Empathy, Saturday 9pm, BBC1
Posted by Amanda Vlietstra
Our rating: 
Perhaps someone at the BBC's been watching Derek Acora on Most Haunted and thought, ooh, we'll have a bit of that psychic action: the broadcaster's got not one but two ghost dramas on at the moment. Gasp! It's a shame Empathy was only a one-off, though - it was several spooky leagues ahead of Medium, the lame series about an, erm, medium-slash-detective, starring a slightly-cuddlier-than-she-used-to-be Patricia Arquette.
Actually, the central theme of the two shows wasn't dissimilar, but instead of Pat helping the police with their enquiries, Empathy saw really rather tasty ex-con Jimmy Collins (represented by Stephen Moyer and his lovely cheekbones) being tormented by visions of violence and death whenever he touched someone. As you can imagine, this didn't do much for his sex life - and the police turned out not to be terribly sympathetic either when he turned up wanting to tell them about a murder he'd "witnessed".
Anyway, it all worked out quite well in the end, considering - although it was left on a cliff-hanger which suggests the BBC might be considering making a series out of this. Please do, Beeb. Now Waking The Dead is over, there's a gap in my life for corpses and cynical cops which this will fill nicely. It's not as scary as that supernatural drama thing with Bill Paterson, Sea Of Souls (ooh that gave me the shivers, that did), but still, good effort!
A fortune teller told me I was psychic once. No, really, she did....where'd everyone go?
I have waited several weeks now for the second episode of Empathy only to find from this blog that it was a one off.What are the BBC up to as Saturday night tv has nothing worth watching.Great cast, great acting and potential story lines that could run and run.
If a series does follow, can they keep the dark edge. Medium started ok but is now drifting too much into "what the family are eating for breakfast"
Posted by: Steve Bond | 19 August 2007 at 09:25
Empathy really had me gripped. I am gutted just looking through to find when it is next on and now realise it is a one off. There are so many US series but very few British ones then have you gripped. We want MORE!!! Please. Great that it was on a Saturday night too.
Posted by: Hollybee | 18 August 2007 at 19:02
great drama, gripping ending,BEEB show us more
Posted by: Lisa | 13 August 2007 at 22:10
Just browsing through my TV on demand for the next episode and have only NOW realised that this wasn't a series. I hope someone at the Beeb is reading this - more of this great show please.
Posted by: Lucy M | 13 August 2007 at 20:12
can anyone explain the ending? i didnt understand it! was great
Posted by: nat | 12 August 2007 at 20:53
we also think empathy was great saturday viewing, we need more of the same, led you to think at the end that maybe there could be a series.
hope so. also enjoyed sea of souls.
Posted by: sue | 11 August 2007 at 20:42
best show i've seen in a long time great acting. more please
Posted by: sylvia line | 11 August 2007 at 15:08
One of the best programmes on TV for ages, please make a series of Empathy. The write up in the Radio Times before it was shown was very negative, but it turned out to be an excellent programme.
We want more!
Posted by: Toni Allison | 11 August 2007 at 13:53
Recorded Empathy on Saturday and watched it last night. Totally hooked, but divorce imminent as missed recording the last 15 minutes - please tell me what happened after Jimmy visited the first victim's home.
Posted by: El | 09 August 2007 at 14:19
Super program, very captivating. Please give us more of this genre
Posted by: Andrew Cameron | 08 August 2007 at 12:51
Excellent drama - I thought initially it might be a series but when I checked found it was a one-off. I hope the BBC listen to the people on here and do a series because it was so good, and something that bit different to the usual stuff on tv these days.
Posted by: Alan | 07 August 2007 at 15:09
Best Saturday night programme I've watched in ages - an absolute must for a series - thoroughly enjoyed it.
Posted by: Lorraine | 06 August 2007 at 23:04
yeah it was great, can't believe it's not a series, especially with the ending!!
Posted by: sarah sparkles | 06 August 2007 at 22:06
What a changed it made to see something worth while on a weekend. The BEEB sould wake up and take note of what a great show they have if only they would make it into a series.
Posted by: lynn | 06 August 2007 at 20:37
Excellent programme. Missed the opening credits so no idea what I was watching. Really enjoyed it and gutted when it finished with no 'to be continued'...
Don't watch much TV. Do enjoy good serials but can't do the waiting thing, so prefer to make time to watch all the episodes in one indulgence.
In addition to good entertainment value, Empathy challenges popular perception of stereotypes and encourages viewers to open our their minds to the power of possibility.
Posted by: Harry Lyth | 06 August 2007 at 17:36
Excellent programme. Missed the opening credits so no idea what I was watching. Really enjoyed it and gutted when it finished with no 'to be continued'...
Don't watch much TV. Do enjoy good serials but can't do the waiting thing, so prefer to make time to watch all the episodes in one indulgence.
In addition to good entertainment value, Empathy challenges popular perception of stereotypes and encourages viewers to open our their minds to the power of possibility.
Posted by: Harry Lyth | 06 August 2007 at 17:34
Beeb! are you listening? Yes more empathy please.
Posted by: Peter Maher | 06 August 2007 at 17:28
The beeb have made a series of this...?
Im sure it said it was on next saturday when it finished? Maybe im wrong and was just hoping it said that.
Great programme, something different compared to the usual Saturday night telly.
Posted by: Jo | 06 August 2007 at 12:42
i thought empathy was cool. At least it had kind of an original story and it was new in a week where ive searched for something different it was a welcome change thank you bbc more please
Posted by: debbie b | 05 August 2007 at 00:36