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How I missed this series when it was shown first time round in 1999, I'll never know. But that's me all over. It took me over thirty years to watch It's a Wonderful Life and realise it's the best film of all time. Ultraviolet is probably the best British sci-fi series of all time. This DVD contains all six episodes, Habeus Corpus, In Nomine Patris, Sub Judice, Mea Culpa, Terra Incognita and Persona Non Grata, and is a must for fans of both the vampire myth, and a good detective story. This will please them on both counts.
This is vampire hunting done in the British way, with science and quiet bureaucracy rather than the high-kicking, wisecracking exploits of Buffy – not that Buffy isn't fantastic for its genre too.
In Ultraviolet, science is used against the vampires, known as leeches, and to explain their origins. All vampires have a virus called Code 5, and they pass it onto others by draining their blood. The usual vampire myths are there, but with a twist. The vampires inability to see themselves in a mirror becomes an inability to be photographed, filmed or recorded. The usual ways of deterring vampires – crucifix, bible or holy water - are useless unless the vampire is as superstitious as his assailant. Instead they are 'killed' with charcoal bullets that make them explode like a rocket on bonfire night. The 'leeches' act as a sort of bloodthirsty mafiosi cum business executives, involved in corporate fraud, pharmaceuticals, IVF treatment and even nuclear physics, for reasons which our heroes have to investigate. Are the vampires trying to find a way to live peacefully alongside humans, or do they have more sinister motives?
Hot on their trail are the officers of CIB, Angie March (Susannah Harker), Vaughan Rice (Idris Elba) and the inscrutable (God, I love inscrutable!) Catholic priest Pearse Harmon (Philip Quast).
Policeman Michael Colefield (Jack Davenport) is thrown into their company when his best friend, Jack (Stephen Moyer) jilts his bride Kirsty (Colette Brown) at the alter. Michael, not a little in love with Kirsty, suspects CIB of having something to do with it, and takes the first opportunity he can to join them to find out what happened to Jack. What he learns, about vampires and their modern day pursuits, is more shocking than he ever thought. What I particularly like is that you never know whether the vampires are more sinned against than sinning, until the very last episode. I won't spoil the surprise by giving it away.
As well as being a very polished production, the series boasts a mainly strong cast, with well-realised characters from both the human and vampire world.
Scientist Angie March, played by Susannah Harker (apt surname for a Dracula series!) lost her husband and one of her daughters to the leeches, and now watches her other daughter possessively for fear that they may come for her too. Angie's resolve is tested when there's a chance that her husband could be regenerated and returned to her.
Vaughan Rice (Idris Elba) is an ex-soldier, who had to wipe out his entire troop in the first gulf war after they were all taken by the vampires. He's clearly the muscles of the outfit. His resolve is tested when he's trapped in a wharehouse with four vampires near sunset, and must decide whether to be taken, or to commit suicide.
Father Pearse Harmon (Philip Quast – another favourite actor of mine) is a man of God, the only one in CIB who has a religious view of vampires, and life and death, but he is uncompromising in his attitude to their destruction, even when it might involve the killing of children (We learn it was he who 'killed' Angie March's husband and daughter). That is, until he is diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphona, and is offered the chance eternal life by the uber vampire 'John Doe' (Corin Redgrave, giving a great turn as a morally ambiguous vampire).
Michael Colefield (Jack Davenport) was probably the weakest character for me (well, after Colette Brown as Kirsty, who only seems to manage sulky and stroppy in any role she plays). His role called for a lot of reactionary acting, but I didn't feel he did that very well. He had his mouth open a lot, but other than that, his expression is rather blank. He was supposed to be hot-headed, but was so childish and insubordinate that I wondered how he ever managed to get into the police force, let alone CIB. Of course, as the 'crumpet' the outcome of all events rested on him, but as everyone else played their parts so well, I can ignore his weaknesses. I suppose if he had been that bad, it wouldn't have worked. His friend, Jack (Stephen Moyer) was much more interesting.
Written and directed by Joe Ahearne, Ultraviolet was a short-lived series. Ahearne said in an interview that he was reluctant for it to turn into a 'dracu-soap' and feared that a second series would go too far into the characters lives, losing something in the process. I wonder if this is the real reason it wasn't continued. The last episode very clearly leaves the way open for more. American attempts to recreate the series failed, as do most attempts by the Americans to borrow British ideas. The feel of Ultraviolet is so essentially British that it could never have travelled well.
The sound and vision on the DVD is excellent, with subtitles for the hard of hearing. The extras are a bit 'thin'. I got the feeling things were thrown together when they decided to release a DVD. There is a PC screensaver, weblinks, trailers, a gallery of stills and cast and director biographies, but no cast interviews or deleted scenes.
Despite the lack of extras, this is well worth watching for all sci-fi/vampire/detective fans. Yes, it crosses many lines, and does so with sophistication and intelligence.
© Sally Quilford
