Hammy earthquake drama 10.5 has more faults than fault-lines

Reviewed by FIONA RAE

Previously on 10.5 (concludes tonight, 8.30pm TV2): with accompanying nu-metal theme tune, a BMX extreme biker has narrowly escaped being sucked into the earth as it is rent apart by an earthquake that hits downtown Seattle. Geologists monitoring the quake are shouting, "6.5! 6.8! Still climbing! 7.4! 7.9!"

The biker, whizzing past exploding buildings, has to outrun the collapsing Seattle Needle.

Meanwhile, feisty, driven ball-breaker Samantha Hill (Kim Delaney), the author of a controversial book about hidden fault-lines, gets into work and starts demanding "graphs of the affected areas".

Her boss has to remind her who's boss, but it's pretty clear he wants her. He so wants her.

Soon, there's another earthquake, although the scientists think it's an aftershock - but how could it be? It was bigger than the first! 8.4!

The President must be informed. He's playing basketball with his old roommate from Harvard, Roy Nolan (Fred Ward). Roy "always goes for the long shot".

The President (Beau Bridges) discusses with his advisers what to do. "We're going to do everything we can to help those people through this tragedy," he says, sounding like a shifty version of Nixon.

He calls in his mate Roy to co-ordinate the emergency effort, to find some answers, goddammit. "Let's hit this disaster head on," says Roy. He calls a press conference.

Meanwhile, an estranged father and daughter head out on a camping trip that is supposed to be a bonding session. Surprisingly, they get lost on the way and find evidence of a completely buried town. Then they are nearly buried alive themselves, but narrowly escape. Nothing like a near-death experience to bring a father and daughter closer.

Still following usual mini-series/disaster-movie convention, we follow the personal lives of several other characters caught up in the disaster - including two guys who, despite both looking around 22, are top-flight surgeons. One is played by Dule Hill (The West Wing's Charlie) and he has a wife and two kids. The other, Zack (Ivan Sergei), just happens to be Roy's estranged son.

Back at ball-breaker central, Sam Hill is trying to convince the other scientists, and Roy, that there are hidden fault-lines, too deep to be measured and that there's bound to be a third earthquake.

They don't believe her, but she said it, so it had to happen. San Francisco is devastated by a third quake, many cars fall in to the bay and a model of the Golden Gate Bridge is destroyed. Now they'll believe her.

In tonight's conclusion: Sam has a plan. Let's drop a bomb on that undiscovered superfault and fuse the sucker! Roy is going to oversee the drilling of holes in which to drop nuclear warheads. The President's going to evacuate 50 million Californians, but it will be important not to panic. Roy will go for the long shot. There will be a good deal of bad acting.

Despite the fact that it's geologically impossible, there may be an earthquake to the magnitude 10.5. Two letters in the Hollywood sign will fall off, although you may like to think of your own letters for this pile of big-budget doggy doo.