868 posts
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Post by karloscar on May 28, 2018 19:43:49 GMT
Excellent work from all concerned, but David Steele was far too tall!
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2018 19:45:58 GMT
Tall blind casting... get used to it!
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260 posts
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Post by emsworthian on May 29, 2018 6:17:01 GMT
It’s a good job it says ‘based on a true story’, otherwise it would be in a bit of trouble regarding its embelishments. More Richard III than docudrama. It’s wildly entertaining though and seems almost profligate in its casting with great performers getting just a few lines here and there (watch out for a very rare Patrick Marber acting appearance). I'm interested Cardinal Pirelli on what you regard as embellishments. There was an interesting article in "The Times" by Danny Finklestein discussing how much is true and how much theatrical license. Finklestein's main objection was to the way David Holmes was portrayed; apparently Holmes was a far more intelligent and cultured man than he appears in this - he was just hopelessly out of his depth trying to organise a hitman.
Norman Scott's wife walked out on him when still was still pregnant rather than after the baby was born but the bit about her spending money intended for food on clothes, books and peacock feathers was true and Scott had to forage for food.
The infamous incident with the Vaseline jar is according to Scott's account; you have to decide whether it's true, but Finklestein points out that Thorpe's mother's bedroom wasn't next to the guest room, as claimed.
The adaptation leaves out a lot of Bessell's dodgy financial dealings. Otherwise it is pretty much true, according to Finklestein. The hitman did get Dunstable and Barnstable confused; the riotous event in Blackpool with Newton getting drunk is pretty much spot on.
People have criticised RTD for depicting an attempted assassination as a black comedy but some aspect of the case are so bizarre that I can understand why he did so.
Plus it is hugely enjoyable.
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2018 7:26:28 GMT
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Post by Mr Snow on May 29, 2018 9:06:13 GMT
Wedding speeches mostly rely on our having goodwill to the unfortunate having to make one, but are still often boring in life and on screen…but not that one!
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2,706 posts
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on May 29, 2018 9:26:17 GMT
It’s a good job it says ‘based on a true story’, otherwise it would be in a bit of trouble regarding its embelishments. More Richard III than docudrama. It’s wildly entertaining though and seems almost profligate in its casting with great performers getting just a few lines here and there (watch out for a very rare Patrick Marber acting appearance). I'm interested Cardinal Pirelli on what you regard as embellishments.
The stock in trade of a good writer, to exaggerate for dramatic (and in this case, comic) purposes. Davies’ dialogue is great but obviously manipulative, again for comic effect or to enhance character. The bare bones of the story are absolutely as I remember but it’s much more entertaining, less equivocal and a whole lot funnier, which makes it great drama.
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4,967 posts
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Post by TallPaul on May 29, 2018 15:37:13 GMT
Immediately after the final episode it's straight over to BBC4, for a programme largely made 40 years ago, but not shown at the time.
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1,115 posts
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Post by Stephen on May 29, 2018 16:23:52 GMT
I enjoyed the second episode even more than the first. Really like Alex Jennings in this too.
During the episode I was thinking about how interested I am by the Profumo affair and Stephen Ward. I was one of the few that liked the musical and would love to see those events adapted for television in a similar format to this. Could Grant play Stephen Ward? He really shines in this.
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2018 17:02:38 GMT
^ But while the Profumo Affair is another modern political scandal, with huge repercussions, Stephen Ward was a scapegoat who ultimately suffered. And that suffering was cruel. The real sh*ts got away with it... And that wasn’t/isn’t funny .
This is working because of the comic spin on the events- unfunny to Norman Scott I would think, but funny for us as ‘the plan’ was so ridiculous and doomed to fail. Yes, we know Thorpe got off, but hardly ‘Scott’-free...
With regard to the Profumo scandal, I rather liked episode of The Crown which introduced us to Ward as an artist who probably ‘entertained’ Prince Philip. I wonder what happened to that particular sketch...?
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3,088 posts
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Post by david on May 29, 2018 17:03:28 GMT
I enjoyed the second episode even more than the first. Really like Alex Jennings in this too. During the episode I was thinking about how interested I am by the Profumo affair and Stephen Ward. I was one of the few that liked the musical and would love to see those events adapted for television in a similar format to this. Could Grant play Stephen Ward? He really shines in this. That’s a great idea. The whole Profumo affair really is asking to made into a tv series isn’t it. It’s got everything to make a great drama like the current series. I wonder if anybody at the BBC or even ITV would take up the challenge? As @caiaphas mentioned, the whole scandal was a lot more darker in what happened so I would imagine this would only work as a drama rather than the dark comedy that was present in the Thorpe scandal.
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1,115 posts
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Post by Stephen on May 29, 2018 17:25:50 GMT
Yes, I’m sure there would be some comedy in there but it would make sense for it to be separate from the darker more intense scenes. A Very English Scandal, I feel, is doing a great job of striking the balance between the drama and comedy.
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3,088 posts
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Post by david on May 29, 2018 17:35:19 GMT
If this doesn’t happen, can we just stick some camera’s in the White House and watch Trump try and run the US. Now that would be pure tv gold!
