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29 out of 30 people found the following review useful:
Superb Blackpool Is great, 27 October 2005
10/10
Author: evolvedsky from United Kingdom

I was flicking through the channels on TV slightly bored had not a lot to do until i came across a program that was just starting. I didn't know what it was about but it was called Blackpool. It seemed pretty good nothing more than you normal melodrama and about five minutes in they burst into You Can Get It If You Really Want (Jimmy Cliff) and to my amazement i found it hugely captivating.

The musical choruses are great through out the series ranging from Gabrielle to The Clash i think that you don't have to be into musicals to appreciate the bursts of songs as they almost fall into a category of music video within the program having there own dance routines even little fantasies they help a great deal to build the plot.

Apart from the music the program takes very sinister turns that make very significant changes to the plot throughout and as the truth gradually seeps out you will begin to see darker secrets and darker changes in the characters Which after every episode had me eager for more. From watching the casino owner Ripley opening his brand new casino to have his whole world fall apart in 6 episodes will bring out many emotions but inevitably entertain you throughout.

The cast is brilliant The chemistry between David Morrisey (Ripley Holden) and David Tennant (D.I. Carlisle) they have a great passion to hate each other although will stop at nothing to get one over on the other one. Tennant however falls in love with Sarah parish (natalie Holden) and the romance between them is great along with the music you can really feel a great passion between them which on screen is captured so well the rest of the cast really pull the whole thing together and ensure a great performance on the whole.

This program is well worth a watch to anyone who enjoys being entertained. The blend of music great characters and a superb and captivating story all set on the back drop of the sunny seaside resort of Blackpool will have you wanting more.

This program gets my vote i hope it gets yours.

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27 out of 31 people found the following review useful:
Unusual drama, 21 November 2004
Author: hesketh27 from Southport Lancashire Uk

Blackpool is an unusual drama (with touches of comedy) which tells the story of an amusement arcade owner who finds himself and his family at the centre of a murder investigation when a body is found in his arcade. From time to time the actors burst into song (a la Singing Detective) & are transported into fantasy sequences which work quite well as an integral part of the plot. The actors' faces are well known to UK TV audiences from their regular appearances in supporting roles in other TV vehicles. As in all BBC productions, the performances are uniformly good. The real star of the show however is Blackpool itself. The wonderfully seedy holiday resort is well used as the backdrop and well known places/landmarks appear in most scenes. An enjoyable serial. (The soundtrack's pretty good too!)

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15 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
Brilliant Outstanding Awesome, 1 December 2005
10/10
Author: (fredsawy@aol.com) from USA

I have to say when I first heard about "Viva Blackpool" I was very curious to see it. I missed the first episode and was upset but thank goodness BBC America showed a repeat of it a few days later the night before episode 2 so I taped both and watched the first two episodes back to back.

I'll admit that when I first started watching it I was thinking "Ok maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all." But somewhere between that thought and the first 20 minutes of the show I got drawn in and found I couldn't wait to get to the second episode on the tape.

It's slow moving at the start but once it kicks in it grabs hold of you and won't let go. I couldn't wait for the next week's episode and once it came I was never disappointed.

Each episode ends with a brilliant cliffhanger done with a brilliantly done stage and well chosen song that fits the situation and mood. "These Boots Are Made for Walking", "Knock, Knock Who's there" just to name a few. Also the way all the songs through out the show are all staged you see how the lyrics really fits each and every character with what's not only going on with them, but all the small sub plots of the show as well. All perform them with great emotion and bring the lyrics to life and you can feel their pain, anger, joy , fright and love.

The ending of the story is very well done I think and brought a few feeling good type of tears to my eyes as I sat and watched the show ended set to Burt Bacharach's beautifully done "Alway's something there to remind me." I've kept each episode on tape till it comes out on DVD here in the states. Which I hope will be very soon.

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12 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Amazing, 18 January 2006
10/10
Author: Cazanya from Sweden

This is absolutely brilliant!!! Only UK would do this kind of show and go all the way :-) I love Sarah Parish and she's just amazing in this. Oh and those who complain about the fact that it isn't dancers and singers that does the characters thank god for that! I think the point is that it isn't perfect, it makes it more real and what joy would it be watching perfect dancers who can't act!? No they did the right thing casting actors for it... Anyway this is funny,touching,dark and a bit disturbing aka everything you can possibly want in a TV program and I can just pray it's true they are planning a sequel.... UK are brilliant at making TV that stays with you long after it airs unlike US...

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11 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Wonderful, Quirky Murder Mystery, 11 January 2006
9/10
Author: kenj-3

I did not expect this to be anywhere as good as it turned out to be. I mean, who wants to see a murder mystery where the main characters break out into song every 30 minutes or so? Yes, they actually do sing in their own voices over recordings you will recognize.

The songs are a perfect fit to the story, moving it along and providing a lot of context. My personal favorite was the head to head between David Morrissey and David Tennant, both singing "These Boots Are Made For Walking."

