The Deep

I’m not sure if it’s just because I scan the TV listings for them, but there seems to be more one off dramas and mini-series’ on television then in previous years. And good quality ones, at that.

This week sees the start of The Deep written by Simon Donald*, which stands out due to its unusual setting – almost entirely in a submarine deep under the sea. The whole things feels incredibly sci-fi, even down to the vampire squid (pictured) that the crew watch dance past them. As well as feeling like made up science the story-line is far-fetched to my mind, but no doubt is actually pretty much factually accurate an incredibly well-researched.

There are aspects that seem implausible, such as whether a dead marine biologist’s husband (also a marine biologist) would be involved in the recovery mission for her submarine’s black box. However this is easily forgotten once we delve into the submarine mission.

In the tradition of cabin-fever movies such as The Hole (2001) gradually tempers flare, and we leave the first episode reading the eerie message ‘RAYMOND MURDERED MADDY’. One of the main techniques used to build the claustrophobia was only having limited scenes above the sea. That way the audience feel trapped along with the characters – I know my heart was beating a little faster when the lights on the submarine went out.

There are, of course, some faults with a script like this. Dramatic lines can feel tacky, and explanations of scientific objectives can get wordy and unwieldy. Plus the relationships between the crew members initially seems more distanced than you would expect for people who spend weeks at a time working in a confined submarine together, and the relationship reveal seems a little trite. However I’m just being picky, and at the end of the episode I raised myself up from lolling on the sofa and gazed wide-eyed at the unfolding spectacle. And I can’t ask for any more than that, showing that the script must be doing an awful lot of things right.

*Murphy’s Law, Taggart, Soldier Soldier.