Well, we're 3 or 4 episodes in and I was reserving judgement on this peculiar little series but I have to admit now that I'm hooked.

I thought that the basic premise of "he's really in a coma but maybe there's something else going on as well" wouldn't last for a whole series - and it still may not - but the writing is just too damn good and the characters are fascinating. I now don't want reality to intrude back into Sam's world.

At heart, it's an excuse to break as many of the new PC taboos as possible and get away with it, e.g. tonight when CID boss bloke revealed to our hero that the local gangster was gay, he used a long litany of euphemisms to do so. Any comic who tried to do that in a stand-up routine in the name of irony these days would get booed or bottled off-stage. [with the possible exception of Jerry Sadowitz]

It also smuggles in a rather smug "we're much better off these days"-stylee emotional undercurrent in the same way that the new Dr. Who did; it's made by the same producers I understand but thankfully without the presence of Billy Piper. I can forgive this if they keep coming up with killer lines like last week's:

"Blue Stratos?"

"No, Paco Rabane!"

I thought tonight's episode was the best so far. We actually settled into a groove and subplots are starting to take hold and yet the writers kept us guessing with the direction they are ultimately going in. It will probably all fall apart by the end of the series - or early into the second - but it will be a glorious failure and done wholly in primetime. It's not going to change the world but it's going to have fun poking at the boundaries.

Keep watching it but still can't understand why he never uses his knowledge of the future.

Red Rum and Marc Bolan were mentioned tonight but I'm not sure he wants to change things - in fact I'm not sure about the plot at all.

Entertaining for a cold Monday anyway - glad he didn't try it on with his mum.

I'm lovin it

(to think after the first episode I said it seemed too warm to be pre-National so the Red Rum tip would be no good )

One thing though, was there no rain in Manchester pre global-warming??

That WPC just looks plain doirty, if you ask me. And his mum was rather tasty too. 8)

Questions from tonight's episode:

1. how come one day his mum's inviting him round for treacle and the next day, the entire family's moved?

2. his mum said that he / the son had never met a police office before and in the photo at the end, he's wearing a Plod's hat? Wouldn't he able to find out who the officer in the pic was from his number?

3. what was with the sinister music when Sam was told baby Sam had mumps?

Do enjoy the series - one liner put downable dialogue with a mix of the Sweeny and Quantum Leap but with a second series already in the pipeline, will Sam momentarily come out of his coma at the end of the series and be transported back to another time, cos surely the novelty will wear off for a second series set in the same time?

Oh, and some tits in tonight's episode.

And this quote... "Can somebody put some bog roll in the loo - I've just had to wipe my bum on Francis Lee!"

[edit] Next week's episode, as exposed by the trailer, may be about football violence. The guvnor sees the red and white scarf of the murder victim and says "at least I can understand the motive!".

I presumed the landlord threw them out

(and why wont his mum freak out later when he grows up to be that copper she met in 73?)

I think they have to keep moving on to avoid paying rent arrears, either that or they were evicted for the same reason?

Where have I seen the WPC before - face is very familiar...?

She was in it last week.

I took it as a reminder that Sam himself was ill 'in the real world'.

Liz White - Eilleen in Teachers or Paula in A Thing Called Love or Lorraine in Auf Viedersehen, Pet (2002 series).

Or last week's episode.

Another concept which I hadn't thought of, was that Sam is from 1973 all along and 'thought' he was in 2006 and wasn't really. But how would he know about Red Rum?

dying on sofa.

Quality post.

His 2006 interactions certainly seem to affect his "coma" life (if that's what it is). Last week started with a 2006 voice saying that he was losing the fight to live, and the episode was based around him fighting back.

This week, he's ill as a child but gets better as he does some good work.

The scene two weeks ago when his life support shut down after his catheter had come out, and the way if affected his coma life, was a tremendous piece of the writing and acting.

I still can't see where it's going, either. Which is nice.

Yep, great series, I liked the first episode and last nights was the best so far. I'm still going with the theory that he's in a coma so bets on Red Rum etc would seem pointless.

Quality

PS. They're showing Pete Burns' Spin Me Round on E4 at the moment and he looks totally different

One thing that has struck me is where the writer got his idea from. It bears a remarkable resemblance to the early part of this story: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/jack.dempsey/ ... sStory.htm

I wonder....

Did anyone record it last night on Sky +.

I got up this morning to find it had recorded for 8 hours and filled up my entire diskdrive! Was it just me ?

Mine failed to record (but my box is playing up). Luckily I was intending to watch it near-live anyway just in case, so I only missed the first couple of minutes before the credits.

35p to see Man City v Man Utd. Would you go? I'd have a think about it but would probably decide on a curly wurly instead.

Still watching but I am sure the plot doesn't hang together that well.

He thinks he saw himself with his dad tonight - and his Dad was wearing the same black jacket that he had on !

No-one goes that long without trying it on with a nice Pc who is interested in him.

The innocent guy who was hit 3 times in the pub - last time with a bottle would be in the papers now claiming damages 33 years later having just come out of a coma - and he isn't - so it can't be real.

21st April 1973 0 - 0 only Derby match that year so he probably didn't miss much not going to the game.

And Rio - to pick one hyper-inflated example of the current day - gets paid £100K per week.

maybe it had recorded everything from 1973 !!!

It was the Grand National last week so that date probably ties in.

I thought it was going to be the Dennis Law backheel game (the thought still makes me smile). When was that?

The following year 73/74 - Man U were in the Second Division (old) in 74/75 IIRC.

It was the last time we won at OT!

Slight disappointment tonight with the focus on Sam's survival in the real world a bit too heavily relied on. A weak plot overplayed... hopefully next week will be a return to form.

I don't mind the change of emphasis every now and then. I think that was episode 6 of 8 - perhaps 6 would have been enough.

Actually thought it was last in the series last night and they were going to kill off one of the main characters. Clearly stringing it out - hopefully we'll get to see WPC Cartwright's knockers next week and we'll overlook how poor last night's episode was.

Will Sam get to meet his father in 1973? What's with the walking in the field vision we get to see more of each week (I always think of the Singing Detective whenever that bit comes on)?

Any ideas on how the series will finish? There's a second series already lined up so Sam's not going to die / get back to 2006.

Was wondering if he was going to get stuck in 1973 as a copper or switch to another era / time as a different profession (Quantum Leap-esque). I think last night's episode proved that the writers might find it difficult to come up with the goods for a second series of the same Sweeney pastiche.

Having said which, I thought the first 30 minutes of last night was very well written and acted (again). I was gripped!

I was going to post the very same thing. I take it you mean the bit where a child - presumably young Sam - is walking through wooded parkland and looks down at its buckled shoes, with a girl chanting or laughing in the background.

My guess is some childhood trauma. My theory is that Sam's dad was a nasty person. I won't go any further into that for the moment but think about the clues we've been given...

[and no, I don't mean the fact that he's a United fan. ]

Perhaps the final episode concerns the crime Sam witnessed in his vision? And his father was the perpetrator?

His dad's never home but he's not a salesman; he's a convict?

Hadn't really thought about it before. Like it. Like it a lot.