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TV Show: Utopia: Series 1
ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 11/16/2004
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If you saw lots of tweets about "spoons" and the question "Where is Jessica Hyde?" last night and didn't understand why, you clearly weren't watching Channel 4's new dark drama series Utopia.
A mixture of conspiracies, comic book geekery and gruesomeness on a sick scale (it involves a spoon, I'll say no more), the show was thoroughly confusing, but utterly hypnotic.
Like forum geeks and central protagonists Ian (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), Wilson Wilson (Adeel Akhtar) and Becky (Alexandra Roach), it feels like we're caught up in a dark, unimaginable and impenetrable new world.
Alongside scallywag youth Grant, the oddball characters are drawn together by a shared interest in The Utopia Experiments, a mysterious graphic novel. When comic collector Bejan claims to have found a rare manuscript of the second part of Utopia, the foursome's lives begin spiralling.
 SpoilerishA gloomy-faced and lurid Neil Maskell and the chillingly cold Paul Ready were the cartoonish villains of the piece, gassing staff in a comic shop, hunting down the Utopia manuscript and dealing in eye-twitchingly horrific punishments to anyone who couldn't answer their one simple query, "Where is Jessica Hyde?"
Nobody has a clue who the hell Jessica Hyde is, but she did reveal herself in the episode's closing scenes. Her significance and importance? We'll have to wait a week to find out. Maybe she just hasn't paid her library fines.
Behind the spoon-bending, menacing heavies, there is a shady group known only as The Network (featuring James Fox and Stephen Rea) who are up to no good with Russian flu vaccines. The scale of The Network and their sinister aims, for now, remain unclear.
If you've got the stomach for it - trust me, this is no Midsomer Murders - Utopia is the first Must-Watch British TV show of 2013. This first episode was utterly compelling and original, shot with style and will have you hooked from the opening scene.
However, I will be eating my breakfast cereal with a fork from now on.
Source
Holy **** this show is awesome. The plot is insane, the cinematography is amazing and holy **** they don't care about making you feel uncomfortable with the gore and death at every twist and turn. I can't wait for next week. And I'm glad Nathan is back on TV after his unfortunate under use of his character in Misfits. Anyone else watch this awesome new drama on Channel 4 which airs Tuesdays at 10?
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Member Since: 1/1/2011
Posts: 10,372
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I'm ****ing in love with this show! Wanted to make a thread for it, but then probably people won't post much about it. Anyway, this could become my fav foreign TV show EVER! 
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Member Since: 1/1/2011
Posts: 10,372
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Ratings for the series premiere were rather lackluster with a little over 1 million viewers tuning in. Nevertheless, the fact that it started late at 10 PM and was a 90-minute long opener including commercials, means that there is a potential for it to grow and word of mouth could make this a hit, considering the many shocking gore scenes and violence that make this show unique on the british television landscape. Critical reception was very positive, I'm confident we're looking into a series 2 renewal of this show, hopefully.
The Guardian
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The eye-gouging scene might be what everyone is talking about – but Channel 4's drama is a work of brilliant imagination
In my house Utopia (Channel 4) lost one viewer shortly before the end of this first episode. Just before Wilson Wilson lost one of his. "You didn't tell me it was like this," she said. I didn't know it was like this. "It's just so unnecessary," she went on, getting angrier. And then she left the room.
You'll know which scene we'd got to, of course. That scene, in Wilson Wilson's bunker. "Most torturers tend to have their favourite area of the body to work on – genitals, teeth, soles of the feet," says Lee, half of TV's nastiest new double act. "With me, it's the eyes." And he sets to work on Wilson Wilson's.
Now I enjoy a bit of violence as much as anyone else, but I couldn't watch. I screwed my own up tight, hands over the top too, so as to be absolutely sure not to see, and perhaps subconsciously worried that Lee might come for mine next, with his horrid gouging spoon.
Shakespeare did this too, you say, because you're the well-educated, literary sort. Yeah, but Cornwall doesn't rub chillies in before outing Gloucester's vile jelly did he? Or sand, or bleach. He doesn't have a spoon either. And in Lear, it doesn't go on and on and on. Four and half minutes of eye torture, by my watch.
I think that's the idea – ramp it up and drag it out to the point of black farce. I couldn't laugh, though (or – like Wilson Wilson – watch). I even began to agree with 'er upstairs, about the unnecessariness of it. Gratuitous gouging. Shame, she was totally into it before that point.
