British TV Fall 2022

Did you just wake up from a long sleep? This vicar has been around for awhile. As in, four seasons. Tom Brittney.

My local PBS didn't carry the show for a while, sorry!

That wavy hair has me leaking.

OP

Just for you! Leak on.

Grantchester Season 7 just finished on PBS. It won't be back for a LONG time. (They haven't even started on Season 8, and it always airs in the UK well before PBS gets it.)

Actually, r4, filming has begun on season 8.

Thank you R3....he's heavenly!

Kind of strange that the same English village managed to attract two consecutive young, hot vicars who also happen to have impressive detective skills.

I need to stand them next to each other to see who has the larger....staff and sheath, as it were.

A new series of The Capture starts on Sunday on the BBC.

Callum Turner isn't returning. but H Grainger, Ben Miles and Lia Williams are.

Paapa Essiedu and Indira Varma join the cast.

My spiritual needs are too great that just one vicar isn't enough. I require both of them.

Another season of Grantchester? I was sure S7 would be the end of it. Everyone -- cast, writers, diversity advisers, etc. -- is just on autopilot to collect a paycheck at this point.

I require both of the vicars PLUS Hyancith's dishy vicar.

Shit show, "Grantchester." Terrible plots, terrible writing, ridiculous character developments, and at the core an unappealing and unconvincing actor as the center of it all, who has no center and whose character is just used to show how women will fuck him and then whine about the fact that the egotist doesn't really love them.

Although now he's married, thanks to the series ender they closed the last season with, in case they were not renewed.

What a mess.

The girl they show him with in recent ads for the new season is a bug eyed fuggo.

His new wife was the midwife who tragically died after getting married to yet ANOTHER hot vicar (on "Call the Midwife," of course.)

R3 my god, but he's delicious!

Speaking of dishy vicars, as long as I have a face, Jack Ashton will always have a place to sit (or rest his hairy balls).

Omg, GUILT is horrible. It should never have been revived. As a one-and-done it was clever and fun. Now it’s a lot of people staring at each other making pronouncements about how serious they are when threatening or being threatened by another person.

“I’m serious…I’ve never been more serious…”

“You’d better do what I say, or else…”

“You’d better not do that, or else…”

And a lot of shitty music in the background. I mean….[italic] a lot [/italic] of shitty music. ….I’m serious….

That new Grantchester vicar is not as dishy as he looks. He’s ok in airbrushed photos but on the actual show, he’s a bit fug. They try to make him into a James Dean leather jacket motorcycle rebel, but it doesn’t really work. He’s a bit too sensitive to pull that off.

What was the deal with that Indian woman the vicar was fucking?! What a ridiculous storyline, the Indian woman happened to be the wife, or GF, of the new police chief. Wow, such a coincidence.

Think she ended up leaving the police chief and the vicar. That was a truly terrible storyline.

The original Grantchester vicar (James Norton) is hotness personified. But I'm watching him in Happy Valley (which I think started around the same time as Grantchester) and although he's still hot, his character is so hateful! Talk about polar opposites! And I'm starting to realize how much that great head of blonde hair really makes his look (in Grantchester.)

They needed to get a non white person in there. There’s a bare minimum of airtime required to be filled by a nonwhite person, especially on British period pieces. Riz Ahmed accused British entertainment industry of doing too many period pieces so they wouldn’t have to use actors of color. Next thing you know, every period piece had to feature POC.

Maybe someone said, “They never show POC being brainlessly promiscuous in period pieces. And they don’t show enough liberated female POC. So let’s have a female POC act just like a white man, and be a low down, sex addicted cheat.”

He's one vicar that enjoys the booze and the available women then gives a sermon on sin.

(R20) Very true and did you notice how she had to stretch on her toes to kiss him, rather short in stature.

The entire season was ridiculous. The plots/scripts, the actors, and the direction was all painful to watch. What a downfall from how it all began.

The only redeeming factor - if it even could be called that - was Leonard and his story-line.

Charlotte Ritchie was a bit of fresh air.

I can't imagine ever watching another season.

Poor Tom Brittney was the sacrificial lamb. You can't just swap vicars. And you can't make an actor exude heat. They can't just be attractive. They either have it or they don't. Brittney doesn't. And HIS story-lines didn't help.

Oh well. It's just TV.

(R25) I totally agree with your observations. On You Tube I've been watching the Australian "Dr. Blake Mystery" which is also on Ovation Channel. The lead actor has been removed from the series due to sexual harassment. Holding a banana at crotch level walking toward the females on set was one example.

Dr Blake was a banana buster?

They need to cancel Grantchester and have Leonard move to 1960s London and have his own show.

I had to laugh -- in nearly every one of Brittney's seasons the show concocts some reason for him to have a shirtless scene. It's usually in the first episode or two. It's like it's part of show's Diversity Checklist -- POCs? Check. Differently abled actor? Check. Mentally ill character? Done. Get Tom's shirt off? Done and done.

And "done" is what I am with this show. It hasn't been good since the second season, just circling the drain.

R23 - Sidney Chambers or Will Davenport??? Which are you referring to????

Charlotte Ritchie annoys me, I’m sorry. I didn’t like her jaw-jut in Call the Midwife and it’s even more pronounced in Grantchester with blonde hair and red lipstick. Her teeth are a bit yellowed. I don’t understand why hair, makeup and costumer people allow actresses to wear lipstick that accentuates yellow teeth. Her uneven jaw and crooked mouth are unattractive and she’s too pale as a blonde, even if that’s her true hair color.

R31 - I never understood the casting of Charlotte Ritchie either. Charlotte Hope would have been a much better choice.

They should have ended the show when the first vicar joined up with the black lady to go into the jungles of the US and convert racist Americans.

Charlotte Ritchie was such an annoying do-gooder on Midwife.

I love that show and nearly every character on it but some weeks, Barbara outsainted the nuns. I mean, give me a fucking break!

Father Tom needed a harlot that could handle his big hog, not a priss who only let him do missionary with the lights out...

I dont like the guy in OP’s pic’s hair texture.

It annoys.

R34, Call the Midwife was trying to recapture the magic that Jessica Raine brought to the show. Raine exuded innocence and naïveté naturally. Ritchie struggled to do it but couldn’t. That’s why they killed her off.

Forget the vicars, why aren't you gays talking about the *HOT AF* police inspector, Geordie? Mmmmmm, hot daddy. Lickable chest. Mmmmm!

Robson Green goes nude in every show he’s in. Loves to show his ass.

Robson Green, Bryan Brown and Douglas Henshall are my idea of hot older men. The accents make them even hotter.

FUCK YEAH DADDY

I knew she looked familiar but the blond hair totally threw me. As soon as she showed up with requisite awkward kid, it was inevitable. Funny, I thought she asked to be written off Midwife. So she’s now on an equally stifling show. Leonard is the only interesting character. Do you think he could carry a show if he switched to become a social worker?

[quote] the magic that Jessica Raine brought

Miss I'm Going To Be A Big Star.....and promptly never heard from again

Charlotte Ritchie is having success in the UK (original) version of Ghost. She’s latched on to that team of very talented actors and lucky for her, she plays the straight (wo)man.

Jessica Raine may not be a huge star but she’s constantly working in high profile tv shows. She was excellent as the drunk slut in The Last Post. She’s done Patrick Melrose, Baptiste, Becoming Elizabeth all while shagging the sexy Tom Goodman-Hill.

I predict Jessica’s career will go like Judi Dench’s. Years of tv work before finally getting recognition later in her career.

R43 Really? Hadn't heard a peep from her in the States. I'll have to check those out.

[quote]Miss I'm Going To Be A Big Star.....and promptly never heard from again

Oh god is the "Bitchy resting face" troll going to make an appearance again?

Jessica Raine has a new Amazon Prime series coming up with Peter Capaldi.

She could have stayed in Call The Midwife for 10 series and kept the cash coming in but she chose to have variety. And of course she was sensational in Line Of Duty.

The Last Post is definitely worth watching. Some nice eye candy.

[quote]Really? Hadn't heard a peep from her in the States. I'll have to check those out.

She was in the reboot of "Partners in Crime" (Tommy and Tuppence) opposite David Walliams.

Robson Green's character in the British series "Soldier, Soldier" is insufferable. Of course, he's much younger.

“The States” = non-U

Jessica Raine was also in Wolf Hall (and excellent it is as well, playing a total bitch).

R45 I promise I am not the RBF troll! LOL

I genuinely hadn't heard much from or about her for eons. I stand corrected!

Robson Green, 7 weeks at #1 in the UK with this. Thanks, Simon Cowell!

Robson nude.

Robson Green also shows ass in “Reckless” and “Wire in the Blood”.

And I think in Season 1 of Grantchester he has an affair with his secretary and they show him on top of her just above the ass.

[quote]Omg, GUILT is horrible. And a lot of shitty music in the background. I mean…. a lot of shitty music. ….I’m serious….

GUILT is awful and the music used is so loud and annoying. The music it doesn't fit the mood of the series at all. The series should be called Gangsters in Glasgow or wherever it's based.

How the hell do most of these people even get tired? Who would choose that type of music for this type of series?!

The shitty music reminds me of the awful song used in the current US Kleenex 'snot bubble' ad which is currently running in heavy rotation on US TV. The 'music' features a guy screaming, "You're so funny, you're so funny...!!" It's obviously some pseudo punk rock song. WTF does this song have to do with a small child having a snot bubble, as his father in the background is making a nauseated face??? The music used in GUILT is that awful, it has no relation to the mood of the series.

I liked the first season of GRANTCHESTER, but mainly just watched it for James Norton. I think I just lost interest in season 2 and quit watching.

Kind of like MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES. Loved Essie Davis, but after a while, the “charm” of the show wore a bit too thin for me. (Yes, I know it was an Australian show,not UK)

Dang, James Norton is carved out of stone.

I want to be a James/Robson sandwich.....

Tom Brittney looks like he has a little black in him.

I’m watching Guilt with the captions on and whenever a music interlude starts, it’s identified. So I’m asking you, are these well known bands?

[quote]Tom Brittney looks like he has a little black in him.

Only when he's bottoming for Leonard's replacement.

I really liked 'The pact'. Season 2 should be out soon.

I loved "The Pact". I understand why they have to go with a new storyline but I will miss the cast.

Although just one episode in I am enjoying ITV's THE SUSPECT starring Aidan Turner (Poldark, The Hobbit).

R62 - Is "The Pact" streaming in the US yet? If so, which service?

I want to run my fingers through Tom Brittney's wavy hair and watch his O face.

r63 Use one of the services that lets you know where to stream anything.

Here's one. It says it's on AMC+

I see "The Pact" has that actress who played the World's Ugliest Rape Victim in Season 3 of "Broadchurch."

R65 - Thank You

Anyone else watching Bad Sisters on AppleTV? (It's "Irish TV," I guess.) Five adult Irish sisters, one of whom is married to a gaslighting prick, so her sisters try to kill him. He's dead in the first episode so they succeed, but how? It's pretty delicious and has some snappy dialogue, as it should since it's a Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe, Pulling, This Way Up) project. Daryl McCormack (aka Leo Grande) is a supporting character, and I may have clapped when the dreamy Assaad Bouab from Call My Agent! showed up (sans manbun) as Horgan's co-worker.

Looks like he might have a nice hairy anus

Bad Sisters is quite enjoyable so far. I like most stuff with Sharon Horgan in it.

It's not TV as such but I Came By on Netflix is basically a 4 part BBC1 Sunday night thriller condensed into a movie.

Kelly Macdonald, Hugh Bonneville, George MacKay with some decent twists and turns and a few SERIOUSLY moments.

Enjoyable enough.

I tried Grantchester but found it very boring.

Someone needs to make another Downton Abbey or engaging period piece. I'm watching Hotel Portofino and despite beautiful scenery I just can't get into the storyline or people. I'm trying. Maybe the weird husband/wife relationship will finally be explained.

