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"Ultraviolet" (1998)

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41 comments in total

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22 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
a bloody good time (rim shot), 29 August 2004

Author: dr_foreman

I think Hollywood has forgotten how to do vampires. I grew up watching gothic, quasi-religious Hammer Horror films from good olde England. But, sadly, period pieces are no longer popular...neither are positive depictions of religion, for that matter. The days of Dracula stalking through Victorian London and being repelled by crosses are over. Nowadays, we get scantily clad teenage girls or George Clooney kicking vampire butt with kung fu and shotguns. It's been a long, long downward spiral for the lords of the Undead.

And yet, every once in a while, I ferret out a little vampire gem. The "Ultraviolet" DVD set was gathering dust on my brother's shelf when I decided to give it a whirl late one night. I didn't get hooked right away; the direction in episode one is a bit disjointed, and the first modern day vampire looks cheesy. But, ten minutes in, I found myself starting to care about the characters. They got me.

This, my friends, is how to do vampires today. Religion is acknowledged, but is not an overwhelming force. Modern technology is used to combat the vampires more effectively, but they're still formidable foes - so you won't see them overcome with holy water-filled Super Soakers. In fact, "Ultraviolet" consistently plays to the vampires' strengths. They're subtle, stealthy, and seductive...like vampires should be. In too many recent films, they've been depicted as zombie-like "shock" troops; here, they're back in best scheming form. After all, if you live forever, you have lots of time to make elaborate plans...

Not much by way of special effects here, but they're not really needed. There are some truly great suspense segments (particularly in episode five), and the acting is solid all around. I don't really think Jack Davenport ("Coupling") is miscast, as one other commentator suggested; he makes a good everyman.

The closest American counterpart to "Ultraviolet" is "The X-Files," but the investigations in that show just didn't seem realistic to me. The police and medical procedures in "Ultraviolet" are, on the surface, more authentic. They're probably still bogus, but at least they're not *as* bogus.

Sadly, the Brits only made one six-episode season, and creator Joe Ahearne says he pretty much got his message across in that short time. So, if you have six free hours to watch the best vampire entertainment in years, go to it!

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16 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Dark and Powerful Drama, 11 January 2001

Author: sim4ward from Penzance, Cornwall

The word vampire might encourage the odd yawn from prospective viewers of any fantasy series these days, but fortunately Ultraviolet never uses the word and so we can enjoy it for what it is. My own feeling while watching this excellent series was that it was first and foremost a quality drama series. It has depth, it is thought-provoking, it is gripping and brilliantly conceived. The vampire element, referred to as leeches or Code 5 in the serial, are bound to present-day earth by such topical considerations as biological warfare, AIDS, abortion and other key social issues which, far from being boring or rammed down our throats, serve as a convincing backdrop to what is essentially a battle between authorities and the church, and the parasitic underground of late twentieth century society. The supernatural element, in fact, blends so superbly with the natural that if any viewer were to chance across this series in midstream they would find themselves wondering exactly what they were watching. Six episodes scarcely seems enough to satisfy, but on the other hand, the entire adventure is wrapped up so neatly that, unless some equally clever ideas are forthcoming, this mini-classic should be laid to rest. A high quality cast, scripts and an atmosphere to rival the best of the X Files, all rooted in darkly convincing reality, Ultraviolet is a powerful combination of supernatural thriller and drama with biting social comment. This is so good it hardly seems like fantasy at all. The future of British SF should look to Ultraviolet as its mentor.

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16 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
Dark and stylish fun, 31 December 2000

Author: mikerichards from Milton Keynes, Bucks, UK

You might want to sit down. Ultraviolet is stylish, smart and dare I say it - British…

British science fiction has a bad reputation with the people who commission programmes for television. It has often been lumped in with children's programming, or consigned to a minority channel with a minimal budget. With no chance of filming spectacle, the writers fell back on plotting and characterisation, it may have looked cheap and nasty, but the glory always lay in the writing. However, up against an endless supply of glossy, vacuous American imports British SF was an endangered species.

Fortunately, Channel 4 were willing to take a risk when they commissioned Ultraviolet. They chose to make a series that subverted the staple police drama with vampires.

Mention vampires to people and they may think of Christopher Lee in a cloak, a Californian teenage girl's extracurricular activities or the foppish dandies of Anne Rice's novels, but the legends go back into the depths of mythology. The vampire mythos has been in and out of fashion for the last couple of centuries. It was popular in the Victorian era in a society coloured by the grim world of the newly industrialised cities, infant mortality and mass illnesses. It languished for most of the last century, only to come out of the shadows with the onset of AIDS and worries for the environment.

