With phrases such as "Remove your string buttocks from my dig!", "Hacked to death! Bloody gorgeous!" and "Hold the front page! I've got the carbon dating on the bone collagen", it's hard to take this new archaeological drama series seriously. The programme-makers may have thought they were creating something akin to The Da Vinci Code crossed with CSI, but frankly it's more Time Team meets a tenth-rate Taggart, with shades of Primeval thrown in for good measure.
If you can ignore the poor, often un-PC dialogue, the laboured set-up and the general over-acting, then you've got the makings of a reasonable series. The production values are high and the cast look like they could settle in well. Eager university grad Viv Davis (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, pictured, right) joins a team of archaeologists - sexist Professor Gregory Parton (Hugh Bonneville, pictured, left) and forensic expert Dr Ben Ergha (Adrian Lester, pictured, kneeling), led by grumpy Professor Gillian Magwilde (Julie Graham, pictured).
The plot of tonight's opener is strong, if not especially original. During an excavation of 14th-century medieval troops in Somerset, Magwilde's team discover that the soldiers were members of the Knights Templar. They also come across a piece of cedar wood that could be part of the True Cross. Mad right-wing Christian extremist Edward Laygass (Paul Rhys) acquires the land that the team are excavating, declares it Holy Ground, and things begin to spin out of control...
The show is currently poorly placed within the schedules. Far too juvenile for an adult audience, it would work much better as Saturday-night, early-evening fodder. There's also a truly ghastly moment where Viv sings a shaky version of Onward, Christian soldiers. No wonder Hugh Bonneville wearily declares, "Now please, please, please, for the love of Jehovah, may we go to the pub?" Quite.
Bonekickers? Oh yeah, it's so very bad I fear for the past AND the future. And then there is Spooks: Code 9! Great Scot what is happening at the BBC? They're getting in the habit of taking piss now. Where will it end?
July 23rd - 2:39pmDan said...
Got to be one of the funniest programmes I have watched in ages ... it was a comedy spoof wasnt it, surely it must have been!!
July 23rd - 9:19amPaul Strange said...
Provided you treat it as pure and utter hokum, Bonekickers has its moments. But it's seriously misplaced within the schedules. This is early Saturday-night fodder, in the Doctor Who/Primeval slot. The BBC should shift it there, asap, as soon as Last Choir Standing has sat down...
July 19th - 12:06pmJune Williams said...
What utter tosh this series is. Such a disappointment. However it was worth watching the first episode to see that Julie Graham has had her teeth fixed. It's been bothering me for years. I can watch her now (but not in 'BoneKickers') without it being a constant distraction. Thank you for that Julie. x
(3 Star)
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