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5,593 posts
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Post by lynette on May 29, 2018 19:27:00 GMT
Don’t worry it will come, the Trump years, Trump goes to town, a Day in the Life of T, you get my drift.
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3,088 posts
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Post by david on May 29, 2018 19:29:17 GMT
Don’t worry it will come, the Trump years, Trump goes to town, a Day in the Life of T, you get my drift. The great thing is the comedy writes itself doesn’t it?!
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2018 19:49:10 GMT
I used to love Trumpton...
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2,706 posts
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on May 29, 2018 20:55:12 GMT
The bizarre tale of John Stonehouse could make a decent dark comedy, a Labour MP who spied for the Czechs (as did a Conservative MP at the same time!), got into financial trouble, faked his own death, got mistaken for Lord Lucan while on the run and who, after having conducted his own defence, was put away for fraud, his resignation turning Labour into a minority government reliant on the Liberals (see ‘This House’). Maybe not quite the high stakes of Thorpe but add in the whole mid seventies malaise and it might work.
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2018 23:53:20 GMT
Bob Boothby was another very colourful character from that political era and could be an interesting subject for a drama.
I agree the Profumo story would make a great TV Series, Scandal was 30 years ago so giving it more time on TV and introducing it to a new audience would work.
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3,088 posts
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Post by david on May 30, 2018 22:28:16 GMT
With the great reception this drama has had, surely it must be up for some awards. I know that the big awards have been and gone, but what are the chances of it being recognised in next years nominations? Surely Hugh Grant must be in with a shout for his portrayal as Thorpe at the very least?
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1,064 posts
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Post by bellboard27 on Jun 2, 2018 16:42:20 GMT
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90 posts
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Post by tommy on Jun 3, 2018 17:15:32 GMT
Another classy BBC series, great acting - just watch how brilliant Patricia Hodge performs in such a rather small part. Great music underscore too.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2018 17:28:10 GMT
I saw This House last night, and the programme spoilered what happened at Jeremy Thorpe's trial! I had managed to not know, and was feeling quite tense about tonight as I genuinely didn't know what was going to happen.
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5,593 posts
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Post by lynette on Jun 3, 2018 18:42:39 GMT
O Elanor, what bad luck.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2018 19:32:55 GMT
I mean... I know it's 40 year old news and everything, so it's not really a spoiler, but I was just that tiny bit too young at the time and although I remember Jeremy Thorpe, and vaguely knew he had been 'disgraced' but had not idea of the details despite (and now I'm really ashamed of myself) having got a degree in politics. Oh well. I genuinely had no idea what would happen in Frost/Nixon either.
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7,538 posts
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Post by alece10 on Jun 3, 2018 21:16:04 GMT
Bunnies.
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3,088 posts
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Post by david on Jun 3, 2018 21:33:27 GMT
As this great drama draws to a close tonight, Aidan Turner returns next week (clothes optional).
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7,538 posts
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Post by alece10 on Jun 3, 2018 21:46:42 GMT
Absolutely loved this. The first 2 episodes belonged to Hugh Grant but I think tonight's belongs to Ben Wishaw. He was hilarious.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2018 0:13:46 GMT
Brilliant. I found it very moving when Thorpe revealed the danger involved in casual sexual encounters...I really think that a lot of people from that era deserve some form of compensation for what they endured. I am looking forward to seeing Rupert Everett's film about Oscar Wilde, another very English scandal and another person whose life was ruined because of his sexuality.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2018 6:31:24 GMT
I can’t remember the last time I looked forward to watching something this much on TV...
Outstanding in every way- script, cast, direction, production, and- of course- the story itself which really takes some believing!
I actually loved the fact it was short and sweet in its three distinct acts. And I loved how they suddenly shifted the tone with the music in the final moments of last night’s episode as they wrapped it all up with the real figures. Ironic, especially after the weekend news, that the only one missing seemed to be the “assasssin”...
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2018 8:50:03 GMT
Absolutely loved this. The first 2 episodes belonged to Hugh Grant but I think tonight's belongs to Ben Wishaw. He was hilarious.I agree. We all know that he can be an incredibly delicate, emotive dramatic actor but I think in this series he showed just how much of a really rather wonderful comic actor he can be. Nice to see Huge Grant slowly morphing into Edward Fox too.
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1,089 posts
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Post by tonyloco on Jun 4, 2018 11:27:43 GMT
Totally brilliant in every way.
There has been a small amount of complaining that it was too funny, but an article in the Telegraph recently pointed out that serious matters can be treated in a humorous manner and it does not reduce their seriousness, as with Shakespeare in '12th Night'. For me personally, some of the things I found most shocking were those I laughed loudest at, like the Judge's highly coloured and unfair description of Scott in his disgracefully prejudiced summing up to the jury when he virtually instructed them to find Thorpe not guilty.
By comparison, I found the previously unseen documentary on BBC4 afterwards heavy going and not nearly as informative as the miniseries, not to mention entertaining!
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