Something wicked to the small screen comes

Not all shows have to be brilliant to be captivating. Under the Dome, a sci-fi series based on a Stephen King novel of the same name, falls into that category.

The action's set in a small town, Chester's Mill, that suddenly becomes sealed off from the world by a giant, transparent dome.

The town's inhabitants, and some unlucky passersby, become trapped in ''a giant fishbowl" - unaware of what it is, where it comes from or how long it will be there. Worst of all, the dome has cut off all communication signals, completely isolating Chester's Mill.

Though the series is punctuated by quirky humour, Under the Dome is incredibly creepy.

There are hints that some sinister forces, including aliens and the devil, might be behind the town's mysterious dome. It is the show's mix of characters, however, that takes the foreground.

There's a young man who can't take a hint and has an unhealthy fixation with a woman, and a stranger who's a cold-blooded killer. It seems danger lurks from within in Chester's Mill.

What else would we expect from King, other than a show that peels off the human façade to reveal what we are: evil, power-hungry, lustful and poisonous. It's scary.

Under the Dome premieres on July 23 at 8.30pm on M-Net (DStv channel 101)

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