reggie-at-random

Once again, my PBS (WNED) comes through with a clever choice!

After the first viewing I have found this series immensely amusing and entertaining. It grows on you and the gentle reveal of Mike and his back story plays a subtle but valuable role as the audience, along with his team, begins to understand him.

The shows are not full of vicious characters or overrun with personal angst that obscures the individual and unique plot lines. Although I suspect there are more than a few tips of the hat to Midsommer Murders, this is firmly rooted in the (how could it be?) fictional Brokenwood with all the characters that flow around Mike's team.

I love the interplay of music and the mildly cheeky relationships especially Gina in the morgue who never overplays her role but gives it just enough slavic sardonic flavour to dampen any inadvertent antipodean cuteness.

Looking forward to the entire series run with much anticipation.

Sorry...Branagh's face fungus just cannot compete with Suchet's brilliantly obsessive mustachios, his exquisite wardrobe, his precise movements and extremely exact methods. Ridiculous to even imagine one could improve upon such a perfect portrait.

But then this "adaptation" largely and uselessly stretches any of Christie's excellent book plot into some sort of dreary pace that, when interrupted with commercial TV, genuinely makes you forget what your were watching and prompts one to simply turn it off.

However in order to satisfy your curiosity as to how it should have been done...check the Suchet version OR ... go read or re-read the book. MUCH more satisfying!!

Jake's review gives a generous 3 ...I dropped mine due to the disappointment which might be inevitable between a reader and a TV show watcher. Tomkinson just physically and facially and everything else-ily simply did NOT present like the Banks in the books. Lonergan speaks to this issue by saying about Tomkinson's acting: "His two states were glaring at the suspect, looking like a brain aneurysm was about to burst, and weeping." Personally I felt his chronic consternation look reminded me of someone who has just filled his pants and is desperately trying to plot his escape off set.

No thanks to this persistently dark production from the 40Watt School of Drama like "Vera"...all northern counties apparently are dim, overcast and gloomy year round. Home county prejudice I say!

Are Nicola Walker and Sean Bean the only available actors these days? Walker in particular clones up everywhere. And if this is just a typical marriage...and it seemed so after watching 3/4 of an episode...I found myself thinking: "Why would I want to watch something I see everyday anyway?" Huh? I don't geddit.

I might try again but it just struck me as plain and ordinary as one could get and if this the result of some new post-reality/true reality drama concept, it comes across as not needing much of a script, a minimal and predictable 'stages of life' plot and then a chance for the actors to workshop their emoting. Meh.

Despite my disappointment at the shortness of this series one must reserve one's deep admiration for the quality of the writing, acting, stage setting and all the rest of the production effort that raises this brief series up firmly into the Golden Standard of film for television.

The layers of plot development were not forced by anything more than Wicher's own admission that his search for the Truth is his driving force alone. Paddy Considine achieves a remarkable sincerity in his delivery and non-speaking reactions that truly hit home in so many subtle ways other histrionics could never touch. A careful application of the less-is-more style works beautifully here.

The ending is very satisfying too.

A quiet contentment for a finale.

Too often "excellence" has been cheapened by corporate prostitution but this series, however brief, is monstrously entertaining and simply brilliant in it's subtlety and nuance. The out of control son is accurately presented in the historical context...my own family had such issues much of which is forgotten these days.

I am enjoying the detail and accuracy of the period research and the production qualities but the acting is superb...and makes me want to look into the other performances of the lead and the secondary characters. This has got to be the best 'series' I've seen for decades coming out of the UK.

Absorbing, flawless, outstanding cast, sympathetic but culturally and historically accurate acting, cinephotography, locations, costumes, hair...even the female actors trained to walk the way they would have...every detail excels and raises this production to a proper Gold Standard.

As a specialist in Victorian history, I was extremely impressed with the exactitude of this production's quality and accuracy.

Came across this via my local PBS station and made sure I was able to view all the programmes which upheld the high quality so firmly established at the outset.

A worthy investment in anyone's vid library.

Mystery, drama, sci-fi...the last label I missed and within minutes into the first episode thought: "Uh-oh...ah, why am I watching this?"

I have no quarrel with the incredible production values, the acting the directing and whatever other high quality work was invested. But....

Some are into dystopian tales, some aren't: probably dictated by their respective life experiences. I escaped long ago and happy to have chosen freedom and working poverty instead of this gruesome depiction of life.

Is this then a high class warning to others? Possibly. But.... Not for me.

I was going to begin by saying "I'm sorry but..." I don't think I will. What I am truly sorry about is, Olivia Colman and David Tennant notwithstanding (and they earn the two stars posted), I found this dragging drama about as wretched as nearly all the people in the tale, investigating team as well as the entire town's sadly gruesome population. After trying to give a second, third, (skipped a few) then a fourth chance, I could see no redemption in sight and struck it off my list.

