This early '90s BBC production starts in 1991 with the discovery on the remains of a woman and a baby in a pet cemetery in the grounds of a country house in Suffolk. Forensic evidence suggests that they bodies have been in the ground for about a decade. The action then starts moving between the present and the events of the summer of 1979 when Adam Verne-Smith inherited the house from his late great uncle. He and his friend Rufus decide to stay there for the summer and they are soon joined by Rufus's friend Mary. Mary doesn't stay long but she goes she tell the boys that she has invited two other friends, Vivien and Shiva, to join them. Before these two arrive Refus picks up a girl, Zosie, who also stays at the house. It soon becomes apparent that the beautiful Zosie is a little strange; she steals items from shops but that is nothing compared to when she takes a baby from a parked car. This action will cast a long shadow over the lives of the five people living in the hall at the time. In the present the police start asking questions about Adam's time there; he claims that he was only there for a week or so but worries that they won't believe his story so contacts Rufus for the first time since that summer.
This series manages to be surprisingly gripping; there may be no doubt that Adam and Rufus were somehow connected to the bodies but there are still plenty of secrets to be exposed; notably the identity of the woman and where the baby came from. There are also some twists as certain things are implied early on that don't turn out to be true. The cast do a solid job; Douglas Hodge and Jeremy Northam play Adam and Rufus in both time periods in impressive fashion; carefree in 1979 but more mature in 1991. Saira Todd is great in the role of Zosie; a distinctly damaged but strangely likable character even when she is doing terrible things there is a feeling that her motives aren't malicious. The tension rises towards the end as we know that something bad is going to happen and the police appear to be closing in on the truth. Given the stories themes and the fact that there is a moderate amount of violence and nudity I was a little surprised that this was given a twelve certificate by the BBFC; that said I doubt it would appeal to children of that age. Overall I'd certainly recommend this.
This series manages to be surprisingly gripping; there may be no doubt that Adam and Rufus were somehow connected to the bodies but there are still plenty of secrets to be exposed; notably the identity of the woman and where the baby came from. There are also some twists as certain things are implied early on that don't turn out to be true. The cast do a solid job; Douglas Hodge and Jeremy Northam play Adam and Rufus in both time periods in impressive fashion; carefree in 1979 but more mature in 1991. Saira Todd is great in the role of Zosie; a distinctly damaged but strangely likable character even when she is doing terrible things there is a feeling that her motives aren't malicious. The tension rises towards the end as we know that something bad is going to happen and the police appear to be closing in on the truth. Given the stories themes and the fact that there is a moderate amount of violence and nudity I was a little surprised that this was given a twelve certificate by the BBFC; that said I doubt it would appeal to children of that age. Overall I'd certainly recommend this.