Robson Greene also had a brief and inexplicable pop career that, in the mid nineties, took him all the way to the UK charts.

top of the UK charts^^

[quote]Robson Greene also had a brief and inexplicable pop career that, in the mid nineties, took him all the way to the UK charts

There's a "Game of Thrones" DVD commentary with Aidan Gillen (Littlefinger) and Kate Dickie (Lysa Arryn) and when Bron (Jerome Flynn - half of Robson and Jerome) comes onscreen Aidan and Kate talks about how shit their music was.

Two hunky detective vicars is a bit hard to swallow. Would have made more sense to recast the original vicar and pretend nothing happened.

The older daddy needs to anally probe the new vicar.

And seeing as the other British TV thread is paywalled, there's a new Keeley Hawes drama coming to the BBC, called Crossfire.

Is Joanne Froggatt playing anymore battered wives?

Only in the UK could an actress who looks like Julie Hesmondhalgh have a thriving career on t'telly.

There should be even more gratuitous BAME casting this season, since it's official policy.

[quote]Two hunky detective vicars is a bit hard to swallow. Would have made more sense to recast the original vicar and pretend nothing happened

What I liked about Will was that, initially, they had it where he absolutely didn't want anything to do with Geordie's work. He had his own storylines and left the police work to Geordie and his partner. Subsequent seasons turned him into Sidney 2.0 minus the heavy drinking

[quote]Only in the UK could an actress who looks like Julie Hesmondhalgh have a thriving career on t'telly.

And playing a rape victim, no less.

[quote]Only in the UK could an actress who looks like Julie Hesmondhalgh have a thriving career on t'telly.

I remember watching an early episode of Johnathan Creek many years ago and thinking WTF when they paired him up romantically with some half geriatric chubby dyke and thinking WTF are they thinking?

R84 - She played a transwoman on Corrie for years!

Keeley Hawes has a new show?

It's been an entire 30 minutes since her last one!

But seriously, whoever that bitch was who complained that all the roles and BAFTAs go to Keely or Sarah Lancashire and a few others did sorta have a point.

Every time I hear the name "Keeley" now I can't help but think of it being shouted by Jamie on "Ted Lasso." KEY-leh! KEY-leh!

And isn't it kind of a white-trashy name? The first one I'd ever heard of was Keely Smith, but how did it get popular in the UK?

We really need to see Jamie Tartt's throbbing cock.

That's all. As you were.

[quote]And isn't it kind of a white-trashy name? The first one I'd ever heard of was Keely Smith, but how did it get popular in the UK?

It’s a fairly uncommon Irish name. The only other famous Keeley is Keeley Hazel who was a page 3 stunnah and fucked a load of footballers and played the woman. Rebecca’s husband left her for in Ted Lasso. She’s also dated Jason Sudeikis.

I’m pretty sure the GUILT music is from Scots bands. Because it’s a Scots show. With lots of Scots actors. With heavy Scots accents. And, it fancies itself “the Scots Fargo.”

Yes it has styled itself a quirky crime drama that is “a Scots version of Fargo mixed with Trainspotting and Shallow Grave”

I can’t stand googly-eyed, puppet face Joan Thursday from Endeavour. Reviews mention how beautified and talented she is. She is neither.

What shows has Julie Hesmondhalgh appeared in that a Yank may recognize?

r91 Season 3 of "Broadchurch." She's the main victim.

Another vote for Bad Sisters. Really enjoying it.

[quote]What shows has Julie Hesmondhalgh appeared in that a Yank may recognize?

Broadchurch series 3 as the rape victim - she deservedly got a BAFTA nom for that but lost to Vanessa Kirby for The Crown

Happy Valley series 2 as the wife of Moseley from Downton Abbey

She played the sister of the main character in Russell T Davies' Cucumber. The bald hairy white man who leaves the black guy. She's the mother of the boy who starts making porn and delivers the monologue about how she caught her young daughter shaving her vagina because she thinks all girls look like that.

More recently she was in The Pact with Eddie Marsan, Rakie Ayola, Warren from This Life, Warren's brother from This Life and Lydia Rodarte-Quayle.

Unfortunately she's a bit of a crank politically. Huge Corbyn supporter, not concerned about the Jew obsessiveness or the Putin apologism. FLUSH!

[quote]What shows has Julie Hesmondhalgh appeared in that a Yank may recognize?

Most Americans would recognize her from Broadchurch and Happy Valley, huge hits in the US.

More savvy watchers would also recognize her from The Pact and The A Word and possibly Cucumber.

R95 clearly has R94 on block.

I’m the poster in the other thread who admitted I started watching LINE OF DUTY, but began my binge with series 2. I was justly admonished. Haha. I went back and watched S1, then S3. I enjoyed both very much.

I’m watching s4 now, and I’m not loving it…I am sure it will go somewhere else, but I’m on episode 3 now and I’m having a hard time getting into it.

I had a problem with Season 4 because of Thandiwe Newton and her character.

At least when I despised Keeley Hawes' character, I recognized that it was good acting.

Another movie on Netflix that felt like a BBC One Sunday night drama - Rogue Agent with Gemma Arterton and James Norton.

Well acted and absorbing and seemingly improbably but based on a true story.

Worth watching cold if you're interested.

Steven Moffat's new 4 parter starts next Sunday.

David Tennant, Staney Tucci, Dolly Wells, Lydia West and Kate Dickie all feature in The Inside Man, which isn't a remake of the Spike Lee film, sadly.

[quote]Another movie on Netflix that felt like a BBC One Sunday night drama - Rogue Agent with Gemma Arterton and James Norton

I know I will finish it one day but I had to switch it off because my head was being done in by the astonishing stupidity of his victims.

I haven't even seen any of these shows (and never will) but I've loved reading this thread. You gurls is FUNNY!

I’m in the final season of LINE OF DUTY. I have really come to hate Hastings. Is Adrian Dunbar considered a good actor? I think he’s pretty terrible.

David Tennant is the male Keeley Hawes.

Strictly Come Dancing returns this weekend (Friday for launch, Saturday for show, Sunday I think for "results" show) with a same sex couple. Gorgeous Italian pro Giovanni Pernice with:

Richie Anderson is a TV and radio personality who works for the BBC. He is a former Sunday League footballer who played for Coombs Wood F.C and a supporter of West Bromwich Albion. Anderson currently presents the travel reports on weekday mornings on BBC Radio 2.

Re-watched LINE OF DUTY 2 for Mark Bonnar's wicked bent cop (he didn't register on first viewing for some reason).

R103 - Line of Duty is my favorite series of all time and I thought Adrian Dunbar was fantastic. I also liked Martin Compston but I wasn't really crazy about Vicky McClure. Different strokes I guess.

R29

Rebecca Eaton, the executive producer of Masterpiece Theater, said, referring to Aidan Turner in Poldark, that handsome men knew that they'd be asked to take their shirts off.

R108 - I think really handsome men should be REQUIRED to take their shirts off.....shorts too!

Benidorm was always trying to get Jake Canuso naked. In one episode, he’s completely naked with just hands in front of genitals.

"he’s completely naked with just hands in front of genitals"

R110 - Same thing happened to Ben Jones in an episode of Midsomer Murders.

Jason Hughes is a tease, unlike his “This Life” co-star Andrew Lincoln who showed peen in that show.

R111

Was that the shower scene or is there another scene of naked Ben Jones in Midsomer Murders?

Or anywhere else, for that matter!

OMG I’m watching TheCrown and it’s completely ruined for me by the Princess Di actress. She is charmless and dyke-y. Princess Di was neither. She had a boatload of faults, but she at least had charm and was inherently feminine. The actress playing her looks exactly like my trans former-nephew-now-niece. Her wigs are ratty and her makeup is spackled on. She plays the role as if she’s a gawky 14 year old baby dyke.

What were they thinking?

Also…Emerald Fennell as Camilla? Pffffft….

[quote]David Tennant is the male Keeley Hawes.

And seems to get less raves and I don't know why. Even in the smallest of roles like IT'S A SIN people rave about Hawes but Tennant was ignored for the pair of series he had in 2020 DEADWATER FELL and DES.

Tennant has never been nominated for a BAFTA. Quite surprising, especially when Matt Smith got a nomination the first year he took over as Doctor Who.

And god knows he's done some BAFTA bait roles - brain damage victim in Recovery, widowed dad in Single Dad, Manchester United Munich disaster in United and Broadchurch, which won Olivia Colman best actress.

[quote]I remember watching an early episode of Johnathan Creek many years ago and thinking WTF when they paired him up romantically with some half geriatric chubby dyke and thinking WTF are they thinking?

R84, if you are talking about Julie Hesmondhalgh, she's 52 now. Jonathan Creek was on many years ago, how could she have been old looking back then?

Or are you referring to some other "half geriatric chubby dyke ". Julie isn't even chubby.

R113 - This is a locker room shower seen with Ben Jones where a female walks into the locker room and he throws a hand towel over his wiener. I think the episode is "Odd Man Out" but I could be wrong on the episode name.

Is the new season/series of "Line of Duty" available for streaming in the US yet?

Hot "Shetland" star Douglas Henshall seems to have "lost the plot," as the Brits say.

I liked the Diana actress for S4 of the Crown. She wasn't an identical copy but I thought she did a good job of capturing the teenage Diana.

I also thought Emerald was a good younger choice for Tampon Lady.

[quote]Hot "Shetland" star Douglas Henshall seems to have "lost the plot," as the Brits say.

There's always been a catholic/protestant divide in Scotland and the Queen's death has pushed people over the edge. Henshall recently was accused of sectarianism over the Celtic/Rangers divide.

All football clubs honoured the Queen and Celtic (catholic) football club sang "if you're happy that the Queen's dead clap your hands" during the minute's applause. Football managers have been sent bullets in the post the sectarianism is so bad.

And last year Rangers (protestant) won the league and the players were filmed singing Sweet Caroline. In the "do do do" section it was alleged that players could be wearing singing "fuck the Pope" and it was repeated by the then Justice Secretary who was immediately removed from his role and given the Health brief.

Martin Compston (Catholic) was recently filmed singing pro IRA songs at a Celtic event.

Have they cast Henshall’s replacement for Shetland?

I hated the way the last season of Grantchester ended. The romance was far too rushed and I don't find the vicar's new wife very interesting. The romance that was used to exit James Norton was also too hurried.

I also hate the way Grantchester constantly uses anachronistic language. In an episode a couple of seasons ago, Brittney says "incoming" as he enters his family's ancestral home.

Che: And Elizabeth’s body disappeared for seventeen years.

I also quite liked the Netflix film 'I came by'.

I've been watching 'The Suspect' but the whole plot is so obvious that it's been disappointing.

Yes it was ridiculous how they wrote off Norton’s character. Should have made him go off and do missionary work somewhere instead of marrying a woman he’d met two weeks ago.

Keeley Hawes’ Crossfire has had a rough ride with the critics but not the viewers

Second part is on tonight and final part tomorrow.

The new (and final) series of Doc Martin has started - episode 3 was shown this evening in the UK.

It's silly but good if you want something a bit lighthearted.

[quote]Keeley Hawes’ Crossfire has had a rough ride with the critics

There are only three story lines in all of British tv

Abducted child

Family goes on vacation, disaster ensues

Historic drama involving ladies in bonnets

R130 - Doc Martin final season (series for Brits) debuts on US Acorn TV on 17 October 2022

[quote]Keeley Hawes’ Crossfire has had a rough ride with the critics but not the viewers. Second part is on tonight and final part tomorrow.

So in the same way Sandra Bullock remade Unforgivable, I'm thinking Crossfire could be remade with Amy Adams, featuring Ben Affleck as the husband and Zendaya as the daughter from her first marriage, Joining them on holiday are couples Jennifer Hudson and Kumail Nanjiani and Hannah Waddingham and Matthew Rhys. Featuring Sara Ramirez as the hotel's head of security.

There is one bit in the third episode which was WTAF batshit plot development on two counts. Definitely has more of an ITV than BBC quality,

A few more predictable dramatic British TV story lines:

Corrupt people in government are sex traffickers and pedo ring members.

