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Saw the last episode on iplayer last night [didn’t realise it was repeated tomorrow night]. Was just thinking how Pythonesque it was getting when the Professor pulled out [no white gloves; still don’t get it] the beautifully named ‘Book of Roger’ which went on the describe Britain as a place where ‘all is in the grip of a perpetual winter’. No change there then.
Did any of you see Domesday, the BBC TV documentary on the Doomsday Book?
I thought the commentator, historian, Dr Stephen Baxter, seemed dour for the first half-hour, but then he suddeny came to life, when musing aloud about why a certain Anglo-Saxon was called the same name as the one Beckham’s wife apparently calls him sometimes.
Then, reflecting on the last of the Anglos-Saxon rebels, and particulary Waltheof, who apparently planned a rebellion with a couple of other Anglo-Saxon chiefs, and perhaps regretted it the next morning, when he’d sobered up, he was again beside himself wih laughter. It changed the whole complexion, or at least, mood, of the documentary for me.
I found this just now, while looking up the Domesday programme:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sj8fc
But try and get hold of England under the Normans and Angevins by H W C Davis. It’s a brilliant book.
No programme or book will give all the info available, formal or anecdotal, but all of them seem to provide a few more pieces for the mosaic. In that book, the author, states that Waltheof, who was married to William I’s sister, Judith, agreed to take part in or lead the rebellion under duress. Anyway, what is not in doubt is that Judith bubbled him to William, and a few months later he was beheaded, the customary form of execution for condemned nobles.
But what a commentary on the emptines of wordly glory – that Willam was stripped almost naked within a few seconds of his death, presumably by his closest confidants.
"Sic transit gloria mundi", as an Elizabethan merchant an amateur actor once pronounced, when Queen Elizabeth commented that he was the gentleman who had broken wind the last time she saw him in a play there – I think she said "farted".
Anyway, the poor soul had avoided going back to perform before her for many years, in the hope that she would have forgotten!
Anyone watching Exile [second episode tonight] with John Simm and Jim Broadbent? Wasn’t sure about seeing something based on someone suffering from Alzheimers [has anyone noticed how awful my spelling/grammar is getting these days..oooer?], but, ever since The Lakes I’ve made a point of watching programmes featuring John Simm. It really is most excellent and I’m so looking forward to tonights episode.
No, I am afraid I missed this one.
Another, I am following on "BBC 4" at the moment is "Rubicon". (As, well as "Spiral".)
I think "Rubicon" has the edge over "Spiral".
Regards
Rubicon? Must try to catch up with that. I’m enjoying Spiral; I resented it at first, it was like trying to replace a lost pet with another one too soon..fills the gap but you’d rather have the other one back. Annoyingly May is the birthday month in our family and it’s the annual birthday ‘curry night’ next Saturday, and I’ll be willing everyone to leave by 9 [still can’t work the recording equipment].
I couldn’t get on with "Spiral," Moe. Far too soon after The Killing. Plus, like Luc Besson and his ilk, I felt it pandered to an American market. The Killing pandered to no-one.
Did you know that our cousins over the Atlantic have remade The Killing?
Don’t know much about Luc Besson, Max, but going to see Adele Blanc-sec in a couple of weeks and, as it’s described as ‘Amelie meets Indiana Jones’ I can see where you’re coming from about his ‘pandering to the American audience! Exile was superb; I’d forgotten that programmes in English can be good!
I watched all three episodes. The plot itself was a little far fetched but the acting of Simm and the always excellent Jim Broadbent more than compensated for that and highlighted how destroying Alzheimers disease can be – not only to the person affected but to the family also.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Olivia Colman was brilliant as well. It was like a very good episode of The Street, some of which I almost found too painful to watch. There was a touch of the Alan Bennetts about it as well, because it made me laugh a lot as well. It was far fetched, though!
Anyone watching The Shadow Line
? Wasn’t impressed with the first episode, but stuck with it and very much looking forward to the last episode tonight [will ANYONE be alive at the end of it, I ask myself?]Yes, I followed it.
I also found the first episode difficult but, continued with the series and glad I did.
I never liked Gabriel’s sidekick but, never suspected she would end up killing him.