It was hard not to be. Utopia, written by Dennis Kelly, is a work of brilliant imagination, a murky labyrinth of a conspiracy thriller that traps you from the opening scene. (Yeah, that one, in the comic shop. Now that's a fantastic scene, creepy as hell, violent too; you know you're being taken to a place you might not necessarily want to go to. But it's not graphic to the point of disgusting, like the later one.)
Utopia is dead complicated. There's a hell of a lot going on – the graphic novel with its prophecies and coded messages, the murky Network trying to get its hand on it via those terrifying henchmen, a chatroom of dweebs sucked unwittingly in, the cyber-spying and dodgy pharmaceutical business. It's also ingenious, and does – or could – all kind of make sense of sorts. This labyrinth may be dark, there will be wrong turns and dead ends, but there will be a way through. Conspiracy theorists, the paranoid and the delusional will certainly have fun … no, fun's probably not right work; they're more likely to be saying "told you so" and heading for the hills, with their hard drives.
It has a very contemporary feel to it; this is definitely a 21st-century nightmare. It looks beautiful – stark, urban, Liverpudlian (that's where it's filmed). The characters are human and real. Yeah, I'm there, in the vortex, being sucked in, and down; there's no escape. I just hope there are not too many scenes that I can't watch.
Well, Lee gets shot, that's something. But the other one, Arby (great by Neil Maskell), is very much still around. He's not going anywhere. Look, you can screw your eyes up, cover them, gouge them out even, and he'll still be coming for you. Even – especially – after you go to sleep. Wish I wasn't watching Utopia alone now.
Thank heaven then, for The Sarah Millican Television Programme (BBC2), proof that you don't have to be really horrid to be funny. Good jokes, quick wit, timing, a bunch of bawdiness, that all helps … though speaking dead funny is obviously the main thing.
Not that it's over-cosy. "On a scale of one to 10, how creepy is [Andrew Lloyd Webber] in person?" she asks Melanie "Singy Spice" C. (Mel C unfortunately is a very dull guest and gives only asinine, on-message answers.)
I'm not sure about Sarah M's impressions – either of Nigella L or of a wolf. That's a bichon frisé isn't it? (I've just learned that one, I'm trying to get him in a lot.) Brilliant idea for a talent reality show, though Sarah – Dances with (actual) Wolves.
As for the voice, I started wondering if you slowed Millican down to about half speed (like when batteries used to run down on tape recorders), whether she would turn into Brendan Foster off the Olympics. So I did. I even learned the Garage Band programme on the computer especially, took me ages. And you know what? She doesn't. She just sounds like Sarah Millican, after a few drinks and a sex change.
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The Independent
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Utopia is nasty. Then again, Utopia wants to be nasty, so you can take that verdict both as a fair warning and as a recognition that it has achieved its ambitions. Utopia is distinctly comic book, too. But again, given that the plot of Dennis Kelly's conspiracy thriller centres on a fabled graphic novel that is rumoured to have darkly predictive powers, comic book is precisely what it wants to be. Marc Munden's direction, full of tightly drawn framing and double-page wide shots, takes its cues from a comic's way of presenting a story. And, as is often the case in these things, the story takes pleasure in bringing together the shadowy world of dark forces with the supremely ordinary world of the kind of people who hang around fan fairs and can tell you the serial number of every issue of Superman.
It begins as it means to go on, with the arrival of two taciturn men in a graphic-novel store. They murder everyone present, pausing only now and then to ask, "Where is Jessica Hyde?", a question none of their victims appear to understand. The 10-year-old boy detected cowering under a display rack isn't spared, which is a way of letting us know we won't be either. But the killers, reassuringly, aren't the steely men in black overcoats who generally do this kind of thing in comic books. In fact, they're borderline gormless, though that doesn't in any way undermine their menace. And that hint that stock components will be given a little twist proves reliable. A little later, there's one of those rush-of-lust knee-tremblers that popular thrillers love, only in this one everything goes awkwardly awry, as it most likely would in life.