Bent cops must be winkled out by good cops.

Fierce BAME people fight for their place in traditional British institutions.

Hard as it is to believe, 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke' was renewed for a second season and starts on PBS in October.

Tis a real puzzle. Possibly the worst British series I have ever watched.

The only reason to watch that shit show is to gaze upon the magnificent visage of Stuart Martin, and further yet, hope that he takes his shirt off. Which is likely because he's certainly not famous for his acting.

The second vicar has a pug nose.

There are just too many dishy vicars to keep track of.

Looks like a baby vicar may be on the way on "Grantchester."

Somehow, I don't see this working out well for the vicar.

[quote] I also hate the way Grantchester constantly uses anachronistic language. In an episode a couple of seasons ago, Brittney says "incoming" as he enters his family's ancestral home

This is egregious in all of these television series. The worst one I heard last week was when watching The Crown… some old British fart yells out, “That’s what I’m talkin about!” when a newsreel is being shown and some dancing women come onscreen. I’m not sure what year it was supposed to be, but somewhere between the 1950s and the 1980s.

I’m watching an Irish drama called “Kin.” What a stinkeroo. It’s about an Irish mafia family. I want my Irish to be jolly leprechauns. Leave the mafia to the Italians.

Anachronistic? Don't get me started about the Father Brown Mysteries.

Although the chauffeur is hawt in a chav way.

[quote]I’m watching an Irish drama called “Kin.” What a stinkeroo. It’s about an Irish mafia family. I want my Irish to be jolly leprechauns. Leave the mafia to the Italians.

I liked KIN but it drive me mad how stupid the family is. Just one bad decision after the next. But Charlie Cox, Ciarin Hinds, Emmett Scanlan and the actress with the birthmark that looks like she has a perpetual black eye, are excellent in it.

R143, I’m up to the part where the father is getting a blowjob from the bartender. Based on that scene, can I expect the show to sizzle?

[quote] Although the chauffeur is hawt in a chav way.

Photos please!

[quote] the father is getting a blowjob from the bartender.

Photos please!

I think the entire point of KIN is that they’re bad at all of the crime of it because the remaining siblings are all so fucked up and damaged that they’re no longer capable of handling any of the crime family shit anymore.

Is KIN on BritBox?

R147

No, it's on AMC+.

Thanks!

[quote] I want my Irish to be jolly leprechauns. Leave the mafia to the Italians.

We gotcha fucking leprechauns, R141; that's what we're talking about!

Having read the book of The Suspect, I will be very surprised if the seen-it-all R127 is as on top of it as he thinks.

Actually, it turns out I was R151!

^^^ I think a lifetime of watching British dramas has spoiled it for me. I'd rather I had been wrong.

Is anyone watching 'Inside Man'? I can't get over the series of stupid decisions we're supposed to believe a man could make.

[quote]Is anyone watching 'Inside Man'? I can't get over the series of stupid decisions we're supposed to believe a man could make.

The saving grace of Inside Man (nowhere near as good as the Washington/Owen/Foster/Plummer movie) is Dolly Wells. I'm trying to understand David Tennant but it's not happening.

The Stanley Tucci/Lydia West storyline is curious and I'm hoping for satisfying denouement but not hopeful.

I just find it too ridiculous to entertain the idea that the vicar would do that stuff.

Will is most fuckable.

Especially in the most recent season...

I want to see Will and Geordie take each in a mad passionate affair...

that leaves the entire parish speechless

I'd love to see that too - Geordie and Will - but...don't judge...that would be very father/son. Geordie actually had more chemistry with Sidney (James Norton.)

^ probably because Sidney always seemed so gay

In addition to "THE Suspect," there's another new Britbox show called "Suspect," with James Nesbitt, Joely Richardson, Ben Miller, the incredibly gorgeous Sacha Dhawan, Richard E. Grant, and DL icon Sam Heughan. Eight half-hour episodes; each one revolves around Nesbitt's character and one of the other actors' characters.

Thanks R161. That's a great cast. I just bookmarked it.

So they just replace HOT vicars with other HOT vicars on Grantchester?

You'd prefer an ugly vicar r163?

R243 It's not that KIN is bad. It's just BORING AF. They wasted talented actors on roles that anyone could play. I must say, Cox, Gillen, and Keely are nice to look at but ultimately the family was too dumb to live.

R164 I prefer a good show that doesn't need the vicar to be hot.

R143^^

I see that the new Nesbitt series is a re-do of the Danish FACE TO FACE/FORHORET, starring great actors like Lars Mikkelsen, Ulrich Thomsen, Nikolai Lie Kas, and Trine Dyrholm (these people are all big names in Denmark).

Streaming on PBS Masterpiece/Amazon Prime.

A hot vicar may be nice to look at, but is not necessary if the show is written /acted/directed really well with a good plot.

Witnessed by these past seasons of Grantchester, that are shitty even with a hot vicar. And they're making the show worse by highlighting the vicar and his travails and foibles, a change from the early years of the show.

And the best plot, and actor these past seasons is the ex-quasi-vicar curate, Leonard Finch (Al Weaver), who would not be considered conventionally hot. (I think he is, but he's not hot in the style of James Norton or Tom Brittney. Check Al out when he's not done up as Leonard.)

Al Weaver is definitely quirky handsome.

But yes, they make him a little more dour/potato faced/rat faced in his Grantchester gear.

I wouldn't mind a Will, Sidney, and Georgie three-way either.

^ Oh daddy Geordie, ya were hard on Sidney's bum last night.

This past season of Grantchester, Leonard had the most interesting storyline. But what I wished they played up more was townspeople being cold towards Leonard for being a jailbird. The show is a bit too “Father Brown” where the town is welcoming and the murders are afterthoughts.

Yeah, we've talked a lot about how unrealistic the response was to Leonard and his being gay. It may be in a different thread.

Ultimately the show is fantasy; just that some anachronisms are more believable or understandable or tolerable than others. IRL, Leonard and Daniel would probably have been run out of town. Never mind that there was not one, but two vicars that had no problem with homosexuality.

In fairness, his homosexuality was only hinted at in early seasons. In those days, he would have just been considered a sissy or “artistic”.

Or quaint.

I think British tv series have to focus on crime solving/policing because they’ve decided to rewrite so much of their history.

Homosexuality? A few people were against it, but most people were cool with it and accepted it. Downton Abbey is perfect example. Carter, couldn’t stand to say the name of prostitute Ethel because she had sex with one of her betters. How dare she? In the Abbey, no less? No reference for her!

Meanwhile, Thomas is fucking dukes and propositioning poor Mr Pamuck and Jimmy the footman.

Carter is all, “Well, he can’t help it, it’s the way God made him.”

Racism didn’t really exist. Only a few people were racist.

Ok, only *one* person was racist.

That one person made a racist remark and the rest of the cast says, “Don’t worry, that’s just old man Jenkins. Pay him no mind. His wife was accidentally knocked down by a Caribbean cab driver.”

By the end of the episode the POC saves Mr Jenkins with CPR. Mr Jenkins now respects POC and asks, “Can you ever forgive a mean old man? He’s gone now. I’m a new man and I’ve joined the rest of the non-racist British world.”

Class differences? There were a few snobs. But times were changing! The lord and lady of the manor discussed the house maid taking up typing. “I say, the redhead from Game of Thrones ….she’s taken up typing? Do we really pay her enough to buy one of those machines?”

“Her name is Gwen and I’m taking her to a job interview tomorrow, Daddy, then we’re going to the pub for Ladies Night. May we have the firebrand socialist Irish catholic chauffeur who reads political history books in your library?”

“Why yes, of course! There’s a nice communist rally you can attend as well.”

The social problems of the past can no longer be used to add dramatic tension to tv shows. Even The Crown had everyone saying Margaret could marry Peter Townshend. It was just Tommy — that mean old Tommy — who tricked poor Margaret.

So British tv shows turn to detectives - non racist, egalitarian, diversity-positive, non-classist, homophilic, female-positive male detectives (maybe even a lesbian detective) to solve the convoluted case of a genius killer who communicates his motives through clues in 18th century landscape paintings

R176

Well done, you!

"Cozies" don't show bitter social conflict (class, race, sexual); it's too upsetting, my dears.

Al Weaver looks good when they don't pomade his hair.

He also looks stoned as fuck.

Upstairs Downstairs had a bad guy ex-footman who was involved in a homosexual sadomasochistic relationship with his newGerman employer. It drove him crazy, so he killed the employer, found his way back to England and went to 165 Eaton Place and took Edward the Footman hostage.

1970s —> Homosexual sadomasochism bad.

Sherlock made one of the heroines a dominant masochist.

2012 —> Bisexual sadomasochism good.

Robson Green is still fuckable at 57.

R176 well done except I believe you mean Carson. Jim Carter is the actor, Carson is the character.

[quote]Is anyone watching 'Inside Man'? I can't get over the series of stupid decisions we're supposed to believe a man could make.

I will watch it once all the episodes have aired but the first episode was to anxiety inducing because of those rapidly escalating and asinine decisions.

R183- if R176 did mean Carson, then he's misremembering the show because Carson would never have said about Thomas anything even remotely like, "“Well, he can’t help it, it’s the way God made him.”

I do remember Carson saying, "You have been twisted by nature into something foul" and sneered at his "revolting world."

R22 sounds like one of the racist blue hairs complaining about diversity

R176 doesn't understand the concept of fiction. He thinks these shows are documentaries

Another blue hair looking to complain about diversity

What grinds my gears about Grantchester is that the vicar never seems to be doing his actual job. Oh, sure, we occasionally see him serving up sermon platitudes or greeting his parishioners, but most of the time he's either at the police station, out snooping for clues with Geordie or drinking with Geordie or getting some tail. Is there no choirmaster who hates the organist, no warden who likes to dig up bodies, no assistant vicar who, wait, why haven't they replaced Leonard? Ugh, this show...

Last Sunday, Marc Warren was back in the second season of "Van De Valk". There are only 3 episodes but I think season three has finished filming.

R188, it’s the same with Father Brown. I always wonder when he has time to write his sermon since he’s tearing all over the countryside. Maybe he just reads the Catholic liturgy and calls it a day?

Which has the highest murder rate: Kembleford, Grantchester, Midsomer County, or St. Mary Mead?

Don't forget Northumberland.

Midsomer County is notorious for its white-on-white violence. It's a "no go" area for white people, it's so crime-ridden.

White people in Midsomer County complain about all the violence, but until white lives matter to white people, the rest of the UK doesn't care.

I've become a real fan of Amelia Bullmore from Scott and Bailey, Happy Valley and Twenty Twelve. She's been good in everything I've seen.

I could watch Twenty Twelve and its not-really-sequel W1A every year and never tire of it.

I could do without the plots that feature boxing in Grantchester. And car racing plots. Almost every British show features at least one episode with these as the main theme and it's dull as hell. If you're into comedy, on Acorn I just started watching The Other One, and I think it's hilarious. Only a few eps in but I'm enjoying it quite a bit.

Amelia Bullmore is also a very good writer; she wrote many episodes of 'Scott and Bailey.'

WHET Sarah Lanchashire?

Filming S3 of Happy Valley, I hope. (I gave up on Julia halfway through, not because of her Julia Child but because of too many implausibilities in the show.)

I wonder if we’ll get one final season of Last Tango In Halifax before Anne Reid and Derek Jacobi are too damn old to do it. I hope Sally Wainwright is up for writing it, because I’ve read that the cast will happily come back if she does. I just loved that show.

This is from an article in March of 2021:

[quote]Will there be a Last Tango in Halifax season six?

[quote]There hasn't been any official word on the future of the show, however, Sally Wainwright has previously mentioned that she would love to write more episodes. She told Radio Times: "I mean I hope so. I’d like to write this show until the cows come home."

Haven't seen any further word, but Sarah Lancashire just finished filming "Happy Valley" in August 2022, so if there's to be another 'Last Tango...' it's probably at least a year or two off.