Ultraviolet takes the mythical vampire and gives it a twist. This is a world recognisably our own, but with a dark core. These vampires live in the shadows – not only the physical darkness of night, but they are also lurking in the gloomier parts of society. They have interests in cancer, AIDS and the outcasts of society. They manipulate society to their own ends through human servants – willing and otherwise.

The Catholic Church – in connivance with the British government has set up a team to investigate suspicious events and where necessary to destroy the vampires. This is a long way from Buffy's stakes and a spell in the library. This team comes equipped with SWAT commandos, guns, grenades and all the latest scientific equipment.

Jack Davenport plays a policeman who falls into this alternate world when one of his colleagues goes missing.

The episodes do feature an ongoing thread which reaches a conclusion in the final episode. However, most of the plot of each episode is self-contained, so even if you chance across an odd episode you will be able to pick up the story. Ultraviolet is not suitable for children as it contains discussion of such topics as paedophilia and abortion –both subjects are sensitively handled, but are bound to offend some people.

The makers chose to use actors that could do justice to the material. If you tuned in halfway through an episode without realising what you were watching you could easily believe it was a glossy detective drama. Dialogue is well handled and understated – they act and sound like government officials, not bit players in a Hammer Horror film.

Visually it looks superb, it was shot on film and the screen glows with cool colours not normally seen outside of big budget productions. The producers took advantage of the London scenery, daytime scenes are set in the leafy suburbs, whilst night shots feature the seedier side of the metropolis – amusement arcades, grim tube stations and lonely streets. Special effects are used sparingly and are competently handled to propel the story forward.

Six hour long episodes were made. Part of me would like to see more of this dark world, to see the development of the grand plot and the characters, but another part says that it would have been impossible to maintain the standard without repeating some of the plot lines.

A minor classic.

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14 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Simply the best, 2 May 2004
Author: (foole@javanet.com) from Northampton, MA

vampire series or movie that I have ever seen. In fact, I'm hard pressed to think of any science fiction series or film that does it better. It takes one absurd premise (that vampires are real, and that, while still apparently composed of atoms and reflecting light, they nevertheless cannot be seen in mirrors, filmed, recorded, or detected by any indirect process) and then follows it with rigorous logic. The vampires (or leeches, as they are referred to) do not age or die, and they have had centuries to form a shadowy international conspiracy. Their goals and plans are murky, although their general motive is simple--ensure their food supply. Our heroes (or perhaps 'heroes') are a beleaguered team of humans trying to uncover the truth and break the undead cabal. In this respect, Ultraviolet resembles the X-Files, with some happy improvements. The vampire conspiracy is not essentially infallible. It is not so all-encompassing that our heroes survive only at the whim of their adversaries. And, the conspiracy doesn't enjoy that great advantage of most screen villains: the writer makes sure that they get away when the plot calls for it.

A really good show. Get it on DVD and watch it.

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11 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
A Wonderful Breath of Fresh Air, 11 March 2003

Author: underpaidlawyer from Ontario, Candada

This mini-series was a breath of fresh air. I was quite surprised to find it at my local Blockbuster video, which is renound for carrying a lot of copies of main-stream garbage. This series introduced unusual elements and had all of the signatures of a well-created 'universe.'

This is a must-see, esp. for Vampire (did I use the 'v'-word?) fans.

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11 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Mea culpa, 10 July 2002

Author: Ripe Peach from Glasgow, Scotland

I recant, I repent, I withdraw my previous reserved review. At the time when I first reviewed Ultraviolet (which was some time after I'd actually watched it), Buffy and Angel were at their peak, and slick, quippy vampires were all the rage. But that's been taken as far as it can be. Tiring of the superficiality of the Buffyverse, I decided to give Ultraviolet another try.

Oh my. Oh MY. It's far better than I remember. Yes, the characters are miserable, but it's clearly laid out why this is so, and it all adds to the sense that this is *serious*, and that there are no quick fixes. There are nuances to the character development that I'd missed last time (I recall being distracted and only seeing half of the episodes when I first watched it), and I really, truly felt for them as people (it doesn't hurt that Susannah Harker looks like a melancholy angel, of course). It's underplayed perfectly, with only the occasionally shoddy piece of score to cheapen the tone.

And most of all, I felt for the vampires. These aren't the disposable charicatures of the Buffyverse, and they surpass even the fleshed out characters of Near Dark. They are real, rational people, with real emotions and familiar and touching desires and goals. They just happen to be immortal and drink blood. After you've seen vampires done this way, it makes you question why it should ever be otherwise. Ultraviolet tackles the question "If I was me, but a vampire, what would I do, what would I *actually* be like?" without flinching, trivialising, or slipping up.

There are no tomes of ancient wisdom, no easy answers, and most of all, no black and white morality. Ultraviolet poses the question: if you're always offered the choice to become a vampire, and if you don't have to kill to feed, then where is the crime? Why is it *wrong* to be a vampire? Just because the Church says so?

