This town (aaah ah)…
Limetown Review
Production company – Two Up Productions
Rating – 
Ok, confession time. I had completely forgotten about this series. I started it when it was first released, but over time it somehow fell by the wayside. I’m not sure if I even got through season two originally, although I have re-finished the whole thing just for this review.
While channel surfing the other night, I saw a new TV series called “Limetown” and a lightbulb went off in my brain. After a quick search, it turns out that they have indeed made a TV show about the podcast, so I just had to revisit it before I start the TV show.
So what’s it all about?
Limetown was a research facility in Tennessee, and on the night of February 8th 2004 local emergency services received an urgent distress call. When they arrived, (with the inevitable hordes of press) they were denied entry by the facility’s on-site security. The following morning all was calm and the whole place seemed deserted. A few days later the security team left, leaving the gates open. As the police and press entered, it seems that every person who lived in Limetown had vanished. All 327 of them. Actually, 326. The charred body of the facility’s boss was found tied to a post in the town square.
At the time, the story of Limetown was a big deal, even making international news. All too soon though, it passed into obscurity and was forgotten by the general public. Lost amid the constant white noise of gossip and scandal.
This series follows the story of investigative reporter and podcaster Lia Haddock. She has a personal tie to the mystery; her uncle Emil was among those who disappeared, and so Lia sets off to uncover the truth of the mysterious place. Her podcast series is supposed to be 6 episodes long, I’m not sure why she thinks that she could uncover the truth in such a short time, when nobody else could but there you go. This is podcastland after all.
Starting at the now long deserted facility, she concludes the first episode of her series. That night though, she gets a mysterious phone call about a possible survivor. After that her whole world changes.
As the story unfolds, she discovers the true mystery of the events at Limetown. Not only that, but far from being consigned to history, the legacy of those events are still being felt now and are very real, and very dangerous.
She meets with some of the people who had disappeared (called the “citizens” of the place), people who are doing their best to stay hidden, and who help her piece the story together. She also attracts the attention of other more nefarious forces that are desperate to keep the story buried and will stop at nothing to succeed.
But is it any good?
It is very good indeed. The acting is brilliant, and the story is truly gripping from start to finish. There is also a very high production value that only enhances the story. There is a real trend at the moment for binaurally recorded podcasts. For the most part, this seems to just be a gimmick so they can have a warning about not driving a car or whatnot. Personally I would rather have the subtle sound design and foley effects on display here, they really do put you into the heart of the unfolding drama.
Alongside the drama and paranoia, there are some genuinely emotional moments too. As the threads of the story unfold, the true cost of the events are uncovered. From the very beginning, there were unethical and awful events happening, seemingly without any thought whatsoever. The pathos of these small story threads are testament to the actors’ skill. They are genuinely moving, and I won’t say any more than that.
Final thoughts
This is one of the few audio dramas that could hold its own against a televised serial. Now, whether the actual TV adaptation holds up to the quality of the podcast remains to be seen. I am looking forward to watching it though, and tutting at the inevitable plot changes.
You can listen to Limetown here: