Why Everyone Should Be Watching Utopia (Well Maybe Not Children)

British drama has thrown up yet another slightly unexpected jewel, except that it seems to have stayed criminally under the radar...

It was an ordinary day in January of 2013 when I switched on the television, just looking for something to leave on the background while I finished some writing. An hour later I blinked and found myself still sitting in the same position, with a cold cup of tea untouched on the table in front of me.

What had happened?

UTOPIA.

This article is admittedly a sliiiiiight struggle to write, as it is almost impossible to say anything about the plot or characters of Utopia without giving something of the grand series-long mystery away.

Having said that here are a few key elements of the show that combine to make it unique, disturbing, thought-provoking, complicated, wonderful and downright terrifying all at once.

Enjoy!

The Colour Scheme

blogs.independent.co.uk / Via blogs.independent.co.uk

Every shot of Utopia glows with a strange, surreal fluorescent light, with stark purples and yellows taking ordinary interactions and making them seem to pulse with hidden meaning. The aesthetic of the series is quite startling at first, but soon begins to feel completely natural, as it complements the strange mysterious world in which the show exists. A world which is partly our world, partly something completely alien.

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Utopia

The title, which initially refers to a graphic novel that triggers several important encounters early in the series, soon takes on a new meaning as more and more information is (almost grudgingly) revealed to the viewer.

The series encourages the audience to question what a Utopia would really mean, not in some far off world but in the context of our time, our society, and our Earth.

The Cast

needtoconsume.com / Via needtoconsume.com

Utopia has a fine cast from across the television spectrum. Perhaps the more well known names include Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Misfits) as Ian Johnson, Paul Higgins (The Thick of It) as Michael Dugdale and Simon McBurney (Rev, The Borgias) as Christian Donaldson.

However the entire cast are pitch perfect and completely at ease with the slightly surreal tone of the series. Oliver Woollford deserves particular praise as a young actor dealing with a complex and adult storyline (which his mother has since had to defend SPOILERS).

Which leads me on to...

Violence, Swearing, Torture

Shine International / Via blogg.tv2.no

I'm not necessarily saying that the above factors are what I want to see in a tv series, indeed Utopia has been criticised for its large amounts of violence and bad language. However I find the series delightfully dark in a way that is (in my experience) rarely seen on UK television anywhere near the 9pm watershed, indeed the various Ofcom complaints serve to prove this point. There are several moments in the series that are genuinely disturbing, but in my opinion the violence suits the tone and plot of the series and is a large part of what makes it unique.

Again I am reluctant to go into any details, just watch the first episode and you will see EXACTLY what I am talking about.

Arby (Neil Maskell)

Anyone familiar with Neil Maskell's work (including the extraordinary and disturbing film Kill List) may have some idea of why Arby is arguably the character at the centre of Utopia. Maskell's performance is mesmerising and, having watched the series several times, I still cannot decide how I feel about the objectively horrifying Arby.

As I have said all the performances in Utopia are praise-worthy, but it will be Neil Maskell's face that will stick in your mind long after you finish watching.

Finally...It's Got An Up-Coming US Adaption

A huge number of UK TV series have been adapted for American television:

Some well. (The Office, Shameless)

Some not so well. (Life On Mars, The Inbetweeners)

Regardless, if a series is picked up and remade in the US, it is generally considered to be a good sign.

AlchemistEskimo / Via youtube.com

Here's a great fan-made trailer from YouTube user AlchemistEskimo!

Even More Finally...

If you are in the UK it is ALL on 4OD, for free!

If you're in the US you may have to pay some of your dollaa, but it's worth it, I promise.