Primeval V Premiere Review

• 10th May 2011

Primeval – the UK’s CSI with dinosaurs – is back. For those of us who have Sky or Virgin telly anyway, as series five starts on Watch on May 24. This generic but likable ITV show has received a bit of an adventure (and no doubt cash) injection from new partner UKTV, and the show’s makers promise bigger storylines and more monstrous monsters than ever.

Created by Adrian Hodges and Tim Haines, who brought us the Walking With… series, Primeval follows a team of scientists, ex-soldiers and the like as they keep an eye on “anomalies” – rips in the fabric of time – and deal with whatever beasties (usually dinosaurs) or people might venture through them.

If episode one of the new series is anything to go by, the makers look set to deliver on their promise. Picking up where series four left off, the story widens in scope to encompass, well, the whole world – the anomalies are becoming more frequent and threaten to culminate in something huge. And we see the team take on giant man-eating beetles from the future with the requisite high-quality CGI, tension and explosions.

With a movie-style soundtrack, slightly ham-fisted dialogue and undeniably impressive special effects, Primeval is about as subtle as an underfed T-Rex. This unashamed emphasis on fun is endearing, but there’s something missing. A little intimacy, a smidgeon of grit and a lot more local flavour could give this show a real boost.

The new series does hint at little more character and intrigue. Episode one reveals some interesting info about the team’s leader Matt and his motivation for joining the team, creates intrigue about the organisation’s boss Philip and his real intentions regarding the anomalies, and introduces a slightly suspect new character called April who no doubt means trouble.

Entertaining and homogenous enough to appeal to a wide audience, Primeval has been hugely popular, both in the UK and overseas. It feels very much like an American show though – the sort of thing David Cameron was talking about when he told the UK film industry to make more films like Harry Potter. If you agree with Mr Cameron, then this is probably your sort of telly.

However, if you think the UK has some valid styles of its own to offer – that the British can be delightfully and entertainingly original with their wit, irreverence and eccentricity – it’s probably best to stick with good old Doctor Who.

Primeval – Series Five airs on 24^th May.

Kathy Alys