The Rack Pack on BBC Iplayer

[Lenny Rider]

Great TV film about the relationship between Higgins, Davis and Hearn through the golden days of snooker.

Possibly the shape of things to come as its not been transmitted but gone straight "exclusively" to Iplayer which is a shame because it's would have been ideal going out round 9 and let people watch it together, like we all used to.

Well worth a look though.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Great TV film about the relationship between Higgins, Davis and Hearn through the golden days of snooker.

Possibly the shape of things to come as its not been transmitted but gone straight "exclusively" to Iplayer which is a shame because it's would have been ideal going out round 9 and let people watch it together, like we all used to.

Well worth a look though.

Good tip, will give that a look - I think live sport is the only thing I watch at a transmitted time these days. Amazing how times change, everything else is catchup, recorded, on demand.

 

[Barry Izbak]

Just watched this.
Highly recommended.
Although it certainly shows the darker side of The Hurricane.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Really enjoyed it, the version of 'Snooker Loopy' was right up there too. Willie's head was slightly rounder but overall I liked it.

 

[Lenny Rider]

I wonder how much was actually fact?

The scene towards the end between Higgins and Hearn, if true, must have been quite sad even for a cynical git like Barry.

 

[Beach Hut]

Have downloaded it for the next long away game as takes a year yo expire - Cardiff away anyone ?

 

[Captain Sensible]

Really good Docu-Comedy. It was sad to see Higgins self destruct but in reality it's something that anyone watching snooker at the time saw in real time. I thought Luke Treadaway did a great job playing Higgins and getting the softly spoken voice right, but his Northern Irish accent deserted him at times. Will Merrick is excellent as Davis and Kevin Bishop steals the show as Hearn. Even if he did already play that Character in Grange Hill 25years ago. A good watch.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Really good Docu-Comedy. It was sad to see Higgins self destruct but in reality it's something that anyone watching snooker at the time saw in real time. I thought Luke Treadaway did a great job playing Higgins and getting the softly spoken voice right, but his Northern Irish accent deserted him at times. Will Merrick is excellent as Davis and Kevin Bishop steals the show as Hearn. Even if he did already play that Character in Grange Hill 25years ago. A good watch.

I never realised Barry Hearn was in Grange Hill. Was that before or after he met Eubank? ��

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Thoroughly enjoyed it and can recommend it.
Interesting to see the respective characters of Davis and Higgins played out and how it translated to ultimate success. Then, substitute those two for Hendry and White and you have the same scenario. Two ruthless, single-minded professionals against two exciting, seat of the pants, adrenalin filled, hustlers. The former two winning everything in sight, the latter two immortalised for the sheer enjoyment they brought but with a lack of major honours.
Hearn appears ruthless in his rejection of Higgins but he was only protecting the interests of all the other players he represented. One bad apple can ruin the whole barrel. Higgins was, to put it mildly, a loose cannon and his whole life was spent on the edge. I actually believe the film was fairly restrained in its portrayal of Higgins. His womanising and partying was legendary and would last for days.
It was a difficult film to cast. All those characters, all those egos. But fair play to the directors, they did a tremendous job. Its life-like, its believable, its funny and its alarming. One of the final scenes, involving Higgins and Davis, in the empty auditorium, was staggeringly good and very moving.

 

[Bladders]

Thoroughly enjoyed it and can recommend it.
Interesting to see the respective characters of Davis and Higgins played out and how it translated to ultimate success. Then, substitute those two for Hendry and White and you have the same scenario. Two ruthless, single-minded professionals against two exciting, seat of the pants, adrenalin filled, hustlers. The former two winning everything in sight, the latter two immortalised for the sheer enjoyment they brought but with a lack of major honours.
Hearn appears ruthless in his rejection of Higgins but he was only protecting the interests of all the other players he represented. One bad apple can ruin the whole barrel. Higgins was, to put it mildly, a loose cannon and his whole life was spent on the edge. I actually believe the film was fairly restrained in its portrayal of Higgins. His womanising and partying was legendary and would last for days.
It was a difficult film to cast. All those characters, all those egos. But fair play to the directors, they did a tremendous job. Its life-like, its believable, its funny and its alarming. One of the final scenes, involving Higgins and Davis, in the empty auditorium, was staggeringly good and very moving.

Just watched it and you saved me a lot of typing. Nice review.

It was very good a would highly recommend especially if you were around during the 80's heyday of snooker.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

I loved Alex Higgins,threatening to have Dennis Taylor shot,heatbutting an offical,a picture of the Queen next to him

then there's the story of "Alex Higgins just went past my window"

a legend

as was Steve Davis,who took snooker to another level

 

[Easy 10]

Watched this the other night and really enjoyed it. Some genuine laugh-out-loud moments amongst the darker stuff, and I thought it was very clever how some of the actual footage at the time was seamlessly mixed in with the drama. A real nostalgia-fest.

The one slight downside for me was that dreadful whiney Northern Ireland accent of Treadwells that pervaded throughout. That seriously started grating on me before very long, but then that unbearable noise has always been a bugbear of mine (I swerved Question Time last night as soon as I clocked that they were in Belfast).

Anyway, other than that its well worth a sniff.

 

[Beach Hut]

Very good, really enjoyed it

 

[Dorset Seagull]

I wonder how much was actually fact?

The scene towards the end between Higgins and Hearn, if true, must have been quite sad even for a cynical git like Barry.

A tv critic on the radio said it was a good watch but did stray heavily into fiction so make of that what you will. Apparently it will be aired on TV in a years time

 

[Lenny Rider]

A tv critic on the radio said it was a good watch but did stray heavily into fiction so make of that what you will. Apparently it will be aired on TV in a years time

The scene where Higgins asks Hearn to manage him is fact, although the two respective versions have a slightly different spin on them.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

I'd heard the trails for it on Radio 2 and thought it was going to be a bit naff, however it was really good. The guy playing Steve Davis was great and the soundtrack was fantastic.