The killers are trying to track down Utopia 2, also the object of fervent speculation on a specialist chatroom. And when five fans agree to meet up to discuss the thrilling rumour that one of them has tracked down a copy, they become targets for the assassins as well. Alongside their attempts to stay ahead of their pursuers runs a parallel storyline about a blackmailed civil servant, forced to put in a large order for flu vaccine with a Russian pharmaceutical company. And behind both stories sit "They", as yet unrevealed but with the power to tinker with DNA records and track mobile calls. Rather neatly, one of them, Wilson, supplies both comic relief and a shocking confirmation that paranoids can sometimes be realists. "I don't drink tea," says Wilson at one point. "Caffeine was invented by the CIA." But then the killers catch up and Wilson is subjected to torture so extended and so horrible that you may begin to wonder why it's necessary at all.
I'm not entirely convinced it is, but as nasty as Utopia can get, you never get the feeling that it's just toying with interchangeable puppets. A dystopian fantasy has been populated with relatively real characters and genre terrors mixed with familiar human ones – that the boy you like might be interested in someone else, or that your alcoholic mum might one day not come out of her stupor. And all of it is delivered with great visual style. Get out the glassine envelopes and collect the whole set.
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MSN UK
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Summary
Utopia is a six-part thriller about online forum members brought together after one of them finds the sequel to The Utopia Experiments; a cult graphic novel that allegedly predicted future events.
Unfortunately, this discovery brings them to the attention of two sinister men working for The Network...
Highlight
The big talking point will be the disturbing torture scene in which likeable conspiracy theorist Wilson (Adeel Akhtar) had chilies, sand and bleach poured into his eyes.
It was a tense variation on Marathon Man's iconic dentistry scene; with "where is Jessica Hyde?" becoming the new "is it safe?"
Lowlight
Only in the sense it was the least compelling element, the subplot with a near-suicidal civil servant (Paul Higgins) working in NHS drug procurement hasn't quite sunk its teeth in...
Full review
Dennis Kelly co-created the sitcom Pulling and adapted Roald Dahl's Matilda into a successful West End musical, but he changes gear considerably for Utopia.
This conspiracy drama introduced us to five members of an internet forum - most notably student Becky (Alexandra Roach), IT worker Ian (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), and geeky Wilson.
"Utopia is a slow-burn thriller"
They agree to meet and discuss the unearthing a fabled comic-book, only to find themselves dragged into a nightmare after two of them were killed by disquieting assassins.
Utopia is a slow-burn thriller that aims to establish a mood and draw the viewer in, which it did to impressive effect thanks to the cinematic direction of Marc Munden (The Devil's *****), who filled the screen with smart, colourful and sophisticated visuals.
The cinematography was stunning, and I particularly liked the use of a background howl of wind to unsettle viewers.
The only frustration was how Utopia's spell was frequently broken by commercial breaks; which convinced me to record and fast-forward the ads next time.
It took a while to grasp what was going on (and to be honest it's still mostly unclear after 85 minutes), but the general premise was neatly delivered.
Utopia makes a compelling start
Viewers were always kept on the hook thanks to its uneasy atmosphere, the excellent performances, and a handful of terrific moments - not least the chilling opening scene set in a comic-book shop involving a gas mask, and the aforementioned eye-torture.
My guess is that the villains are working for an organisation intending to usher in doomsday, which can only be avoided by someone willing to change the destiny outlined in The Utopia Experiments comic, but that's perhaps too simple-minded.
There are five weeks left for the plot to seriously thicken.
Utopia certainly isn't going to appeal to everyone - the overnight average ratings of just over one million viewers would appear to underline that. It definitely deserved more.
I hope people stick with it; the pacing is quite slow and largely mystifying at this nascent stage, but things should pick up once we get a firmer grasp on the characters and a feel for where the story is headed.
It's rare to have such a distinctive thriller on our screens that feels totally unpredictable, so I'm glad Utopia exists.
My only concern is knowing such TV shows can start meandering if they're not careful, or end poorly under the growing weight of weekly expectations.
Here's hoping Dennis Kelly avoids such pitfalls because this is a stylish, austere, peculiar, memorable and puzzling new drama. With any luck, it won't disappear up its own backside.
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The Telegraph
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Sinister cogs were turning over in Utopia (Channel 4), the atmospheric new six-part conspiracy thriller from Matilda the Musical co-writer Dennis Kelly. It swiftly set out its stall with a bracingly brutal opening, as two assassins (Neil Maskill and Paul Ready) – a little cartoonish but no less menacing for that – by turns bludgeoned and suffocated the staff and customers of a comic-book store.
