Funland

Carter Krantz arrives in Blackpool to investigate the murder of his mother. He gets a job in the local strip club, and soon realises that the town has many dark secrets and that the killer may even be his boss – the club's owner.

Funland (2005) is a British dark comedy mystery miniseries created by Jeremy Dyson and Simon Ashdown for BBC Three. Across eleven half-hour episodes, Daniel Mays plays Carter Krantz, who arrives in Blackpool to investigate the murder of his mother and takes a job at the local strip club. Ian Puleston-Davies, Sarah Smart, Kris Marshall and Judy Parfitt round out the principal cast as figures tangled in the club's and the town's secrets. The engine is simple: Carter wants the truth, and every colleague and employer he meets may be hiding something, including the club's owner, who could be the killer. Each episode peels back another layer of seaside corruption, with suspicion moving steadily from one character to the next. The show mixes crime-thriller tension with absurd, surreal comedy and a bleak northern English atmosphere. Its unsettling, sardonic register recalls British cult comedies such as The League of Gentlemen and the uneasy small-town dread of Twin Peaks. Fans of mystery comedies with a dark streak will find its single-season, self-contained arc rewarding.

• Twin Peaksdark comedy with thriller mystery, surreal northern british tone
• The League of Gentlemenbritish dark comedy crime mystery with surreal edge
• Shetlandbritish mystery comedy thriller with grim seaside town secrets

Created by

Jeremy Dyson, Simon Ashdown

Release Date

2005-10-23

Episode runtime

30 min

Rating

8.2 / 10 (8)

What is Funland about?

A grieving son goes undercover in a Blackpool strip club to find his mother's killer and uncovers a town full of secrets.

What is Funland like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Funland as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Funland violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Funland as moderate.

Which shows are like Funland?

Shows with a similar feel include Twin Peaks, The League of Gentlemen, and Shetland.

How long is Funland?

Funland: 1 season, 11 episodes.

Is Funland still running?

No, Funland has ended.