The Rig

The two main things that let this drama down are the poor script and the dreadful visual effects. You don't empathise with any of the characters therefore you don't actually care what happens to them with little to no suspense. As for the visual effects, very poor. It is so obvious this was filmed on a set. The lighting is all wrong and actually takes you out of the story it's so bad. There are a number of great actors in this drama but some seem miscast and the others are trying their best with the poor writing. The story isn't new, it's just a few ideas from a selection of 80's movies cobbled together.

After 40 years working on North Sea oil production platforms I was quite happy with the "1st Generation" oil rig sets, and the reasonably acurate patter. Remember lighting the flare with a shotgun. Just brushed over the lack of safety glasses and lack of oil risers. Visually good, however the story was not great. Stephen King's "The Mist" probably did it better.

Nice touch that most of the actors are named after North Sea oil fields.

Iain Glen - Magnus Molly Vevers - Heather Richard Pepple - Dunlin Martin Compston - Fulmer Owen Teale - Hutton Stuart McQuarrie - Murchison Mark Bonnar - Alwyn.

The problem with the series is symptomatic of most of the big streaming giants. Good idea, great cast, adequate budget - then no idea of how a script develops. Six episodes for this was far too much, leaving the plotline long and dawn out. The character development is minimal and rudimentary and ends up with generalised cliche and arguments that they need to sustain conflict.

Owen Teale, Iain Glenn, Mark Addy and the effortlessly brilliant Mark Bonar are great. It's just the whole thing is drawn out, under developed and with four episodes the whole thing would have been tighter and the cgi budget more targeted. Not great.

Not sure why the negative reviews. This series reminds me of Vigil but I am enjoying it far more. There are some stellar and well known faces in this series, especially Owen Teale in a different role for him. Also it seems to me that anything with Martin Compston or Mark Bonnar in it is sure to be a good watch and they have not disappointed. It's not particularly original, there are subtle shades of Alien, The Thing and various other horror movies that I can't remember the titles of, but definitely not as frightening. This is a good solid thriller and mystery to enjoy after the excitement of Christmas and the current wet weather here in Oz.

I found this to be very easy watching,but there are several things that stopped it from being really good.

Won't mention any names,but some of the acting, including from fairly major characters, was truly lamentable and stopped this from being believable! Seemed to me that they were more schooled in stage acting than film/TV productions, with wildly over the top facial expressions at times!

Also, at times it didn't feel like it was filmed on an oil rig at all,I don't know if it was or it wasn't,but at times it had a stagey/set feel about it which took away from the feeling of isolation,that to me, it should have had.

Having said all this,it was an easy watch,just switch your brain off before you start viewing, and don't question it too much. I'm sure some of the bigger names in this might leave it off their CV though!