Sarah Parish has always been a personal favorite, starting with "Cutting It" and doing a killer job as a lawyer in the short lived series "Trust". David Morrissey did a fantastic job. You'd swear he is a total sleaze in the beginning of the series, but by the end, your opinion will probably change. Likewise, David Tennant (the new Dr Who) seems to be the perfect cop, but is he really?

PS - If you saw this on BBC America, you missed about 10 minutes out of every episode. Several songs were cut, as were a lot of key scenes that made the story much easier to follow, and also developed some of the the characters much further. Especially Hallworth, the character played by David Bradley who was protesting the conversion of the arcade into a casino.

Do yourself a favor - get a multi-region DVD player, and order the DVD from the UK.

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11 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Amazing!, 29 November 2005
10/10
Author: Wes Jones from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This show was one of the best things i have EVER seen (and coming from me, thats saying something). The cast was an inspired choice, the script and dialogue was excellent and the songs were amazing! David Morrissey is an excellent choice to play Ripley Holden, he fits the role perfectly as the mysterious arcade owner who believes in luck - LOTS of luck. Before Blackpool, I was no fan of Sarah Parish, but her acting in this is great, she is believable as Ripleys wife/Carlisle's lover. Speaking of Carlisle, David Tennant MADE that role his own, playing it to perfection.

All the cast are multi-talented because not only did they act IMPRESSIVELY, they actually sang the songs featured in the series, and performed their dance routines. This gives me a new-found respect for all the performers because it must be hard to do what they did on a daily basis.

All in all, an excellent show. If you haven't seen it, WHY?!?

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8 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
An enjoyable and entertaining drama!, 8 January 2006
10/10
Author: Tara Wheeler from United Kingdom

Blackpool is a comedy/drama. It was great acting by the whole cast and every episode ended on a cliffhanger which left you wanting to watch the next episode straight away! The way the songs were done was brilliant and the chemistry between David Morrisey and Sarah Parish was good. There are a lot of twists in the whole story which make it even more fun to watch because it is unpredictable. The music, the dancing and the singing make this drama a part comedy because however serious the song is it still manages to make you laugh. I really liked the way the director used the songs and put them into the mood of the scenes as well, it helped you to understand what the characters were thinking and feeling with out them telling you. Overall I think this is one of the best dramas the BBC has produced in years!

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Excellent series, 10 February 2007
9/10
Author: galadrial from Australia

I just bought the DVD of this series, as I have recently become a huge fan of David Tennant. I was planning to watch it in 6 installments, but by the end of the first episode, I was intrigued by the story and ended up watching it all in one session. The writing is excellent, with fine performances, and the use of popular songs as part of the narrative works well. David Morrissey plays the central character of Ripley Holden, who is essentially quite hard to like because of his attitudes and practices, but he manages to create sympathy for him by the end. David Tennant shows his fine acting skills (and his lovely Scottish accent), and is particularly winning in his scenes with Julie Parish. All in all, a very fine production.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Absolutely brilliant!!, 12 March 2006
10/10
Author: tigerbaby_1984-1 from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

WOW!! I didn't watch this mini-series when it was originally broadcast on BBC 1, but i have recently bought the DVD and cannot even begin to describe the sheer excellence of it. The writing it wonderful - it can make you laugh like you've never laughed before and then make you cry with a flick of the tongue. It's funny, it's quick, it's light-hearted, it's emotional, it's dark, it's sinister, it's touching, it's heart-wrenching, it's sharp and it's modern. Everything a drama can be, and more. I should also comment on the acting, which is absolutely astounding! Throughout the drama, the characters frequently burst into song. Now i'm not a lover of anything which even touches on being a musical, but the way the music in this series works is phenomenal. The songs are used to tell the story, to keep the action flowing, to reveal more about the characters. The fact that none of the actors are singers only adds to the feeling of reality - this is not some overly glamorous musical stage show. David Morrissey plays "an absolute blinder" as the lead role, and Sarah Parish is truly amazing as his wife. David Tennant is also utterly incomparable as the dark, mysterious, and very, very sexy detective. If you ever get the chance, watch this series...i promise you'll not regret it. Oh, and have those tissues ready for the final episode.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
A Nice Surprise, 21 January 2007
10/10
Author: slapchar from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I'm a fan of David Tennant, and I recently had the chance to watch Blackpool. I was a bit hesitant in watching this mini series, because I hate musicals (or people breaking into song in the middle of a sentence). But I was really surprised at how wonderful this show actually is. All of the characters have a strong presence and personality. I was really impressed with David Morrissey-his brash and overly confident interpretation of Ripley Holden could have gone overboard, but he manages to bring compassion and depth to his character-especially in scenes involving Ripley's children. Sarah Parish is understated and intense, but she lights up the screen when she shares scenes with both of the leading actors. David Tennant reaffirms my belief in his abilities as an actor with his conflicted portrayal of Detective Peter Carlisle, the man who compromises his reputation and investigation because he falls in love with Parish's Natlie Holden. While I honestly could have done without the musical numbers in the series, the inclusion of these musical acts makes Blackpool original and unique. I highly suggest watching this great BBC program.

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