User reviews

This show is very well acted. The setting and scenery is magnificent. As an American watching, I love the historical references emerging through the story. Colin Morgan and Charlotte Spencer make a wonderful couple.

The plot, itself, reminds me of the series Ghost Whisperer (2005-2010), in which Jennifer Love Hewitt's character solves mysteries related to those haunting the living. This is much deeper, but still retains that episodic start to finish feeling.

I became familiar with Colin Morgan watching Merlin (2008-2012). His acting completely impressed me. I hope to find other works he has been/is involved with. I am desperately waiting the release of The Rising. I truly think Mr. Morgan can carry the weight of the big screen.

I personally found this captivating and well worth watching.

The setting is a lovely location with history oozing thru the storyline. the characters are solid, 3d and fully believable. the directing and background make you believe the story and accept the circumstances.

it drags you into the plot and makes you want to know what ever happens next.

I cannot recommend this enough.

Unlike another critic I felt that the music enhanced the plot and added to the air of mystery.

It all becomes explained in the last episode and suddenly it all makes sense.

well worth watching.

A brilliantly constructed bit of telly showcasing the BBC at it's best. A feast for the eyes with views of the English countryside through the changing seasons. Excellent costume design, most notably for Colin Morgan's character where his clothes reflect his changing mental state. A scary, gripping and clever tale filled with surprising and unexpected twists and turns and a final scene which left me gagging for a sequel. Brilliant soundtrack. Colin Morgan gives a heart wrenchingly good performance as Nathan Appleby and the chemistry between him and screen-wife Charlotte Spencer is wonderful. Cannot recommend this show highly enough and I implore the powers that be to make a second series!

It is beautiful. Just beautiful Gothic story, served by impecable acting, inspired atmosphere, great care for details, haunting theme. A couple, a farm,possesed children and shadows of past, old stories, the effort to save the other and himself and beautiful love story. Short, just impressive.

It's 1894 Somerset, England. Pioneering Victorian psychologist Nathan Appleby with his wife Charlotte return home to visit his sick mother. When she dies, Nathan inherits the estate's farm. Charlotte tries to inject new thinking into the farm work but she is opposed by the locals. One night, Nathan finds local girl Harriet in a trance and waist-deep in the lake. He sees it as a psychological disturbance and the locals' fears as superstitions but dark forces may be abound.

This is an interesting BBC show. It's 6 episodes. It is obviously planning to continue but got canceled after the first series. I really like the old rural Britain society and the conflict between modern science and old superstitions. The show transitions into the modern world in the last episode and it's a little jarring. It almost feels like a different show. The book of light is a fun term but I don't really like the modern story of that last episode. It may work better if the modern day story is presented right from the beginning of the show.

The series is beyond words, truly another one of BBC's fine works. The plot is something that I have never encountered before, with its elegant and swift twists. The characters are absolutely lovely, and watching the character development flow is simply beautiful. The series take on paranormal is genius. It is nothing like being afraid of the beast under the bed, or the creature that lingers within the shadows. It is almost like a dreadful feeling of a living being stalking behind you, or eyes that follow you in a painting; and that's what managed to capture me in joining Naethan's journey. The concept of time between the living and the dead is very thoughtful. It allows the viewers to question themselves, "is time real?" and that's the beautiful thing about this show. It gives everyone something to ponder at night, staring into the ceiling with questions that have no right answer. Of course, I must mention the unique dark misgivings that invade the village. It is very interesting to watch how everyone copes with the hectic difficulty, especially Naethan. His struggle with trying to separate the blended lines can be frustrating for a viewer, but that's the whole point I think. You know a show is good when you have a love-hate relationship with it, and all you wanna do is smack the protagonist in the head, then point them in the right direction. All I can say is that it has potential, and hopefully the writers don't waste it.

I'm very sad to hear that there will not be any more seasons. It really was wonderfully done.

The Living and the Dead is a very evocative celebration of rural England. It is powerful because, rather than present a life of twee corn-dollies and doilies, it presents the real struggles of life on the land, and what the agricultural year used to mean to people: i.e. everything. The haunting come across as an expression of this place in time and I think, despite other reviews, are truly original in that they are rooted in deep story. The central characters are mostly real and deep - especially Gideon and Nathan Appleby. I find Charlotte's character a little cookie cutter at times - she is the straightforward one. The acting by Morgan is really rather stop-you-in-your- tracks, but I must also acknowledge that I am a red blooded female with an appreciation for tortured souls in a waistcoat. The twists, and complexities of plot, the imagery of the thing and - most of all I think- the questions it raises about the nature of time, make this compelling TV viewing. Many are super keen for more.

It seems as if too many series now rush the end. Enjoyed how Nathan and Charlotte adapt to country life as supernatural events begin to present around them.

