Takin' Over the Asylum (1994) User Reviews

Takin' Over the Asylum DVD Release

[bayingatthemoon · 10/10 · 6 March 2008]

I wrote this series a very long time ago. David Blair and I were just starting out on our careers and neither of us really believed it would ever be made. We used to meet in the Trevi, a small Italian restaurant near the old BBC Scotland building and David would give me "notes" on my drafts. When we got to the end of the last script he asked me what I wanted to do next. I said, "I don't know. Make this. Win an BAFTA. Make something else." Bizarre to think that it actually happened.

Anyway, I did want you all to know that Takin' Over the Asylum is coming out on DVD later this year. There were a lot of people who lobbied for this for a very long time. Someone even started an online petition, but I guess the Powers that Be remained unconvinced. However, it appears that the democracy/anarchy of the internet succeeded where everything else failed. The BBC finally responded to the fact that the entire series had been pirated and posted on You Tube and decided that maybe it would be an idea to release it on DVD after all. Will post when I know the release date once I know it! Thanks for keeping the faith with this series. It means a lot to me.

Absolutely brilliant

[john_s_napper · 10/10 · 29 August 2006]

I just looked this up on IMDb in the hope that it might lead me to a DVD, but it doesn't seem to be on DVD. Are the BBC crazy? I was amazed to see that Takin' Over The Asylum is now 12 years old. I remember it so clearly. When it was first shown I thought it was the best TV series I had ever seen. Periodically the plot seemed too good to be true, at which point there was a twist to bring it back down to earth. Great writing and excellent acting. When it was repeated I told everyone I knew to watch it, but they didn't. I don't know why. I watched it all through again and it was just as good. Perhaps now that David Tennent is Dr. Who, somebody will think about releasing his earlier work on DVD. Whenever I see him I remember his slogan from Takin'Over The Asylum, delivered loudly in a strong Scottish accent: "We are loonies and we are proud".

Pure Genius

[TheJiveMaster · 10/10 · 15 March 2008]

This was probably one of the finest series to come out of the BBC in the mid 1990's and stands head and shoulders above anything else today. It took a gritty look at life inside an asylum, an institution now rarely seen in the UK. It aimed to show that those suffering from mental illness were just like you and me once but a trigger in their life had caused the illness to manifest itself. It took a few people and protaryed their lives in a caring way showing some making it through and others not.

Well done to the writers of this series for giving us a frank yet compassionate view of mental illness and its perception in society today.

Few TV miniseries are as good as this one.....

[prose · 28 July 2003]

Although this series was seen (and then soon after repeated) on Australian TV back in '94 or '95, it's brilliance still resonates. From the pen of Donna Franceschild, and directed by David Blair, it tells the story of a handful of 'loonies' - patients in a Glasgow mental facility. As in 'Girl, Interrupted', one is led to pondering the question: 'who are the real loonies?' Heavily laced with humour and poignancy, we - the 'normal' ones - are led into the lives of these people through the eyes of Eddie McKenna (Ken Stott), an alcoholic loser-type, whose desire is to be a radio disc-jockey, but who spends his days selling windows for the manager-from-hell. In my opinion, the salespeople at the windows company deserve to be behind locked doors far more than those in the institution. But I feel that this is the exact conclusion the writer wishes us to make. This series launched the extremely talented Ken Stott into regular TV appearances, such as 'Messiah' and 'The Vice'. It also features outstanding performances from David Tennant, Ruth McCabe, Angus McFadyen, and my favourite female actor, Katy Murphy. Ms Murphy seems to have a special knack for portraying wounded women. If you get a chance to see it, do.

An amazing display of early talent...

[gothgate-1 · 10/10 · 3 July 2010]

I came to this program from doing an IMDb search on David Tennant. Yes, I came to this from Doctor Who, and yes, I am an unrepentant DT fanboy. But...

I was totally blown away by the talent shown in this early work of Tennant's. Already we can see why he's become such a big hit on stage & TV. Most 22 year old actors just don't have his level of skill. Throughout, as Campbell Bain, he steals the show from it's intended star. At no point did I ever fail to believe him in the character. He embodied it, just as he's done with so many of his other roles.

The story is good, too. A radio station located in an asylum changes the lives of the inmates and the DJ as well. Mostly though, it changes Campbell. At the start he is an uncontrolled manic. As time goes on and he finds an outlet for his mania, he develops a personality, not just a diagnosis.

It's definitely worth hunting down, even if you're not totally mad for David Tennant like me. Just a really good quality Brit TV show.

A Blinder.

[screenman · 9/10 · 8 May 2008]

Wasn't this a blinder? The program introduced me to Ken Stott in the starring role as a double-glazing salesman who moonlighted as a hospital radio DJ. He was absolutely believable as a man in early middle-age, gradually coming to terms with the fact that he was never going to get 'the big break' - either in records or windows.

