Jekyll - Mr Hyde Takes a Bite out of Tom Jackman

By: Emma Martin

BBC television mini-series, Jekyll, is a smart updating and/or sequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's tale, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Set in the present day, James Nesbitt plays Dr. Tom Jackman. Recently, Tom Jackman has found himself having to battle with his alter ego, Mr Hyde, but there is a lot more than a multiple or split personality at work here because when Mr Hyde comes on the scene, the body that he and Dr Jackman share changes physically. And as the ladies would say, Mr Hyde is one sexy man. He's also a dangerous man.

Simultaneously childlike and predatory, Mr Hyde is everything Tom Jackman isn't. As Hyde indulges his impulses for sex and murderous mayhem, the repressed Jackman must protect his family from not only Hyde, but the shadowy and secretive organization who apparently have their own interests in Mr Hyde. In the meantime, Hyde is getting stronger and Jackman is losing control of the transformations. The detente over time-sharing the same body is breaking down as Hyde fights to get loose more and more frequently.

Both roles are terrifically acted by James Nesbitt and the show runners have eschewed major physical changes -- Hyde is slighter taller, thinner, with black eyes and a different hairline -- in favor of using the acting to carefully delineate the two characters from each other. Nesbitt's characterizations are sufficiently nuanced that the struggle between the two egos is clear to the audience even as the personalities start to bleed into each other as they fight for control.

Written by Steven Moffat, a total of six episodes were filmed for the series, which also features Michelle Ryan (The Bionic Woman) as the psychiatric nurse who works for both Dr Jackman and Mr Hyde. The series airs on BBCAmerica throughout August, 2007. The next opportunity to see the first two episodes is Saturday, August 11th.

Emma Martin loves British television. Be sure to check out her picks of British TV Shows you should be watching: http://www.squidoo.com/britishtvshows/

Jekyll is just one of upcoming series debuting on BBCAmerica that you should keep your eye out for. If you love Doctor Who, then you'll want to see John Barrowman in Torchwood in September or keep your eye out for the next re-air of Life on Mars.

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