Review of Utopia

I am a huge fan of the original series which aired on the UK's Channel 4 quite a few years ago. The original consisted of two series of 6 episodes each and is one of my favorite shows of all time. It was packed with paranoia, twists, theories, creepiness and a lot of fun although the second series was some what muddled and left the story hanging. When it was surprisingly cancelled after the second series (I think it was budget related) I was extremely disappointed and shocked. "Utopia" had actually developed quite a cult following worldwide so the cancellation was a surprise and yet weird immediately spread of a pick up by another Network. HBO and Showtime were both suppose to be interested then it turned out that David Fincher (yes, THE David Fincher) was also a fan and was interested in adapting it. A deal was struck between HBO, Fincher and Gillian Flynn (another fan of the original) and production of a new series seemed to be a shoe-in when words of "budget problems" leaked out. Fincher and HBO could not reach an agreement and things quickly fell apart. A huge disappointment for fans all over, I mean who better to save this series then Fincher and HBO?It was just too good and the anticipation was huge. This was all right before the big "streaming revolution" and one of the first big projects listed by Amazon was the remake of "Utopia," and though Fincher was no longer attached it still had Flynn who would now act as show runner with original creator Dennis Kelley attached as executive producer. It's been a long time coming but it's finally here. So, how's does it fare? Well... It's ok. The original had an almost "let's put on a show" type vibe. It seemed to have been created while the suits were busy elsewhere, like something that came on in the middle of the afternoon while no one was paying attention. I suspect this is why there are so many negative reviews, not because the show is bad (it isn't) but because there is a fierce "protectiveness" that has built up around the original, a "this is ours and you cannot have it" of almost mythic proportions. The original was definitely lightening in a bottle and as the saying goes "lightening never strikes in the same place twice." But I really want to judge this on it's own merits. I'm only three episodes in and I can tell you its slower, the characters not as endearing or intriguing. Of the three who really shined in the original, Arby, Wilson Wilson and Jessica Hyde only Wilson Wilson stands out so far with Arby a shadow of his former self, lacking sympathy and doubt, and Jessica woefully miscast, where the original was distant and commanding this one is shrill and manic. But both Cusack and Rainn Wilson bring a spotlight to their characters so we'll see where this goes. So far it's a six but the jury is still out and I'm going to watch all eight before I make a final judgement. I'll be back.