I think Sarah Lancashire has committed to a second season of the Julia Child show.

[quote]Midsomer County is notorious for its white-on-white violence. It's a "no go" area for white people, it's so crime-ridden.

On the UK home-hunting show Escape to the Country one week they were in whatever region Midsomer Murders is set in. The potential new arrivals went to speak to the locals in one segment and asked what it was like there. "Oh," said a helpful local, "Just like the show, really, but with less murdering." He did not specify how much less.

On the one hand, this sounds like it might not be totally terrible.

On the other hand, if Grant's daughter and Dyan Cannon are involved, I doubt we'll be hearing about Randolph Scott....

But Harriet Walter is up in this bitch!

Jeff Pope is the British Ryan Murphy.

That’s a really lovely photo of Cary Grant.

They’re going to have to put a fake chin on Jason Isaacs. Cary Grant was known for his cleft chin.

But then the Brits allowed brown eyed Olivia Colman to play blue eyed Queen Elizabeth, so all bets are off.

But then the Brits allowed brown eyed, ugly skank-ass Olivia Coleman to play blue eyed Queen Elizabeth...

r208=G.

R208 = someone who can't spell Colman's name correctly.

Watched Sherwood. Thought it was adequate. The acting was good, as it always is, but there were too many points that didn’t make sense to me.

It also looked and sounded like so many other British police/detective/murder shows, not to mention all the actors have been in just about every drama on British tv in the past 10 years. Molesley from Downton Abbey is in every murder mystery show and he plays one of two characters: the murderer, or the very suspicious, nervous, anxious guy who seems like he could be the murderer, but isn’t.

Though he did play the detective father on the awful Miss Scarlet and the Duke show.

Anyway, it’s a Brit box original series with a jillion familiar faces.

So The Inside Man was a ultimately a big disappointment. There was a post credits scene in the final episode which a lot of people would have missed which made me dislike it even more.

Just watched the first two-parter of Shetland. So far, I like it.

I just got a notification that Britbox is raising their prices by a buck starting today.

^^^Biden did that.

R211 Some British comedy show should do a parody of a trailer for a show that has Olivia Colman, Keeley Hawes, Sarah Lancashire, and that Moseley dude, among others, doing their best little bits.

[quote][R211] Some British comedy show should do a parody of a trailer for a show that has Olivia Colman, Keeley Hawes, Sarah Lancashire, and that Moseley dude, among others, doing their best little bits.

Add David Tennant and Imelda Staunton too.

How could I have left Harriet Walter off that list?

And that tall guy who played Edith's husband on Downton.....he seems to be fuck all everywhere these days, too.

Even though I love her, add Lesley Manville to the list. There was no need for her to be in "Sherwood". Just like there was no need for Imelda Staunton to be in "Trying." Those roles could have gone to second tier actresses.

The character of Andy in Sherwood was just….unnecessary and creepy.

How could you forget Nicola Walker??

Nicola Walker tricked us by dyeing her hair blonde in that lawyer tv show.

If you have Britbox, forget the new stuff and go back and watch Cracker. It holds up remarkably well, and Robert Carlyle's breakout performance in one set of episodes remains as impressive as ever.

Long time ago, after hearing people rave about Cracker for years, I went to the video store! and rented the VHS tape! for the first episode. Was blown away and went back the rest of the tapes the next day and binge watched it. Really outstanding series.

Cracker was so good but the series with the prostitutes was so disturbing. Seeing Dee Dee Dixon from Brookside singing "How much is that doggy in the window" before being slaughtered was horrific.

Geraldine Somerville never had the career she deserved. After her BAFTA nomination for Cracker she didn't have any substantial roles. She was in the BBC's forgettable The Aristocrats and then her most famous role as Harry Potter's mother. She is an aristo herself so it her career choices could have been deliberate.

Okay, I need to know what I am missing with "Cracker".

I went into it with good intentions (and all the raves and recommendations), and made it through 6 or 7 episodes. I found him to be disagreeable and pompous and arrogant. Thought his wife was a doormat. Found it hard to believe that a woman coworker would find him so devastatingly sexy and desirable that quickly, and hardly knowing him.

Intelligent and brash, and yes, big men can be sexy.

I don't think he was and I don't get all the raves about the show and his acting.

Okay, I'm not an actor, but the character is so obvious and perpetually belligerent that it seems like it would be easy to play him. The character is an asshole, despite what are considered his talents.

Any insights into my obliviousness? What am I missing or does it get better?

TIA

Was Cracker the one with the deaf wife?

I'm surprised not to see more love for Van Der Valk which just wrapped its 3 episode S2 on Masterpiece Theatre. The last 2 episodes were particularly well-written and produced. I'm not wild for scrawny Marc Warren in the lead but love all the supporting cast, especially Maimie McCoy as Lucienne and the hot and adorable Elliot Barnes-Worrell as Job (he needs more TV work!).

Who's excited for MAGPIE MURDERS with the ubiquitous Lesley Manville, debuting on Masterpiece Theatre this coming Sunday?

Thanks for the reminder, R229. Just set it to record.

Magpie Murders promises more than it delivers.

I watched the first season of Van Der Valk. I didn't hate it, but I found the mysteries rather over-complicated. Warren seems incapable of smiling much (on anything I've seen him in). Amsterdam came off the best, I thought, but I've been there and so didn't see the need to watch S2.

Speaking of second seasons, any word on Slow Horses'?

There will be a Season 2 of Slow Horses.

RadioTimes says the drop date is December 2.

Does anyone know why Nicola Walker would leave the brilliant UNFORGOTTEN, only to sign on to the mediocre ANNIKA?

I thought that perhaps she'd felt she'd played every note of DC Cassie Stuart but then Annika just feels like Cassie warmed over. Maybe the premise seemed fresher than it plays?

Does anyone know when the US will get S5 of UNFORGOTTEN?

I actually like Marc Warren as the pocket-sized Van Der Valk after not liking him in The Good Wife and loathing him in that really bad series set in India, Beecham House.

I watched the first episode of Annika and fell asleep halfway through.

[quote]There will be a Season 2 of Slow Horses. RadioTimes says the drop date is December 2.

They're filming season 2 now (Jack Lowden has been posting pics on his IG stories). Dec 2 is the back-half of series 1.

[quote]Magpie Murders promises more than it delivers.

Agreed. I wish I liked it more than I did. What started out as a delight got tedious quickly.

Marc Warren as Danny Blue in Hustle was very enjoyable. I loved Hustle.

That hasn't been on in a long time on my local PBS-UK channel. They must have some new person picking the shows from the UK cause there have been some clunkers recently.

There was a guy named Kevin on the WETA-UK channel (D.C.) - he actually went to Sharon Rockefeller with the idea to start an all UK TV show channel 10 years ago and his program choices have been great. I hope the Covid didn't get him. He was quite a big fellow.

I'm watching Marc Warren ini "Safe," a Harlan Coben limited series on Netflix, starring Michael C. Hall and his annoying British accent.

[quote]I actually like Marc Warren as the pocket-sized Van Der Valk after not liking him in The Good Wife and loathing him in that really bad series set in India, Beecham House.

He was astonishingly great in the original State of Play.

R226, it was the scripts, by Jimmy McCracken and Paul Abbott, that you were meant to admire, not to mention some of the guest performances.

Fitz was meant to be a mess of a man. You weren't supposed to love him, you were supposed to be impressed by his intellect and instincts in spite of his drawbacks. His wife actually turns out to be a lot less virtuous than you think she is. There have been flawed detectives since Arthur Conan Doyle, but Fitz was the original who brought the concept into the world of quality TV.

No, R227, not the one with the deaf wife.

R240

Thanks for the insight.

Who was the one with the deaf wife? That show was annoying.

Marc Warren seems like a dime store Malcolm McDowell.

Shut down Annika before the end of first show. Nicola Walker plays a cop? Check. Is quirky? Check. Is “searching for the truth”? Check. Talks to camera? I’m outta here.

R244 - Watched three episodes of Annika and I also did not care for it. Will go back and finish the season/series when I run out other things to watch.

Sherwood is one of the best series I’ve seen in quite a while. It’s engrossing, shot beautifully, and just a murderer’s row of great, devastating performances.

It was blah. And senseless. As soon as they said there were police operatives in the miners strike and one stayed behind I knew who it was. Who is the most secretive person and least likely to be identified as an undercover cop? Yup. That’s who it is. And what was the point of Salisbury being called in? There was none.

He shouldn’t even have stayed on the police force

I’m watching Bad Sisters. A little Sharon Horgan goes a long way.

I thought I was dumb for not loving Catastrophe but I watched two episodes in S1 and, as utterly fuckable as I found (and still find) Rob Delaney, I didn't want to spend any more time with those people.

If you skip 'Catastrophe' you miss a naked Mark Bonnar.

Are you sure you want to do that?

Between naked Mark and Rob Delaney's hairy chest...

I do like Mark Bonnar. He was a somewhat dishy vicar in Home Fires and I do remember him being pretty much the best thing about the Catastrophe eps I saw.

Maybe I need to try again.

I finished Bad Sisters last night, r248...tell me your thoughts when your finished. I only recognize two actresses out of the sisters - Bono's daughter (the youngest sister) and JP's wife.

R249/R251

Since you do like Mark then I would suggest you take a look at 'Shetland', and to see some incredible tear your heart out acting by Mark, watch the second season of 'Unforgotten.' Killer.

Mark Bonnar, Rosie Cavaliero (sp?) and the entire cast of that second season of UNFORGOTTEN are very much worth watching.

Love all seasons of Unforgotten but the second is the best. Don't know why Nicola Walker left for that lame Annika series.

R254

That season - and Mark and Rosie - should have been plastered with Awards. Just devastating. And a joy to watch such actors effortlessly (not) acting.

Rosie incredibly melts into any role she is in. A journeymen actor. She can do anything from soup to nuts, comedy to drama. Underrated.

Any recommendations for watching Rosie in other favorite series and shows would be most appreciated!

Rosie Cavaliero's been working since about 1990, but up until recently, she's mostly done guest stints. You may not realize but you've probably seen here in many shows and not always realized it was her.

You may have already seen or researched her IMDB, but if not, here's a link.

As said, she's wonderful in everything and anything, but it would be hard to find a better or more intense performance than Season 2 of 'Unforgotten.'

I very much enjoyed Bad Sisters, but I thought the last episode took a major tonal shift. The show went from being a kinda jaunty Can They Kill Him? show to a melodrama (JP and Eva's 10-years-ago, um, "relationship" -- sorry, don't want to spoil it for others -- was completely unnecessary to the rest of the story and could easily have been dropped). And everything was wrapped up in far too tidy a bow. Still, I enjoyed nearly all the actors (helloooo, Assaad Boubab...) and didn't mind spending time with their characters.

[quote] Rosie Cavaliero

OMG! Loved her in the old show Jam & Jerusalem (Clatterford in the US). She's also a main cast member of the fairly new reboot of the whimsical kids' show Worzel Gummidge (2019).

Rosie Cavaliero should be starring in her own show. I think some people confuse her with Caroline Quentin.

But watch The Witchfinder. Rosie is in a totally throw away role, but the show is hilarious due to Daisy May Cooper.

What I love about Rosie is that she has this very ordinary woman thing going where you really feel you know her (and have friends just like her character) but then she can also be cast in period dramas like Gentleman Jack and the brilliant BBC version of Dickens' Little Dorrit, and she's absolutely fabulous in those roles, too, albeit, usually playing a very ordinary woman (wearing a corset, apron and mob cap).

I’m enjoying SHERWOOD so far. Lindsay Duncan just showed up! She’s always reliably excellent. Loved her turn on one of the later AbFab seasons.

Remember the excruciatingly bad Russell T Davies series Cucumber, with those awful gay people which was only redeemed when the black guy got beaten to death by the straight guy he had a thing for and one episode had his life flash before him as he died?

Anyway, there was a sort of spin off series called Banana which had 8 stand alone but slightly interlinked stories about LGBT life.

