FlashForward

Episode One

Prime Time British Television is awash with American imports, it has been for years. Think, Lost, Ugly Betty, 24, Desperate Housewives and any one of the various incarnations of CSI, be it Miami or New York. I doubt many people would be that eager to tune into CSI Middlesbrough. Not everything American is good though, I for one can’t sit through five minutes of seeing the ginger crime scene investigator’s sunglasses go on and off and his affliction to sentences consisting of more than seven words.

FlashForward though certainly comes with top billing. Labelled as the ‘next Lost’, it promises to be addictive viewing. Lets just hope it’s full of the suspenseful, intriguing and shocking characteristics of Lost, rather the fact that not a single question being answered in five series makes me want to eat my own face.

Episode One sets the premise, seemingly every person on the planet falls unconscious for two minutes and seventeen seconds, seeing a vision of themselves 6months into the future at 10pm. That’s when but, How? Why? What? Who god damn it, who??!!

With this sudden unconsciousness, hundreds of thousands across the world die in plane crashes and road accidents.

Leading man Joseph Fiennes plays FBI agent Benford, leader the investigation into the mysterious global incident after he sees a vision of himself in that role.

The recovering alcoholic also sees himself drinking again, while his wife, (Sonya Walger, Lost) who had promised to leave if he got back on the wagon has a vision of herself with another man.

So far, the idea seems good, although I’m not quite convinced it is box office worthy just yet but I do expect it to get better as the series goes on. The dialogue seems wooden and is very plot driven, giving as many characters the chance to chip in as possible.

Cliff-hanger at the end of episode one is CCTV footage taken from an eerily still baseball stadium, as among thousands of motionless bodies, a single figure stands and walks ominously to the exit.