Lady Alexandra (Ophelia Lovibond), works in the British Museum in London but would rather work in the field, hunting treasure. So that’s what she goes and does. (Alexandra is the sort of lady who does and gets what she wants.) She goes to the Amazon in search of the last camp of a Victorian explorer dude. Finds it too, and him, and El Dofriggingrado.
Before that, though, she finds a dashing American rugged rogue called Hooten (Michael Landes). Together they are Hooten and the Lady (terrible name, Sky1). Cue comedy bants, and flirts, sweaty heaving chests (from both of them), hijinks, and some good old-fashioned action.
But first they need to escape from some decidedly dodgily depicted native tribespeople, who have tied them up and are about to do all sorts of horrid things to them involving fire ants and monkey blood, after which they will probably boil them or kebab their shrunken heads …
But Hooten and the Lady do escape, so their adventures can get underway. This week, they feature a very big snake, a poisonous tree frog (as in man from France called Pascal in the rainforest, not the amphibian variety), a pair of greater breasted locals, some lovely scenery, an impressive budget, helicopter stunts, the aforementioned lost city now found and really made of gold, and more than a nod – a wink and a nudge as well – to Indiana Jones.
If it’s substantial you’re after – or edgy, gritty, involving, moving, profound, modern, anything like that – then Hooten and the Lady may not be the one for you. To be honest it’s probably not “the one” for anyone. If watching HatL was a relationship it wouldn’t be a meaningful one; more like a holiday fling, a bit of fun, unashamed and brash, somewhere hot and sunny, probably in the 1980s.
There’s nothing wrong with that though, if you’re up for it, and you can ignore your inner PC booer. I somehow managed, and enjoyed it, I’m slightly ashamed to say. Lovibond and Landes have good chemistry, and do the I-hate-you (I-really-don’t-hate-you) thing well. And next week, they’re heading to Rome …