Well one of them (episode 2) featured low energy lesbian Letitia Wright (pre Black Panther, obvs) who is in love with none other than ROSIE CAVALIERO who works on the checkout at a supermarket. That was a decent episode.

Rosie Cavaliero was

R259 is right: the revelations of Episode 10 make the entirety of the preceding 9 completely implausible. Eva (Sharon Horgan) should have spent 10 years doing everything she could to avoid even being in the presence of John Paul (Claes Bang).

The episode gave exec producer and writer Horgan a chance to "emote" as a "dramatic" actor, I suppose.

Too bad, because BAD SISTERS could have been great if it had settled for just being Black Comedy.

So many great actors on British TV. I always get great pleasure when they are finally recognized by the more mainstream public.

Rosie is an excellent actress. She is in a lot of shows. More recently saw her in that series with Alison Steadman and John Cleese finding love in as seniors in Hold the Sunset. She plays the worn and kind of pathetic daughter in law (wife of the equally great Jason Watkins as the insipidly ludicrous son). Watkins is just another of the unsung actors. He is either hilarious in comedies or pulls off brilliantly dramatic roles like Harold Wilson in The Crown. His turn in Hold the Sunset is the first place I actually knew who he was while watching it and he played the losingest loser adult son I may have ever seen on screen.

It also took Nicola Walker a long time - I first saw her with Robson Greene in the excellent Touching Evil in the 90s.

If you're "pretty" or "handsome" with no particular talent you get more recognition than you deserve. And more roles than you deserve as well.

I liked Annika. The first episode was on my PBS tonight. She’s got a wry sense of humor.

One question about the episode: she first suspected something was up when she saw the body was wearing a wedding ring and she said mackerel fishermen don’t wear wedding rings. It was never explained. I guess it’s because you don’t want to get it caught on anything when the nets are being hauled up and rip off your finger?

Exactly, R267. Lots of professions and activities you can't wear rings.

It was okay. Didn't grip me but I'm willing to keep watching. I do like her.

I loved Episode 1 of MAGPIE MURDERS. I think someone upthread might have said it ultimately didn't have a great pay-off but it's fun so far. And a pleasure to watch one of these British mysteries that you can actually follow easily, yet isn't dumbed down.

R269, agree. Very enjoyable.

I’m r248 above. I’ve finished watching Bad Sisters. Spoilers ahead. You been warned.

First off, it’s based on a Belgian (?) show, so this is a remake. And I think it’s a good story to remake.

I slightly warmed to Sharon Horgan but I’m not sure she was the best casting. Bad Sisters is a black comedy and Horgan is best at quirky. They are two different styles.

Anne-Marie Duff is very good in this. Her role is difficult and with a lesser actress the character would have come across as annoying. But Duff is able to stop short of appearing pathetic.

I liked the other sisters as well, although the writing of their characters was uneven. I thought the actress playing the eyepatch sister was especially engaging despite having to sell a character that wasn’t fully developed in the script.

I was glad to see Michael Smiley in this as he is good in everything he does and it made me wish there had been a Season 2 of Dead Still, a show that never got its due.

The plotting of this was all over the place. Plot devices, like the hole in the head, introduced midway through the show and immediately dropped.

Characters serving little purpose. Why did the pregnant wife never get out of bed? And Gabriel, Eva’s co-worker, appears as a plot device and then stomps off and immediately forgotten.

And the sisters spend so much time plotting the murders and then little details are overlooked, such as the youngest sister using her bare hands to lower the temperature of the freezer. You don’t think that would be dusted for fingerprints?

I think this would have been a better show with stronger writing and more of a black comedy tone. And I agree that the last episode was a bit weird and different to the other nine and I think partly because Anne-Marie Duff wasn’t directed to play it as black comedy.

I've only seen one episode of the new show Karen Pirie, but it looks interesting. She's pursuing a cold case and we see bits of the crime and the aftermath "at the time", while she's interviewing the surviving witnesses again 25 years later. It reminds me a bit of season 1 of Traces, which was a good 'un.

Is it just me, or does British TV heavily rely on crime mystery shows? Not to put you guys on the spot, but the most we discuss at DL, when it comes to British TV entertainment, is its crime mystery show offerings.

Yes r273, the Brits rely heavily on crime dramas.

As opposed to which countries that don't rely heavily on crime dramas?

Back in the 90s, here in England, when this sort of drama really kicked in, the TV stations used to describe them as "Urban, gritty, hard hitting dramas" - that's when I knew it would be of no interest to me at all. Now it's all they seem to do.

I really liked the first episode of Magpie Murders too. I was surprised when it ended because it just sped by so fast with so much happening.

Afterwards there was a bit with the author who explained that he had to reconfigure the book so much for the tv show. The book is chronological, the 50s plot and then the contemporary plot and he said in that case, Leslie Manville wouldn’t appear until the 5th or 6th episode. (Also is still strange to see Lord Varys with hair)

I can’t see Tom Btittney as anything but mixed race but who knows. I’m mixed race and pretty attuned to that. His elderly father’s close up photo on IG looks vaguely like very very light skinned Black men I’ve known. But there is no info out there and I don’t know why someone would hide it in 2024. I mean D Criss won’t shut up about it. Also no info on Tom Brittney’s dating or personal life. Assume what you may. He is the sexier of the two vicars in my opinion. But I like them darker or with a little something up in the mix.

Also I was born in the late 1950s and I’m not sure what went on in the late 1950s/early 1960s in English villages but in the US tolerance of gays and interracial marriage (in rural America) was not a thing. There is one episode where a Black women (granted very light skinned) is married to a white guy in the village. She’s in the circle of other women who are active and important in the parish etc. None of that bothers me that much but it seems unrealistic. Was rural England a bastion of racial tolerance back in the day?

I want to add in Brittney’s IG in his teenage years he has dreads. Can’t tell if they are real or fake but it’s sorta a statement. (Not sure what the statement is.).

Someone should cast Tom Brittney in a film with Henry Cavill as brothers.

I'm into season 3 of Shetland. It's great. The actors, especially Douglas Henshall, are terrific, the writing is clean and the stories don't have too many characters to track which sometimes makes other British crime dramas confusing. And the scenery is breathtaking.

Not crime, R273, murder specifically.

Tom Brittney looks like he has a Big One.

I think I need to compare him with the ginger vicar and the short hairy daddy.

Btw, Robbie Coltrane just passed away.

I just watched 'Magpie Murders' and 'Annika' (DVRed from Sunday night on PBS). I had seen the first episode of 'Annika' a while back when it was a free preview on Amazon Prime, but I had to rewatch it since I'd mostly forgotten it. I guess it has potential but it seems rather implausible.

'Magpie Murders' could be fun, but I hate the guy who's playing Atticus Pünd. He's just really odd-looking. I remember him from "Foyle's War" and found his appearance off-putting there, too.

Nicola Walker’s new series ANNIKA is ‘meh’. She was much better in UNFORGOTTEN, I also don’t enjoy when characters talk into the camera, ugh.

Marc Warren was in the excellent cop series State of Play (think that was the title) with Ken Stout and Caroline Catz, that series was excellent. I first saw this series on BBC America, that was when BBCA actually aired lots of excellent British TV series. Now it’s constant repeats of Star Trek or it was, I haven’t watched BBCAmerica in years.

Kind of hilarious that Midsomer has so many murders.

Is LUTHER returning? Thought I read it was coming back.

And I actually love that actor who plays Atticus Pund.

TIM McMULLAN, say his name.

[quote]Marc Warren was in the excellent cop series State of Play

Not a cop series, a political limited series.

It was absolutely one of the best and Marc Warren was wonderful.

DOMINIC FOY

Also love Tim McMullan. And loved his subversive gay character in 'Foyle's War.'

Here's the story on Tim's eyes:

[quote]His trademark small eyes are the result of BPES syndrome, a genetic condition, causing a narrowing of the eye opening, droopy eyelids, an upward fold of the skin of the lower eyelid near the inner corner of the eye, and an increased distance between the inner corners of the eyes. This causes the eyelids to be unable to open fully, and limits vision.

[quote]Not a cop series, a political limited series. It was absolutely one of the best and Marc Warren was wonderful.

I'm confusing State of Play, which I did see, with the series Marc Warren was in with Ken Stott and Caroline Catz, they were all detectives.

Just Googled, the series, it was called The Vice.

The Vice is an ITV police drama about the Metropolitan Police Vice Unit, which ran for five series of varying lengths between 1999 and 2003. The main cast included Ken Stott, Caroline Catz and David Harewood, as well as Rosie Marcel, Marc Warren and Tim Pigott-Smith.

Marc Warren looks like a cross between a young Malcolm McDowell and Sting.

Tim McMullen, never learned his name until now. He was very effective in Foyles War. Mysterious, menacing, exactly how you'd expect a government agent to behave.

Tim McMullan played Sir Toby Belch in the National Theatre's production of Twelfth Night (streamable on National Theatre At Home). Usually, I dread when the B-plot kicks in with Sir Toby and Sir Andrew -- it can be a lot of tedious, unfunny-to-us Elizabethan wordplay -- but McMullan was hilarious and every line landed. Nice to see him again in Magpie Murders.

[quote]Tim McMullen, never learned his name until now

Just googled him and straight away I can't remember what he's been in but know he usually plays quietly creepy effete characters.

My PBS station is buying lots of Australian shows and I hate them all.

I think WETA-UK has a new buyer (DC area) and not liking some of its choices. We want Kevin back!

That seems extreme, R298. There certainly are a lot of Australian shows that aren't great quality, but there are also quite a few good ones, and since not all our shows are about murder there seems too large a variety to be able to dismiss them all in one go. Perhaps your PBS station has terrible taste?

My PBS station is literally buying soap operas from Australia.

If you like unrelenting violence series two of Sky's "Gangs of London" is now airing.

Very loosely based on the video game of the same name, the series focuses on a police plant who infiltrates a crime family after the death of its patriarch; whose death creates a power vacuum which different factions are trying to fill.

I watched the first episode of Magpie Murders-- really good. But, like a lot of other streaming shows, they are doling this out one episode per week. It's like regular network TV!!

Agreed, r303. I think Magpie Murders would be enhanced by binge viewing.

^ Marry me!

The old Grantchester vicar was good. The new one is boring as shit. He's good-looking but he can't act for shit and they're having a harder time trying to explain why a vicar is hanging around murder scenes.

One of the Australian shows the DC UK PBS channel has is MacLeod's Daughters. It's pretty bad and I don't really like the characters of the actors. Kevin would never have approved this.

There was a funny Australian show about a husband and wife murder scene cleaner team - Mr. and Mrs. Murder which was quite funny and they had a fabulous MCM interior.

Does Lucy Lawless' My Life is Murder count as Australian show? It's from New Zealand (well, first season took place in Australia then COVID made a move to New Zealand necessary). It's pretty great, with Lucy playing a grumpy private investigator working as a consultant for the local police.

Grumpy she may be r308, but she makes a mean sourdough loaf.

Australian soaps aren't great, but then neither are anybody else's.

The first season of My Life is Murder was made in Australia and was awful, but reviews for the second, NZ, season have been much better. Mr and Mrs Murder it is not, however.

I beg your pardon, but Offspring is one of the best shows I have ever watched.

Last night on a Channel 4 comedy show a trans woman stripped naked and used her penis to play the piano.

You don't get that on Saturday Night Live.

I haven't "gotten" Saturday Night Live since sometime in the early 80s.

W&W for R311. Offspring was excellent. Great cast and great writing. Unfortunately, Netflix just removed it.

[quote]My PBS station is buying lots of Australian shows and I hate them all.

Really? Not even A Place to Call Home?

I liked the first two seasons of A Place to Call Home but couldn't get through any more.

Is A Place To Call Home a reboot of The Sullivans?

The eye candy was the best part of 'A Place to Call Home.'

And maybe Regina, if you can deal with those types of people. Or like to see them get what they deserve.