Harassed and resented by younger and more competitive salesmen, pestered by his ageing mother/grandmother to find himself a wife; his self-esteem was in decline, and he took to his evenings at the hospital turntables as a kind of escapism.

I should mention here that it was a psychiatric hospital.

Enter Tennant's character as the manic-depressive. At his euphoric heights he had moments of unrestrained genius. Unfortunately at his most extreme he actually had to be restrained - forcibly and rather cruelly, by strong nurses. One of them, almost inevitably, had issues of his own, and bordered upon the sadist. Very quickly he advanced from enthusiast, to assistant, to DJ maestro. Performing hilarious double-acts with the highly knowledgeable character of Stott, to whom he referred as 'Dr Boogie'.

The chemistry between the two set the real high-points of comedy, though there were interesting touches also in his double-glazing world. The later turnaround of events wasn't entirely unexpected but it was handled deftly and with a believable and humane hand.

One-line gags aren't quite as sharp as those in Hollywood's 'Crazy people' but the acting and the fractured romance is a hell of a lot more believable.

I should like to personally thank the contributor 'Bayingatthemoon' for providing us with such a rare and enjoyable comedy-drama, and for advising us of its imminent release onto DVD.

Anyone who has seen this series knows where the latest incarnation of 'Dr Who' developed his manic disposition. Our new time-lord once spent time in a padded cell.

Another highly recommended bit of old telly.

Finally on DVD!

[nuttipoodle · 10/10 · 12 June 2008]

This wonderful series in finally on DVD for everyone to enjoy. Funny and affecting, and with a brief cameo from Spike Milligan this is one of the best mini series I have ever seen.

The best thing about this series is that it doesn't patronise, insult or caricature mental illness, but treats it as a real thing, the 'loonies' as real people and shows that not all the loonies are inside the hospital.

Yes, some of the patient's illnesses are humorous, such as Rosaline obsessively cleaning everything, but this is never taken fun of, or used as a cheap plot device and there is a heartbreaking story behind her OCD.

A wonderful series

[cassandra2006 · 10/10 · 23 September 2006]

What a truly great series this is! Such a pity that it probably won't be released on DVD, due to problems with getting the necessary approval to use some of the songs, according to somebody I asked. The cast is uniformly excellent and the direction, seamless. So many wounded people, but so many with a fire inside them to keep trying to live a life that makes sense! It's a show that made me grind my teeth at the inhumanity of government cost-cutting in the mental health arena. The loonies are by no means the ones inside the asylum.

David Tennant is simply magnificent as the manic, inventive, affectionate, good hearted Campbell Bain. His exchanges with his dad would break your heart.

Thoroughly recommended.

ETA 18.01.14 The DVD has now been available for a few years and contains two eps with audio commentaries. It's wonderful to be able to watch the show again and nothing about it disappoints.

Simply the best BBC drama set in Scotland.

[jkirkland1977 · 10/10 · 1 December 2013]

Only found this again because of David Tennant & the repeat on bbc three - triggered memory of seeing way back in 1994.

However this is a rare gem not only from the BBC stand point giving a very true account of treatment of mental illness which sadly stands to this day in many ways but though the bbc Scotland later gave the reworking of the crow road from book to screen.

This short mini series is way and beyond anything before or since and stands in its own right as an exceptional exploration of mental illness, Scotland and a great story combined at that time with unknown talents - David Tennant probably topping that list.

However it's the whole package from the writing, the emotions shown and how accurate to life this is. I honestly can't say enough well worth buying it brings a tear to the eye and the amount of talent in one series is unbelievable with the younger cast members making there name since.

David Tennant shows all his talents at this early stage in his career and put in an epic performance here however he's not the only one and the series deserved every award it got. Truly touching and powerful, Scottish at its heart yet a universal story which still holds today.

They struck gold with the cast and the story sadly nothing has got near its level since and this does show what the BBC and Scotland can give lovely Scottish backdrop and use of music taking over the asylum is one to treasure.

Truly touching

[florintucudean · 9/10 · 19 June 2022]

I watched this 28 years after it was released and I felt like it's one of those rare masterpieces that will never lose their value. Because it's not about special effects, or a fantastic story that can be topped any day by an other, it's about us humans and it portrays us perfectly.

I admit that I wouldn't have seen it if it weren't for David Tennant and that I ended up having Campbell Bain (his character) as a role model, but (and this is a "but" you read with long "u") I can say from all my heart that I loved the whole show. It simply made me genuinely laugh, then broke my heart to little pieces in a second and, before I could realize, it became the most realistic depiction of life itself - happy moments and sad moments, some people find their way in life and some struggle endlessly, and in the end... life is still a paradox: it doesn't get better nor worse, it's just the same, even though everything changed if you look back to the beginning.

