First Published: Thursday 24 April 2008, 00:21
London is set to be submerged in a new drama coming to ITV next month.
Flood starts with a storm of hurricane proportions crashes into the Scotttish coast, devastating the sleepy town of Wick. Mountainous tides barrel mercilessly along the North Coast of Britain, heading for London. However the authorities remain sceptical that nature could deal any blow that London’s Thames Barrier, the largest fixed tidal defence in the world, could not withstand.
Rob Morrison, (Robert Carlyle) head of Defiant Engineering, is tasked with carrying out a maintenance check of the Thames Barrier where his ex-wife, Sam, (Jessalyn Gilsig) is the Barrier's Director of Operations.
The family involvement in the story also includes Morrison's estranged father, engineering genius Professor Leonard Morrison (Tom Courtenay) who is desperately attempting to contact the Barrier high command with a warning about the potential ineffectiveness of the structure.
As water levels soar and with a unique set of weather conditions closing in Rob realises that his father's worst predictions are coming true and the trio must put aside their personal differences to mount an operation to save London from certain destruction.
After a dramatic forecast of the devastation to come from crisis control centre, Cobra, headed by Patricia Nash, (Joanne Whalley), the Deputy Prime Minister (David Suchet) finally begins the evacuation of the capital.
Then the unthinkable happens: the Barrier is overwhelmed by an immense and terrifying surge with drowns thousands of trapped passengers. As the city’s wold-famous landmarks - Tower Bridge, the London Eye and Big Ben - are submerged eight million Londoners are about to become heroes or victims as they struggle to survive the biggest disaster Britain's capital has ever faced.
According to Carlyle "the biggest character in the film is the storm itself, which is a constant backdrop to the story, but there are three main character areas that are focused on. The first area is Rob, Sam and Leonard’s stories who are the people who know what’s happening and know what’s coming and are trying to save the day."
"The second strand is Ralph Brown, who plays Neil, and his daughter Mel who represent the ordinary public that are getting hit by this thing and how they cope with it and manage to survive. The last area that we focus on is the political arena - we have David Suchet as the Deputy Prime Minister and Joanne Whalley as the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and we follow the choices, sometimes awful ones, which they have to make. It’s about 24 hours or so in the life of these people and how they actually manage to escape and cope with this disastrous thing."
Co-star Jessalyn Gilsig says she was attracted to the production because "I thought it was an interesting take on a disaster film. It has a lot of adventure and is really fun and I love movies like that, I love the energy of them. But then it's also very human and has all these great stories about families and relationships and parents and children – I think that’s quite unique so it was really good to be a part of it."
The production was shot over eleven weeks in South Africa and over two weeks on location in London and is a co-production between Power, Moonlighting Films (South Africa) and Muse Entertainment Enterprises (Canada).
2. at 22:22 on Sunday 4th May 2008, roger f wrote:
The producers of this movie are to be congratulated for taking the genre of the disaster epic to a new and unexpected all time low.The highlight of the first episode has to be when the director of the barrier, that would be the one with the sexy body perfect hair and smile and the IQ of the local villiage idiot, is left stranded on the sinking boat crying for help with her torn and soaking wet blouse clinging to her body, brilliant. One would ask how she qualified for the job in the first place if it were not for the fact that every single male character is a simpering pathetic lap dog. Brilliant, the best new comedy I have seen in ages.
3. at 23:00 on Sunday 4th May 2008, Chris Keir wrote:
I have just watched the first part and have to agree with Donald Lyven, the opportunity to produce a good drama centered on a believable and possible topic with a capable cast was squandered by an insipid and condescending script.
As far as Uk talent goes this is an embarrassment at best and is so fault ridden that the people involved in its production should seriously question their own capabilities and career choices.
Facile and an insult to the profession.
4. at 20:28 on Monday 5th May 2008, JOHN BAGE wrote:
If a tidal surge of 4 to 6 metres was to hit London then the obvious thing to do would be to go up one of the many buildings which is above 6 metres. There would probably be no need for evacuation and hence the resultant panic. People were shown rushing around the streets or sitting in cars in underground car parks. This is totally illogical. Had this been a tidal surge hitting an area of India, Sri Lanka, etc., then there would be a major disaster as we know.
This is probably the worst disaster film ever.
5. at 22:02 on Monday 5th May 2008, G Chapman wrote:
The acting is not that great but the special effects are really good!
Did anyone notice the fact that there were still a load of kids in schools at 5pm? Heh.
6. at 22:11 on Monday 5th May 2008, Chris Jones wrote:
In drama, one should suspend their disbelief. It's an independently made drama, and lots of people have enjoyed it, myself included. If we wanted realism and total 100% factual accuracy, we should watch a documentary. This is a DRAMA! And quite a good one at that in my opinion. Not the best one ever by a long shot, but highly gripping and throughly entertaining, having suspended my disbelief at this DRAMA! It's pretend, not a re-enactment to the most precise of details. It's just a bit of entertainment! Chill out!
7. at 23:17 on Monday 5th May 2008, Jeanne Bryant wrote:
Brilliant drama that kept us on the egde of our seats from start to finish.
Great storyline & acting - more of the same please I.T.V.
