"Neverwhere" (1996) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

12 September 1996 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

Richard Mayhew leads an ordinary life in London when one day a girl named Door falls, injured, across his path...

Plot Keywords:

London | Angel | Cult Favorite | Assassination | Homelessness

Cast

Gary Bakewell	...	Richard Mayhew (6 episodes, 1996)
Laura Fraser	...	Door (6 episodes, 1996)
Hywel Bennett	...	Mr. Croup (6 episodes, 1996)
Clive Russell	...	Mr. Vandemaar (6 episodes, 1996)
Paterson Joseph	...	Marquis De Carabas (6 episodes, 1996)
Peter Capaldi	...	Islington (5 episodes, 1996)
Tanya Moodie	...	Hunter (5 episodes, 1996)
Trevor Peacock	...	Old Bailey (5 episodes, 1996)
Elizabeth Marmur	...	Jessica (4 episodes, 1996)
Tamsin Greig	...	Lamia (3 episodes, 1996)
Damien Lyne	...	Gary (3 episodes, 1996)

Runtime:

180 min (6 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

London Underground, London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

During filming, Neil Gaiman felt guilty about what his script was putting the actors and crew through, since most of the series was shot in the tubes of London in cold and muddy conditions. During a break in filming of the fight between Hunter and the Black Friar, when Tanya Moodie had accidentally broken her spear over the stuntman's head, Gaiman stood up in front of the cast and crew and began apologizing for putting them through such an ordeal. Laura Fraser, who plays Door told him she couldn't believe they were actually getting to make a series like Neverwhere, indicating that everyone was having much more fun than Gaiman realized.

Quotes:

Mr. Croup: Were I you, I would no longer worry about the young lady. Her days are numbered, and the number in question isn't even in double digits.

Movie Connections:

References Dracula (1931)

An absolute crime that this wonderful mini-series appears not to be available in the UK

I was blown away back in 96 when I first watched this TV series. Not only was the story-line way out there compared with most of the rest of the TV output at the time, but also the casting and acting were both superb. I was already a fan of Peter Capaldi, which was one of the reasons I tuned in at the beginning, but I was soon swept up in the whole story and found it one of those strange stories that is completely believable although obviously fantastical. I have always been sorry that it hasn't been repeated on terrestrial TV and was thrilled last summer to find the book freely available. Reading this I found that many of the image from the original broadcast were firmly fixed in my mind and I have been searching websites for information about a DVD. To my amazement the BBC website denies all knowledge of the series at all! What's that all about? I have finally found a supplier in Australia for the DVD - but that's not much use is it? Has anyone else also watched the brilliant Gaiman recent work Mirrormask?