Takin' Over The Asylum

Rated:
80
from 588 members

Six part BBC Scotland television drama about a hospital radio station in a Glasgow psychiatric hospital. The station is developed by alcoholic double glazing salesperson Eddie McKenna (Ken Stott), who is an aspiring DJ. At St. Jude's Hospital, he meets a range of people with varying mental illnesses. Read more

Starring	Ken Stott, Katy Murphy, Angus Macfadyen, David Tennant
Director	David Blair
Run time	240 mins
Genres	Drama

Sign up Takin' Over The Asylum DVD

Buy From: £9.43

Most helpful member's review of Takin' Over The Asylum
View all
17 out of 17 people found this review helpful

Outstanding

I saw this on TV when it originally aired and fell in love with it.

There are some aspects of this show which are so typically Glaswegian it's quite cheesy, but the performances from all the actors were fantastic.

David Tennant gives a brilliant performance for one of his first TV roles and was a natural at being Manic.

The entire series is funny, thought provoking and completly timeless.
- - InspiredLooney from Edinburgh
  - Posted 13 May 2008 14:33
Most recent members' review of Takin' Over The Asylum
View all
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

Familiar theme

I missed this series first time round. The acting was first class and the pace of the plot lines were steady, coherant and convincing. Coming from the Glasgow area, I also looked forward to and enjoyed the homeliness of each episode. Music, especially songs of The Beatles, played a major role in re-enforcing the mood and themes in each story. The songs were not performed by the originals but only a puritan would recognise the difference in performances, they were that good. The characters are engaging leaving the viewer with any number of them in which to gravitate towards. However, the downside - for me - was the familiar patient as victim, the staff as nasty jailers rather than nurses characterisation. The fact that the patients were mentally ill - except for the main male lead, though he did struggle with a drink problem - did not figure in the reason why they were there in the first place - for help. At this level it fell in to the Shawshank Redemption, Each Dawn I Die, Cuckoo's Nest prisoner/patient as victim presentation. This said, it's worth four out of five. If the production team had played original Beatles music it would have been six out of five!
- - Daibhmac from London
  - Posted 24 Sep 2008 07:55
More like this
View all
Showing 1 to 4 of 20

[+] [-]
Previous
Un Chien Andalou

Sign up

Casanova - BBC

Sign up

Scarface

Sign up

The Lakes

Sign up
Next