a covert government squad goes up against the very real threat of vampires

    Similar Shows: Two shows spring to mind. First, there's Prey. UltraViolet had a similar concept in that both were a about a small group of people out to stop a genetically superior humanoid foe. Both shows had a lot of medical dialogue. And both told their stories in self-contained episodes, that also advanced an overall arc, which necessitates watching in the correct order. But UltraViolet was more realistic, and much grimmer. Making it vastly superior.

    UltraViolet is also a lot like Between The Lines. In fact, both were produced by the same production company. And their opening episodes are identical in some ways. Each one begins with an honest cop coming under investigation from a covert Squad of some kind. He distrusts them. And doesn't understand what they are up to. By episode's end, he's more aware of why they do what they do and (although he has misgivings) he's now a member of that same squad.

    As well as that, the central character in both shows has romantic problems involving two women. While Tony Clark was a married man with a mistress, Michael Colefield (the hero of this show) must enlist the aid of one potential love interest in order to stop another potential love interest from tracking him down. Kirsty (the one's he's in-love with) suspects him of involvement in her fiancé's death/disappearance, while Frances (the one in-love with him) is clued in enough not to ask too many questions about what he does for a living.

    Typical Episode: A typical episode functioned like a cop show. The opening scenes would establish what that episode's story was to be. Sometimes showing us who/what the bad-guy was going to be, as well. After that you saw the Squad carrying out their investigation, trying to figure out (a) if "leeches" were involved, and if they were then (b) how and why. The show had four regulars and each had their own baggage when it came to the "leeches". Therefore each one brought a special prejudice to the investigation.

    It was this character work, and the attention to backstory, that lifted UltraViolet up there with the very best that TV has to offer.

    Michael lost his best friend to the vampires. He was new to the team and as the series progressed he began to wonder whether he was really with the good guys or not.

    Angie had lost her husband and her hatred knew no bounds.

    Meanwhile, as the series progressed Squad leader Pearse Harman learned that he was suffering from a fatal disease. If he changed sides, threw his lot in with the leeches, he stood a decent chance of eternal life. Question was: would he be tempted?

    The Inner Light:

    Strengths: Top-notch scripts. UltraViolet is an example of fantastic story-telling.

    Weaknesses: Much to my surprise, as the weeks went by, I began to like the side-kick more than the hero. Michael was a bit too indecisive for my liking. And he kept making mistakes.

    Impressive Characters: Vaughan Rice was my favourite character. A tough no-nonsense cynic, he was a much more appealing character than the over-awed rookie: Michael Colefield. His unrequited love for Squad-member Angie March was another superb touch.

    Impressive Actors: Idris Elba. The guy who played Vaughan Rice

    Impressive Episodes: All the episodes were impressive, but the penultimate was particularly effective.

    "Terra Incognita" opens at the airport, when a Brazilian man is stopped entering the country. He is bleeding. When the Squad get involved, they discover that the planes cargo consists of five "special" coffins. Each one time-locked. They manage to isolate one and bring it back to HQ, where everyone watches the timer, and waits to meet with the first "leech" they will have in captivity…

    Meanwhile, Michael and Vaughan are tailing the other coffins. Unfortunately it's an elaborate ambush, and Vaughan Rice finds himself trapped in a deserted warehouse. He's defenceless, locked-in and the remaining coffins are five minutes away from opening…

    This particular sequence, mid-way through the episode is definitely one of my TV high-lights for 1998. Earlier tonight I watched it for the second time, and it still blows me away.

    The situation, the way it's played, the way it's written, the way it's filmed, all contribute to make this a genuine classic. heck, even the background music is haunting!

    Vaughan is trapped. Michael is on his way, but even in a helicopter it will take twenty minutes. The sun is setting. Vaughan can get his arm out into the light, but there's no way he can escape. He and Michael talk. In the helicopter, in close-up, Michael's face is red. From the setting sun.

    Vaughan phones Angie. He loves her. She doesn't know. He has nothing to say. He listens to her voice. Then hangs up.

    He lies against the doors. Points his gun to his head. There's less than a minute left now…

    Edge-Of-The-Seat stuff.

    Particularly on first viewing when you don't know what will happen next.

    Is Vaughan about to meet an unpleasant fate? Could he?

    Of course he could! He's the side-kick. Michael's the central character. Anything could happen to poor Vaughan.

    Anything…

    In their End-Of-Year Review X-Posé cited this episode, and this scene, as one of the Top Twenty. Side by Side with various Buffy, Voyager, Babylon 5, Ally McBeal, Sliders, X-Files, Hercules, Seven Days, Earth: Final Conflict, Xena and Deep Space Nine episodes. Columnist Lee Binding wrote: "Ultraviolet was seen by few - but won rave reviews."

    Likewise, Cult Times - in it's end-of-year roundup - cited the series and the episode in similar fashion. Columnist Nick Joy award the series 10 out of 10. The only other show that got full marks from Nick was South Park. While Andrew Pixley picked the sequence with Vaughan in the warehouse and his "telefantasy highlight of the year".

    Words of praise indeed, from a succession of gentlemen who know their stuff.

    Impressive Writers: Joe Aherne. He wrote it. He directed it. His name will be familiar to This Life fans, from his turns as director/writer on that show. But UltraViolet is where he really came into his own.

    Less-Than-Impressive Characters:

    Less-Than-Impressive Actors:

    Less-Than-Impressive Episodes:

    Less-Than-Impressive Writers:

    Continuity: Strong. While each episode was a self-contained story, various scenes advanced the arcs of the various characters. Because of this, the first season has to be watched in sequence.