MINISERIES PREMIERE: This new six-episode series, an international co-production of BBC One and Hulu, comes from Neil Cross, creator of the excellent police drama
Luther. This, too, is a police drama of sorts, centering on Detective Inspector Elaine Renko (Agyness Dean) and Detective Chief Inspector Charlie Hicks (Jim Sturgess) as they go about their days solving cases. The twist is – and it’s a big one – scientists have determined that the star around which the Earth is orbiting has five years until it goes cold – hence the show’s title. The residents of the planet don’t generally learn about this until episode two, but once they do, how will they react? How would you? And if you were charged with maintaining law and order, would you persist? And if so, how? And why?
Hard Sun may not answer, or even address, these questions satisfactorily – but as post-apocalyptic dramas go, it’s certainly an unusual approach.
For a full review, see David Hinckley's All Along the Watchtower.