In today's cluttered narrative environment, truly new stories are rarities. Remakes of foreign or vintage TV programs and adaptations of books or comics into movies are not only prominent in the entertainment business, rather they account for a large percentage of the palatable content in circulation.
With this in mind, it would be easy to dismiss Jekyll as yet another "re-imagining" of a classic story tarted up for contemporary media consumers. In this case, the shows creators chose to create a contemporary TV sequel to the classic novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde written by Robert Louis Stevenson and first published in 1886. James Nesbitt delivers a truly heart stopping performance in the dual roles of tormented scientist Dr. Tom Jackman and his demented man-beast alter ego Mr. Hyde.

The six-part series opens with the good Doctor briefing his foxy yet clinical new assistant Katherine Reimer (played by the revamped Bionic Woman herself, Michelle Ryan) on his unique and horrific situation and how she will be responsible for maintaining the shaky deal between both sides of his personality. She and Jackman rely on a series of technological checks and balances to keep tabs on Hyde during his nightly escapades, but his (sometimes comical) bad behaviour soon outgrows these electronic stop gaps.

Tense edits and claustrophobic cinematography tease his first transformation which doesn't fail to deliver, thanks entirely to masterful acting by Nesbitt. When he becomes Hyde, Nesbitt takes on a Cheshire-chat grin and wild-eyed, manic posture which really does separate him from the constantly tired, moral doctor. Secrets are held by both personalities however, such as Jackman's wife and children living at a posh house in the country, which he does his utmost to conceal from the craven Hyde. Tack on the fact that both instances of the man are being discreetly observed by a shadowy organization with a mysterious fleet of black vans and far-reaching tendrils and both Jackman and Hyde have reason to be worried.

It's clear here that there is some link between 21st century Jackman and Victorian Jekyll, but the question is, will the doctor be able to fend off the increasingly frequent and decreasingly controlled arrivals of Hyde long enough to secure the truth.

Jekyll is written by Steven Moffat (creator of the BBCs' relaunched Dr. Who) who describes the show as "somewhere between a modern horror story and The Odd Couple."

Jekyll premieres exclusively on Showcase in HD on Wednesday, August 29th at 10 PM.

Some UK press on the series:

“Steven Moffat’s modern makeover of the Jekyll and Hyde story has been a mischievously engrossing affair, consistently underpinned by the sense that a lot of men (and quite a few women for that matter) might like a bit more Hyde in their lives. The jokes helped a lot too, allowing Moffat to ramp up the absurdity of the plot without ever risking the charge that he was taking it all too seriously. … The thing wouldn’t have worked though if Moffat hadn’t been a little serious, and found something seductive in the battle between civilised restraint and animal impetuosity.” - Thomas Sutcliffe, Independent

“This was as entertainingly OTT a performance as a dozen Doctor Who villains, with a palpable sense of menace to boot. In fact, if there was a BAFTA for most Demonic Leprechaun in a Sharp Suit, Jimmy would walk it.” -The Times

“Moffat’s script is ingeniously playful and James Nesbitt nicely cast for his ability to bounce between lairy sexual opportunism and fretful terror about what the inner beast might do next.”
- Independent

“It’s a neat and dangerous retelling, made plausible mainly because Nesbitt is so completely believable as both characters. Generally, Mr Hyde is a grotesque caricature, all stuck-on hair and prosthetics, but Nesbitt needs only the addition of darkened eyeballs to make a transformation that is profound and terrifying.” - Sunday Times

“...the series is dominated by Nesbitt’s flashy performance, which veers from the dour to the manic in a role he was born to play.” - David Chater, The Times

“A thriller that’s actually, you know, thrilling. And not a cop or a doctor in sight.” - Guardian

“As slick as it is strange, silly as it is sinister, Jekyll, fittingly, is a series with a split personality, and promises to be irresistible.” - Sunday Times