8. at 23:27 on Monday 5th May 2008, patrick smith wrote:
This has to be one of the best one off dramas I have seen in years. Yes I do agree with some of the other comments about reaching high points in Londons buildings. But the special effects and also the lions share of the acting was superb. I compliment ITV on this impressive drama.
9. at 23:50 on Monday 5th May 2008, sky + saved us wrote:
Hooray for Sky +. Fast forwarded on x 30 [quickest you can]. Drawn out, mistakes everywhere,terrible acting. What are we paying for? Send me an email and i will sort out some better ideas for everyone? Trying to be clever and copy American ideas, if you are going to do it, then put the effort in.
10. at 1:50 on Tuesday 6th May 2008, Marita (UK) wrote:
Interesting SFX, sack the amateur camera crew, acting was abysmal, very confusing plot, although Robert Carlyle's performance was excellent!
11. at 9:31 on Tuesday 6th May 2008, Rak wrote:
The acting was awful - and the pathetic shakeycam was really annoying. The overall outlook to the whole thing made me question how much of a budget the ITV had to work with... is this really the best they can come up with??
Another question - if these people were crawling around in the underground where were all the rats??
The rats would be legging it for higher ground - follow them!!
Robert Carlyle - can do better than this!!
12. at 10:22 on Tuesday 6th May 2008, Ratty wrote:
Flood. More like Dud! Why didnt the old bloke take a bigger air tank!?!? Dur. Dont they know water flows down and stairs go up. As for the romantic storyline. As my gran would have said, 'Tripe'.Who is that lady in the uniform? The acting was excrutiating. hah. Dont have nightmares Londoners. Drivle.
13. at 11:29 on Tuesday 6th May 2008, cas wrote:
Roger F. you would have to say that. Wouldn't you. about that woman's blouse. Typical. stick to the storyline.
14. at 13:47 on Tuesday 6th May 2008, Richard wrote:
Q: "Was this the worst TV drama EVER?"
A: Yes.
A bit of trivia #1: The woman who was seen sloshing about in her loft in Scotland at the start of the first episode is, in fact, the world's Number One Best Swimmer. She made her way from flooded Scotland to flooded London in about 6 hours, just in time to meet-up with her husband & daughter. No mean feat!
A bit of trivia #1: In the first episode, we learnt that Robert Carlyle's character's Mum died of a broken heart, because her son & husband disagreed about the Thames Barrier's ability to work properly. History is littered with such tragedies! My own uncle Derek took his own life after he and aunt Sarah argued about whether, or not, their car would get through its next MOT. Poor uncle Derek... he was right! It did pass the MOT.
15. at 15:38 on Tuesday 6th May 2008, Claire Rosemary Jane wrote:
The scenario; well possible, even quite likely in not too many years from now. The story line; VERY contrived. The acting; OK in places. If it served any really useful purpose, it would be for people as both individuals and organisations (EG Governement, the Military, Police force, to really try to work out well in advance how they would cope with an evacuation such as would be required on this scale.
16. at 16:37 on Tuesday 6th May 2008, Stewie wrote:
Could have been an amazing drama. Good SFX. The disaster of The Thames breaking the barrier is a possibility, but the idea of being able to jump off the barrier and survive, be able to see through the dirty Thames water looking for a life raft, taking a small tank of air to help unlock the gates... the list of ridiculous details is endless. Real shame that what could have been an excellent drama was a disaster!
17. at 22:52 on Tuesday 6th May 2008, Top Cat wrote:
The script was awful - you can't blame the actors. I was excited to see Joanne Whalley in something again, but it was a waste of her talents, and those of the normally excellent Robert Carlyle.
You can't explain it away as "drama" - it did not work on ANY level.
At one point in the second episode I thought they had just reused the plot of "Armageddon", except that it was in central London instead of on a meteorite. However, Armageddon's plot (landing on a meteorite and blowing it up) was handled with more charm and wit and was infinitely more plausible than the utter nonsense I have just finished watching. 4 hours of my life I would like back, please, ITV.
18. at 15:16 on Thursday 8th May 2008, Patsy Solanki wrote:
Where were the rats?????
My husband made a very good point when watching this last week; where were the rats?? London is teeming with them to to overlook this was ludicrous.
I also laughed at the people sitting on the tube platform...well thats gotta be London's lowest level huh? And then to discover a random steel door behind a tube map, just there....amazing!!
And to have one senior police officer, a stiff member of the military and one man from the MET office - come on!! The entire building would be set out as a major incident unit, each floor or area dedicated with scores of staff from each service, and the commander would be surrounded with her DC's etc...there would be more scrambled egg (slang for the insignia on their hats)than you could shake a stick at!
Maybe they should, dare I say it as I dont watch it myself, watch the Bill???
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1. at 18:42 on Thursday 24th April 2008, Donald Lyven wrote:
I got this on DVD as soon as I could last year (as it was only shown briefly at one London Cinema). The special effects are great. But apart from the factual inaccuracies, and nonsensical story outcome, the acting is the worse I have ever seen on anything – film or TV. There is a story to tell about being prepared for a storm surge, but this is a mockery of common sense and the acting profession. Utterly abysmal and a great shame.