In the premiere of Primeval, Cutter investigates reports of a large animal roaming a suburban neighborhood not far from where his wife disappeared at the Forest of Dean. He's accompanied by an expert animal tracker Stephen (Murray), and a goofy archaeological student Connor (Potts) and they run into a reptile expert Abby (Spearritt) who was called in by Claudia (Brown) from the Home Office. They arrive just in time to meet a boy who finds a little cute little green reptile he calls Rex and then a T-Rex that rips a hole in the side of his bedroom.
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...the great thing about Primeval is the constant and consistent quality of the monsters... |
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The first four episodes of Primeval show Cutter gathering his gang of helpers together as they find creatures that swim, slither and fly through the anomaly and terrorize the populace. He's also getting closer to Helen, and actually is able to confront her as she's swimming in a prehistoric pool with giant dodo birds around her.
Not everyone is safe. Two geeky college pals of Connor get too close to the secrets of the anomaly with some drastic results, and the main cast of Primeval is in constant jeopardy.
A Jurassic Park for TV
Heralded for its special effects and realistic creatures, the great thing about Primeval is the constant and consistent quality of the monsters and their interaction with the actors. The producers say they spend a lot of the money making the creatures look realistic, but even better, the creatures have something to do, and the actors remain interesting.The early episodes of Primeval establish some sort of a rivalry between Connor and Stephen for the attentions of Abby, who likes to prance around in her underwear because she keeps her apartment overheated for the mini-dino Rex. Cutter is obviously in love with his wife still, but Helen seems to have ulterior motives and hints that they were on the outs in their relationship long before she disappeared. Then, Lucy presents herself as someone who is in love, or at least in awe, of Cutter and helps him deal with her intrusive boss.
What adults will like about Primeval is the romance, the interaction and then humor in the writing. The soap-opera quality of their personal interactions make it a good ensemble story, and there are some serious character shifts and shocks in the second season, and more added in the third season. (Yes, the third season of Primeval is starting in the U.K. in January, but it will start from the beginning in U.S.)
Kids will like the creatures. They're not two-headed monsters, but actual beings that have walked the earth. A stupid dodo bird finds its way into a woman's basement and attacks a plumber. A prehistoric crocodile slips into a local swimming pool. Primeval is more of an accessible SF show than most of the U.K. imports, and a lot of fun, with a great deal of scares. Anything can happen, but the anomalies end up striking with some kind of reason and rules--which make it all the more fascinating.
Yes, it's a family hit when we tested on kids 6 and 12, and a mom who cares nothing for SF, and they were mesmerized through all four of the first episodes of Primeval and can't wait for more.
--Mike
