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Post by Stormrider on Apr 6, 2011 6:06:46 GMT -6
My friend just lent me her DVD of Downton Abbey. www.imdb.com/title/tt1606375/So far only the first season (2010) is out on DVD and the second is on TV now. It is set in 1912 and World War I and is about the family and their serving staff. It gives an excellent idea of how the lower and upper classes live together and interact in the house. The home they are in and the decor is very nice, too. For the most part, the serving class is very dedicated to their family and they are proud to work for them. The upper class family seems to be very good to their working people, too. Of course, there are a few trouble makers in the lower class. Of course there are interesting stories about the upper class family and the daughters catching proper husbands. There is a fox hunt and getting electricity and a telephone installed in the home. Maggie Smith is the Dowager Grandma. I really like Maggie Smith.
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Post by Andorinha on Apr 6, 2011 10:45:46 GMT -6
I saw this series just a short while back, a bit like the ancient "Upstairs/ Downstairs" on PBS in the 1970s. I thought it might be a bit of a rehash of that earlier production, but I think it stood pretty well on its own, quite enjoyable. Certainly agree, Maggie Smith was GREAT!
I have not seen any announcements for part 2 yet, but our local PBS seems always to lag behind the other stations, grrr.
I bet Ardo W. has seen the second set, however far they go so far, he's got a great PBS station where he lives.
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Post by Stormrider on Apr 11, 2011 22:23:47 GMT -6
I remember Upstairs/Downstairs being on TV but I never watched that show. I hear Downton Abbey is very similar to Gossford Park (which I have not seen either).
My friend, who lent me Downton Abbey, is really big into Jane Eyre and many other books and movies of similar content. So through her, I am now starting to watch and/or read this genre.
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Post by Andorinha on Apr 12, 2011 21:25:22 GMT -6
Hi, Stormrider!
Hmmm, "Gossford Park," I've heard the name but don't think I've seen that one either. Yeah, I'm a fan of almost all the Brit-Produced dramas, comedies, specials -- well I did not watch the Princess Di/ Charles wedding, will probably skip the new Royals wedding as well, but I do like all the Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice stuff!
A very recent British TV series is actually a remake of the 1970s "Upstairs Downstairs," even has the "old maid" Rose Bucks (Jean Marsh) reprising the role, now elevated to "house-keeper." This new version is set in 1936 rather than 1910 - 1920. I watched the first installment, not bad, but it has not captured my allegiance. Did any one else see this one?
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Post by Vanye on Apr 12, 2011 21:41:09 GMT -6
Yeah they played the first three episodes of the original series & then the first one of the new one on our PBS station & I liked the new one . It is quite a contrast w/the old one in the attitudes of both the denizens of upstairs & downstairs. Times have definitely changed in the interim! Waiting patiently for the next episode. Also watched Downton Abbey liked it too. Have any of you been watching Larkrise to Candleford-enjoying that one too! Hope they will bring back the mystery series w/Kenneth Brangh-can't remember the name of it but it is set in Sweden & Brangh is very surly, 8^)
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Post by Stormrider on Apr 14, 2011 6:01:58 GMT -6
So far, I have just been getting my fixes of Brit shows on Netflix and from friends who lend me their stuff. I am going to have to check out my Dish offerings to see if I get any of the the BBC channels. I haven't really noticed any so if I do get them, there probably aren't too many channels. Some of the channels are highlighted in a color meaning that we haven't paid for those or that they are Pay Per View offerings.
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Post by Andorinha on Apr 14, 2011 9:04:09 GMT -6
Vanye, that must have been cool to see the first three original episodes as an introduction -- our PBS channel just offered the new version alone. Sigh, would have liked to have seen the old ones again, a blast of nostalgia! I'll check our local library, they may have an old VHS set of the originals...
I have seen about half of the Larkrise to Candleford, they play it here in the afternoons so I'm not usually in, but I liked the episodes I have seen, wife watches it more regularly, likes it lots.
Stormrider, that jogs my mind, they offer a BBC channel here, but it comes as a separate-pay station. With all the garbage channels we have, 72 on our service, there is still nothing good to watch most of the time. I don't know if the BBC channel they offer is specially made up "for export" and contains just the best of BBC, or if they send us the entire regular BBC daily offering? On a trip to Great Britain years back, I caught a flu and stayed four days in a hotel bed watching the regular shows -- LOL, they have their own garbage TV offerings as well as the good stuff we see over here, they export the best and leave in England all the unfortunate rest... But, I love BBC news, compared with the dramatic flailings of the U.S. CNN and Fox stuff, the BBC at least tries to be objective and sticks to reporting the facts better, I think.
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Post by Fredeghar Wayfarer on Apr 14, 2011 17:24:58 GMT -6
I have not seen any of the above shows unfortunately. But I enjoy British TV. One of my favorite British shows, Dr. Who, returns later this month. Does anyone here follow that one? It's a little cheesy at times but a lot of fun and usually very well-written and creative. Plus, er, confession...I have a bit of a crush on Karen Gillan, the Doctor's current companion. So that helps. Just watched the Series Three finale of Being Human (the vampire/werewolf/ghost show featuring Aidan Turner of the Hobbit cast) and had my mind blown. Don't want to spoil it in case anyone checks it out but they did something rather daring that took me completely by surprise. Really curious to see how the next season will play out. Still haven't watched the Sci-Fi channel Americanized version of Being Human. Can't quite bring myself to. It just seems so insulting that someone felt the need to make this while the original show is still on the air.
