Having just seen all 6 episodes of 'Beasts' on DVD, I fear that the enthusiastic posts here are from people who are relying on rose-tinted memories of a thirty-year old series. The sad truth is that, with the exception of 'Baby', none of the episodes here are very good, with a creaking budget (and sets) restricting the action terribly, and making, especially in the cases of 'Buddy Boy' and 'Special Offer', for some breathtakingly tedious and often laughable television. The much discussed 'During Barty's Party' would clearly be quite scary if you were 9 years old, but the two actors are absolutely terrible, and despite a nice concept, the show positively staggers to 55 minutes. I'm a huge fan of old British t.v., and there is much (Whistle And I'll Come To You, some episodes of Hammer House Of Horror, The Woman In Black) that has retained its power, but sadly the truth is that 'Beasts' isn't really up to much. Ironically, one of the extras on the DVD is 'Against The Crowd: Murrain', which is a fantastic and disturbing piece of television, far better than any of the 'Beasts' episodes! Rent the first disc for that alone, but be warned - it may be better to keep your memories as they are.
Review of Beasts
