BBC to air "Mr. Loverman": series about two elderly, closeted Caribbean men in London

I'm in, mainly for Lennie James. But the story sounds interesting too. My VPN will finally get some use.

Looking forward to this.

Sharon Dee Clarke was a late 80s early 90s dance superstar.

Her career as the black Hazell Dean/ Eurodance Tracy Chapman under the name Vivienne Courtland was not a success, but she had huge hits under her own name on the Italia dance cover of Going Back To My Roots and Nomad's I Wanna Give You Devotion.

And now she's the British Audra McDonald with her countless Oliviers.

I love Lennie James, he’s great in everything.

Pretty face.

[quote] BBC to air "Mr. Loverman … closeted Caribbean men

BBC to air BBC?

Mr Loverman (Shabba)

Mr Loverman (Shabba)

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. I hope this adaptation lives up to it.

It's a lighthearted enough story, but also very sad because Barrington and his wife could both have led fulfilling lives with other, genuine partners out in the open instead of making each other's lives miserable. They both carried on down-low relationships instead (though she was hetero).

This sounds better than that likely-disastrous Golden Girls reboot.

Just watched 'Save Me' season 1. It's created, written and stars James. It's brilliant.

Defund the BBC already.

Defund the BBC because it has adapted a book by an award winning British novelist starring multiple award winning actors?

Or defund the BBC because it as a produced a tv drama written by a black woman about black people starring black people?

R12 Don't expect logic from the Defund BBC crowd. They've been told the BBC is all fake news, is massively biased and only employees lefty liberals. Therefore there's no reasoning with them.

They're usually fine with MP Nigel Farage doing fuck all, never spending any time in Clacton, and being paid just shy of £100K a month for appearing on GB News.

Would love to see this.

This starts on the BBC tonight. TONIGHT!

This is interesting. I’m definitely going to try to catch it.

Wait the guy who sang Mr Loverman was a batty boy?

Yeah R17, it's a biopic of Shabba Ranks and his love affair with Jermaine Stewart who sang We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off To Have A Good Time Nah Nah.

I read the delightful novel years ago and enjoyed it thoroughly, as it presented a realistic portrayal of my Caribbean circle of friends and their families.

I hope the broadcast series will be made available to those of us in the Americas.

All 8 episodes are available to stream via iPlayer - get yourself a VPN (not a VPL) and enjoy R19.

For some reason they have produced 8 30 minute episodes rather than 4 hour long episodes.

First impressions: the internal monologue is a bit jarring, the jumping across different eras is a bit confusing and the first kiss was filmed so strangely as if the actors didn't want their lips to touch. And stage school grandson is hmmm.

But it looks lovely and feels authentic.

WHET Hazelle Goodman?

I only know Lennie James from "Line of Duty," but I also recognized Tahj Miles from "Death in Paradise," and Lochlann O'Mearáin from "Harry Wild."

They showed the first two episodes tonight and I thought it was very good. I will watch the other episodes via iPlayer.

Interview with the author here.

If you want to access with a simple browser extension that cuts through the Beeb's VPN-blocking BS , look up Brit VPN (all one word).

Guardian review:

Just finished this and really enjoyed it. Surprisingly moving and the focus on different characters in different episodes really highlighted how everyone was suffering here.

Lennie James is a shitty actor. I've seen him in a couple things and he's never good.

[quote]For some reason they have produced 8 30 minute episodes rather than 4 hour long episodes.

I should have trusted the writer/producers - the 8x30 format worked well, with the episodes focusing on different characters.

Ultimately a very well made drama, sad and complicated people played by great actors. I expect Lennie James and Sharon D Clarke will get BAFTA noms.

Sharon Dee Clarke was a late 80s early 90s dance superstar.

Her career as the black Hazell Dean/ Eurodance Tracy Chapman under the name Vivienne Courtland was not a success, but she had huge hits under her own name on the Italia dance cover of Going Back To My Roots and Nomad's I Wanna Give You Devotion.

And now she's the British Audra McDonald with her countless Oliviers.

I just love a good hyphenate!

I recently borrowed the novel from the library and loved it. Good plot and satisfying ending. Hope the show is as good.

I've watched the first episode. It's good.

Anyone know if Masterpiece Theater on PBS has the rights to it ? If yes, any idea when it will air ?

I hope I can watch this. He looks very dapper.

R32 No plans for it to be seen in the U.S.

I use Nord VPN but there are any others. If you pay for a year it's about $5.00 a month. You'll have access to all the UK channels.

Thanks R34

[quote]Anyone know if Masterpiece Theater on PBS has the rights to it ? If yes, any idea when it will air ?

There is no more "Masterpiece Theater." There's "Masterpiece" and "Masterpiece Mystery."

Master piece indeed

[quote] if you want to access with a simple browser extension that cuts through the Beeb's VPN-blocking BS , look up Brit VPN (all one word).

I didn't see this when I posted about Nord VPN. It's true that a few times when we went to the BBC they blocked our VPN. Fortunately BBC is the only one that occasionally blocks and there's a workaround. If you go to a different channel's website and click around and then go back to BBC you're in. But thanks for the BritVPN info, we might switch at some point.

I'd watch this. Thanks for the rec.

Can US viewers watch BBC without a VPN if willing to pay?

R39 No.

[quote]Can US viewers watch BBC without a VPN if willing to pay?

Yes. If what you're "willing to pay" is the cost of a ticket to the UK.