When

Modern day, but lots of references to the past.

Where

London, actually the attention to the architecture and history of the city, combined with its importance to the characters and the volumes of atmosphere add up to this being more of a character than a setting.

What

After throwing a fit in the flower shop of her exboyfreinds seducer, Ellen Lewis's Barrister introduces her to Patrick Vine a charismatic history professor who orchestrates revenge plots for the underdog as a sideline. All he asks in return is that you aid his other avengers with their own shemes, most of which are quick and brutal, but some taking years to unfold and torture the object of your ire, gee this should end well.

Following Patricks course on vengence (with Londons Architectural History thrown in) Ellen gets a new outlook on life after humiliating her ex and participating in a few schemes. Her presence at the ex's trial however has some unexpected results and while the rest of the group becomes increasingly concerned over Patricks involvement with the mysterious Madelaine, Sally uses her jelouse rage of her Mentor to show what a good student she has become and Will really really needs to let go........ Yikes!

But, Does it Work?

Revenge and the desire to do ill to those who do so to us is one of those collective human urges, but its hardly one thats going to unite the world in a ball of fuzzy goodness.

Nevertheless (is that a word?), when we see Professor Patrick Vine take recent dumpee Ellen into his charmed circle and we watch make insane plotting become reality, its pretty damn gratifying.

The BBC and David Morrissey have taken a story that with only a little stumbling could have been very hokey and instead resulted in a involving mini-series that lets you get quite attached to the flawed and complicated characters and delight (initially) in the schemes that work so well simply because their betrayers where the people that they were closest too.

Shortly after introducing her to the crew, Sebastion tells Ellen that they all fall in love with Parick sooner or later and she's better off doing it sooner and getting over it, and thats pretty much what happens to the viewer too.

Now of course it helps that Patrick looks like Paul McGann, but seriously this guy has charisma, and this chilly intensity that draws people like a magnet. Not to mention the fact that he gets to stride around purposefully through some of Londons most beatiful buildings in a long cut coat leading his students like hypnotised ducklings.

So when the good professor becomes enamoured by the equaly obscure Madelaine whose vengence is driven by something far less trivial than his previous assignments (the suicide of her brother) you can understand Sarah's motives for her own revenge, even as we dispair with Patrick.

Though McGann is the main attraction of the story, the rest of cast is equally well met. All the avengers have enough naturalness and character that its very hard not to root for them, even though some of their schemes are a little extreme, without being OTT.

But Sophie Okonedo as Ellen really shines, she has this great expressive face and openness that works well with the distant Patrick, especially the planning phases. And I swear that Susan Lynch is channelling every mysterious brunette from Film Noir history with an understated sadness throughout.

Okay, I think Ive gushed enough, Ive written to ABC asking them to play the miniseries again and Ill write a more involved reveiw if they do, but until then good work BBC.

Reptile Related?

Nope, but I forgive them.

Rating?

Okay this one gets five out of five Micicles!

Quotables!

There are some great lines in this movie and when I see it again Ill scribble them down, but Ill throw in some appropriate Shakespear until then.

You tell 'em billy boy!