Chimera
Chimera DVD (1991/2010, Lawrence Gordon Clark, Revelation)
Can it really be almost 20 years since I sat down and watched this mini-series on ITV? Receiving an unprecedented amount of press coverage at the time – mainly because of the ethical issues it raised – Stephen Gallagher’s story of genetic manipulation actually took ten years to go from book to screen, eventually finding its way there through a series of happy accidents (like the TV company looking for a last minute four hour drama because the one they were planning stalled). Thankfully it did get made, not only giving us this historical genre gem, but springboarding Gallagher into other high profile projects, such as Oktober – which he also directed – and the more recent American series of Eleventh Hour, Crusoe and The Forgotten. Here Lawrence Gordon Clark (Harry’s Game) takes the reins, using Gallagher’s script to his full advantage.
Taking a job as a nurse in a remote fertility clinic, Tracy Pickford (Emer Gillespie) begins to suspect that there’s more going on than meets the eye. Suspicious of Dr Jenner (David Calder) and his team, she aims to find out what exactly is being kept in the animal testing part of the hospital. But when tragedy strikes and something escapes, it’s down to erstwhile boyfriend and movie critic Peter Carson (John Lynch, emoting wonderfully) to investigate.
What he uncovers is a web of intrigue, with scientist Alison Wells (Christine Kavanagh) and government official Hennessey (the always brilliant Kenneth Cranham) at its heart. The next thing he knows, he’s being drawn into the search for the thing known only as ‘Chimera’, taking its name from the legendary creature. But with the police being shut out and shady military guys on the prowl in the small rural location, will he be able to uncover the truth and find the beast before everything’s covered up for good?
Admittedly, Chimera is a product of its time – the late 80s haircuts, clothes and cars testify to that, but the sense of panic about scientific developments remains just as fresh today. It’s also an early slice of Gallagher, and he admits himself in the interview also included, that some scenes were padded and some lines of dialogue make him wince. However, as he also states, there’s some of his best work on display here – and who could fail to get emotionally involved in this timeless tale of Frankenstein proportions. The pacing could do with tightening up in places, but actually this only adds to the suspense of what’s going on. Image Animation’s creature effects also hold up well, making the Chad hybrid both frightening and sympathetic by turns. And I defy anyone not to get a shiver down the spine at the final scenes of the Chimera babies being farmed.
What’s also fun is spotting famous names before they were famous. Look out for a young Paul O’Grady as a sign language expert taking to chimps, Coronation Street’s Roy Cropper (David Neilson) as a disillusioned farmer, Rita, Sue and Bob Too!’s George Costigan as a DI dragged back from his holidays, complete with Hawaiian Shirt (“Who are you?” “Don Johnson!”), plus a host of other familiar faces. Informative extras include the aforementioned interview with Gallagher, behind the scenes video footage that he actually took himself (like a trip to IA’s Pinewood workshop to see the creature being made), the script for the original radio dramatisation and the press kit. All in all, a little slice of TV horror heaven. Paul Kane
