Paid Members Nick Soapdish Posted October 18, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted October 18, 2016 Finally tried Fleabag last night and was really surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It's a weird mash up of Peep Show and Bridget Jones I suppose. Anyway I'm looking forward to watching the rest when I get a chance. I watched the first two. Wasn't that impressed tbh. Not sure about the rest. Enjoyed murder in successville much more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Surf Digby Posted October 19, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted October 19, 2016  I'm reading The Colour of Magic at the moment and noticed there was a TV version on Sky a while back. Was it any good? No. There's never been a good adaptation of any Pratchett work.  I totally agree with this. As much as I loved the books, I absolutely hated the TV versions to the point where it made me take a break from reading the books.  I'm not sure why they're so awful either. I think it's just that the style of humour* doesn't work on screen.   *With multiple footnotes and tangents explaining everything going on and who is who. In a book there's no flow in real time, whereas on screen you can either halt the story or ignore what was in the footnote. Neither benefits the production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator Onyx2 Posted October 19, 2016 Awards Moderator Share Posted October 19, 2016  There's never been a good adaptation of any Pratchett work.I totally agree with this. As much as I loved the books, I absolutely hated the TV versions to the point where it made me take a break from reading the books. I'm not sure why they're so awful either. I think it's just that the style of humour* doesn't work on screen.   *With multiple footnotes and tangents explaining everything going on and who is who. In a book there's no flow in real time, whereas on screen you can either halt the story or ignore what was in the footnote. Neither benefits the production.  I've thought about this a lot being a fan for most of my life. You have two options here.  a) Follow the story. The side notes are exactly that, and are perhaps only visible in the set as sight gags and knowing nods. In tone I've always felt there's a lot of Blackadder-style writing in Pratchett's books. If you keep the pace up and keep the gags coming these stories should work - especially as they are (and I mean this in the most affectionate way possible) derivative. As in, they are familiar tropes and stories in a wry setting. Take Wyrd Sisters, which is about as familiar as it gets. If you belt from plot point to plot point cracking wise that should nail the tone.  b) Go completely faithful. Think about 1980s Hitchhiker's. Also packed with 'footnotes' as narrative asides, it's still revered fondly as a faithful adaptation. So it can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undefeated Steak Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 There's some talk of Poirot in on-topic. Never been something that interested me until seeing an ad for it recently-ish and it looked ace. What's the best way for a noob to give it a shot? Go from the beginning or would it be best to start somewhere later on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted October 19, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted October 19, 2016 Go from the beginning Steak. I fucking love Poirot and regularly record it and watch along with Midsomer Murder's. The episodes with Captain Hastings, Ms Lemon and Inspector Japp are the best. I was genuinely so upset when the final episode of Poirot aired that I still haven't watched it because I don't want it to end It's just sat there on my SkyPlus box, gathering cobwebs along with the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony and the 2012 Champions League final. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Clint Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 I fucking love Poirot and regularly record it and watch along with Midsomer Murder's.  The evenings must fly over in your house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted October 19, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted October 19, 2016 All of you dorks watching Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad should head over the ITV4 every once in a while and watch some real television. John Nettles accidentally eating hash brownies and helping vicars pisses all over this X-rated bollocks with the dwarf and characters being killed off every other week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undefeated Steak Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 Ah, cheers Gus! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members gmoney Posted October 19, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted October 19, 2016 Not that I'd advocate watching it, because despite Gus's protestations it's absoulte mince, but every British actor working today has been on Midsummer at some point. Fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WyattSheepMask Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 (edited) Like some sort of Equity members Jury Service Edited October 19, 2016 by WyattSheepMask Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted October 19, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted October 19, 2016 Fine actors appear in because it's known as the pinnacle of an acting career. It's well known that on his deathbed Laurence Olivier was heard to remark "my biggest regret is that I wasn't able to appear in Midsomer Murders alongside crackling sexual dynamo John Nettles". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members PunkStep Posted October 19, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted October 19, 2016 Where does Hetty Wainthropp stand in your easy-going, nan's favourite, British detective hall of fame Gus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted October 19, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted October 19, 2016 Our Hetty was a decent bet for a Sunday night largely because she was played by Hyacinth Bucket. But the haggard old bint that always got my motor ticking was undoubtedly Joan Hickson's Ms Marple. That wrinkly old devil was the cornerstone of many a Sunday evenings VHS viewing.  It's all been ruined in recent years with the unnecessary violence of Silent Shitness and the like. Take a leaf out of Edwin Starr's book and bang on Rosemary and Thyme in the evening and while the night away with the luxuriously warm feeling of having an ice pick thrust through your prefrontal lobes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Sergio Mendacious Posted October 19, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted October 19, 2016 (edited) Watched the first couple of episodes of Channel Zero: Candle Cove. Wasn't expecting much of it — I like the original story (Kris Straub is actually a good writer), but I thought it would be desperate, and I think I'm a bit behind the times in thinking that Sci-Fi channel original means total shite.  Mostly very good, though — very creepy atmosphere, underplayed like a depressing indy movie about coming back to your home town to face your demons, except in this case there really are demons. Plays off as a really miserable "Stranger Things" — very Stephen King-y, the lead (played by the bloke who was Mark Brendanowitz off of Parks and Recreation) might as well be an author returning to his hometown.  Best acting is by Harry Potter's auntie, and the terrible mother from The Strain shows up as well.  It does really well in hitting that sweet spot of half-remembered children's TV shows from the 80s (although I think they missed a trick by not having the 'show' be on in the mornings or at night — that's when I remember the really messed up shit, like Czech cartoons and QuaQua, but maybe things were different in the USA), with some of the visuals really shitting me up. Edited October 19, 2016 by Sergio Mendacious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators PowerButchi Posted October 19, 2016 Moderators Share Posted October 19, 2016 Bergerac pisses on Midsomer. Love playing air guitar to the theme tune. Top twanging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts