BBC to show The City and The City

The City and The City is a new BBC 2 TV drama based on the superb book by China Miéville. The basic premise is an intriguing, yet damn weird, idea. The cities in question are an impoverished Eastern European-type place called Beszel and the wealthy and hi-tech Ul Qoma. The weirdness is that both cities exist in the same location. The cities are spliced together, in places on the same street, and the citizens have learned to not see the citizens or buildings of the other. Then there is a murder and a detective called Tyador Borlu, played by David Morrisey, has to cross from one city to the other and things get even more tangled.

I could explain more but I will just come across as a bit of a nutcase. The City and the City is a 4 part show that airs on BBC2 at 9 pm. So, as I write this, tomorrow. The book was great but I have no idea how they will do this on a screen. I’m excited nonetheless and will definitely be giving it a go. Here is a trailer, in case you just think I am talking nonsense: