Sparkhouse

OK it's very melodramatic, but what acting by the two leads! Both of them are excellent in this. I've seen Sarah Smart do a similar 'act' in other things. Whatever it is, she does it very well.

Joe McF plays his passionate and emotional part very well here. I know he irritates some reviewers by his 'soppiness' in this, but that's the character.

I'm surprised that Sparkhouse did not catapult both of them into much greater prominence. Joe McF, in particular, seems almost to have disappeared from the screen.

By the way, I also think Camilla Power is good in her rather thankless role. To think she was once in Narnia! Richard Armitage also does well here, but doubt I'll ever understand the adulation he seems to attract.

Feel a bit guilty about not watching this properly - was tired after a hard day of landscape gardening and got some beers in, sat down next to the box, put it on indiscriminately and thought "this'll do" and then watched it like a vegetable. Didn't know anything about the show and hadn't seen the write ups, but watched both the episodes shown together thinking it was very realistically put together (the fight sequences in 'real time' for instance, and the was he/wasn't he really there images in the ruined old house. Yes, love CAN send you nuts!) Genuine tension and emotion, went to bed and woke up thinking I'd dreamt it! Thought it was a dream about Wuthering Heights, read the book 20 years ago. Haven't stopped thinking about it now for about 3 days so in my opinion at least it's good if it leaves a thoughtful/lasting impression on you. Which is a lot more than can be said about some of the complete rubbish that comes out of Hollywood! Well done, gave it 9/10.

Sparkhouse is an update of the classic Wuthering Heights in which the roles of Cathy and Heathcliff are reversed i.e. it is the female character Carol who is the rebellious one in the relationship and is set in present day.

This is one of the most moving TV dramas that I have watched in a long time which owes both to the excellent script and the acting of the cast. Sarah Smart (Carol) and Joseph McFadden (Andrew) have such strong chemistry between them that you really believe in the intensity of heir relationship and are able to understand the motives for all of their actions. Beyond this, what really makes the story so is emotional is the supporting characters. Alun Armstrong plays Carols father with such sensitivity that although you know you should hate him as much as Carol does, you can't help feeling some of the pain he is going through.

On the other side Andrew's, parents add more depth to the story by their constant arguing and hate of each other yet their resilience to stay together both because of Andrew and because they do not know what to out outside of the marriage.

Sparkhouse emotionally illustrates differences between love and sex and shows that while some relationships are necessary for survival, others are so raw and uncontrolled that they can become a destructive power to all involved. There is a fine line between love and jealousy

When the Dutch tv-stations offer only Chuck Norris-movies and news talkshows, I escape to the BBC. On a Sunday night, I fell into Monarch of the Glen and kept watching it. Then came Sparkhouse: a rollercoaster ride of emotions, which still keeps me thinking about the story over and over again. Cast (especially Joseph Mc Fadden and Sarah Smart!!), directing, locations were perfect. BBC, thank you for a fantastic experience!!

fantastic series inspired even if not adapted from Wuthering Heights I was glued to the screen for the first episode and was distraught to find I had to wait a whole week for the conclusion. gripping, dramatic, emotional. the two lead characters had few scenes together, yet the connection between them was unmistakable. A review in the Newspaper was scathing, mocking the writer for claiming it was a modern day Wuthering Heights; I found this odd - the similarities are plainly obvious for anyone to see. Maybe its better to say it was beautifully inspired by the classic, which is itself woven throughout the programme. From the trailers I expected Sparkhouse to be an average run-of-the-mill story of teen lovers, but I was wrong. It is a brilliant dramatisation of TRUE love.