A sweet, small-scale drama about a 'bunch of loonies'

[rumour-mill · 7/10 · 12 October 2020]

Over its six episodes, Takin' Over the Asylum deals with some pretty heavy subjects with a lightness of touch.

You might think a programme focusing on a cast of mentally ill, sectioned characters would be depressing, but the show finds plenty of room for humour, satire and hope.

Eddie (Ken Stott) is a listless man whose only real joy in life is working as a small-time radio DJ. When he finds himself hosting a hospital radio in a psychiatric asylum, he develops a kinship with a handful of the resident 'loonies'. We gain a little bit of insight into their idiosyncratic problems, as well as Eddie's own demons, as they all pour their efforts into keeping the hospital station - and their own hopes about the future - alive.

It's perhaps a little dated 16 years on from when it was first aired, but it's still a poignant story with an affable cast, and some timely messages about mental health.

One of the best shows I've ever seen

[adidomenico-77011 · 10/10 · 16 December 2020]

Takin' Over the Asylum is one of my favorite shows. It is such a heartfelt show and it really gets to the heart of mental illness, even if not all of its portrayals are entirely accurate. This show shows how hard living with mental illness can be but also how one can succeed despite it. The characters' story arcs are realistic. This show is just incredibly well-written.

The acting is also spectacular, but especially David Tennant as Campbell Bain. I came to this show as a David Tennant fan and, honestly, this is one of his best roles; I would say that it rivals the Doctor. The other actors are also spectacular, but I felt the need to point out DT specifically because it is just so brilliant.

This show is is simultaneously heart-wrenching and heartwarming, and it never fails to make me laugh. It is 100% worth a watch.

Where are the repeats?

[ali-184 · 12 November 2004]

This was a fantastic series. The casting, scripts, performances,humour and pathos were spot on. I work with people with mental health problems and it was refreshing to see life portrayed with far more realism than in many so-called realistic dramas. It showed the way that despair and hope co-exist and didn't shy away from what the general public may consider bizarre but at the same time dealt with all the main characters with empathy and, best of all, humour. This may seem strange to many but I recommend that all stand-up/ alternative comedians spend time on a psychiatric ward (if they can find one left!) before they profess to be experts in black humour. The big mystery to me is that this has never been repeated on British TV. We still see endless re-runs of David Jason and Ronnie Barker comedies which are wonderful but surely there is space for this little piece of genius?

One of the best ever TV series

[johnheadon · 10/10 · 4 October 2022]

It is hard to convey just how good this series is. I watched it again last week for the third time and it gets better and better. It's no wonder David Tennant and Ken Stott became so acclaimed, but the wonderful and hugely-underrated Katy Murphy more than matches them - I can't understand why she has not been more successful. I find it amazing that the writer is from the US - you would never know it. The characters are all treated so sympathetically, even the unpleasant ones (McAteer perhaps the exception!) and it is hard to watch at times when you know what's coming. It's a clear indictment of the British mental health services of the time and it's heart-rending to think about how much worse it has become now.

Excellent series unlike anything the BBC makes today

[moirabroon · 10/10 · 23 July 2019]

Didn't know what to make of this series at the outset having no prior knowledge of it, but it didn't take long to realise it is special. It is funny and sad in equal measure, the characters are believable and you are drawn into the fascinating, scary world of mental illness in a psychiatric hospital. A very unusual, excellent piece of writing, brilliantly acted. 10 out of 10.

A brilliant piece of work

[simonotsimple · 2 September 2004]

I won't re-tell the story. I will simply say that the casting is creative, the script scrupulous, the production perfect, the direction indiscreditable. A wonderful artistic construction.

However, as we move into the 21st century Governments, all over the western world, are closing the very services that are desperately needed by mentally ill people. They are now integrated into society while the hospitals are closed down.

But at what cost to those who are mentally ill?

Where are the patients of those hospitals now? Prisons, park benches or cemetery.

This series should be on DVD

[lorer · 27 July 2005]

A bittersweet series with extraordinary acting by all. How I would love to see it again on a video or DVD. Currently I am forced to watch it on a set of old videotapes which I recorded when the series was on TV in Australia. These tapes go back and forth between my daughter and myself quite regularly as she is also an addict. Having been in an "asylum" myself on a couple of occasions, I can identify with the "loonies" and also have quite a few laughs and wry smiles at the content. Having coped with an alcoholic in the family there is also a link with Ken Stott's Eddie - sometimes painful, but real nevertheless. Rosalie, with her OCD triumphs as her condition provides her with satisfaction as she puts things in order, and the acting of this role is superb. I find it sad that my husband cannot enjoy this series as much as I do.