Some of the individual episode with the exception of the finale (E6) were well done in and of themselves but I could not tie them very well together. Gabriel as a ghost with closure issues - okay. The tie in to modern day Lora - maybe (being sentient to different eras?).

But the finale left a bad taste in my mouth. How did the writers and producers and BBC allow it to end on such a cliffhanger? No resolution and reward to those slugging it out for the entire season.

The Living and the Dead taps into the late 19th century obsession with spiritualism and runs with it.

This is a well crafted series. It examines the obsession with spiritualism of the time but hints, ever so subtly, that there may be more going on than one man's obsession, in the face of bereavement.

The settings and in particular, the beautiful, well crafted visuals and set pieces breathe Victorian "atmosphere". Familiar settings reminiscent of agricultural scenes from paintings by the like of Constable are cleverly combined with an unspoken, eerie, other worldly quality, that sits just below the surface of rural normalcy.

The acting is of a high standard and the chemistry, in particular, between Colin Morgan and Charlotte Spencer's young couple, the Appleby's, who own a struggling country estate is electric. They are an inherently likable couple whose shared warmth helps to soften the "chilliness", found in the supernatural aspects of the series.

This series is in many respects highly original but also familiar. Certainly there are aspects reminiscent of films like The Other's, to be found in The Living and the Dead. I have enjoyed this slow burn psycho supernatural mystery series and plan to keep on watching. Nine out of ten from me.

This series was a well acted psychological thriller with many twists and turns. The main plot was not difficult to anticipate, especially after they started adding strange clues. However the story of the farming industry is quite boring and the pace is very slow. The season finale was interesting, more twists than I had imagined. Yet the cliffhanger is aggravating, knowing that there is no season 2. If you love Colin Morgan like I do, it's worth the watch. Just be prepared to be left hanging. 😫

Why do great shows like this only get one season!? You're killing me, BBC!

If I'm honest I didn't think the BBC had the capacity to make a series like this, nothing to do with production or calibre, just that a series such as this feels less mainstream somehow.

It's fantastic from start to finish, you get a horror vibe from it, it's full of intrigue, suspense and manages to get you on edge. Beautifully filmed, it oozes quality, the cinematography is sublime, and the music is perfect throughout, it really added to the overall 'gothic horror' feel of the show. Fantastic costumes, which looked incredibly authentic. I got vibes of the recent Woman in Black and The Others, a very definite positive.

Colin Morgan goes from strength to strength, he has a definite quality, and somehow seems to have matured into an actor of some presence. Entire cast were great, Charlotte Spencer and Kerrie Hayes particularly good, as was the all too brief appearance of Fiona O'Shaughnessy.

It's disappointing that a second run was not commissioned, particularly in light of the ending of the final episode, but as I said earlier, it may not have been 'mainstream' enough.

I have a feeling this will be a series remembered for years to come, 9/10

There is something very sinister about possession in children that has spawned countless movies over the decades. you will be seriously mistaken if you think this is one of the many..... It started out as a well done period drama with some scares thrown in for good measure, as period dramas go, it was a bit slow for the first 2 episodes, but by episode 4 the pace picks up...and from then on it is just an awesome journey. twists like you never would have guessed. it boldly goes where no horror series has gone before. this is like Downtown Abbey/Poldark meets the Grudge/the others meets life on Mars meets back to the future??

This was an excellent series for the BBC. It has great acting a great storyline, eeriness, beautiful set and everything you'd want in a good dark horror/drama. I'm not sure why the BBC killed it after one season. I guess they take their cues from Netflix. If it's a good show, cancel it. If it sucks, renew it.

This is the kind of storytelling I enjoy! I thought the slow twining of the two plot lines was beautifully rendered, and the build up to the end made for some great TV. Both lead actors were awesome in their roles, and the atmosphere of the series was appropriately eerie. Well done. I just wish a second series had been commissioned.

The series is otherworldly creative, mystical,magical gothic period drama! Viewers here in America can not wait too see more of this superb series!!

I must first admit to thoroughly enjoying period pieces! That was just one element that drew me to this show. The second being Colin Morgan; I have enjoyed watching him grow as an actor since I first saw him in Merlin. I thought the music was perfect for this genre, if you can say "Period Horror" is a genre. I found parts that reminded me of "Supernatural", except nobody knew how to protect themselves from the goings on. I agree that there were many unanswered questions, but fans of this type of show accept that as part of the draw. Even at the end, there will always be something that makes you say "huh?", but because that is expected, it allows the viewer to insert his/her own conclusions. In the US, I feel like I'm being spoon fed the information, like I'm too stupid to figure anything out on my own. The constant need storytellers and directors have for flashbacks and blatant foreshadowing is patronizing. I love British television and movies because you never know how it might end. In Hollywood there seems to only be one kind of ending-happy. From the beautiful countryside, the great actors, the eerie music, and the compelling story with the lovely crossover events, I look forward to a second season of "The Living and the Dead".