Afterlife

A touch of the Mulder-Scully relationship from The X-Files is apparent in this short-lived British series, which only ran for two seasons on ITV in 2005–06 but proves to be a remarkably evocative and intriguing show. Viewers are introduced to Alison Mundy (Lesley Sharp), a psychic barraged by visits from spirits of the dead, and Dr. Robert Bridge (Andrew Lincoln), a skeptical psychology professor who grows fascinated with her when one of his students commits suicide after being confronted by the medium's apparent knowledge of her past. Each episode deals with a particular apparition, but there is also a narrative thread running throughout centered on the ghostly presence of Robert's dead son, whose encounters with Alison are impossible for the obstinate and guilt-ridden Dr. Bridge to accept. A major coincidence—Alison taking a nursing job at a retirement hospital where Robert's mother happens to be a patient—strains credulity even more than the overarching premise, and one installment that suggests Alison can commune with the spirits of those not yet dead raises more questions than it answers. But overall this is an engrossing show, played well not only by Sharp and Lincoln but also by a supporting cast of uniformly excellent British character actors. Compiling all six episodes from the debut season, DVD extras include episode commentaries. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)