Secrets and lies are set to trouble John
How do you like your dramas? Straight down the line, or with a twist or two? Maybe with an offbeat or supernatural element, and perhaps a few stars thrown in for good measure? If you’re nodding your head in answer of any or all of those questions, then Intruders, Monday, BBC2, 9pm, a new, eight-part series made by BBC America, could be for you. Taking the lead is John Simm, and any new programme featuring him is always worth a look. But when you hear he’s appearing in something that has already gone down a storm in the US, it becomes a must-see. The only problem is, if it becomes as big a hit as it seems set to do, Intruders may take Simm away from our own shores for some time, because he will suddenly become a man in demand Stateside. So brace yourself for that happening – and for the big hole in British drama that Simm will leave if he does depart. Intruders is a paranormal drama based on a novel by acclaimed English author Michael Marshall Smith, who claims he was inspired to write it by the notion that we can, at times, seem like more than one person. It has an excellent pedigree in other respects too – the script has been written by Glen Morgan, who is also the executive producer; genre fans will be familiar with him via his work on The X Files. What’s more, several episodes have been directed by Eduardo Sanchez, who first found fame via his work on low-budget smash-hit horror movie The Blair Witch Project in 1999. The rest have been helmed by Daniel Stamm, whose previous work includes the films 13 Sins and The Last Exorcism. Intruders made its debut in the US in August, and when it was broadcast alongside the first episode of Peter Capaldi’s stint in Doctor Who, helped land the station its biggest-ever Saturday night ratings. The plot focuses on a shadowy organisation dedicated to chasing immortality by inhabiting other people’s bodies. Simm stars as ex-LA cop Jack Whelan, who becomes suspicious of the group’s activities after his wife Amy disappears. Whelan becomes obsessed with tracking Amy down, using the skills he learnt as a cop to follow her trail. But as he becomes increasingly consumed by his quest, he begins to question whether he really knew her at all… Oscarwinning actress Mira Sorvino also stars, alongside James Frain, Millie Brown and Tory Kittles.