The Net: the Complete First Series [DVD]

Great series, but if you buy the episodes DO NOT watch the last episode on Disc one called Y2K Total System Failure, as this is in fact the 18th episode in the series and will spoil everything! Just skip the episode and continue enjoying the great series.

By the way they only ever made One Season and it aired in 1998-1999.

This is excellent Value for a 16 Hour Box set.

below is the actual running Order when it was on American TV.

1 Deleted { DISK 1 }
2 North by Northwestern { DISK 1 }
3 Transplant { DISK 1 }
4 Bulls and Bears { DISK 2 }
5 Death of an Angel { DISK 2 }
6 Kill the Buddha { DISK 2 }
7 Fireball { DISK 2 }
8 Jump Vector { DISK 3 }
9 Go Like You Know { DISK 3 }
10 Harvest { DISK 3 }
11 Diamonds Aren't Forever { DISK 3 }
12 Pandora's Box { DISK 4 }
13 Sample { DISK 4 }
14 Lucy's Life { DISK 4 }
15 Pay the Line { DISK 4 }
16 Lunatic Fringe { DISK 5 }
17 In Dreams { DISK 5 }
18 Y2K: Total System Failure { DISK 1 }
19 Zero { DISK 5 }
20 Last Man Standing { DISK 6 }
21 Chem Club { DISK 6 }
22 eye-see-you.com { DISK 6 }

Having seen the film The Net starring Sandra Bullock, and thoroughly enjoying it, I decided to check out the spin-off series. Of course, it isn't Bullock playing the main character, but - naturally - a look-a-like, and to her credit actress Brooke Langton does a fine job.

The series is obviously richer in scope than the film, but to begin with at least, sticks to the same storyline: Computer geek Angela Bennett loses her identity and gets framed for murder when baddies hack into the government's computers and changes her file. Angela then goes on the run and tries to clear her name.

Obviously, such a plot is by no means original and both David Jansen and Harrison Ford have traipsed over similar ground in The Fugitive, but to begin with at least, what we had here was an entertaining serial-thriller that was eminently watchable. Acting is top notch from both Langton and in particular Joseph Bottoms, who plays her nemesis Trelawney.

Unfortunately, after roughly eight excellent episodes, the story runs out, the plot starts to sag and everything good about the series bleeds away. In the first few episodes, Angela has an internet contact named Sorcerer who we know only by voice (played by the brilliant British actor Tim Curry), but when his real identity is revealed in Episode 10, the show changes lanes. The first ten are worth three stars, the remaining episodes only one.

I have to admit that I stopped watching it by Episode 14; the series had become so incredibly dull it was now unwatchable. It's no wonder The Net was cancelled after one series - I'm actually quite surprised it lasted that long. It got to the point when you thought the actors must be bored of it too.

There's no definitive ending to the series, but by that stage it hardly matters. Shame, as it started out as such an excellent thriller. In short, if you want to see something similar to the film version, watch this series for the first ten episodes and pretend that's it.