Written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff; 256 minutes excluding extras

Those people fortunate enough to have watched the recently re-screened ?Shooting the Past? on the ABC will already recognise the genius (for TV screenwriting anyway!) of Stephen Poliakoff. Here is another example of superb storytelling using a very simplistic background plot to provide absorbing and compelling television. In this case the background to this 3-part mini-series is a rather substantial family reunion, and one attendee?s search for the reasons behind a seemingly innocuous and unnecessary feud between sectors of the clan. As with ?Shooting the Past?, it seemed to me to be nigh on impossible to create a lengthy series of gripping and intelligent television on such a simple basic theme, but Stephen does so with admirable skill, backed by an ensemble cast of some of Britain?s greatest contemporary stage and screen performers.

An underlying premise behind the plot of this series, and indeed quoted in the third episode, is that there are ?three great stories to be told within each family?. The three tales, and the journey of discovery for many of the characters are interwoven in a rather complicated but nevertheless intriguing pastiche of anecdotes and (at times) tortured self-discovery. The wonder of the series is the number of people who manage to achieve a level of self-discovery and therefore achieve some degree of satisfaction. At the same time, it is hard to say that all the characters can be deemed to have reached a successful and happy resolution to their concerns - indeed we are left more than a little ?up in the air? as to whether the main characters achieve overall happiness - it is left to the viewer to interpret the ending to their own satisfaction.

This BBC series, produced in 2001, essentially a follow-up to (but not necessarily a follow-on from) ?Shooting the Past? Poliakoff has re-hired a pair of the principal actors in Timothy Spall and (the quite delectable) Lindsay Duncan. Whilst each has a slightly less important role in the plot of this feature compared to ?Shooting the Past?, both still have significant roles in the story that unfolds and contribute admirably to the overall ?feel?. I, for one, will attempt to acquire all I can of Timothy Spall?s work - anyone who has seen ?Secrets and Lies? will realise this fellow?s class.

Michael Gambon is wonderful as Raymond, the down-and-out, grumpy and cynical patriarch of one part of the Symon family group that has been invited to the ?do?. His son, Daniel (Matthew MacFadyen) meets the strange yet alluring Rebecca (played by the beguiling and attractive Claire Skinner) and her equally enigmatic brother Charles (played by Toby Stephens). To be perfectly honest, on first viewing, my impression was that Rebecca and Charles were in an incestuous relationship judging by their eerily close relationship!

Daniel, apart from battling to avoid his embarrassment over the antics of his father, then his sudden illness; falls head-over-heels for Rebecca, and becomes involved in the ongoing feud between Rebecca and her Aunt Alice (played by the aforementioned Lindsay Duncan) that doesn?t seem to make any sense at all. These four characters form the central emphasis of the storyline that manages to involve many other curious characters and scenarios (all credibly and wonderfully portrayed). At times it is hard to understand the relevance of the some of these characters, but a few of them provide the central part of the ?three great family stories? and therefore are of importance.

Similar to ?Shooting the Past?, the use of old photos - some remembered, some unknown, and some unexplained - and the need of a number of the characters to gain an understanding of these childhood snaps is the crux of the dilemma?

Those that require a quick and easy American-style plotline with all the answers provided for them will find this mini-series too daunting to handle. It is not an easy series to comprehend, and requires not only a deal of concentration, but (in my case!) subsequent viewings to gain a full comprehension of what is really going on. It is extraordinarily complex considering the simplicity of the plotline, but so thoroughly intriguing and entertaining.

I?ve already sung the praises of Simon Poliakoff, the actors and the storyline. At the same time I have to complement the producers on the selection of a beautifully moody musical soundtrack by Adrian Johnston - if not for the strong contribution by piano it would appear to be classically-inspired chamber music - it is simply beautiful!

This is essentially an adult drama, dotted with (very) occasional nudity and slightly more occasional coarse language. It is a 4-odd hour feature that demands (and eventually rewards) concentration.

THE EXTRAS

Each disk contains a full-length commentary by Stephen Poliakoff, John Chapman (the producer) and the composer, Adrian Johnson for each episode. I didn?t have the time (or energy) to listen to the commentary tracks in full, though I?m sure they would have been most illuminating. I did listen to the first few minutes of the third episode, and was aghast to find out what the production staff?s considerations were for the eventual ending; I turned it off rather quickly! After viewing (and enjoying!) this series for a second time, the last thing I wanted to know about was a drastically alternative ending ? I enjoyed the series as it was without hearing that the ending could have been sooo much different ? a case of too much information??

On disk 2 there is a 17-odd minute featurette with Poliakoff and cast members of the series. My overall impression of this featurette was that at times it was a little too ?sugary?, in the Hollywood tradition (ie. the backslapping syndrome). However the snippets of information from contributors and Poliakoff?s personal anecdotes outweighed this minor gripe.

Also included is a self-propelling photomontage feature of about two minutes that (as usual) left me a trifle cold - at least it had a musical backing.

CONCLUSION

A magnificent 3-part series that is compelling, complex and most satisfying. It proves that ?Shooting the Past? by the same author/director was no flash-in-the-pan. The series is a pure joy that will not suffer from subsequent viewings. When?s his next series? - I?m waiting!!

A word of warning though - people who require an easy-to-comprehend plotline and conclusion could find this a little too difficult to enjoy.