The British T.V. Thread

[kafka]

missmarple said:

Kafka, I remember quite clearly when I saw Brideshead Revisited how it ended, and you are quite correct. I remember the scene of Olivier dying very well and I'm pretty sure that was almost at the end. It sounds as if someone goofed and didn't include all the DVDs in the set. Perhaps the mini-series was released in 2 parts? (That's what they did with War and Remembrance). I'd complain. Someone made a mistake.

I'm so glad I wasn't imagining it all! The series was released on 3 discs, for a total of 9 episodes. I've wanted to write to Netflix about it but it's really not their fault at all, poor things. Just the manufacturers. But I'm still pissed off. The Marquis' death and its impact were such a pivotal part of the books.

I saw you added the Lord Peter Wimsey stuff on your list. I loved the books and have some of the movies on my Netflix list. They star Ian Carmichael but they also have the ones starring Harriet Vane and Edward somethingforanother. I think those were the ones you referred to in your post. Should I start with those? Are the Ian Carmichael ones bad? I really enjoyed the Sayer stories featuring Peter Wimsey just by himself, without Harriet, so I'm in a bit of a quandary now.

Also, have you seen the Campion murder mysteries starring Peter Davison and Brian Glover? They're another series set in the 1930 featuring a brilliant detective. I haven't seen them yet but I hear they're really good.

[Deleted]

Kafka

I don't know what's up with Brideshead Revisited. I did a quick check on Amazon and no one mentions the set being incomplete. I would check with Netflix if I were you.

As for Peter Wimsey. I've seen all the episodes. The early BBC stories (the 5 that I mentioned above) are great. Just that the production values are from the 1960s, so they are on videotape and look like the series done at that time. Clouds of Witness was the first one that they did and it remains a favorite of mine as it introduces almost all the important characters and gives the beginning of the Charles Parker/Lady Mary Wimsey story too. So, my suggestions is to watch these 5 first. The second set of episodes done in the 90s feature Edward Petherbridge as Wimsey and he is actually physically more like the character in the book. (Carmichael did a good job but really wasn't as close to the physical Wimsey as Peterbridge.) The 3 in this set really form the arc of the Wimsey/Harriet Vane romance. I enjoyed these very much as well. Don't be turned off the earlier 5 episodes - they are great and fit well together. My particular favorites are Clouds of Witness and The Nine Tailors from the first set, although the others from that set are good as well.

I think the order of viewing of the first set was (1) Clouds of Witness (2) The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (3) Murder Must Advertise (4) Five Red Herrings (5) The Nine Tailors. The order is important only as far as the development of the Charles Parker/Lady Mary Wimsey story which is shown in both Clouds of Witness and Murder Must Advertise. The other 3 can be viewed in any order, I think.

In the second set, the stories fit together with Strong Poison as the first, followed by Have His Carcase, and ending with Gaudy Night. These 3 should definitely be viewed in order as they follow the development of the Wimsey/Harriet Vane relationship.

Yes, I've seen the Campion episodes, although I didn't enjoy them as much as the ones in my main post. I'm not sure why, but I couldn't get as interested, although I think I've seen 6-8 of them. I really like Midsomer Murders too.

[heavenleigh2001]

Has anyone ever seen "May to December"? My PBS station has started showing them. I kinda like it. I'm just mad that they took off "Are you being served" for the "last of the summer wine". I just don't like that show. And I wish they still showed "Upstairs, Downstairs" again, but luckily they have some of the shows at my library.

[kafka]

Miss Marple, thank you so much. I was struggling with the order because I haven't read the Sayer books since I was a teenager and it was all slightly foggy in my mind. I'm going to fix my Netflix Queue right away. I'm also going to look for "A Very British Coup" and "Heat of the Sun." Thanks again!

ETA: Heavensleigh, do you get BBC America on cable? I think they're still showing "Are you being served?" I know they still have "Keeping up appearances," a constant marathon of Monty Python stuff (the Flying Circus), AbFab, As time goes by, and other older shows. BTW, if anyone's interested, they're also going to be showing a biopic of Byron, starting Oct. 22. It stars Jonny Lee Miller as Lord Byron, as well as Vanessa Redgrave and one of the chaps from Horatio Hornblower.

