Surprised not to see a thread on this new high-budget high-concept sci-fi series. The first two (out of eight) hour-long episodes aired on BBC 1 Monday and yesterday. Same pattern next week.

Basic plot is that humans have attempted to flee Earth from some kind of environmental disaster, possibly following a nuclear war. A few have landed on Carparthia and are struggling to survive on their new world with internal divisions and strange things happening outside the "Forthaven" camp. Spoilers alert for anyone who's not seen it yet....

The show is still finding its feet but it definitely shows promise. The first half an hour of episode one had quite a lot of stilted exposition - despite not actually giving away much concrete background detail - but once the action got going, I was gripped. Three plot strands all climaxed at the same time with shocking consequances at the end of each one. The scenes with the is-he-dead-or-isn't-he child were particularly well done IMO. Episode 2 was less exciting but it was a more rounded story and got several long-term plot strands started that we can expect to become important over coming weeks.

It has the potential to be a dark brooder of a series, like the revamped Battlestar Galactica. Indeed, it owes a heavy debt to BSG in tone, style and Jamie Bamber, who they annoyingly but bravely bumped off in episode one. I am finding it a little hard to care about most or all of the characters; they must have some nice sides to them surely? That said, I'll definitely tune in next week.

I'm watching.
Defeinitely a slightly odd one. As you said, not much happens and not much explained, but certainly dozens of story lines hinted at.

Cheers for posting. Would have missed this.


Episode 1 can be found here until 21st March for UK residents.

Well, after seeing episode 3 and 4, I'm still struggling to actually like any of the characters. Most of them I just find irritating. I am starting to warm to the President a little; he's obviously... spolier alert... cracking up or really seeing the ghosts or his dead kids or something like that. Hermione Norris' character is starting to show a bit of depth too. The rest are just too lightweight and naive for my liking; Julius Berger showing promise but I keep thinking of Zachary Smith.

The big game-changer plot-wise in episode 4 was the discovery of the human jawbone; it didn't look very human to me but let's take their word that it is human and the DNA matches with ours and it is 10,000 years old. So, maybe humans evolved on Carpathia independently from Earth, possibly seeded by some alien (or human) intelligence? Or vice versa?

Regardless of where the skull came from, who or what killed its owner? And his mates? Only got four episodes to gind out.

I need to catch up on the last episode before reading the last paragraph of snout's post but I've seen enough to comment I think.

I'm still a little nonplussed with this at the moment as I'm not sure where it's going. I'd agree that the characters aren't drawing me in (apart from the Picard-like president). Norris is always whiny whatever she's in and the others are very dull. That said I'm interested in the concept and it's got a lot of promise especially with so many story options.

I'm looking forward to seeing how it pans out.

BBC not impressed - they are moving it to a late night 'graveyard' slot......


I've not seen it myself and this thread isn't encouraging me too either.

Are they? That's a shame if so as we all know where that leads. I wonder if my V+ box will be able follow the change.

Not quite a graveyard slot but close. And annoyingly scheduled against MotD2. Doesn't bother me too much as I watch it on iPlayer.

Looks like it was due to go to one episode per week anyway for the last four shows, as Silk (a boring legal drama, no doubt) starts a new series next Tuesday. I thought the change didn't make sense if there wa only going to be two shows left to air but now it does make some kind of sense.

I'd like to see the BBC take a gamble on a second series but it doesn't look good now. Good article about risk-taking in British TV on Den of Geek - http://www.denofgeek.com/television/775 ... casts.html

Only just started watching this week. I'm currently half way through episode 2.

I very nearly turned it off right at the start because of that annoying stage school kids proper English accent reciting the poem about tigers!

The premise is good, but as with so many things the BBC try to do, it just seems naff.
I'm going to stick with it for now purely because it's got Shifty in it.

How many episodes have been shown now?
I downloaded the 1st 2 episodes as torrent files so need to download all those broadcast so far.

5 So far,
I believe number 6 will be out to DL on Tuesday.

Turned it around, for me, in the last episode. Yes, the acting was still flaky and the plot more holey (sic) than the pope but the new storyline about the alien presence on the planet has firmed up the show's potential. Not sure this is enough for a second series though.

It was SHITTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!