Under the Dome

Series one, episode two
Only in America could someone use ‘The Simpsons Movie’ as inspiration for a serious drama. Well, purportedly serious. After last week’s opener established that there’s now a dome cutting the small Maine town of Chester’s Mill off from the rest of the world, things progress rapidly from intriguing to out-and-out daft.

We’re firmly in the territory of ‘FlashForward’ and ‘The Event’ here, for better or worse. Clichés abound, few of the characters really ring true (the reverend’s comical ineptitude rather undermines his supposed ‘creepiness’) and the show’s delicate internal logic is already short-circuiting.

But none of that matters much – this is a romp with a concept so outrageous that it’s hard not to be seduced. This week sees weirdo hostage-taker Junior messing with the wrong guy, his dad Big Jim stepping into a power vacuum and the world’s lamest hard-rock station turning hard-news provider.