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Post by BurlyBeaR on Dec 13, 2019 20:04:22 GMT
There will no doubt be one about ‘all this’ at some point. What are your most memorable ones from the past?
I thought The Iron Lady failed on several levels. Streep was great as usual but it didn’t work for some reason. Lacked tension. Maybe because we were introduced to her as an infirm old woman from the outset. I actually preferred the tv drama about Thatcher’s last days with Lindsay Duncan which could be found on YouTube, not sure if it’s still the case. I think that captured the subterfuge and vicious back stabbing very well.
I bought the download of Darkest Hour but have never watched it. I saw the trailer for it so often in the cinema that I feel ive already seen it. Should I dedicate some time?
I was gripped by The Uncivil War earlier this year. Not sure how authentic it was!
Ive never seen The West Wing, not sure if I could relate to Whitehouse stuff and I have trouble committing to long seasons. Having said that, The Crown has a healthy dose of political back story which I’ve enjoyed over 3 seasons.
over to you.. Recommendations?
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Post by marob on Dec 13, 2019 23:59:51 GMT
I used to love The West Wing, don't let the fact it's American put you off giving it a chance. Really captures how high stakes politics can be, as well as how farcically trivial. The first few seasons are Aaron Sorkin at the top of his game. It's quite slick with the kind of banter-y dialogue that sweeps you along with it. Really funny, but properly dramatic too (if a bit too idealised at times) and has a pretty damn good cast too.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Dec 14, 2019 8:56:25 GMT
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Dec 14, 2019 12:09:37 GMT
Anything Ken Loach. Love The Wind that Shakes the Barley in particular
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 14, 2019 12:14:13 GMT
If we're including dramas, rather than recreations of actual events, you should try and find the time to watch A Very British Coup BurlyBeaR, which, much to my surprise, is available on All 4, despite dating from 1988. www.channel4.com/programmes/a-very-british-coupThere may be one of two locations you recognise! |
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Post by theglenbucklaird on Dec 14, 2019 12:18:33 GMT
Reg is stunning. Tim Roth is very good in that film. The scene at the end interspersed with real life footage is heartbreaking and amazing. Artisticly shot of the highest level
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 14, 2019 13:17:49 GMT
There's also The Deal about the relationship between Blair and Brown, and the pact they may, or may not, have made in a certain Islington restaurant. www.channel4.com/programmes/the-deal |
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Post by intoanewlife on Dec 14, 2019 18:57:04 GMT
I thought the recent Brexit movie on HBO and channel 4 was pretty good.
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Post by n1david on Dec 14, 2019 19:15:36 GMT
Huge West Wing fan here - am coming to the end of a multi-year rewatch project tied in with podcast series The West Wing Weekly where cast and crew members would talk about individual episodes. Still one of my favourite ever TV shows.
Alternative dramas about the day-to-day realities of politics which I enjoyed and are shorter than TWW, but do require subtitles, are Borgen which is set in Denmark and covers the trials and tribulations of a female PM played by Sidse Babett Knudsen (seen at the NT in The James Plays), and was shown in the UK on BBC4; and Byw Celwydd, which was a Welsh series which aired on S4C, which is set in the Welsh Senedd between the thinly-disguised parties of the New Conservatives, the Democrats and the Nationalists against a Socialist opposition, and features just about every Welsh-language actor you've ever known. Both series are great on the horse-trading of managing a coalition in a PR world, how to make, keep - and lose - friends and support. Enjoyed them both very much. Borgen is available on many streaming services, but sadly Byw Celwydd doesn't seem to be commercially available at the moment, despite managing three series over the last few years.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2019 19:15:43 GMT
It was about much more than politics but Our Friends in the North shone a light on Labour politics in the North East from the sixties through to the nineties, being broadcast a year before the 97 election.
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Post by intoanewlife on Dec 14, 2019 19:20:05 GMT
Huge West Wing fan here - am coming to the end of a multi-year rewatch project tied in with podcast series The West Wing Weekly where cast and crew members would talk about individual episodes. Still one of my favourite ever TV shows. Alternative dramas about the day-to-day realities of politics which I enjoyed and are shorter than TWW, but do require subtitles, are Borgen which is set in Denmark and covers the trials and tribulations of a female PM played by Sidse Babett Knudsen (seen at the NT in The James Plays), and was shown in the UK on BBC4; and Byw Celwydd, which was a Welsh series which aired on S4C, which is set in the Welsh Senedd between the thinly-disguised parties of the New Conservatives, the Democrats and the Nationalists against a Socialist opposition, and features just about every Welsh-language actor you've ever known. Both series are great on the horse-trading of managing a coalition in a PR world, how to make, keep - and lose - friends and support. Enjoyed them both very much. Borgen is available on many streaming services, but sadly Byw Celwydd doesn't seem to be commercially available at the moment, despite managing three series over the last few years. Borgen is indeed amazing! |
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Post by crowblack on Dec 14, 2019 19:20:50 GMT
And Alan Bleasdale's GBH for this side of the Pennines, with its Derek Hatton character. |
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Post by crowblack on Dec 14, 2019 19:26:21 GMT
The Deal about the relationship between Blair and Brown And a BBC drama The Project about early New Labour - it's so long since I've seen it I can't remember whether it was any good though. |
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Post by NeilVHughes on Dec 14, 2019 19:30:04 GMT
GBH has a great soundtrack CD.
Our Friend in the North was phenomenal, hope it turns up on britbox in the near future as deserves a repeat viewing.
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Post by crowblack on Dec 15, 2019 9:42:24 GMT
Our Friend in the North was phenomenal And Daniel Craig's breakthrough role - you'd think they'd repeat it on that score alone. |
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Post by peggysue on Dec 15, 2019 10:07:31 GMT
Have just recently finished re-watching Our Friends In The North. It’s a brilliant series and has some great actors in early roles of their careers including as said above, Daniel Craig along with Mark Strong, Christopher Eccleston and Gina McKee.
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Post by mistressjojo on Dec 15, 2019 11:24:34 GMT
State of Play - the original British one not the horrible American re-make.
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Post by TallPaul on Dec 18, 2019 13:45:06 GMT
Although different to Borgen, I enjoyed the French drama Spin (or Les Hommes de l'ombre) and Blue Eyes, which is Swedish. I could have sworn they were on BBC4, but it seems they were actually on More 4. Annoyingly, only the third and final series of Spin now seems to be available on demand! www.channel4.com/programmes/spinwww.channel4.com/programmes/blue-eyes |
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Post by n1david on Dec 18, 2019 16:23:54 GMT
Oh yes - I'd forgotten about Spin. Loved the characters in that and the way that they changed allegiance over the series. Not familiar with Blue Eyes, must give that a try.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2019 16:55:08 GMT
Ocean's Eleven about the number of Liberal Democrat MPs.
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