Bonekickers - Complete BBC Series 1 [2008]

See Larger Image	List Price: £29.99 Our Price: £8.97 Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours Manufacturer: ITV DVD Starring: Julie Graham, Anthony Green, Shauna Macdonald, Tamzin Merchant, Sam Spiegel Directed By: Sarah O'Gorman, James Strong, Nick Hurran Average Customer Rating:


Audience Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Binding: DVD EAN: 5037115276537 Format: PAL Label: ITV DVD Manufacturer: ITV DVD Number Of Items: 2 Publisher: ITV DVD Region Code: 2 Release Date: 2008-08-18 Running Time: 344 Studio: ITV DVD Theatrical Release Date: 2008
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Editorial Reviews: Daft, summer-schedule-filling fun from the BBC, Bonekickers is a muddled drama series that brings a team of people together to try and solve some ancient mysteries with a bit of modern know-how. Naturally, the team have their conflicts along the way, and naturally there are twists and turns as they go about their work. But not much that you won?t see coming. For it doesn?t take long before Bonekickers starts hitting problems. It?s hard to know where to point the figure, although the early dismissal of any plausibility will do. We?re used to archaeology on the telly being presented as painstaking and intricate. Not here. Instead, it?s in with the diggers, there?s no time to waste. Throw in some clunky dialogue for good measure, and the predictability of much of what?s going on, and you?d think there?d be little reason to pick Bonekickers up. But here?s the thing: it?s all a bit of a hoot. Because, warts and all, Bonekickers does work on an entertainment level. Oh sure, its mantelpiece will never need to make space for any awards of any note, but it?s still hard not to enjoy it. And while it?s doubtful if there?s enough in this first series to justify a second, you?re in for some fun if you do decide to take the plunge. --Jon Foster
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: What WERE they thinking?! Comment: How such unutterable tripe came to be created is beyond me. Despite distinguished creators, a decent cast and a respectable budget, we got something that was badly written, badly acted and looked cheap. Which doesn't even begin to adequately describe the mind-boggling badness of it all. Their historical and archaeological advisor seems to have been present only to ensure that all traces of accuracy were removed. Alarm bells already started ringing in my head as soon as the Templars were mentioned - writers of fiction seem unable to escape the rubbish about them being guardians of secret knowledge and all that rot which Dan Brown and a host of pseudo-historians got rich on. Needless to say, 'Bonekickers' jumped on the bandwagon quicker than you could yell "Beauseant!" Plot holes opened up big enough to ride a warhorse through, cliches were scattered about, dialogue that would make William McGonnagle look like William Shakespeare was uttered and the whole thing ended in the most ludicrous finale you could imagine. The format continued throughout the series, with each episode seeing a new historical character or event perverted to the writer's ends in an entirely implausible manner, and historical errors being flung about like confetti at a wedding. Lurking around the Roman baths of Bath, the Bonekickers explained how the Romans eradicted native culture to replace it with their own... all very impressive, except that the baths are dedicated to the Romano-British deity Sulis-Minerva, the perfect expression of the fusion of Roman (Minerva) and native (Sulis) culture that cropped up across the Empire. The fact that each week some priceless historical site or artefact is destroyed only adds to the 'fun'. And then there's that oh-so-mysterious story arc. What could this ancient magical sword be that they keep alluding to? I'll give you a clue - it isn't Sting from 'Lord of the Rings'... I am prepared to forgive historical errors and implausible plots if the quality's top. I love 'Gladiator' despite its many deviations from authenticity, and I love the Indiana Jones movies however ludicrous their storylines. 'Bonekickers' can summon nothing approaching the entertainment level of these, or any of their excitement or charm or... well, any of their good qualities, really. Its name perhaps, shall live on - but hopefully only as an example and a warning to all members of the TV industry now and in the future: this is how bad TV can really get. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I watched the whole thing simply because I could not quite believe what I was watching. Fascinatingly horrific. Customer Rating: Summary: Good new BBC series Comment: At first I was not sure how to take this series, I kept thinking this was a bit OTT, but when you realise it is not trying to be too real, then you can enjoy it. I think the reason behind it is that it is well written and acted, which meant that you expected it to be more real than fantasy, unlike say, Heroes, where you know it is just fanciful from the start. Best description is Time Team meets the Da Vinci code. The episodes are all individual, but they all add a little piece to the jigsaw each time, finally building to the last episode where all the pieces fit into place. Hope they do a second series, what will be the teams motivation for that one though?.... wait and see. Customer Rating: Summary: Bone Kickers kick arse Comment: I had read most of the reviews as I am Australian and have not seen any of the show or information about it. I took a chance and as it turned out i loved the show and hope there will be a season 2. Customer Rating: Summary: It is to TV what 'Swept Away' is to the cinema. Comment: Scots Lass is spot on. I'm an ex-pat and only heard and read reviews of Bonekickers; all of them damning. I went back to England in the summer and made the effort to watch an episode. It was shockingly bad; the production was cheap, the script was a cut 'n paste job, the storylines and arcs were stupidifying and, what's more, the actors knew that they were in the runny-brown-stuff. Given the quite superb output of American TV drama over the last few years the BBC should be ashamed of commissioning this dross; its reputation for drama is tarnished. If you are simply curious about Bonekickers then save your money, it's not worth it and unfortunately I have to give it 1 star to get the review in. Customer Rating: Summary: Good for a belly laugh ... Comment: Utter drivel that does not deserve even one star. And yet, I watched every episode. Once over my disbelief and outrage at the liberties played, I had to watch to see what other hilarious inventions they would come up with. Roman hand grenades. Boudicca's crystallised body, under the ground for nearly two thousand years but exploded when touched with a drop of water. A 14th century sword, supposedly Excalibur, being wielded by Alexander the Great. These are all the items that actually appeared in this series. I was rather disappointed the writers did not come up with an Assyrian inter-continental ballistic weapon. Ah well, maybe next season. The most annoying aspect of the whole show was the rewriting of history for politically correct reasons, and the attitude of the main archaeologist. Writing off Stonehenge as worthless, just because the pyramids were better! Deliberately dropping and smashing an artefact she had just found, before recording any of its details, just to test a mild hunch. More Reviews