British TV's "JEKYLL" is an inventive and exquisitely entertaining updating of Stevenson's classic, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” available on two DVDs at Netflix. In modern-day London, Dr. Jackman and Mr. Hyde (James Nesbitt, playing both brilliantly) coexist in an uneasy relationship predicated on an agreement that if Hyde kills anyone, Jackman will turn himself in – and if Jackman tries to find a cure, Hyde will put a bullet in his brain. The two "change" potionlessly at more or less designated times and communicate through a pocket recorder. Sane, somber, slightly boring Jackman is married with children, and spends much of his time away from the family he adores, trying to keep them safe from the fiendish yet funny, furiously flamboyant Hyde. Jackman constantly wakes up to find blood on himself (rarely his own), yet his alter ego never seems quite to murder anybody, just occasionally snatch body parts. To complicate matters, there's a shadowy agency intent on capturing Hyde for its own reasaons. Prepare yourself for shocking visual jolts, plot twists, flashbacks and forwards, and lots of wickedly humorous repartee in this darkly funny, sometimes violent and always surprising 6-episode series. The final episode provides several big surprises and ties up some loose ends – but also leaves behind a few threads that might portend future episodes. (Trivia note: Jackman’s wife is played by the lovely and talented Gina Bellman, who is currently co-starring in an excellent TNT series called “Leverage.”)TrailerJEKYLL (2007)
Classic tale deliciously modernized
British TV's "JEKYLL" is an inventive and exquisitely entertaining updating of Stevenson's classic, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” available on two DVDs at Netflix. In modern-day London, Dr. Jackman and Mr. Hyde (James Nesbitt, playing both brilliantly) coexist in an uneasy relationship predicated on an agreement that if Hyde kills anyone, Jackman will turn himself in – and if Jackman tries to find a cure, Hyde will put a bullet in his brain. The two "change" potionlessly at more or less designated times and communicate through a pocket recorder. Sane, somber, slightly boring Jackman is married with children, and spends much of his time away from the family he adores, trying to keep them safe from the fiendish yet funny, furiously flamboyant Hyde. Jackman constantly wakes up to find blood on himself (rarely his own), yet his alter ego never seems quite to murder anybody, just occasionally snatch body parts. To complicate matters, there's a shadowy agency intent on capturing Hyde for its own reasaons. Prepare yourself for shocking visual jolts, plot twists, flashbacks and forwards, and lots of wickedly humorous repartee in this darkly funny, sometimes violent and always surprising 6-episode series. The final episode provides several big surprises and ties up some loose ends – but also leaves behind a few threads that might portend future episodes. (Trivia note: Jackman’s wife is played by the lovely and talented Gina Bellman, who is currently co-starring in an excellent TNT series called “Leverage.”)Trailer