Mad Dogs - Series 1 [DVD]

For the first half hour of this show, I was nonplussed. By the shocking end of the first episode, I was waiting for the next installment with baited breath!

I wont spoil it but in short, 4 old school friends with issues aplenty between them head off for a week in the sun with their cheesy and ultra successful friend Alvo in his majorca villa. Villainy and mayhem ensue.

It's an unexpected, grown up drama that is also wickedly funny, it could have easily been disappointing given the high hopes such a cast line up gives you but it delivered. Glennister is magnificent as grumpy, sensible Quinn thoguh you could be forgiven for suggesting that it's just Gene Hunt on holiday. John Simm and Marc Warren were both convincing and amusing in roles you might not have pegged them for based on other work, Simm being a bit mean and Warren going from cocky to vulnerable and all the way around again. Max Beesely seemed in danger of just being there for the pretty factor initially but holds his own in the drama, particuarly in the last 2 episodes. His character is a lot more understated but still compelling to watch as the events unfold. Ben Chaplin does a marvellous smarmy ex-pat, briefly, and the handful of minor additionals all fit in well to the over all story.

The 'sets' should also get a mention, as it was filmed on location in majorca and made me a few degrees warmer just watching it!

Yes, it is far fetched and silly but it's also incredibly satisfying, it certainly keeps you guessing. Murder, drug deals, a gun weilding midget (can I say that?), sun burn and middle aged angst, some shocking swim wear and a goat in a pool. What's not to enjoy? The ending, well, it's a bit marmite really and hard to judge if they did a good job of finishing until Sky confirm whether there will be a second series next year. Fingers crossed.

OK it had a great cast but SKY don't exactly have a track record when it comes to producing quality drama so I was a bit dubious about this, but it's an absolute corker. Blackly funny, absorbing, disturbing, surreal and brilliantly tense.
Those wanting to be spoon fed everything like children had best stay away as this is a story you have to pay attention to but it's never pretentious, the (relatively for British TV)big budget really shows on the screen and the locations are fabulously used.
Personally I rather liked the somewhat ambiguous ending, however SKY have announced a second season in 2012 which apparently starts where this one left off, in fact look back at the 4 episodes and there are all sorts of questions still to be answered so hopefully it won't be a cash in on series one's success.
If you are a fan of crime drama or have a slightly sick sense of humour I can't recommend this highly enough!

Mad Dogs is a four part series about four long time friends from England heading over to Majorca, Spain to visit their recently retired friend Alvo(Ben Chaplin) for a holiday of a life time! Alvo has paid for all their flights, taxi's and will put them up in his large Villa, it seems that the "property business" has been good to Alvo and it's going to be a reunion to remember for all five!

Of course that would be to simple, as is evident from the opening scene in which the four mates Baxter(John Simm), Rick(Marc Warren), Woody(Max Beesley) and Quinn(Philip Glenister) are seeing recording messages for loved one's that all has not gone well in the reunion.

The one thing for sure is if there is trouble to be found, these guys will find it, in each episode they get deeper and deeper in to trouble. Not knowing Who to trust they begin to take it out on each other, In episode one Alvo is seen belittling all his friends that their lives are a mess and he has the perfect life!

Mad Dogs is a British gangster series, so expect dead bodies, drugs, guns and bit of everything else. It's been compared to British gangster movie Sexy Beast and there are some similarities between the two. John Simm(Baxter) and Philip Glenister(Quinn) do provide some strong acting compared to Marc Warren(Rick)who just seems like a spoilt brat. María Botto who plays Spanish Cop María also turns in a fine performance and you can never be sure what side of the law she's on.

This is a good series and their is rumours of a second series, the script is good, there is some good humour thrown in and there is some real tense moments throughout. With a lack of good British series lately Mad Dogs is a welcome addition.