The Dead Zone - Season 1 [DVD]

This is the tv series based on the best-selling novel by Stephen King.The series picks up the basic plot of the book, and then goes on in it's own direction.The basic premise is that Johnny Smith has an accident as a child, and bangs his head, which starts to give him strange 'feelings' and 'hunches'.Then we fast-forward to his life as an adult, where he is a teacher, and madly in love with his childhood sweetheart Sarah. Then, one night, he is driving home in the rain and is involved in a horrific car accident which puts him into a coma for several years.When he wakes up he learns that his girlfriend has married, he has a son that doesn't know that Johnny is his father and his 'hunches' have become full-blown visions that are triggered by touching people or objects.He can see snippets of the past, present and future. In a nice twist on the book Sarah has married the local sheriff (Bannerman), and the plot of the series then revolves around Johnny having visions and trying to put things right, solve mysteries etc....And there you have it!But what do i think about it? Well, there is a lot of good things to write about in the series. Some of the camera work is superb - the visions are excellent, and genuinely impressive. The 'take' on the original novel is quite good too, and i liked the differences the creators took - they stayed true to the novel, but had some new ideas of their own.Anthony Michael Hall is good as Johnny too.However there are some issues i have.One this is not a full blown series.There are on 12 episodes which i thought was a bit mean. Secondly, the episodes don't all grip you in the way they should. The first couple, setting up the premise are the best, and the finally episode where we meet Johnny's nemesis Greg Stillson are superb, amongst the best tv sci fi/drama.But in between there are some quite lazy episodes that just don't grip you in the way they should.The ideas are good, but you can see the ending a mile off.That isn't to say that they are all bad, but for every good one there seems to be a poor episode after it. Another niggle is Johhny - he is supposed to have a limp, but this seems to be switched on and off, sometimes within the same episode!In the film starring Christopher Walker, Johnny comes across as a much more physically weak.My final criticism is that it feels like a modern Quantum Leap.Moral stories with wrongs that need to be righted, and sometimes it can be a bit treacly - too much sentimentality, where it doesn't need it.It doesn't always treat the audience with the respect it deserves i.e. the point is pushed home time and time again!I have only given this three stars because of the above faults and also because i think the film starring Christopher Walken does a really great job of adapting the book. I would really recommend you watch this and read the original novel before embarking on this tv series.I have also marked it down because of its' shortness.It is NOT a full blown USA series.Finally, it is up against some really stiff competition. If you compare this to the X-Files, Buffy, Angel, Lost, and the new Battlestar Galactica it doesn't match up to those great series, in my opinion.BUT that doesn't mean to say it is bad - it isn't.It just needs to raise it's game and be brave.The potential stories and material available to the writers is immense and if they tap into it, this could be an amazing series.I am now going to start Season Two, and i hope that it gets better....Buy this if you loved the book and the film, but don't expect too much.....

The part of the brain that for us fails to function is for John Smith very much alive - following the car crash that left him in a six year coma. This is a gift he would prefer not to have - images forever flashing of past events or forthcoming possible tragedies, he now regarded as either a freak or saviour.Here is a wonderful premise for a series. Season 1 proves a little uneven, but most of the episodes work a treat. The start is strong as John begins to realize the extent of his powers. Amongst the best episodes? The young ice hockey player in danger of a heart attack. The truth about the death of John's mother as he lay unconscious. Jury Service - much owed here to "Twelve Angry Men", John in the Henry Fonda role. The bank hold-up, John frantically trying to avert a whole string of ghastly scenarios. Shades of Salem in "the town that time forgot", John facing burning for witchcraft. My favourite was where he had contact with a Native American shaman of many centuries ago - an asteroid is about to strike, the tribe needing to evacuate if hundreds of thousands of descendants are to be saved.Yes, there is much to admire. Perhaps some may regret one of the characters who tends to irritate, her prominence in one episode the season's least happy spot. There is an appealing central performance. We leave John aware that an ambitious politician is destined to cause a nuclear catastrophe. A cliffhanger indeed, causing me at once to order Season 2.No extras - which is ironic, considering.

This is a tv series remake of the classic 80's film The Dead Zone based on the novel by Stephen King. Following the basic plot of the film and novel, it sees teacher Johnny Smith involved in a car crash and in a coma for 6 years. When he wakes up, his girlfriend is married to another man and he's lost his job and has scary, accurate visions of the past and future and uses these gifts to help people and help the police solve crimes. While the first 2 episodes follow the plot of the film and novel with a few minor differences and a couple of new characters, the series goes off on its own direction after episode 3 and going back to the plot of the film and novel for the explosive finale. This is gripping tense tv. Anthony Michael Hall is excellent as Johnny Smith taking over from Christopher Walken who played him in the film.

If you haven't heard of the book, the film and now the TV series, then where have you been? This is well worth the money and is a solid new take on the original Stephen King Material. Anthony Michael Hall is convincing as the lead, Johnny Smith, although he could learn a thing or two about limping from Hugh Laurie. The first season sets up the characters nicely with some cracking episodes, and then pulls you in towards the season finale that will leave you wanting more! Thankfully all 5 seasons are available on DVD, so get in there and give it a shot, you won't regret it.

Dead Zone is based on the Stephen King book, which became a series, about a normal, regular type high school teacher who is engaged to his childhood sweetheart -- until he's involved in a terrible car accident, and he winds up in a coma for 6 years.When he wakes up, he slowly discovers he has this amazine power -- visions -- in which he can see the past, future, or hidden present just by touching someone, or something they have touchedTHE DEAD ZONE IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST, MOST INTELLIGENT, WELL-WRITTEN, WELL-ACTED, AND WELL-DIRECTED TV SHOW THAT HAS BEEN ON FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBERyou'll either hate it or like me you would love it