When a night train from Glasgow to London suddenly becomes unmanageable, Nightsleeper sets off a domino effect throughout Great Britain. What is going on and how much danger are the passengers in? Thrillers about (public) transport do well in the film and TV world. The BBC adds a new name to this theme with Nightsleeper. This six-part series is about a night train between Glasgow and London that takes on a life of its own, with all its consequences. The trailer looks exciting, but does this also apply to the series itself? After all, is it really interesting to see yet another story about a runaway train?
Nightsleeper is a kind of contemporary British answer to the American 24.
Nightsleeper starts just before midnight, just before the sleeper train is about to depart. Everyone settles in quietly for the ride when suddenly a robbery takes place on the platform. What follows is a chaotic chase after the thief through the train and across the platform itself. The atmosphere is immediately good, although the hustle and bustle makes it difficult to see what exactly is going on. In retrospect, that is also the intention, as becomes clear later in the story, but more about that later.
Nightsleeper is a kind of contemporary, British answer to the American 24. At least, that was the first thing I thought of when hearing the plot. Just like in 24, the story is told in real time, but the big difference is that this series has a lot fewer episodes. Although I have only seen one episode, I think this was a good choice. The pace is nice and a lot happens that ensures that you as a viewer are drawn into the story.
Around midnight at the airport, Abby Aysgarth (Alexandra Roach, Y Golau) is ready to check in and go on holiday. However, this trip won't happen because before she even completes check-in she receives a phone call from work. It appears that a cyber hack has taken place that could have major consequences for Great Britain. As an employee of the National Cyber Security Center, she is immediately aware of the risks this can entail. It doesn't take long before she cancels her travel plans and boards the train back to the head office.
When peace has returned and the 'Heart of Britain', the night train that is central to this series, has finally left, nothing seems to be wrong at first. The helpful passenger (Joe Roag, Gangs of London) who helped chase down the thief is welcomed as a hero. However, it soon turns out to be anything but a smooth ride when they discover that the thief has left something behind on the train.
I was looking forward to an exciting series with a good story and so far Nightsleeper does not disappoint.
When contact is made between the train and the NCSC, the story really begins. What is going on and how big are the problems? The acting of the cast makes you immediately feel the seriousness of the situation as a viewer. Gradually more and more people are involved in the story and it becomes clear who will be central during the rest of the series. The preview at the end of the first episode bodes well and shows that the worst is yet to come. After all, the situation is not just limited to the 'Heart of Britain', the whole of Great Britain is at risk.
I was looking forward to an exciting series with a good story and so far Nightsleeper does not disappoint. Based on the first episode, I can't wait to see the entire season. Fortunately, viewers don't have to wait long for that. Two episodes will be shown every week on BBC One, so the entire series will be released in just over two weeks. Searching for answers to the questions about what danger threatens, what the criminals want and what secrets there are among the passengers on the 'Heart of Britain', there will be enough material to fill a season. I'm enthusiastic, so bring on those answers!
