azdak

Last night I showed the kids episode one of Sapphire and Steel, awaiting with interest the reactions of the modern generation to Life on Mars-era TV (I grew up with this stuff, and I want them to think it's good too!). Much to my relief, they were both gripped. We hadn't even got past the pre-credit sequence (the part where Rob is sitting downstairs doing his homework all on his ownsome, while his parents sing songs and play games with Helen up in her bedroom), when the eldest said thoughtfully "Is that his sister? So she's the lovely girl and he's the horrible boy?" "Exactly!" I said, thrilled by her sensitivity to sub-text, and immediately after was stricken by maternal guilt that she should recognise so quickly the dynamics of exclusion. They both thought the nursery rhymes were really creepy, they both sniggered at the crap plague-ridden peasant, and they both clung to me with pleasurable terror as Helen headed off alone to the bedroom to start chanting forbidden nursery rhymes. Afterwards I asked them what they thought of it and they said "Spooky", "Exciting", and "Really weird". So I regard that one as sold.