Since we've clearly gotten away from "British," is anyone watching "Recipes for Love & Murder" on Acorn? It's South African, but stars Maria Doyle Kennedy, who's Irish but has appeared in lots of British TV (she was Mrs. Bates on "Downton Abbey," for example.)

R308 - I love that series. Binged it completely in about a week.

I made it through one episode r319, but just barely. Please tell me it gets better.

R319 - started that one, but lost interest. Might go back to it when times get lean, viewing-wise, on Britbox or Acorn. R310 - barely made it through 2 eps of Mr. and Mrs. Murder. Very try-too-hard.

I haven't seen Murder in Provence (Britbox) mentioned here yet. Loved this one. Location porn for sure, and there's some pretty witty exchanges between many of the regular characters.

MacLeod's Daughters was filmed over 20 years age, why is it still in repeats on NY’s PBS Channel 21?

The acting is atrocious, but the some of the actors and actresses are attractive. Still, that cannot save this mess.

Murder in Provence is only partly filmed in France. The rest of the locations are English and it’s very obvious because the shots are framed so tightly. If there’s a second season, I hope they get a bigger budget and a new director and a better writer.

Could some one translate for me? Above, and in many other threads I’ve seen seen the same dumb post from “America”: “The States” = non-U…

Get back to us when you’re English improves, R326 and you can express yourself in a way we can understand. That’s when we can translate for you.

[quote]Get back to us when you’re English improves

OOoops and oh, dear

[quote] and you can express yourself in a way we can understand. That’s when we can translate for you.

On top of that a "we" troll...double we troll in fact.

[quote]Could some one translate for me? Above, and in many other threads I’ve seen seen the same dumb post from “America”: “The States” = non-U…

How can you say it's dumb if you don't know what it means?

Does anyone here who might subscribe to PBS Passport know when E2 of MAGPIE MURDERS will be available to watch online there? It airs tonight on PBS TV.

I checked the website for the info but couldn't find a streaming schedule. TIA!

Yes, it's on PBS Passport.

"Since we've clearly gotten away from "British," is anyone watching "Recipes for Love & Murder" on Acorn? It's South African, but stars Maria Doyle Kennedy, who's Irish but has appeared in lots of British TV (she was Mrs. Bates on "Downton Abbey," for example.)"

I love "Recipes for Love & Murder" on Acorn TV. I binged watched the show over three days after all the 1st season episodes were released. Acorn TV originally released two episodes per week.

Thanks r332. I will give "Recipes" another try.

For those that are considering whether non-British shows should be included in this thread of 'British TV Fall 2022', there is a live thread for 'Non American TV Shows.'

E2, MAGPIE MURDERS continues to amuse. Really loving it and how a British cast can elevate the most ordinary material.

Anything that's a regularly scheduled broadcast on PBS should be available for free or on their PBS app for a week or so after.....it's only once the time is beyond that (sometimes up to a month) before it's require to have the paid "Passport" to see it.

So if something was just on last night, it should be viewable today for free.

I like the bed linens in the bedroom where Leslie Manville is sleeping in her sister’s house.

I’m laughing because her publishing house’s success is based on these best selling mysteries and from his narration as he writes, it’s a bad pastiche of Christie and he’s a terrible writer!

I can't believe it took me until week 2 to realize that MAGnus-PYE (the victim in the book) = Magpie.

Am I reading too much into this? Pünt's sidekick is named FRASER. The actor who played Poirot's sidekick, Hastings, in the Poirot TV series was Hugh FRASER.

Spoiler alert for Magpie Murders. Someone's getting called a cunt later on.

I read MAGPIE MURDERS when it was first published and remember enjoying it quite a bit. But, watching the series now, none of it is coming back to me. I think lots of mysteries are like that, enjoyable in the moment but ultimately pretty forgettable. But I wonder if Horowitz has also done a really great job with improvements in his screenplay.

If they do a Season 2 of Karen Pirie, the lead actress should demand better costumes. Her ensemble of sweater vests over tee shirts was a look from the 1990s that should not be revived.

Agreed, R343. Not to mention the bum bag. Fashion aside, I hope they do film a Season 2, because I thought it was probably the best of the genre this season. Up there with Traces a couple of years ago.

R344, I think the bum bag is acceptable because it makes her quirky and can have jokes to lighten the tension.

I think with the show they don’t quite have the tone right. The quirky assistant detective jokes didn’t quite seem to land (like with him eating the eggs. It was funny but something was missing.)

UK tv shows re being filmed on the cheap with gray filters or ridiculous lighting. Miss Scarlett and the Duke — which is not Masterpiece Mystery-worthy — is filmed with blue and green walls, clothes & lighting to try and cover production cheapness.

Bailed on Frankenstein Chronicles - predictable, cheap and filmed with gray filter.

Miss Scarlett is awful but the Duke.....is he the bearded Hugh Jackman lookalike?.....is HOT and deserves a better series.

r346, I don't understand your post. Do blue and green surfaces film with more luster than other colors?

Magpie Murders is starting to annoy. Leslie Manville: “Dad walked out on us. We were kids. I haven’t seen him for 30 years.”

Are we supposed to think she was a kid 30 years ago? She was 36. I thoroughly respect the love the Brits have for their National Treasures, but let’s be realistic. The woman is 66 years old and looks it. And she’s not hot and sexy…..younger men are highly unlikely to want to drag her off to Crete. There looks to be a 20 year difference between the two. Hell maybe need to toilet her soon.

Besides, it’s really dragging.

A good Australian show is 'Savage River'.

Magpie Murders should be 3 episodes, not 6. Or even a 2 hour film shown in one night. There's no tension in spreading out over a month and a half.

However, I do buy the romantic relationship between Lesley and her guy. He may look a bit younger but he's not exactly a 20-something stud.

r349 I took that to mean that she may have seen him again one time 30 years ago -- well after the time he walked out on her as a kid.

[quote]“Dad walked out on us. We were kids. I haven’t seen him for 30 years.”

Why assume she didn't see her father again years after he left his daughters when they were kids? The daughters could have connected with the father when they were younger women, which would have been 30 years ago. It's not that far fetched.

I have friends who were estranged from their fathers as small children, then these people tried to reconcile with the fathers when they were in their 20s and 30s.

Having the actors play dual roles is clever but is there a deeper meaning? The mean millionaire who gets murdered in the book is the same actor as her near death father in the hospital bed.

I don’t think the show drags at all. I am always surprised when it ends.

I'm currently watching 'Maxine' - interesting if you find the Soham murders fascinating.

But r354, exactly!

What is the meaning of the actor playing the mean millionaire murder victim also playing Manville's dying father? In the other cases of double casting we're supposed to see that the mystery writer based his characters on people he knew. Did he know Manville's father? Is that some sort of clue to why/how the mystery writer was murdered?

R347 - the hot Duke (Stuart Martin) was in the series Jamestown a couple of years back and he was frequently shirtless.

Is the last season of "Happy Valley" airing in the UK yet?

R347 - I should've included a pic of Stuart Martin when he was in Jamestown, in which he played Silas, the middle Sharrow brother.

Is Jamestown worth watching beyond the fetching pulchritude of Mr. Martin? Is it streaming anywhere now?

If you can overlook the historical inaccuracies, Jamestown is OK.

I was disappointed that the delicious Max Beesley was covered in face hair. But I think his acting is always good.

It also has cutie Dean Lennox Kelly. In episode 1 of Shameless UK, there is a millisecond glance of his peen. He is also good in the show.

Gwilym Lee was also in Jamestown. I think he left the role of Charlie Nelson in Midsomer Murders to take a role in Jamestown. I watched two episodes of Jamestown and could NOT get into it.

I need visuals!

Max Beesley

Dean Lennox Kelly (yum!)

Gwilym Lee (faints)

Jamestown is low budget. Very “Land Girls” in that it’s like like a low budget daytime historical soap opera. And again, it totally whitewashes British history. “We were always fair to the Native Americans and the Africans. It was just the Spanish and a few bad egg Englishmen who took part in racist genocide. Truly, most of us banded together to protect slaves and Native Americans against the very few rotten apples. But….you know…somehow the bad guys won for something like 300 years. Wasn’t us, though.”

Max Beesley was in Hotel Babylon. In one scene, he stripped down to the tiniest pair of underwear I’ve ever seen. What’s one step above a g-string?

If I didn’t have such a soul crushing job that sucked all joy out of me, I’d dig around and see if I could find the pic because, oh mama, if you had any questions about a sexual attraction to men, that image would answer them.

Just started on "Karen Pirie" (Britbox.) Three 90-minute episodes (probably for a 2-hour slot in the UK with commercials.) Interesting story where they go back and forth between 1996 and the present. It was created and written by Emer Kenny, who plays Bunty on "Father Brown" (and also has a supporting role in this show.)

I thought it would be fun to re-watch all of The Crown before the new season starts but Netflix had other plans. Season 1 is NOT available. This seems unnecessarily cruel.

[quote] Season 1 is NOT available.

We’re not paying Claire Foy another round of residuals.

Gwilym Lee portrayed guitarist Brian May in the Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody. What a difference that wig made.

Thoughts on Ep 4 of MAGPIE MURDERS last night?

I think it's gotten very convoluted and unpersuasive. But maybe if I were bingeing it and keeping better track of all the characters and motivations I'd be more complimentary.

^ I'm OK with it, but you have to really focus to follow it. I'm just pissed they are doling out one episode a week! Like what is this, network TV from the 1970s?

Is season 2 available R369?

I'm wondering if they took down the early season/seasons so that poor Imelda would not pale in comparison.....

The simple truth is that Magpie Murders isn't very good. The plot is laborious, the direction sloppy, and the back and forth confusing without being interesting. But most of all Lesley Manville, who can be excellent in the right role, is shrewish and unpleasant in this one.

r374, yes, Season 2 is available on Netflix. I wonder why S1 isn't? Seems foolish on Netflix's part as I think a lot of fans would like to watch kit all from the beginning again.

Lesley Manville's Greek bf on MAGPIE MURDERS is hot in a certain inexplicable way. Has he been in much else in the UK?

Warning, sort of spoiler for Magpie Murders.

The story of the Magpie Murders if fairly basic, the actors are selling the heck out of it. You can detect the murderer from the present through an offhand remark halfway through. The one from the novel is more clever, but can also be easily solved when you put your bias aside and view a certain harsh comment from a different angle.

To me, Magpie Murders is comfort viewing like the Agatha Christie TV adaptions, Midsomer Murders, Agatha Raisin, Shakespeare and Hathaway, etc.

I agree with your comparisons on Magpie Murders, r378, but all of them would also suffer from being drawn out in 6 episodes over 6 weeks. The material simply can't sustain that kind of epic treatment.

And, are you saying you know who the murderer is from clues in watching the series? Or do you remember from reading the book?

r379, my apologies. I was referring to the TV series. With "novel" I meant the whodunit in the script.

I liked Karen Pirie - it wasn't so "same old same old" as the usual police procedurals (which I still enjoy for the most part, but still).

I'm halfway through Sherwood on BritBox. It's compelling and the acting, especially Leslie Manville, is good.

I just started season 1 of "Grace" on Britbox. Good so far.

R383 - I really enjoyed Grace. I binged watched the whole series (season 1 & season 2) one Sunday.

R382 - I love Shetland. Just finished the most recent season and I'm left with an ache. I'm re-watching Hinterland right now and ye gods I'd forgotten how bleak that show is, but it is on par with Shetland in terms of quality viewing, at least in my opinion.

Shetland's supposed to be back, but without Doug Henshall. Have they cast a new lead yet?

Seems like we've been waiting a long time for new episodes of Midsomer, Father Brown, Vera, Sister Boniface, Death in Paradise, Line of Duty, etc. I know British TV has short seasons, and of course COVID has messed things up, but when are they going to start showing up on Britbox again?

I'm also wondering when we'll see the new version of UNFORGOTTEN, sans Nicola Walker. I don't think it's appeared yet in the UK. Who is replacing her in the series, has it been announced?

R388, I don’t know but the man got his own series.

