The Body Farm - A Review of reviews

Let me just say, never in all my years of buying from Amazon or any other site have I ever left a review (unless it was for the actual seller or if the product was defective). Why you ask? Because I usually don't read or absorb others opinions because just because they didn't like it doesn't mean I won't and god forbid I should force my opinions on the world (which is funny considering I do a blog, but I'm digressing)...so I choose to just keep my mouth shut and not leave reviews.

I was a fan of Waking The Dead and I knew that The Body Farm was going to be spinning off from it and was anxiously awaiting its arrival on DVD so I could watch it. Periodically I would check Amazon UK to see if it was listed yet and when it was due to to be released, until finally that magic day came! I had my release date! People generally start posting reviews of the show before the DVD gets released because they are able to watch the show as it airs. Needless to say, the reviews were less than stellar...most of them were downright awful, and they just kept getting worse and worse!

But, like I said, I don't really listen to reviews, so I was still waiting patiently for my copy to come in (yeah, right, me patient...but it makes the story sound better so bare with me). Then, day before yesterday, it arrived! And my excitement was so justified! It was brilliant! I absolutely loved it! I watched all 6 episodes all in one sitting!

Then I started dwelling on the reviews again...friggin OCD. So I went back and read some again and my anger started to swell. People complained because it wasn't like Waking The Dead, people complained because it wasn't forensically realistic enough, people complained at the casting, people complained because each storyline was finished in the hour, one person even complained that they weren't following medical protocol! Come on! Seriously?

So, for the first time in my life, I left a review on Amazon UK. I gave it the five stars it deserved and then I started my rant. The first point being how can you compare the show to Waking The Dead? It's a spin off! I used the Cheers/Wings analogy (because it was the only one I could think of at the time), but Waking The Dead was a cold case police unit, The Body Farm is a forensic testing unit who have to supplement their income by taking on current police cases. Where are the similarities in that? There isn't...they share one solitary character...Dr. Eve Lockhart...period.

The second point, the realism issue. Come one people! This is television! I'm sure CSI members and MI-5 agents laugh at CSI and Spooks too for their realism. The general public don't realize when the techs make errors or don't follow procedure (nor, I'm sure, don't care). One reviewer claimed to be a Forensic Pathology Tech and "knows for a fact" they "are way off" in their methods. Big whoop. I work in Pathology too and frankly I did notice a few things, but I typically don't take work home and I do realize I'm watching a TELEVISION show that is a work of FICTION providing me ENTERTAINMENT and therefore I realize IT'S NOT REAL NOR IS IT MEANT TO BE! This person gave it one star for that reason.

Then there was the negative reaction to the characters...a couple directed at the character of Oggy, played by Finlay Robertson. Reviews ranged from "the general lab geek", to "just plain weird". Oggy was my favorite part of the show! He exhibits tons of Asperger traits IMO and I love Finlay anyway (and have since the Blink episode of Doctor Who). Now, of all the Pathologists on Waking The Dead, Eve was my least favorite, but I did really like the romance history and building of a possible new romance between her and her partner on The Body Farm...it humanized her a bit more for me.

The icing on the cake for me was the last episode had Jamie Draven in it! Any we all know how much I love me some Jamie! One episode had Jonas Armstrong...so with Finlay, cast member Keith Allen, and Jonas, it was a regular Robin Hood reunion!

In summary, get The Body Farm, and, if you enjoy it, leave a review on Amazon UK (if you don't enjoy it...no need to leave another negative review...there are already enough). We still don't know if it's gonna get renewed for another series, but as long as the reviews are that negative, it's probably not looking good!