What a miserable story about miserable people.

WHY would I want to endure this nightmare...especially in the pandemic nightmare of our own reality?

Views of the spectacular locale could not tempt me back into this depressing epic produced by the apparently still popular 40w bulb school of interior lighting design.

When writers resort to the more ridiculous sexual exploits of their lead characters, that's a surefire signal they've truly run out of ideas. An Anglican priest tom-catting around like they have this guy doing is more than mildly repulsive. It's also clear that these writers don't belong to the Anglican/Episcopalian church or haven't spent any time within it. Holy Hannah. Wot dreck. I'll pass this season thanks.

Sorry...Malkovich, while an excellent actor of considerable reputation is totally miss-cast here for the 'little Belgian'.

Did no one foresee this?

If they did, it all smacks of American arrogant assumptions that truly and consistently irritate...along with some glaring musical faux pas... and then they wonder why they have the negative international reputation they do.

Strange production: direction very jumpy, continuity poor, dialogue disjointed and scene arrangement weirdly jolty. All of that felt like a high school production.

But the look was fabulous: costumes, hair and production values overall impressive. The rest? The stuff an average viewer is looking for? Meh.

You've got to deliver in all categories to batch if not beat what's been produced before. Got bored. Went to bed.

With the dearth of social history being taught these days, a series like this that is lighter but includes the period's issues and relationships, is well acted possesses great potential. I am truly looking forward to series two. Bravo to all on the production team. Two quibbles: Scripts that occasionally lapse into current slang could easily be corrected with more vigilant editing and perhaps a movement instructor could train the women in costume to use a more 'contained' walk rather than the 21st century stride they default to. Small things but easily amended.

Accuracy and fidelity to Austen's text and tone overall is more important than the more glaring weaker production aspects. There are strangely misdirected, ill-placed, or non-reflective lighting at times. A chronic use of inappropriate mid to long shots abound in albeit period but echo-filled hallways. A lower budget can only explain away some of these issues.

Today we would expect more effective tighter camera fills and finer, more subtle sound quality. The roaming hand-held camera has allowed so much more versatility. In this 1983 Mansfield Park, It's as if an arrogant but ignorant stage director has insisted on using his time-honoured strategies without any awareness of what the camera can achieve in a different medium in a superior way.

The musical interludes are neatly entwined and the casting appropriate and strongly played. However, the jarring differences in production value changes in the past nearly 40 years, even for a television series, will strike a hard for some to ignore note throughout.

But stick with this one. Setting aside the technical disadvantages the era of this production allows, it still remains a better overall rendition of Austen's work than more modern adaptations.

While the Victorian social and moral notions are roasted as thoroughly as a movie can without losing sight of the murder mystery plot, I especially welcome the degree of detailed accuracy enforced in the wardrobe, the accessories and hair. The stiffness of the fabrics, the bustles, the cropped fringes and the minimal makeup reinforced the feel and look of the rising middle classes in 1880s Victorian London. Kudos to the staff and departments ruling those decisions. Thankfully that very realism makes this production very tricky to date so little of the movie's contemporary make-up and hair styling filtered through.That is too rare these days...that I had to look the date up.

Any clot who doesn't get the Black Books humour should just walk away. The cast is a perfect trio. Tamsin Greig in particular stands up wonderfully to the two powerhouses of Moran and Bailey. Not an easy task! The sardonic writing, alarmingly and gloriously ridiculous, delivers retorts I ALWAYS wanted to use in my bookshop minding days long ago and far away. Try it...repeat as you wish...keep sane and enjoy. I take my doses regularly. So should you.

It only took me viewing barely 15 minutes of this to several key dismaying conclusions: the casting is poor, everyone is far too healthy looking and well fed, their hair is too lovingly coifed in anachronistic stylings, the clothing nods vaguely to the era and the dialogue and characterisation is shallow and limited. The 'blow-em-real-good' FX are of course a major feature and wonderfully impressive if you are into that sort of thing. But loyal to historical accuracy. Meh. Not at all.

The mixture of apparently different plot lines that gradually reveal their intersection in a fascinating and carefully developed tale encourages me to revisit this programme for it's production quality and uniquely balanced stories. Worth studying for the excellent work it is aesthetically and for the characters alone...especially as they impact bit by bit the eventual finale.