Ultraviolet leaves the viewer to make up his or her own mind about who the bad guys actually are, and whether there are any good guys in this scenario. It's an interesting and respectful take on the genre.

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9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
A Brilliant Mini-Series, 9 July 2004

Author: Thomas Dark from Pacifica, California

I accidentally ran into an episode of this show one evening a couple months ago while scanning the mind numbing channels of DirecTv. Seeing Jack Davenport (of the UK version of "Coupling") and already being a fan of said show I decided to tune in. It was definitely time well spent.

I am a tremendous fan of the sci fi and horror genres. While movies such as Nosferatu, Dracula, Blade and such have their interesting tales to tell they are typically embraced by only a specific audience. While Ultraviolet is a series about vampires (although the word is never uttered in any of the episodes) it has a suspense and an intrigue that is shared with the best mystery or police dramas.

Those looking for pale faced vampires, hissing with fang filled mouths at crosses and stakes are sure to be disappointed. Instead we find a world of shadows, cerebral story lines that have real depth (and some ingenious twists and surprises). Colors and backdrops are well utilized to provide a start contrast. When you see the sun begin to set in any of the shows...you feel that sense of fear that the darkness brings to the human characters. The musical score definitely adds to the emotional tension.

All the actors provide solid contributions to their roles. Jack Davenport (as mentioned above from "Coupling" and "Pirates of the Caribbean") does a capable job in the lead role as a police officer who loses his partner to the dark side. He joins a secretive church sanctioned organization whose purpose is to understand and combat the individuals who are infected with the virus which causes this vampirism.

In my opinion Susannah Harker (scientist/doctor) and Philip Quast (priest/leader) had the most tangible roles. Their scenes regarding mortality, abortion, loss of loved ones could easily be taken from any dramatic series but here they are given the twist that only a show with vampires could provide.

The mini-series is available on DVD.

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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Amazing, 14 September 2004

Author: bleffler

This is one of the series I can watch again and again. I love it more and more every time I watch it. It's dark, moody atmosphere pulls you in from the very beginning, and keeps you glued to your seat for the full series.

All six episodes are integral to six hour story line in which Mike Colefield (Jack Davenport) struggles to come to terms with what happened to his friend Jack Beresford (Stephen Moyer), and to choose sides in Humanity's war against Vampires which is nearing it's climax. It will keep you guessing as to who's good, and who's bad until the very end.

I have to say that the series is a bit subtle for a mini-series. There are countless small details that can be overlooked during the first (Or even second in my case ;) Some of the plot elements aren't explained very well either. While this gives the series a "smart" feel to it, it makes it harder to understand.

As I said before I thoroughly enjoyed this series, and I'll pounce on a second season if there ever is one.

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Incredible, 15 January 2002

Author: ncc1205 (trekscribbler@yahoo.com) from Phoenix, AZ

I purchased this with Xmas $$$ on my own accord, based on the promotional packaging, and I wasn't disappointed in the least OTHER THAN to learn that it was only a miniseries! An absolutely incredible production, ULTRAVIOLET has excellent acting, a dynamic story, and twists and turns that keep you interested throughout the entire journey. While I've noticed that others might've nitpicked a few of their favorite episodes, I will say that Episode 5 is one I've watched four (4) times in the scope of two weeks because it was so captivatingly well done!

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4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
The only thing wrong with this show is that it ended too soon!, 23 April 2005

Author: djambruso from Connecticut

Ultra Violet is a gritty British crime drama set in modern day London. Detective Sergeant Michael Colefield's best friend disappears on the eve of his wedding to, Kirsty, the girl Colefield secretly loves. Colefield's search to find the missing bridegroom leads him to disturbing discoveries about his friend and unearths a secret enforcement agency operating within Colefield's own police force and their mission – to obliterate the hidden society of once human creatures, human blood sucking creatures.

Leeches as they are called, look like us, act like us, and want many of the same things we do, which makes sense - they used to be us. Although the word Vampire is never applied to the heavies in this series, refreshingly, the classic tenets of vampire lore are maintained, (They can't eat food, they cast no reflection and have a perilous allergy to sunlight.) Updated to the 21st century, our secret agency uses ultra-modern day science to track, destroy and not quite dispose of these creatures.

Ultra Violet is an excellently well made combination Brit TV, Police drama and Vampire chase. If you appreciate any one of these genres, I suggest that you check out this series, but be warned, It does not seem to be available for rental in the US as yet. I took a chance and purchased the 2 disc set sight-unseen from AMAZON.com for $26.99. I loved it, and while the story arc of the series does reach a reasonable conclusion, it's clear there were years of story left to this show. I must reiterate, my only regret in Ultra Violet is that it didn't have a longer run. If this has got you at all interested – check the more detailed reviews on AMAZON.COM.

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