[Deleted]

I recently rented The Way We Live Now from Netflix (missed it when it originally aired on Masterpiece Theatre) and it was excellent! It stars David "Poirot" Suchet, Matthew MacFadyen, Shirley Henderson and Miranda Otto (sporting a ridiculous Texas/southern accent!) and is at turns hilarious, gripping and poignant. I enjoyed every minute and would highly recommend it. It was especially nice to see MacFadyen (from A&E's MI:5) play an utterly charming and spoiled rake. He has a real gift for comedy.

Another mini-series that I LOVED was broadcast maybe 2 years ago (damn) on BBC America. It was called State of Play and was about some journalists investigating a series of coincidental deaths that may or may not be connected to the government. Bill Nighy played the editor of the newspaper and his performance was absolutely perfect. So funny, so nuanced... oh man. Unfortunately, BBC America only aired the series once (I think) and it is not available in the US on DVD or VHS. I heard that they might be re-airing it in the near future so I will be on the look out. So much goes on and all of the performances are so fabulous that it is watchable even when you know the outcome.

[Casino Bride]

*breaks into song*

The sound of hoof beats 'cross the glade.
Good folk, lock up your son and daughter.
Beware the deadly flashing blade,
Unless you want to end up shorter.

Black Adder, Black Adder. He rides a pitch black steed.
Black Adder, Black Adder. He's very bad indeed.

Black. His gloves of finest mole.
Black. His codpiece made of metal.
His horse is blacker than a hole.
His pot is blacker than his kettle.

Black Adder, Black Adder. With many an cunning plan.
Black Adder, Black Adder. You horrid little man!

Sorry, could not resist! ;D

I want to get the complete BA boxed set for Xmas; it's very expensive but worth every penny. (And I already had a massive crush on Hugh Laurie long before House!)

P.S. I also adore AbFab and Keeping Up Appearances. (My Godmother IS Hyacinth "Bouquet" - I swear!)

[pepper67]

Let me chime in on the love for both Lord Peter Wimsey series. I saw the Edward Petherbridge ones in the 80s and loved them. Near the beginning of this year, I found Clouds of Witness on video in a charity shop and bought it thinking that I'd probably enjoy watching. I was wrong. I loved it. I ended up buying all the Ian Carmichael ones on DVD because they are that good. No, he wasn't like Lord Peter physically but he plays him so well, and the series is so good, I didn't mind either. The only time it did matter was when Lord Peter was supposed to dive off the top of that statue in Murder Must Advertise.

I've also got the Edward Petherbridge series on video (they were a gift from a friend or I would have bought the DVDs of those too), and they are just as good as I remembered. I was really sorry that they never filmed Busman's Honeymoon.

There's no doubt in my mind that Joan Hickson was the best Miss Marple. I haven't watched any of the Geraldine McEwan ones though and I really don't think I'll bother. I've sat through quite a few Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple films and they're pretty dire.

I rewatched I, Claudius when it was reshown on one of the satellite/cable channels and I was amazed at how much of it had gone over my head when I first saw it. Of course, I was a kid when it was first shown and I was forever being sent out of the room as an unsuitable scene was coming up, so I probably missed most of it anyway. Excellent series, and Derek Jacobi was brilliant as Claudius.

Another Derek Jacobi series that I loved was Cadfael. Well, the first four episodes of it, anyway. I watched the next few but then, after Ellis Peters (the author of the series) died, they seemed to decide that it didn't matter if they changed things. The last one that I saw, The Pilgrim of Hate, they'd changed the murderer, the suspected but innocent guy, the profession of the victim and the relationship between all three. I don't know if they made any more after that but I never watched them.

[dirksunboy]

There's something about the British comedies that I love. Some of them are TOO British, but I've always loved Absolutely Fabulous. Now that I have BBC America, I'm into The Robinsons, The Smoking Room, and best of all--Little Britian. I just bought Season 1 --it's too funny.

[Deleted]

No mention of Doctor Who yet? Tut tut. Or am I the only British sci-fi geek on these boards?

[riccaroni]

I just discovered BBC America and I'm OBSESSED with Footballers' Wives, has anyone seen it?? It's wonderfully trashy, and the men are hot!