Underplayed Gems

Out of the Blue (1995)

Out of the Blue poster
Genre
crime television series
Country
United Kingdom
Length
2 seasons, 12 episodes
Rated
15
Rating
8.0 of 10 from 1 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

This is a British crime drama about detectives in Sheffield investigating murder cases and dealing with personal problems. The show has a gritty, realistic tone and focuses on the struggles within a divided community.

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What happens

Out of the Blue is a British television crime drama series, set and filmed in Sheffield, and broadcast on BBC One between 23 May 1995 and 9 September 1996. A total of twelve episodes were broadcast across two series. John Hannah and David Morrissey starred as the main protagonists in each respective series. Out of the Blue follows a team of detectives at Brazen Gate CID through grisly murder cases, clashes with an already-divided community and through the dramas of their personal lives. The series ultimately received acclaim from critics, but did not pull in the expected viewing figures, and was subsequently axed after the second series. The complete series is due for release on DVD by Simply Media 10 July 2017. Out of the Blue was billed as a "hard-hitting police drama", and was noted as the BBC's second attempt to rival The Bill following Waterfront Beat. Series script editor Claire Elliot said of the series; "[Out of the Blue] is a contemporary, gritty, urban reality. It's [sic] tight script, fast-paced direction and strong cast make for powerful and compulsive viewing". The series was shot entirely on film. At the time, the BBC also described the series as "the British answer to Homicide: Life on the Street". The lack of viewers for the series, which led to its untimely demise, was blamed on the fact that "viewers at the time seemed uncomfortable with the hand held camera work and bleak Yorkshire back drop." Writers Bill Gallagher and Peter Bowker said at the time that they were "more interested in character development than plot". However, the series was acclaimed for dealing with strong topics including male rape and euthanasia. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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