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Post by Andorinha on Apr 15, 2011 0:23:43 GMT -6
Re Vanye's "Hope they will bring back the mystery series w/Kenneth Brangh-can't remember the name of it but it is set in Sweden & Brangh is very surly,"
LOL, surly and "messed up," I think that is "Wallender?" I liked it, wife thought there wasn't enough common detecting, too much focus on Wallender's personality problems. Would like to see more anyway, I only saw, maybe three episodes.
Fredegarh, I'm an old "Whovian," first saw the ancient William Hartnell as the Doctor back in the 1960s, "cheesey," but loads of fun. I still have a mass of "colour-faded" VHS tapes of the series from 1970 to about 1984, kind of fun to have a "Who Fest" every now and then... I liked the new series that started back in 2005, I think, a lot better special effects, though even some of the 1960s stuff was well-done enough...
We were getting the New Who on PBS, but they dropped it in 2009, have not seen the latest stuff, not sure who Karen Gillan is, LOL, will have to google her up. They were producing DVDs of the New shows, I may plunk fer a few, once I get a new computer...
Just googled the new series, yeah, Karen, as "AMY" looks quite fetchin'! Don't think I've ever seen Matt Smith before, what "incarnation" is he? I think they originally said there could only be 7 or maybe 9 Galifreyan renewals, must now be up to 12 now?
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Post by Stormrider on Apr 15, 2011 6:25:22 GMT -6
Just watched the Series Three finale of Being Human (the vampire/werewolf/ghost show featuring Aidan Turner of the Hobbit cast) and had my mind blown. Don't want to spoil it in case anyone checks it out but they did something rather daring that took me completely by surprise. Really curious to see how the next season will play out.
Still haven't watched the Sci-Fi channel Americanized version of Being Human. Can't quite bring myself to. It just seems so insulting that someone felt the need to make this while the original show is still on the air. Yes, I watched the Brit version, too, since Aidan Turner was cast in The Hobbit as Kili. It was awesome. It took me by surprise, too. I want to see the next season. I was surprised about an American version being done--yeah, while the original was still on the air. But...I have been watching the American version and it started out copying much of the same topics as the Brit version but did their own interpretation. But it has started to expand and develop more than the Brit version. At first I didn't like the American version, but now I do like it. I like the way they made the ghost more ghostly in the American version. The Vampire's name on the American show is Aidan, the Ghost is Sally, and the Werewolf is Josh. (I had to go back to IMDb and look at the Brit listing because I had forgotten the Brit characters' names--Mitchell, Annie, and George) The actor who plays the Vampire, Sam Witwer, is from Glenview, a Chicago Suburb. There aren't as many werewolf changes in the American version as the Brit--at least not yet--but they are pretty good ones. I hope both the American and Brit shows start to develop their storylines differently so that they have a life of their own. I actually like both shows.
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Post by Fredeghar Wayfarer on Apr 15, 2011 17:51:33 GMT -6
Just googled the new series, yeah, Karen, as "AMY" looks quite fetchin'! Don't think I've ever seen Matt Smith before, what "incarnation" is he? I think they originally said there could only be 7 or maybe 9 Galifreyan renewals, must now be up to 12 now? Matt Smith is the Eleventh Doctor. The rule, last I heard, is that Time Lords can regenerate twelve times, so there can be a total of thirteen Doctors. That will put them in a bind after the next couple actors but the writers are creative enough to find a way around it. The Master, for instance, has probably cheated death more than twelve times by now. Do you have cable, Andorinha? If you get BBC America, you can watch the new version of Dr Who. This upcoming season will be the first time a season is broadcast simultaneously in Britain and America. Stormrider, does the American Being Human ever reference the other show? For example, mentioning vampire activity in the UK? If this was a spin-off set in the same universe, I could roll with it. It's the idea of remaking a current show just to have actors with different accents that I take issue with.
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Post by Vanye on Apr 15, 2011 22:24:12 GMT -6
Fredegarh-What you said about making the same series over again is somewhat like my thoughts about the American version of the Steigg Larrsen (?) novels (The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo etc.). I saw all 3 of them in Swedish w/English subtitles & they were great! If you just refuse to read subtitles or read the books then forget it; but of course some producer is making an English version of them. I will say right now that they will not be any where near as good as the originals. Have you seen them? 8^)
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Post by Fredeghar Wayfarer on Apr 15, 2011 23:31:36 GMT -6
No, I haven't seen them but I have been meaning to. My sister recommends that series. I agree, it's the same principle -- that apparently, American audiences are too ethnocentric to watch anything with an accent or a subtitle so some producer decides it should be remade. Sad, really.
I might be more open to it if this was years down the line, remaking or reimagining an old concept. But to have two versions simultaneously just calls attention to how disconnected America seems to be from the rest of the world.
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Post by fanuidhol on Apr 16, 2011 5:10:55 GMT -6
Fredegarh wrote "Stormrider, does the American Being Human ever reference the other show? For example, mentioning vampire activity in the UK? If this was a spin-off set in the same universe, I could roll with it. It's the idea of remaking a current show just to have actors with different accents that I take issue with."
Do you think that one of the reasons Americans copy British shows may be because the "seasons/series" are so short in the UK? I enjoyed what I saw of Survivors (now canceled). And very disappointed in the short seasons/series.
My absolute favorite show on TV is the British Top Gear. I won't bother watching the American version. Mind you -- I'm not really into cars. But, I adore this show. Fan
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Post by Vanye on Apr 16, 2011 8:55:40 GMT -6
Yeah! fanuidhol- I find myself sucked in by that crazy bunch & I am definitely not a car buff either. I just have to see what sort of mayhem they are up to this time around. How they avoid serious body injury is a mystery to me. Think that they must be certifiable. Have not bothered w/the American version. 8^)
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