The TV series Neverwhere was released in 1996 but it looks older owing to the fact it was a low budget production that was shot on video but lit for film (giving it a feel to old Doctor Who episodes). This was because it had been intended at the time of shooting that it would be given a treatment in post production to make it look like film, a decision that was reversed to the detriment of the show (so despite being largely shot on location it looks more like it was shot on a set). The only part of the production that achieves what Gaiman envisaged is Dave McKean’s opening titles (and yes that is Neil striding towards camera) and Eno’s score, which he did for free (in fact director Dewi Humphrey’s was spoilt for choice as Eno generated 16 hours of music). As Neil Gaiman comments on the DVD Americans who had been watching 5^th or 6^th generation bootleg videos of the show probably had a better viewing experience because of the degraded quality of the image which made its production flaws less apparent.

For many Neverwhere will be more familiar in book form as Gaiman, exasperated at the material being cut from his script for the show wrote the novel on the same day that shooting commenced on the series and in many ways the book is far superior to the TV series (and for fans of the book a new preferred text of the book was released last year). The idea for the series was Lenny Henry’s who asked Gaiman to write a fantasy series about London’s homeless. Neverwhere was the result inspired by London’s tube map (Blackfriars, Earl’s Court, Angel of course all being station’s on the London underground).

However despite its flaws the TV series is a delight because of strength of Gaiman’s imagination and some great performances from Gary Bakewell, Paterson Joseph, Laura Fraser, Hywel Bennett and Clive Russell. For those who have not seen it Neverwhere offers the opportunity to visit old friends and for those who have not it is a chance to be introduced to the fecund imagination of Neil Gaiman.

• The original BBC interview with Neil Gaiman (22m 59s)
• Audio Commentary on all six episodes by Neil Gaiman (recorded 3 June 2003 in Minneapolis)
• Text biography of Neil Gaiman
• Character descriptions (Richard Oliver Mayhew; Door; Mr Croup & Mr Vandemaar; Marquis de Carabas; Hunter; Old Bailey; The Earl & Earl’s Court; The Angel Islington; Jessica; Anaesthesia; Lord Rat Speaker; Lamia; The Abbot and the Black Friars; Mr Arnold Stockton; Varney; Serpentine; Hammersmith; Sewer Folk
• Photo Gallery (14 production stills)

Of the above only Gaiman’s interview and audio commentary have any substance but such is Gaiman’s engaging story telling style they more than compensate for the bareness of the other extras and he provides an interesting guide to the series from its initial conception, through its development, casting, shooting and everything in between. There is a wealth of production information here and fans will delight. The audio commentary does have some gaps as Gaiman, who had not watched the series since it was first released gets caught up in the moment, but overall its pretty good. There are some great peanuts here, such as the fact that episode 4 was written in a house owned at the time by Tori Amos, that much of the film was shot in tunnels built for the Royal Mail to transport mail beneath London’s streets, that Marquis’s name comes from Puss in Boots, why the great beast is a highland bull and the fact that he intends to write a second Neverwhere book at some point called The Seven Sisters.