VIDEOTAPE (& BOOKS): NEVERWHERE (1996)
Neverwhere, a six-part BBC drama devised by Neil Gaiman and Lenny Henry, reveals life in 'London Below', a supernatural and magical reality which co-exists with London, as we know it. There is also a book of the same title, published, I believe, in the same year. If I remember the story correctly, the TV series came first, and Gaiman then expanded and developed the narrative for his novel. I can't say I'm surprised by this in terms of how well they turned out. This isn't to say that Neverwhere for TV isn't good, it's just not as good as the book. While the book skillfully juxtaposes comedy, horror, adventure and fantasy, making for a wonderfully dark and tongue-in-cheek experience, such moments are somewhat softened by a mid-90s aesthetic, reminiscent of McCoy era Dr. Who, Grange Hill and the like. There are lots of dark spaces, lit by coloured lights, for example, and dodgy camera work. Special effects are somewhat weak, presumably due to budget, and yet despite all of this, there is an unmistakable charm to Neverwhere. I can't decide if this is due to the familiarity and fondness I have for the book, which I read several years ago, or due to the charm of the series in its own right. Lighting and camera work aside, many of the visual elements are beautiful; character and costume design are exemplary. Each character is so well thought out, each line they speak, each item they wear is unmistakeably 'them'. Costume ranges from an almost steam-punk look, through several periods and fashions including restoration grandeur, victorian garb, 90's grunge, to name but a few. And each is perfectly suited to character without ever resorting to stereotype (with, perhaps, the exception of the vampiric Velvets dressed gothically).
There is, however, a sense permeating the series that the writer has much more to give. Ideas are never fully developed. For example, why is Hunter so extremely cautious of 'minding the gap'? This fearless warrior appears terrified, and yet this fear is barely recognised, let alone explained. The surprise twist comes around all too quickly; it is hard to be surprised by the actions of a character you have only had brief screen-time with, and when this 'twist' is revealed just one episode later it doesn't have the impact it should. This isn't a mystery that has been building up for hours. This is one that is solved in just six, half-hour episodes. Unfortunately, there appears to be a lot of 'look at this wonderful pun I have made' (the Angel Islington, the pigeon-keeping Old Bailey, the Black Friars etc.) without any real character development. While this is clever, the motivations of several characters is never really understood; why does the rogue Marquis risk his life to help Door and Richard? Again, in the space of just 6 episodes, it is difficult to really explore such things. Perhaps now, in an age of 13+ hour-long episodes per season, I am being unfair as a viewer. I expect lengthy development, of both plot and character, with little clues being dropped along the way, the occasional, earth shattering revelation, as opposed to the rather 'wham, bam, thank you ma'am' experience that is Neverwhere.
And so it makes perfect sense that Gaiman would want to throw off the constraints of '90s television and fully develop his ideas in novel form. And as I remember it, the punches come more slowly in the novel, and with greater effect. Read the book first, then watch the series. And then do what I am planning on doing, and re-read the book, just to check that is was as good as you remember it being in the first place...
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