Connections Bodyguard 2018 by DJ Forrest

Written and created by Jed Mercurio, who was also writer and creator of Line of Fire. Starring Game of Thrones, Robb Stark actor Richard Madden who played bodyguard David Budd and Keeley Hawes as Julia Montague - Home Secretary.

Brilliant BBC drama, that surprisingly has a fair few Who, Torchwood, and blimey, SJA's own Aniji Mohindra as Nadia.

Jed Mercurio writes some of the best dramas for television, including my favourite Scottish drama Line of Fire. What I’ve enjoyed about the drama series Bodyguard from the first scene you were hooked. I knew it was an intense scene unfolding on the train with the suicide bomber played by SJA’s Aniji Mohindra, who under her hooded apparel I knew I’d seen her before but for the life of me couldn’t think where from. And you wondered if the first episode would be the end of the series and you’d see the flashback to that point – such as some dramas seem to lead you these days.

I was holding my breath, feeling the same as David Budd, the soon to be bodyguard to the Home Secretary. He was the guy you were going to root for throughout the series. So by the time the tables were turned at the final episode, you wondered how they could pull another series out of this character – or perhaps, a new series with a completely different cast.

It was thoroughly enjoyable, and Keeley Hawes played a character that you really didn’t want to care about, but then she was playing a politician, and we never want to care about them especially when they’re putting themselves above those in the firing line, literally. 

The storyline was fantastic, the cast brilliant. It was edge of the seat, gripping enough that you didn’t want to hear Spoilers about episodes you hadn’t yet caught up on. It was an Avoid all Social Media till after you’d seen your iPlayer episode.

I couldn’t fault the story at all, the action, the cast. All brilliant.

Do you think we could have Jed Mercurio write for Torchwood? To have an edge of the seat drama series back on our screens? Just a thought…

Cast

Stephanie Hyam played Chanel Dyson for 6 episodes in 2018. Played Heather for Doctor Who episodes The Pilot and The Doctor Falls in 2017.

David Westhead played the Prime Minister for 5 episodes in 2018. Played Kempe in Doctor Who episode The Shakespeare Code in 2007. 

Nina Toussaint-White played Louise Rayburn for 5 episodes in 2018. Played Mels in Doctor Who episode Let's Kill Hitler in 2011.

Keeley Hawes played Julia Montague for 4 episodes in 2018. Played Ms Delphox for Doctor Who episode Time Heist in 2014.

Anjli Mohindra played Nadia for 4 episodes in 2018. Rani Chandra for SJA for 41 episodes from 2008 - 2011. Appeared for 6 episodes of SJA: Alien Files in 2010 and as Rani Chandra for The Sarah Jane Adventures Comic Relief Special in 2009.

Sophie Raworth played herself for 3 episodes in 2018. Played herself uncredited in Doctor Who episode The Power of Three in 2012. 

Gary Pillai played Security Manager for 1 episode in 2018. Played Mark Brisco in Torchwood episode They Keep Killing Suzie in 2006.

Andrew Marr played himself for 1 episode in 2018. Appeared as himself in Doctor Who episodes Aliens of London and World War Three in 2005. 

Art Director

Henry Jaworski was art director for 1 episode in 2018. Was supervising art director for Doctor Who episodes The Pilot and Smile in 2017.

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

Iain Atkinson was second assistant director for 1 episode in 2018. Was second assistant director for Doctor Who episode Flatline in 2014.

Art Department

Matthew Clark was graphic designer for 6 episodes in 2018. Was graphic designer for 18 episodes of Doctor Who from 2015 - 2017.

Sound Department

George Atkins was a.d.r. mixer for 4 episodes in 2018. Was a.d.r. mixer for 2 episodes of Doctor Who from 2014 - 2017 and a.d.r. recordist for The Time of the Doctor but uncredited in 2013.

Stunts

Paul Bailey was stunt driver for 2 episodes in 2018. Was stunt driver for 2 episodes of Doctor Who in 2018.

Andrew Burford was stunt performer for 1 episode in 2018. Was stunt performer for 5 episodes of Doctor Who from 2017 - 2018.

Xavier Lake was stunt performer for 1 episode in 2018. Was stunt double for Tosin Cole in Doctor Who episode The Woman Who Fell to Earth in 2018.

Camera and Electrical Department

Sophie Mutevelian was specials photographer / still photographer for 6 episodes in 2018. Was still photographer for 2 episodes of Doctor Who in 2018.

Josh Greenway was trainee camera: dailies for 2 episodes in 2018. Was trainee camera for 3 episodes of Doctor Who from 2017 - 2018.

Adam Sculthorp was aerial camera operator: drone for 1 episode in 2018. Was stereoscopic supervisor for Doctor Who episode The Day of the Doctor in 2013.

Editorial Department

Ella Soryl was digital intermediate operator for 6 episodes in 2018. Was digital intermediate operator for 1 episode of Doctor Who in 2017 uncredited.

Who Reviews The Gemini Contagion by DJ Forrest

Written by Jason Arnopp

Read by Meera Syal

Produced by BBC

Published by AudioGo Ltd 2011

ISBN: 978 1471 312083

“LISTEN TO ME!  LISTEN TO ME!”

If you follow Jason Arnopp on Twitter you’ll know just how scary some of his tweets can be, especially as he’s about to log out of Twitterland for the evening. Those freakishly ‘Beware of what lies beneath the surface’ kind of tweets, some of which really do make you turn around and stare at the empty space behind you, while you’re at the computer - alone!!!

The Gemini Contagion is just as scary. 

The story begins in the factory on the planet Vinsk in 2112, where the new anti viral handwash is being boxed up ready to despatch to Earth aboard a cargo ship.  Lorraina a young woman is busy checking off a list of products when Magnus tears open one of the boxes containing the handwash and uses some on himself.  He teases one of the workers, Ramirez to do the same including Lorraina, but the Welsh woman is not interested.  Suddenly the two men begin to react to the handwash by clutching their heads and groaning, hands tensing they begin in unison to scream at Lorraina. LISTEN TO ME! LISTEN TO ME! LISTEN TO ME! 

When the Doctor and Amy arrive in the TARDIS, Amy sees the men advancing on the woman and tries to distract them, but Lorraina takes a stumble off the edge and falls to her death. 

The all-new anti viral handwash has been laced with Meme Spawn: a sentient micro-organism which makes the user fluent in all languages in the universe.  That might be just what every human needs, especially if you’ve not got the TARDIS as your translator.  But the Gemini handwash hasn’t been tested on humans, and as the cargo ship hurtles ever closer to the planet Earth, the crew aboard are succumbing to a virus that if the user touches another will spread like wildfire.  With the co-ordinates already locked on for Earth, will the Doctor be able to stop the threat, before Amy succumbs to the virus, and if he has to choose which one to save first, will it be his companion or her home planet?

There are various phases of the virus which affect the user.  The initial inability to be heard by fellow workers is the most frightening of them all.  While they scream to be heard, the only words that make sense are LISTEN TO ME, but in every language of the universe.

As with any story, you need a great narrator and Meera Syal is perfect for this role.  Already having appeared in Doctor Who as Nasreen Chaudry in The Hungry Earth and Cold Blood, Meera is fantastic at the voice play, giving some of the characters a variety of regional accents and some that sound very familiar.

Jason Arnopp aside from putting the wind up you on Twitter is an author and script writer.  With a background in journalism Jason has written for magazines such as Heat and Doctor Who Magazine.  As well as writing the Gemini Contagion, Jason has also co written UNIT Dominion and Army of Death for Big Finish, an audio drama in 2012.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Arnopp