Fleabag

Love it, it's hilarious and heartbreaking. PWB is a genius.

Oh she's clever! That really was something rather special.

With the positive reviews posted about the programme, I thought I’d give S1 a watch tonight. Having watched episodes 1 and 2, Phoebe Waller Bridge written a really great show so far with some really witty and at times brutal one liners and plenty laugh out loud moments. I’ll definitely continue with it as it’s a nice short show so I can binge watch it in the evening.

I agree with the above. If I only watched stuff I found relatable I'd barely watch anything.

I enjoyed series 1 and enjoyed the start of the second, very promising.

He is a priest, and he's going to leave the priesthood to be with our anti-heroine, but she's going to reject him leaving him lost without either his calling or a relationship to make up for it. I admit I stole the idea from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia but it would just fit SO neatly. (I did have another theory but it got superseded in my brain by this one and now I can't even remember what it was. I think it is important that he's a Catholic priest though, as they're the ones who are meant to be celibate, and this is Fleabag.)

Interesting view. I never thought the purpose of the show was for us to relate to her (or any of them, really.)

I’ve recently given up on Discovery (Star Trek prequel on Netflix) because i’ve decided it’s not actually very good. I realised that what had kept me watching was how much I related to Saru, a male alien with ‘threat ganglia’ (an appendage that twitches when he feels danger) which evolved because the Kelpians are a prey species on their home planet. If you had ever told me that I would relate to a Star Trek character, I would have laughed in your face. He basically kept me watching for 1.5 seasons. Made me realise that ‘relatable’ is a moveable construct (for me.)

Isn't that all a bit sweeping? I'm from London and don't recognise your characterisation of it, though I'm sure that dynamic does exist there. And anyway how do you put "London" families in any sort of pigeonhole? I mean, what even is London? It could be Harringay, Enfield, Richmond, Greenford, Kensington, Rotherhithe.... I always imagine the kinds of family dynamics you mentioned can be found pretty much anywhere in the UK.

I personally don't feel the buttoned-up middle class thing about Pinter's work in general, maybe some. The stilted rhythms it often has actually seemed to me closer to natural speech in some ways, plus it seems to fit with the sort of other-worldly timeless placeless quality his work often has. His work plays successfully in many countries and languages which might suggest it's not tied to a certain kind of London dynamic.

But anyway, Fleabag. It might be interesting to see how its appreciation index varies in different UK regions. All I can for myself is, I'm a man who doesn't move in the circles it depicts and I find it very entertaining.

And my point is that I too travel around the UK and hear that stilted speech pattern, in among other kinds of speech, from people with different accents not talking about Saabs etc. I don't agree it's something specific to "posh" Londoners and southerners.

Not limited to, I'm sure - but feels very alien to me in the region I live, but when I'm in a theatre bar or stalls in London I recognise it from university, my Etonian London landlord and his dinner party circle or the Hampstead friends-of-friends. I lived in many parts of London but the only bit I felt really comfortable in was Brixton, pre-gentrificaion. Friends who grew up in then-bohemian Notting Hill told me they felt a similar uncomfortable prickliness when that area changed. Anyway, whatever. [quote author="Backdrifter"
source="/post/271536/thread" timestamp="1551952068"]how much I always like Bill Paterson[/quote]
Yes, I lurked behind him in a theatre foyer a few months ago just to hear him speak ill of 'corn dogs' in that wonderful voice.

On the basis of this thread, I thought I would give the first series a try. And I just don't get it.

It has some good people in it - but the style of the writing does nothing for me at all. I wanted to like it - but I don't think I can.

Oh, you must watch the first series. It will put so much of the second one into context, particularly the behaviour of the characters.