Posted: 01/30/2010

Bonekickers

by Del Harvey

Bonekickers is an exciting new BBC series that digs into the mysteries of the past with thrilling results. From the creators of Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, this show combines the best elements of Dr. Who, Fringe, The DaVinci Code, and CSI to produce an amazing mystery show that is equal parts fantasy and suspense and all great fun.

Past and present meet with explosive results in this powerhouse BBC series from the creators of Life on Mars. Set in the beautiful ancient city of Bath, Bonekickers blends modern forensics with historical mysteries for deeply engaging entertainment. The fiery Dr. Gillian Magwilde (Julie Graham, At Home with the Braithwaites) leads an intrepid team of archaeologists that finds mud, blood and death-defying adventure in every dig. This popular new series also co-stars top Brit actors Hugh Bonneville (Lost in Austen) and Adrian Lester (Merlin).

The mainstay of the series is the hotheaded archaeologist Dr. Gillian Magwilde (Julie Graham), who leads her team of fearless investigators through a variety of exciting adventures, a team whose every shovelful of mud seems to uncover a startling new puzzle - and sometimes, a public outcry - over the bones of 18th-century slaves in the British Channel, or some uncovered icon leading to religious fury over bloodstained wood 2,000 years old.

Individual episodes included in this set are:

Episode 1: Army of God - A bloodstained piece of 2,000-year-old wood intrigues both the archaeologists and a fanatical Christian preacher.

Episode 2: Warriors - The team is caught up in a political storm when they unearth the bones of 18th-century slaves in the Bristol Channel.

Episode 3: The Eternal Fire - A dig at the Roman Baths reveals a cave once used for prisoners, perhaps including the warrior queen Boudica.

Episode 4: The Cradle of Civilisation - An Iraqi archaeologist (and Gillian’s ex-lover) arrives in Bath searching for an important find.

Episode 5: The Lines of War - A British WWI tank found in France holds the remains of six soldiers and clues that may point to Joan of Arc.

Episode 6: Follow the Gleam - The apparent discovery of King Arthur’s Round Table leads Gillian on a quest for her lifelong obsession.

The DVD set includes:
• English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired
• Behind-the-scenes segments for each episode

Bonekickers released on DVD on January 26, 2010.
For more information, or to purchase, click here.

Del Harvey is the founder of Film Monthly, a film teacher, a writer and a film critic in Chicago.

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