. But why did this happen? And while they were unconscious were they just asleep or did something else happen to them? I won't give too much away, but Joseph Fiennes plays an FBI Agent taking it upon himself and a few of his colleagues to start investigating the case and trying to piece together what happened and why.

***** Verdict *****

I do find it quite addictive and had recorded the first two episodes which I ended up watching back-to-back as, just like in many other of these dramas, the cliff-hanger at the end always leaves you dying to see what happens next.
It seems pretty cleverly put together and I think that the brains behind it have come up with a very unusual and gripping idea here. It's early days but there does seem to be a good amount of action, mixed with suspense, drama, the development of personal relationships, and a little bit of humour as well. I don't think it is anywhere as 'neat' as 24 (but what is!) in the sense that there are some things which I find really annoying as they don't quite add up or make sense, and sometimes I do find myself a little frustrated with parts of the plot which seem a little ridiculous or untidy.

In terms of characters, Joseph Fiennes is a fairly decent main character although I also find his approach to a couple of the situations a little irritating. It is nice to see English Jack Davenport as a main character in this - good acting skills as always.

Summary: A good new drama to get stuck into!