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So near to good... but not near enough , 6 March 2008
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Charlie Jade - Series 1 - Part 1
(3 discs)
on DVD (2005)
Starring: Michael Burgers, Michael Filipowich, Marie-Julie Rivest
Director: T.J. Scott, Anton Beebe
Certificate: 
I was fascinated by the concept of this series. Parallel universes is a subject not touched upon since Sliders and the idea of exploring a three-way relationship between three parallel Cape Towns sounded like it would rock.
Of course a killer concept does not a series make. In Charlie Jade's case this wisdom pays off in spades. Firstly, and forgivably, the South African/Canadian creative team had a little trouble signposting what the audience were supposed to be looking at at any given time, making the series unnecessarily confusing in its crucial first moments. When you're dealing with a concept as high as parallel worlds you don't want unnecessary plot getting in the way.
A prime example of this is Charlie starts the series looking for a missing kid who within ten minutes turns out to be dead and nothing to do with the plot. On the way there he sees a possibly relevant ghostly train and meets the amazingly well named Saw Saw Tukkars (pronounced So So Two Cars - brilliant) these two things ARE relevant to the plot but as an audience when you're told that there's a missing kid you want to know what's up with that.
Charlie also spends a lot of time at the beginning talking to people who have little to do with the overall plot. Not only that but it seems he's a bit of a smug, petulant philanderer. Hey, I really want to watch 13 episodes about the moody gimp who cheats on his classy girlfriend... hmmm...
Contrast this with the beginning of the sublime Lost Room which has an even dafter and more complex concept at its heart but manages to execute that concept with style and economy.
After seeking some internet clarification on what the plot of Charlie Jade would actually turn out to be I was underwhelmed enough to stop watching.
To sum up a confusing but ultimately directionless story about an unlikeable idiot wandering about being moody. It looks nice though and Cape Town makes a fascinating setting.
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