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Mark Gatiss’ enjoyable BBC4 adaptation of H G Wells’ classic science fiction novel The First Men in the Moon opens on July 20th 1969, the day of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Sixties music and clothes set the scene of buzzing excitement which typifies this momentous day in human history. Hang on though, Little Jim has lost his dad and has stumbled upon an old man with a scarily plastic face. This man, Julius Bedford (Rory Kinnear), claims that he has not only already been on the moon but also in the moon…
Bedford’s story takes us back to when he was a young man in the year 1909, to his meeting with the eccentric Professor Arthur Cavor, played by Gatiss, and the adventure which follows. Gatiss gives a performance not unlike Matt Smith’s in Doctor Who, and this is no bad thing. His agreeable quirks, amusing appearance and crackpot schemes which will “probably” work all combine to create a thoroughly entertaining mad scientist of a character. Their vessel - the ‘Sphere’ - is likewise akin to the TARDIS, complete with whirring contraptions and unexplained knobs. However, the most enjoyable thing about the sphere is the Edwardian décor which contrasts sharply and, I would say, delightfully with the stark stainless steel spaceships which usually grace our screens. One of the best moments of the programme for me was seeing the moon for the first time through an ornate gilt-framed window.
Meanwhile, Kinnear’s Bedford is less engaging but this is largely because the character he plays, due to his human flaws of greed and cowardice, is less likeable. Indeed, Kinnear delivers a solid performance which portrays moments of farce and of human failings, as well as enjoyably British moral outrage and mildness with equal skill - when finding themselves captured by terrifying alien life forms he exclaims “What a damn pickle!”.
The most important message to come from this tale is the corrupt and dangerous nature of humanity, and how fear is the root of all violence. Questions of morality and responsibility to innocents are raised within this story which declares peace and war an entirely human concept and explores how humans have the ability to corrupt purity and necessitate violence for self-preservation. However, this was only explored in the last third of the programme. It would have been beneficial to have explored these themes further but this production cannot, inevitably, make use of all the detail which exists in Wells’ novel. As such, the programme moved a little too quickly at times and at others felt rather flat.
Nevertheless, the overall production was very engaging and did the novel justice. The Selenites were a nice homage to classic images of aliens, and while not the most convincing CGI they suited the programme’s old-fashioned sci-fi style. What was most likeable about the programme was the attention to detail, for example, the magnetic shoes, splendid moustaches and Cavor’s collapsible glasses which all combined to make The First Men in the Moon very watchable television.
Catch The First Men in the Moon on iPlayer until Sunday 31st October.
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