The Confessions of Dorian Gray: Series 1-2

A collected edition of the first two “seasons” of Dorian Gray, the 30-minute episodes are presented in chronological, rather than publication, order, with a few 60-minute stories rounding out the set. Alexander Vlahos (of Merlin and Versailles, among other things) plays the eponymous antihero, narrating the stories assisted by a small number of additional actors playing various guest characters.

The series features the eponymous character, who, in this version, does not die as he does in Wilde's real-world novel. It's a series of (mostly) supernatural horror stories, making use of Gray's immortality to visit various decades throughout his life. With different writers for each episode, the various stories tend to have markedly different tones; some work, others do not, but the former are more common.

This World Our Hell – The series stakes its pitch with an opener that is part character piece, with Gray visiting the dying Oscar Wilde in 1900 Paris, and part horror story, as something horrible stalks the hotel. For such a short story, it works quite well, and Vlahos delivers a good performance as the tortured yet callous title character.

The Immortal Game – This story ventures into more psychological horror as Gray becomes involved with two men playing an unusual chess game in Brighton on the eve of the First World War. The story muses on the nature of good and evil, and has a twist in the tail that only deepens the question of which, in this story, is which.

Murder on 81st Street – A fairly straightforward monster tale enlivened partly by the setting, with Nazi sympathisers in 1939 New York City, but mainly by Gray's encounter with Dorothy Parker. The latter is played by Sarah Douglas (of the ‘70s Superman films), who brings a well-written script to life, lending an earthy tone to the story.

The Houses In Between – A particularly dark tale set during the height of the London Blitz, which sees Gray haunted by mysterious spirits. The devastation of the bombing parallels the more psychological damage that Gray has left in his wake, as some really quite unpleasant sides of his character show through. It certainly reminds us that our protagonist is no hero.

The Twittering of Sparrows – Another psychological instalment, with the monster never truly described and staying largely in the shadows. The story instead focuses more on Dorian's connection with an elderly woman in 1950s Singapore, and how it reflects on his past. It's perhaps rather a slight story, and, while the tone manages to be quite sinister, the emotional punch at the end is undercut by what we've already been through in earlier episodes.

The Lord of Misrule – This tale of Mods and Rockers in the British music scene of the ‘60s is a rather mixed bag. On the one hand, most of it doesn't feel like horror, and Gray is portrayed as more of a traditional hero than usual. On the other hand, swearing, drug-taking, explicit sex (for audio), and one particularly gory scene all hint that something rather darker was intended. The lively music aids the former aspect, but clashes with the latter... oh, and Vlahos may be a good actor, but, judging from this, he's no singer.

The Heart That Lives Alone – A subtle supernatural romance, much of which is co-narrated by the object of Dorian's obsession/affection, emphasising his status as an equal. The story contrasts the lives of the immortal Gray and the mysterious guest character, who is hiding a particularly dark secret of his own. It's a beautifully written piece, making Dorian more vulnerable than usual, and with a memorable final scene.

The Picture of Loretta Delphine – A more traditional horror story, about the legacy of a long-dead serial killer, this is also makes good use of the format, with only one other person being present during the events in question. More significantly, it examines how Dorian has fared, and changed, over the course of a lifetime, that has, by this point, lasted for well over a hundred years. The ending is, perhaps, a little obvious, but it works as character development.

The Ghosts of Christmas Past – A rather different story than most of the others, and not just because it is a full-cast 60-minute instalment, this is more of a mystery with supernatural elements than a horror tale. It also revolves heavily around the repercussions of the events in Wilde's original novel (bar, of course, Dorian's death) and, perhaps more significantly, involves Gray meeting Sherlock Holmes. Unfortunately, putting Holmes in a supernatural story isn't something that really works, betraying much of the point of the character and blunting his usefulness.

The Prime of Deacon Brodie – The second 60-minute story makes a better use of its length to tell a tale more in the style of the regular episodes, but with more depth than they can typically allow. Here, a supernatural threat related to the (real) 18th century thief Deacon Brodie is placed alongside the more mundane horrors of World War I. It also has time to portray Gray as a more complex character, acting out of love, yet with his darker side still bubbling beneath the surface.

The Mayfair Monster – The third of the double-length stories starts off as a romance between Dorian and a famous artist. Soon, it takes a much darker turn, and delves into the relationship between Gray and his portrait. It's more of an exploration of the character and his nature than a regular horror tale, and makes good use of the guest actors to tell an engaging piece with its theme of endings built around the central date of New Year's Eve 1999.

Running Away With You – Both the first and the last story in the set, chronologically speaking, this sees the present day Gray reminiscing about a particularly formative time in his youth. I have to say that I didn't fully follow what was going on here, although there are certainly some uncomfortable moments with a psychologically damaged governess. It also seemingly wraps up the arc of the series, although, in fact, three more seasons followed before the actual finale. Hopefully, that will be less confusing than this was.