Odd that the article at r389 doesn't mention Sanjeev in a new season of Unforgotten. Isn't he supposed to continue with it without Nicola?

Also odd that the article doesn't mention that Keeley Hawes and Matthew McFadyen are married in real life. I wonder what their new series will be about?

The rumor is that Martin Compston has been seriously considered as the replacement for Henshall on "Shetland."

That would be a disappointment if Compston is the replacement. Among other reasons, he's not a good enough actor to escape the character for which he's known.

I disagree R392. I just watched In Plain Sight which featured both Henshall and Compston and Compston was definitely believable as an evil, psychotic murderer.

Has anyone watched Wreck? I heard it has gay characters. Is it any good? I've googled it but I can't find anywhere to watch it.

R387, Line of Duty has finished. The final season is already on Britbox: has been for months and months. It ended perfectly.

Someone who has BBC1 on Foxtel (or whatever the equivalent US cable channel is) might be able to tell you whether there are new seasons of the others. Not a lot of the things on Britbox are brand new.

I loved Matthew Macfadyen in the latest (television) remake of "Howards End" also starring Hayley Atwell.

I love Matthew Macfadyen, but no one and nothing comes close to the perfection of the Merchant/Ivory film of 'Howards End.'

Line of Duty was a surprise hit. I think audiences want a Season 7.

Agreed, R397, but the MacFadyen-Atwell miniseries did have its moments (largely in production design). I did think MacFadyen was too young for the part, and his beard didn’t age him as much as the director might have thought it would. And Sam West was missed as poor Mr. Bast.

I have enjoyed Hayley Atwell in everything I’ve seen her in. I thought she was great in that Howards End.

Audiences are idiots, R398. It very clearly wound up in its last season.

Elementary had a lovely ironic ending, but the network bowed to morons who wanted "more emotion" and it stuck on a completely inept final season with a mawkish finale. Don't wish that on Line of Duty (which, if it was ever a surprise hit, stopped surprising anyone more than five years ago. I don't know how many shows I've seen since with "from the makers of Line of Duty" in their promos).

Totally hooked on British television! A day without an episode of "Midsomer Murders" is like a day without Datalounge.

I miss "Shetland;" "Grace" is okay, but he's no Jimmy Perez.

Magpie Murders was much more engaging this week. Really looking forward to the finale on Sunday. It will be the finale, won't it??

I just binged The Crown. Very disappointed in the one dimensional portrayal of Diana as an immature gossip while presenting Charles & Camilla as the grounded adults in the room, destined to be together once this pesky young creature is out of the picture. Charles is progressive! Charles is erudite! Charles is educated! Charles wants to modernize the monarchy. Look what a great brain Charles has. If only his fuddy duddy mama would step aside and let him have the reins.

Diana is using her sons for emotional support. She only does hospital charity events because she’s got the hots for the dark doctor. The Queen is awesome and has tea with William so he can escape his smothering, emotionally unstable mother. The Queen rescued poor William.

I can understand how Diana felt. She was a thing to be used by the royal family. She was a brood mare and needed to be isolated once she produced an heir and a spare. Charles took it out on Diana that he couldn’t marry Camilla. He hated and denigrated her. She didn’t hate him when she married him, but he made sure she grew to hate him by the way he treated her. Then he turned around and said, “See? She’s awful! She’s so horrible. She’s against us all.”

Charles is a douche nozzle. Diana wasn’t well educated. She was very young and liked music, entertainment and excitement like young people do. She matured into being a charitable icon, which is what Queen consorts are supposed to be these days. Charles hated that she upstaged him and that people liked her and couldn’t wait to get away from him.

Camilla was the one who was the original adulterer in the relationship. But Camilla is being portrayed as the down to earth queen everyone needs. Horsey. Tweedy. Range Rover driving country Englishwoman. Salt o’ the earth.

And the queen. Ugh, what a bitch. And what’s all this about laying the blame for the tsar and his family with a woman? George V was the king. He was in charge of everything….but suddenly he turns the fate of the Russian royal family, his own cousin and a fellow monarch, over to his wife? That is some bullshit right there. George V was a horrible man. He was abusive to his wife and children. Showing him as some toast-and-marmalade munching, weak tea supping bureaucrat handing off a letter regarding the life or death of his fellow monarch cousin to his non-verbal wife (she looks at the letter and shakes her head) is comedic. It’s Home Alone-levels of misunderstanding that’s never achieved in real life.

And must Leslie Manville be in everything? She’s supplanted Keeley Hawes in my “oh hell no, not this one,” sweepstakes.

Philip is a sarcastic, snobby, nasty old man. Kudos to Jonathan Pryce for his unlikeable portrayal of this drip. I like the way Andrew makes few appearances in the series. I’m dreading seeing more of him but I think they’ll keep him whittled down to randy cameos. It’s just too uncomfortable to look too deeply at him while he’s still alive. Squick.

Elizabeth ruined the lives of almost everyone in her family. Happily, Anne made her own mistakes. She and Margaret looked so much alike in later years (IRL).

Charles clearly relishes being in charge of everything and everyone. Imagine wanting his mother to step down in his favor. What if Philip were the King? Would he want Philip to stand aside for him? Highly doubtful. Prick.

When is Endeavour coming back?

Is tonight the finale of MAGPIE MURDERS? Hope so, since by last week's episode it seemed they had made every character in the story the possible murderer.

[quote]A day without an episode of "Midsomer Murders" is like a day without Datalounge.

Midsomer Murders, is, in fact, on everyday on OVATION.

I wish OVATION would simply run the series from the beginning rather than jumping back and forth from the two leads played by John Nettles and Neil Dudgeon. Not to mention, the many different detective assistants played by Jason Hughes, Daniel Casey, Gwilym Lee, Nick Hendrix and I think there was another actor in that role.

Neil Dudgeon had previously played a guy having an affair with, IIRC, a suspect.

Then, there was one former suspect who ended up as DCI John Barnaby's wife! She wasn't playing the same character, but she was the same actress in both roles.

The MAGPIE MURDERS finale was ridiculous.

Just reiterating for R404 what I've said many times before - The Crown is NOT history. It is just close enough to history to persuade people that the fiction is fact, which means it is completely without ethics, and all the real people are "just things to be used by The Crown".

I was an adult in the 90s and I never heard anything (outside women's magazines, which are known to make it all up) about the Queen giving William extra help. She may have done because he was the heir, but she may equally not have. Two things "saved" William (from being Harry, if that's what you mean). The first and most important was that he was old enough to see through Diana before she died, which Harry was not; and the second was Kate and the Middletons, who showed him what a stable, loving family was like and allowed him to spend weekends in a relatively normal extended community (took him to the local pub regularly, etc). He was also at university for formative years, which let him hang out with other young people in an informal way.

Diana was not a sacrificial lamb and Charles was not romantically involved with Camilla early in the marriage. The BRF was not evilly hiding a romance from Diana, because everyone assumed it was over. Diana was dead keen to marry Charles and to be Queen, whatever tragic tales she manufactured later. When being Queen began to seem unlikely, she still plotted to be King Mother -- publicly, by suggesting in the Panorama interview that it would be better if Charles was skipped and William became King after the Queen.

Sure, the Royal Family wanted a virgin bride and they didn't bother psychoanalysing her before the wedding to make sure she'd do in other ways, but I don't think it was rank cynicism. I don't think any of those types ever psychoanalyse anyone. I think they really hoped it would work out and that Charles would be captivated by a girl who was so much younger and prettier than Camilla, and in fact most of the others he'd dated. Remember that other men did fall for her, like ninepins, until enough time passed for them to see what a crazycakes narc she was. Diana could EASILY have slowed the romance down. Nobody made her accept a proposal after only a dozen dates. She wanted the biggest engagement ring in the store, the longest train of any Royal bride, and the highest ranked husband she could get. The fact that she was young and stupid was not her fault, but it wasn't the BRF's either.

PS Diana was only uneducated because she was too thick to learn and had no interest in doing so anyway. She was, of course, sent to good schools. After she was married, if she had expressed the slightest interest in learning about, say, British history, the Commonwealth, or Royal protocol, the top professors in the nation would have been falling over themselves to tutor her and the Royal family would have encouraged it. Instead she wandered round listening to Duran Duran on headphones and moaning that only the kitchen staff were interesting. Fortunately she later developed interests in two things that could make her the assured centre of attention: fashion and slightly offbeat charity work. So in the end it's a bit of a hard call which side was the more cynical in the transaction.

I loved the ending of Magpie Murders and how much the author hated his creation, he had the book titles spell something to express his resentment.

[quote]I love Matthew Macfadyen, but no one and nothing comes close to the perfection of the Merchant/Ivory film of 'Howards End.'

ITV are launching their version of iPlayer/BritBox in December, called ITV-X.

Macfadyen is appearing in the promo for it, where he's auditioning to be a zombie and one where he's crawling around on the floor looking for something.

There's lots of new dramas coming, something with Vicky McClure in a chemo wig where she smashes a car window, Damien Lewis and Guy Pearce as Cambridge Spies and David Tennant in a bald cap as Alexander Litvinenko.

Wow r409, you sure type a LOT of letters for such a trivial, irrelevant subject.

I think we were all aware that The Crown is a tee-vee show.

The Crown has its own thread (more than one, actually.)

[quote]Midsomer Murders, is, in fact, on everyday on OVATION.

I think it has its own CHANNEL where it's on nonstop on one of those free services like Pluto.

Thank God Magpie Murders is over.

I liked Magpie Murders but I did think the ending would be: the last chapter was burnt without reading so Susan had to write it, with help from Atticus Pünd of course. Then she declines the publishing job as well as joining boyfriend in Cyprus to continue the Pünd series herself.

Is ITVx going to work outside of the UK? My guess is not.

Anyone watching The Devil's Hour? I like slow-burn but this is really dragging, even for me.

[quote]I think we were all aware that The Crown is a tee-vee show.

There is a lot of evidence on this board to suggest we are not "all" any such thing, including the post I was replying to.

R409: You seem to enjoy playing the contrarian, lecturing those who, having stated the obvious, sought neither your response nor elaboration to their point, e.g. my declaration that "a day without an episode of 'Midsomer Murders' is like a day without Datalounge."

Please create a blog elsewhere and spare us from your long, tedious spiels of mental masturbation.

I can't believe that the Atticus Pünd anagram isn't getting more love here on DL.

Ashley Jensen taking over in Shetland. I usually like her but she seems a bit lightweight for this show.

R421 - I wonder what will happen to Agatha Raisin?

I sure as shit hope she doesn't play it as 'Agatha Raisin.' That would be the destruction of 'Shetland', the show. She is really a lightweight.

Interesting that they chose a woman. I wonder how much BBC requirements for diversity played a part.

Maybe they're going to predictably give Duncan Hunter (Mark Bonnar) a romantic interest.

I haven't yet watched the newest series so please don't tell me what's happened to Duncan.

I largely enjoyed Magpie Murders but thought it should have been only four episodes. I wonder how it would have been if it had followed Horowitz's novel -- we read/see the Atticus Pund novel first (minus the last chapter) and then Susan's part of the story kicks in -- instead of interweaving them.

Why on earth did Nicola Walker drop Unforgotten for Annika? What a bad show, Not to mention the idea that in today’s economy there would be such a thing as a separate marine homicide division? How many people get murdered and thrown into the Clyde? I

They’re trying so hard to make Scotland and the outer islands into ScandiNoir

[quote]How many people get murdered and thrown into the Clyde?

It's no Cabot Cove.

r424, I agree that Magpie Murders would have been improved with 1/2 as many episodes, especially when one isn't able to binge, but I thought the juxtaposition of the two time periods was engaging. However, I'm not sure that the double casting of just some of the characters really paid off or made much sense.

The new season of Cormoran Strike is out in December, based on Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith/JKR. Tom Burke is fantastic.

R427: I think Magpie's double casting would have made more sense -- or been more fun -- if the two mysteries/time frames hadn't been interwoven. Alas, we'll never know. Oh, well, lots of nice period detail, and I coveted Magnus's/Alan's house.