I did find the dialogue trying at times though.
I much prefer "Rubicon" on BBC4.
Regards
They printed some of the dialogue in an Observer review, and pointed out that it didn’t really make any sense; I felt better after reading that and didn’t try to understand any of it..just let it wash over me. Found some of the characters looked a lot like others, which confused me even more. I thought no one would be left alive by the end, and I was almost right. Only stuck with it because I’ve liked Hugo Blicks [sp] previous work; glad that I did. Except, sometimes get a horrible feeling that there’ll be a knock at the door one day and Gatehouse will be standing there……ooooer
I thought it was superb and will buy the DVD and watch it end to end.
I thought the Tony Sher/Stephen Rea almost identical characters were the best acting performances I have seen in decades (probably gonig all the way back to Sher’s Richard III on crutches at the Barbican).
They were totally absorbing and utterly frightening. But like all the great baddies I wanted "Gatehouse" to survive just so we can follow his further delve into blatant souless evil, propped up with a Cameron/Clegg type misplaced self serving sense of humanity.
Fair play to the BBC running it over 7 weekly 60 minute episodes. It seemed to run to a fairly unpredictable and yet satisfyingly plausible conclusion which is so rare these days in both TV and Film drama.
Also the surviving characters are now so well developed that a sequel would be more than welcome. Indeed some of the supposedly dead charachters could make a return given the loose ends that were left.
Unmissable from the first episode, even though I didn’t understand what was going on until it Kicked in, sorry to see it end.
Now we have ‘Luther’ to look forward to every week.I’ve never seen Luther. My daughter watched an episode in the first series that absolutely traumatised her, so I gave it a miss. However, watching The Shadow Line made me think that it was a similar sort of programme [as some scenes were almost unbearable to watch], so I’m going to watch Luther this week. I think I shall have to buy the dvd of TSL as well, so I can piece it all together. Do you think it was deliberate to have the two characters look so similar? I rather wish they hadn’t shown Gatehouse in the hospital without his hat and glasses; in fact, I think he should have still worn them when he was on his life support machine [still don’t get what happened there]. Need an explanetary leaflet after each episode, I think.
I must say i rarely watch any of the crap on tv these days other than the great boxsets of old.
The WireFor a young lad like myself the ghetto rap music is what i was exposed to as a youngster when it was big with guys like Eminem which got me into the whole African American sterotype but i must say this was just a immense show with some great characters like McNulty,Omar(Favorite),Cedric Daniels,Bunk just to name a few. Really all great Superb African American actors that i havent seen much of since(McNulty or Dominic West is staring in a new bbc series on the 17th July). I must say i would not argue from anyone of any creed, race, religion watching this. It has to be just the most memorable TV Series in History.
The Sopranos
At first i thought meh whats all the fuss about but only after i finished watching the whole show did I really understand how great it was. Its a slow burner but super satisfying once its all done. Tony is obviously done superbly but I love the rival family with Phil leatardo and Johnny sack. Would be close behind the Wire IMO.
Mad Men
Jon Hamm an unknown until this series was produced but one of the great characters in TV History as Don Draper. Set post WW2 America on Madison Avenue in Plush New York this is everything the American Dream is built on. Sexism and outlandish drinking and eating are the order of the day on this show but it really is superb. Closely Following Donald Draper is Roger Sterling a truly TV great character as a Middle Aged man with a addiction to booze(as they all are) and ditching his wife for a 20 something secretary. A great series that is at Season 4 with 3 more to come.
Can’t waitYour Views folks??
Can’t argue with The Wire, Ruby, it’s very, very good. Haven’t had the time to watch them all, been planning to get the box set and watch it from start to finish one day, but just don’t have the time.
Haven’t seen Mad Men, but as for The Sopranos, it was good, but just a tad over hyped. Not the biggest fan of James Gandolfini, which doesn’t help. Feel I may be in the minority with this one.
My favourite American cop show was the little known, but very excellent, Boomtown.
My favourite show ever is Seinfeld, it’s difficult to imagine any sitcom which has, or will, ever come close to it. Special mention also for Trailer Park Boys, again, little known, but superb.
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