A For Andromeda

I watched A For Andromeda on BBC4 last night.

Unfortunately I wasn't impressed. It tried to be very serious, and tackle serious themes but it just didn't do it very well. There was too much exposition, the dialogue was unrealistic and the logic was wonky (why was a biologist, a computer geek and a mathmatician working on a communication project for the MOD?). It tried to be visually stylish but failed to get close to Spooks or Hustle.

And worst of all the plot was predictable. They should have read some SF first and seen how some great authors have handled the topics of first contact, cloning, genetic warfare etc.

Does being a remake of a 1960s show excuse it? Don't think so. Disappointing.

This interview excerpt says it all (one for "As Others See Us")...get ready to groan....

BBC Four: Science fiction obviously has greater production demands than some other types of drama. Did that make for a difficult shoot?
Richard Fell: In a way, but the kind of science fiction that appeals to BBC Four's audience is much more the kind that is intelligent, ideas-based science fiction. It's not necessarily about monsters and space ships. There are more 'what ifs?' and 'what does that do to the people and their relationships?'. It's also not particularly set in the future, it's set now but it needed a kind of sheen, which I think we've brought to it.