I DVRed most of Magpie and then watched an episode a day, but it left me underwhelmed.

I didn't dislike it (the way I did Annika, which I gave up on after an episode and a half).

I'll put it like this: I'd rather watch Miss Scarlet and the Duke than Magpie.

Thanks, R430. Now I KNOW I won't watch Magpie. I'd rather stick pins in my eye than watch another episode of Miss Scarlet.

(Although, maybe if Stuart Martin is naked the entire season I might reconsider, but make heavy use of Fast Forward.)

I liked Annika, I liked her self-narration. The daughter with problems was a bore. The set up was a little confusing, did they live on an island? I’ll keep watching if it’s renewed.

Miss Scarlett and the Duke is unwatchable. There is a second Magpie book but I don’t know anything about it.

I suppose we’re in for a couple weeks of PBS fundraising before the next set of series begins.

This tends to have its own thread but I just want to say that Eastenders has been utter shite for the last few years. They’ve gotten rid of all the human characters for who one feels empathy and now only have cartoon level ones.

Does Stuart Martin ever take off his clothes in Miss Scarlett and the Duke? It's the ONLY thing that could get me to watch that show again after the first episode.

for whom one feels…

R425 - I did not care for Annika either. I am an Unforgotten and Last Tango in Halifax person with respect to Nicola Walker .

To all interested DLers: Ashley Jansen is Scottish so maybe that is one of the reasons for casting her in the lead of Shetland.

I was a bit disappointed last season with Shetland. Tosh is a character that I always liked, but she seemed rather bitchy and dismissive last season. I hope the writers turn that around and make her the smart, sweet person she was in previous seasons. She's a bright note in a bleak environment.

Comcast Xfinity is having a free "Watchathon" this week through 28 November 2022. I am binge watching Discovery of Witches and Matthew Goode.

I will watch anything with Matthew Goode.

Yeah, there's a lot of fundraising going on at PBS now, but at least one of my local PBS stations has been showing the Danish series Seaside Hotel, AKA Badehotellet. (They're at the tail end of season 4 now.)

Plus they're also showing the Spanish series La Otra Mirada (set in 1920s Seville), which I've been DVRing the past couple of months and will begin watching at some point.

R434 - Sadly, Stuart Martin doesn't take off his clothes in Miss Scarlet & the Duke, although he certainly does in my imagination.

R434

I think there was a scene or two where you could get a quick glance of Stuart Martin shirtless. Can't remember because the show left such a bad taste in my mouth.

It would be easier and less exasperating to find pictures of him without a shirt on the internet.

There's a great Amazon English detective/horror series called The Devil's Hour which is creepy as hell about a social worker who seems to have second sight, her creepy son and a serial killer. The detective in the show is the spitting image of Rishi Sunak. Haven't finished it yet but it's just been renewed for two seasons and has 100% positive on Rottentomatoes.

R347 my husband and I argue about Tosh in Shetland. I think her acting is limited to eye rolls and smirks but he really likes her and her character.

I just finished the third and final series of "Hidden", an atmospheric Welsh crime noir series, and truly enjoyed it. It's not so much about who did it but why they did it, sort of like "Unforgotten". I really like Sian Reese-Williams, who plays the lead. It's in both English and Welsh (with subtitles).

I eventually finished The Devils Hour and while it dragged the ending was very good so I'm glad I persevered.

Ashley Jenson is awful in Agatha Raisin, who needed to be a sly, younger Julie Walters type.

Sorry to hear she will be stinking up Shetland.

I like Tosh on Shetland. She’s very good hearted although she was being a bit bitchy to her partner last season because he kept meeting up with that woman. But it turns out she was deliberately chatting him up to get information out of him. I dunno, I kind of like her character getting pregnant from a one night stand, having the baby and then realizing that the guy was actually very sweet and now he’s like the house husband while she works. It’s a pleasant fantasy.

[quote]I just finished the third and final series of "Hidden", an atmospheric Welsh crime noir series, and truly enjoyed it. It's not so much about who did it but why they did it, sort of like "Unforgotten". I really like Sian Reese-Williams, who plays the lead. It's in both English and Welsh (with subtitles).

I gave up after the first episode. I use closed-captioning, and the use of so much Welsh is just too confusing.

If you are reading/posting on one of the Crown threads, please let me know which one seems to be the principal one in use. I was confused when I searched.

The ending of Devil's Hour so obviously set up the sequel. Really enjoyed it even though some of it was annoying.

^ Just started watching Devil's Hour.

I’ve been avoiding The Devil’s Hours, since I am not a fan of Peter Capaldi…but I’m going to try it now.

On Episode 2 of The Devil's Hour and it's a bit of a slog. Is it worth continuing?

Ok, nobody told me the Devil’s Hour has cutie Phil Dunster from TED LASSO, and super hot Thomas Dominique from that crazy Alan Ritchson series, BLOOD DRIVE. Here he in very little clothing.

I need Phil inside me quite deeply.

I usually loathe stories - like Stephen King's - where a supernatural deus ex machina comes out of nowhere to tie up the story. Here, I could mostly buy the explanation. I'm very literal-minded. I didn't even recognize Jamie from Ted Lasso playing the hard-done-by husband and father. You could completely understand his issues with the son who was weird beyond belief and he made him very sympathetic.

I never watched Dr. Who and the only time I've seen Peter Capaldi was in Local Hero (a wonderful old movie set in Scotland with Burt Lancaster) and in Paddington. He was fantastic. Really spooky.

The detectives were really interesting characters. Loved the old guy and the young detective is the spitting image of Rishi Sunak. The actress playing the mother - she was in the original Call the Midwife - was superb.

Really looking forward to the next series.

Ah yes, resting bitch face Jessica Raine!

Resting bitch face Jessica Raine was smart enough to ditch Midwife before it became tedious and ridiculous.

Eh, Midwife is like Murder She Wrote with a dash of social commentary. It's not meant to be edgy.

It could at least be interesting.

Will has a big dick, but he's sensitive and he likes to cuddle...

Ever since DL voted Jessica Raine the Resting BitchFace Queen of British TV I can't look at her anymore. She really does have the worst case of RBF on the screen.

I became a Peter Capaldi fan after seeing him in The Field of Blood - he was really good. I was disappointed when I heard he was cast as Dr Who because he's so much better than that trash.

[quote] Ever since DL voted Jessica Raine the Resting BitchFace Queen of British TV I can't look at her anymore. She really does have the worst case of RBF on the screen.

I want her to do a movie with Heather Tom, a soap actress who always wears a pained expression I called "Pinched Sphincter Syndrome." Between the RBF and the PSS they won't have to act a thing, their faces will say it all.

Jessica Raine was really good in The Last Post. She played a drunk slut and the RBF enhanced the character.

I found the finale of Magpie Murders quite satisfying. And, by the by, the same writer (Anthony Horowitz) wrote Foyle’s War, which is terrific.

Anthony Horowitz also wrote and directed a brilliant short mini-series called COLLISION in 2009, about the related stories of motorists caught up in a huge highway accident. Large cast with no big names but lots of familiar UK TV faces including David Bamber, Douglas Henshall, Zoe Telford, Paul McGann, Sylvia Syms and Claire Rushbrook, who played the sister in MAGPIE MURDERS. A truly original and surprising drama worth checking out if it's still available online.

I loved FOYLE'S WAR, really one of the best Brit series ever, but MM was ultimately a misfire for me. It started out great but got more convoluted and silly with each episode. Not up to Horowitz's old standard,

Enjoyed Magpie Murders. Has Horowitz written anything else worth reading?

I couldn’t get through Collision.

I have seen and enjoyed several of his tv programs. I didn’t realize he wrote mysteries as well so I picked up one that sounded interesting. The first page was he himself passing by the filming on location of (I think ) Foyle’s War. I can not stand that self-referential crap.

Try the Horowitz and Hawthorne series. There are three books so far. I thought they were entertaining.

Horowitz wrote the teleplays for a number of "Poirots" as well as most of the early episodes of "Midsomer Murders."

Actually r470, there are four.

I just bought them on your recommendation.

^ Oops sorry! I hope you enjoy them. Please report back :)

Anyone ever watch THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND A CANOE with Monica Dolan and Eddie Marsan? Based on a wacky true story? Just finished the first episode on Britbox and it's kind of great.

Monica Dolan must have lost out on all the early roles Olivia Colman always got.

I just can't justify paying for another streamer.

But I imagine I will have to submit to Britbox. And HBO Max.

I know this is about scripted TV but I do so hope that the Strawbridge family and the Chateau will be back soon.

It was driving me crazy where I’d seen Jessica Raine before, so I looked her up. I’ve never seen most of her series, but then realized she was on LINE OF DUTY! Her demise was the most shocking of the entire series.

Today I watched CROSSFIRE with the ubiquitous Keely Hawes. It was…not great.

Was the outside of the publishing company in Magpie Murders also the building Miss Scarlett lives in? With the fake white hydrangeas in Miss Scarlett.

When I watched the tepid Downton Movie 2 I was convinced Keeley was in that too. But no, it was just a young actress who resembled her (and played a story that super obviously ripped off Lina Lamont).

Started KAREN PIRIE tonight and into it, though it seemed just a little slow-moving. Couldn't believe there wasn't a single Brit actor in it I recognized except for cutie Chris Jenks.

R474 -- Yes, loved The Thief, etc ... one of those unusual stories where you know the outcome but because the acting and writing is so good, you don't care. A really well done show.

New chat show (a one-off) on Acorn called "In Conversation") featuring Adrian Scarborough (Chelsea Detective), Kerry Godliman (Whitstable Pearl--and season 2 is now available), and Neil Dudgeon (Midsomer Murders) discussing their shows and their characters.

I'm just starting "In the Dark" from 2017 with the incredibly hot Ashley Walters, along with Jamie Sives from "Annika" (looking completely different with short hair), and David Leon (the first gorgeous sidekick from "Vera"),

New episodes of "Whitstable Pearl" and (finally!) "Midsomer Murders" are now available on Acorn.

I just saw the new season of STAGED. The whole three seasons is a maverick masterpiece, one of the great shows of all time about actors, and with more than a nod to Sam Beckett.

It would be worth the price of admission alone for its idea for a Nordic Noir where a troubled Danish detective is recalled to his home in Helsignor for the funeral of his father, only to realise it was really a murder and HE is the only one who can solve it.

Could any Britbox users please tell me what they like that's currently on offer there?

I've seen and enjoyed Sherwood and the one with Monica Dolan and Eddie Marsan. I appreciate any recommendations. TIA!

Midsomer has gone WOKE! In the most recent episode on Acorn, we have drag queens (including one who identifies as a "cisgender female"), medical examiners who did drag (Fleur is "Ava Hart-Byrne"), and a woman gets called a KAREN!

Funny Woman has just started with Gemma Arteton, supported by Rupert Everett, Tom Bateman, Rosie Cavaliero

And there's a new series starting called The Diplomat starting on Alibi about the British office working in Barcelona. Sophie Rundle is The Diplomat. She's doing very well for herself after The Bletchley Circle, Happy Valley, Peaky Blinders, Bodyguard and Gentleman Jack.

Also BBC4 are showing some of the classic dramas at the moment as part of the centenary. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with Alec Guinness was on over the new year but has seemingly gone.

Our Friends In The North, Buddha Of Suburbia and House of Cards are all available on iPlayer, and if you're in a mood for some Classic Ken&Em you can watch Fortunes Of War, Tutti Frutti and the Billy play for today.

The only show I am interested in watching lately is season two of Vienna Blood. Matthew Beard is so adorable.

Well would you believe it Mr Matthew Beard is in Funny Woman!

WARNING: Funny Woman will make you want to download a Petula Clark album.

I love Matthew Beard -- he is wonderfully funny in Avenue 5, and deeply sombre in Vienna Blood. Very sexy man.

Well Matthew Beard plays a practicing homosexual in Funny Woman.

Someone says cunt in episode 4.