These enforcers for the shady outfit known as “The Network” were on the trail of one Jessica Hyde – unseen until the final frame – and the manuscript of the sequel to a graphic novel called The Utopia Experiment with reputedly crystal-ball powers. Soon, they were also after the engagingly nerdy members of a chat forum dedicated to the tome.
Heaps more violence ensued, supremely one protracted and particularly excruciating torture scene. Despite favouring cruelly deployed chillies over a dentist’s drill, this episode – and indeed the entire programme’s creeping fog of paranoia – was more than a little reminiscent of John Schlesinger’s Marathon Man (“Is it safe?”), and Utopia’s nods to big-screen thrillers by no means stopped there.
The murderous brace of heavies was pure Shallow Grave, their portable gas canister was part Blue Velvet, part No Country for Old Men. The torture victim escaped (hurrah!) by using a trick from Lethal Weapon 2 of all things, and a Donnie Darko/Sexy Beast-like man-rabbit even lolloped briefly into view.
Still, if this first episode was allusive to a fault, and rather self-consciously provocative, it was also gripping stuff. Its cinematic leanings extended to a slick score and sleek widescreen camerawork, the storytelling was confident (including a deftly woven-in sub-plot about corruption at the Department of Health), and a talented British cast dived gamely in, especially in the more outlandish or blackly comic moments.
The result was a dark, tantalisingly mysterious overture, with serious-minded and at times even tender-hearted observations on our age lurking beneath the lurid surface. A pleasure indeed, albeit an occasionally guilty one.
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What People on Twitter said about it:
@jackwhitehall - "Totally hooked tho can't wait for next week and the second half of the series directed by the fab @wayneche!! #utopia."
@judxs - "#utopia is the most confusing tv drama ever"
@mirrorjeffers - "Must say I've not seen many British films at cinema shot as well as this. Visually superb #Utopia"
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 27,547
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I loved this show, can't wait for the next episode
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 11/16/2004
Posts: 28,450
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YES I knew someone else on here must have watched it!
I can't wait for Tuesday!
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Member Since: 6/21/2012
Posts: 791
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I really liked the pilot. But who is the good sis Jessica Hyde? 
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Member Since: 1/1/2011
Posts: 10,372
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Ratings continue to be modest with about 800k viewers for the second episode. Personally, I just think this needs some time until word-of-mouth kicks in and people have caught up with it. Misfits wasn't the really exceptional ratings performer in its first season too, albeit on a different channel. I'm still confident it will get a second season. 
As for the new episode, I have to say that I was blown away again by those incredible visuals and that cinematic, yet typical british blunt dark comedy along with the fantastic story and the gruesome, but need violence on the show. I'm simply stunned, it's such a shame that shows like Downtown Abbey get so much recognition in the UK and the US, while an artistic television gem like this one is being left unnoticed for the most part. My favorite character is Becky of course and somehow I just can't help but get the premonition that Jessica Hyde is definitely gonna be dying this season, more likely in the season finale.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 27,547
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I loved the second episode although that guy who guys everyone is really starting to creep me out and I have a feeling Jessica Hyde might actually kill Becky
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 11/16/2004
Posts: 28,450
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AHhhh who is Becky working for!!!!
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Member Since: 1/1/2011
Posts: 10,372
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Member Since: 1/1/2011
Posts: 10,372
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So the women who says she's Jessica Hyde isn't her after all or what? 
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Member Since: 11/20/2010
Posts: 29,258
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I'm gonna start watching this weekend 
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Member Since: 1/1/2011
Posts: 10,372
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Quote:
Originally posted by Allstar
I'm gonna start watching this weekend |
Great! You won't regret it. Truly some of the finest hours of television the UK has to offer.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 27,547
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Episode 3 was really horrifying with some of the things that happened in it  excited for next week nonetheless
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Member Since: 1/1/2011
Posts: 10,372
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Utopia>>>>Black Mirror tbh, even though I love both. 
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Member Since: 1/1/2011
Posts: 10,372
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Last episode was a boring mess. It set up future storylines nicely, BUT with only 6 episodes a season and 2 remaining episodes left I'm surprised they managed to get a filler-episode in. 
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Member Since: 1/1/2011
Posts: 10,372
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I'm really starting to worry we won't get a second series of this.
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