Obviously the formulaic MC Beaton AG lovers will be disappointed but I don't really care because I never liked the book version of AG...just too unlovely and simply unlikable a character never mind the repetitive plots. Well this version looks the formula right in the eye and switches it into a different combo and up-dates it all into this century. Along with a lot of character chess pieces being rearranged, it also drops the late Mr Raisin's-questionable past which might have been fun but maybe not suited for today's audience. Could always be drawn in later I suppose to spice flagging plot lines I suppose. As to why MC Beaton let this go? Come on people! Don't be so naive!! Her empire never stops churning out pages of semi-dreck for the undying fans, ( I suspect her publishers now use simple algorithms to keep up with the demand) so why would she mind just another exploitation of her 'art'?

I tried the first of series one as it was on PBS and promised a decently experienced cast and a possibly promising context. But oh dear...slow, dreamy, inconsistent in its drifting sort-of plot made worse with gooey voice overs and random salacious scenes. Were some of these scenes supposed to be amusing? Or was the aimlessness an attempt at revealing the domestic problems as something typical yet tragic or whatever?

The whole thing struck me as a 'meh, who cares?' sort of conclusion and since Iain Glen was as usual playing this Iain Glen thing, I had no desire to study his patently scruffy 'charm' ever again. Other cast members did what they could but there was just no spark or catchy through plot line to tempt me.

After about 20 minutes I still couldn't get a fix on it and decided I didn't want to bother...and THAT's when the desperation for digital entertainment is at its highest currently. Not the best investment of PBS dollars perhaps.

This series is such a guerrilla indictment of how so many women today have a career but no 'house' skills and certainly are not cooks in any way shape or form. They are assemblers of food but have no clue about how to use a pop-up toaster or cook even the basics. Ironically the children are never made to help clean up, wash or dry dishes. In that era, child labour like this was automatic...our family certainly followed this pattern. 'You used it, you help clean it' was our pater's command with mater's appreciation It's already clear that men were virtually useless in the home and that drone role with many of these modern men, I hope sinks in with enlightenment. At least my father worked a very demanding labourer's job and earned the rest he needed to re-charge for the next day. Overall, I hope the experience helped this chosen family spoiled with ready-made foods, tinned sauces and gravies and eating out far too often realise their otherworldly exchange with insight.

Decades have gone since I first viewed this on our old VCR. Wore it out. Then lent it out and need a replacement...to enjoy once again the wonderfully real but imaginative spins on his experiences with The Big Yin at his prime. Just recalling the description of tying bairns to string to keep them safe in the high winds of Wick still makes me laugh out loud! To be able to generate that sort of powerful memory is surely the mark of a great story teller and comic. Thanks Billy for all of it.

If Bill Bailey commands a cult let them all seek out this series and revel in it. Ca end of last century, BB at his finest, comeliest, and rampantly versatile and iconoclastic...with special sympathetic harkenings to all suffering fellow-freelancers in the music biz. I am thrilled to have found this collection. Any self-styled 'indie' producer should take note: many BB fans would treasure these should they be released in a soft media form. Meanwhile, this format will do old-fashioned me.

More revealing of today's distracted misconceptions about the Arts & Crafts movement than anything, this series was made unnecessarily stressful for the artisans when it applied completely unnecessary and unrealistic deadlines. This was evidently seen as necessary for the producer's budget and time frame and perhaps to imitate other similar "live-in" shows but the choice did no favours for the product quality or level of achievement.

I found it revealing that the immature and inexperience of some (notably the clueless potter) showed as quickly as the calm and focused practice of the metal worker...who met every request with the equanimity of one long familiar with working commissions and coping with clients, so Bravo to her! However, even the 'controlling' blade man found himself buckling under the ridiculous demands of his one solo assignment. The A&C attention to process as equal to functional beauty of the product was betrayed by the ADD of our 21st C .

Casting must have been charmed by the potter but his woeful "skills" betrayed any decent wheelworker with even just two years of training. Never made a plate? Did I hear that right? Did he lie in the interview and trust to his charm? And WHO in their right mind puts greenware outside without covering it with plastic sheeting? His participation was a disaster and betrayed every clay maker in the nation...surely there could have been someone else better?

What the others accomplished was impressive within the confines assigned but the format, I agree with others truly worked against this attempt at honouring the A&C movement, if that was the intention.

My Aunt watches this on DVDs regularly...she says it reminds her of my cousins in Edmonton when they were kids and the wonderful relationship she witnessed between the older brother "C" (aged 8) and his youngest sister "K" (3) who was a particularly stubborn but imaginative child. To this day that relationship remains, albeit in adult form and speaks well of the manner in which those children were parented with love and sensitivity and a respectful belief in their autonomy while still remaining watchful guides and resources. I wish all children could grow up in such an atmosphere 'cos both my cousins are wonderful adults now with delightful little ones of their own. Bravo all