This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Wasn't this a blinder? The program introduced me to Ken Stott in the starring role as a double-glazing salesman who moonlighted as a hospital radio DJ. He was absolutely believable as a man in early middle-age, gradually coming to terms with the fact that he was never going to get 'the big break' - either in records or windows.Harassed and resented by younger and more competitive salesmen, pestered by his ageing mother/grandmother to find himself a wife; his self-esteem was in decline, and he took to his evenings at the hospital turntables as a kind of escapism.I should mention here that it was a psychiatric hospital.Enter Tennant's character as the manic-depressive. At his euphoric heights he had moments of unrestrained genius. Unfortunately at his most extreme he actually had to be restrained - forcibly and rather cruelly, by strong nurses. One of them, almost inevitably, had issues of his own, and bordered upon the sadist. Very quickly he advanced from enthusiast, to assistant, to DJ maestro. Performing hilarious double-acts with the highly knowledgeable character of Stott, to whom he referred as 'Dr Boogie'.The chemistry between the two set the real high-points of comedy, though there were interesting touches also in his double-glazing world. The later turnaround of events wasn't entirely unexpected but it was handled deftly and with a believable and humane hand.One-line gags aren't quite as sharp as those in Hollywood's 'Crazy people' but the acting and the fractured romance is a hell of a lot more believable.I should like to personally thank the contributor 'Bayingatthemoon' for providing us with such a rare and enjoyable comedy-drama, and for advising us of its imminent release onto DVD.Anyone who has seen this series knows where the latest incarnation of 'Dr Who' developed his manic disposition. Our new time-lord once spent time in a padded cell.Another highly recommended bit of old telly.

I just looked this up on IMDb in the hope that it might lead me to a DVD, but it doesn't seem to be on DVD. Are the BBC crazy? I was amazed to see that Takin' Over The Asylum is now 12 years old. I remember it so clearly. When it was first shown I thought it was the best TV series I had ever seen. Periodically the plot seemed too good to be true, at which point there was a twist to bring it back down to earth. Great writing and excellent acting. When it was repeated I told everyone I knew to watch it, but they didn't. I don't know why. I watched it all through again and it was just as good. Perhaps now that David Tennent is Dr. Who, somebody will think about releasing his earlier work on DVD. Whenever I see him I remember his slogan from Takin'Over The Asylum, delivered loudly in a strong Scottish accent: "We are loonies and we are proud".

I won't re-tell the story. I will simply say that the casting is creative, the script scrupulous, the production perfect, the direction indiscreditable. A wonderful artistic construction.However, as we move into the 21st century Governments, all over the western world, are closing the very services that are desperately needed by mentally ill people. They are now integrated into society while the hospitals are closed down. But at what cost to those who are mentally ill?Where are the patients of those hospitals now? Prisons, park benches or cemetery.

Although this series was seen (and then soon after repeated) on Australian TV back in '94 or '95, it's brilliance still resonates. From the pen of Donna Franceschild, and directed by David Blair, it tells the story of a handful of 'loonies' - patients in a Glasgow mental facility. As in 'Girl, Interrupted', one is led to pondering the question: 'who are the real loonies?' Heavily laced with humour and poignancy, we - the 'normal' ones - are led into the lives of these people through the eyes of Eddie McKenna (Ken Stott), an alcoholic loser-type, whose desire is to be a radio disc-jockey, but who spends his days selling windows for the manager-from-hell. In my opinion, the salespeople at the windows company deserve to be behind locked doors far more than those in the institution. But I feel that this is the exact conclusion the writer wishes us to make. This series launched the extremely talented Ken Stott into regular TV appearances, such as 'Messiah' and 'The Vice'. It also features outstanding performances from David Tennant, Ruth McCabe, Angus McFadyen, and my favourite female actor, Katy Murphy. Ms Murphy seems to have a special knack for portraying wounded women. If you get a chance to see it, do.