British TV/General Discussion

Yes, I will hang in for the next episode, Solar. It is too early to jump ship as we really don't have any indication where the story/stories are going as yet. We are (I am) quite sensitive about immigration issues here in the States, I have a barage of that on a daily basis - none of it good, most of it traumatizing - so I could have really done without that as part of this story. I may be projecting (I probably am), but the first episode did not leave me with a good feeling.

I wouldn't be truthful though if I didn't say I am curious about how these very different stories are going to tie together.

I found myself thinking back to Cassie myself as I was watching... there is no chemistry between Sunny and DCI James and there never will be, which leaves a gapping hole that is never going to be filled. They can get along, joke back and forth, yet it feels forced. 

Cassie and Sunny use to finish each other's sentences - that level of comraderie was a large part of why the investigations were so interesting. Their relationship propelled you in to it, as you worked along side them hunting down the clues piece by piece. Oh well, what was, was and we must move on. 

Now, in contrast I enjoyed the opening episode of "The Marlow Murder Club"! It even gave me a chuckle at one point which was quite refreshing. It is a bit contrived, I'll admit, but I am very willing to suspend the easy way clues just seem to pop up and enjoy it for the beautiful location, an interesting storyline (locked room mysteries always get me) and the fact that they seem to be putting more gravitas in to the series this second season. 

I Iike where they are going in relation to "the Club" working more hand and hand with the police - they are more valued this season for what they can bring to the investigations and their growing relationship with DS Malik is a positive thing that I feel will enhance the series moving forward.

I would go as far as to say I am getting a little "Midsomer Murders" feel from what I saw this first episode, something I didn't get from the first season and that, for me, is a good thing. 

Brit ..   Watched  a show  on Netflix you might want to take in if it comes your way ,  The Thursday  Murder Club . Not bad  but not great in my opinion .  Found it a bit on the light side .  Example :  One of the characters , played by Danial  Mays was  DCI  Hudson a buffoonish character  who  gave the show a feeling of lightness.  Mays plays  the  exact  same type of character called  Inspector Chubb in   Moonflower  Murders .   So there is that .  One reason that caught my attention  was the cast .  Loved the cast because their all in my age group.  LOL     Helen  Mirren   80  ..   Ben Kingsley  81 ..   Celia  Imrie  73  ..   Pierce  Brosnan   72 .     This group is in an Old Folks home  and they meet every Thursday to look into and solve murders  .  The Old Folks Home is elegant , hence not  realistic .  Not like any Old Folks home I've ever seen .   These places are made to be functional not elegant but that can be over looked to just enjoy a  ' not hard on the head '  murder mystery  show. 

Brit ..   looked up the history  of the Old Folks  Home .....  it's a  country manor house  called  Englefield  House  which has been used for some Royal functions .  

Solar, I've been reading a lot of buzz about the "Thursday Murder Club", seems to be on the light side in the same manner as "The Marlow Murder Club". I do see the draw with the age group involved. It is actually a refreshing concept.  I did see griping about the casting as those that love the book feel some of the actors chosen did not meet expectations. That though often happens, so I wouldn't let the criticism sway me. I certainly will give it a try and put it on my Netflix list. 

And, let me say wouldn't it be wonderful if our nursing homes had a bit more of the homey feel to them rather than the sanitized, institutionalized environments we have today. One of my grandmother's stayed in an "old folk's home" that actually was a home - living room, kitchen, bedrooms just like you would find in any comfortable home and it was lovely for her. She was there for a year and a half until she needed too much assistance with her care and my aunt put her in an institutional nursing home. That was heartbreaking, truly heartbreaking.

I watched last night's episode of "Professor T" and it wasn't bad! I do remember trying an episode or two early on and I couldn't get in to the remake after watching the original. What I saw last night (E2) was far removed from the Belgium version, so much so that I wasn't even thinking of it as I was watching...and as a stand-alone it was good. I would even try another episode of this season. 

I think the fact that the UK version is extended beyond the stories of the original is kind of giving it liberty to go its' own way and in this case, with this cast, that is good. What do you the think Deedee about this season? 

Well Solar, I have some good news. Guess what I found on The 'Tube in its' originally TV version - with no cuts like in the DVD - that has been remastered by the "Classic British Telly" channel.... drum roll, please.

 ""Charters and Caldicott". Never thought I would see this happen. I will link the first episode for you.

https://youtu.be/2Wl0-2D4jPo?si=sU63uXnok4AkOEqX

Brit  ...    Thanks for the link for   Charters  &  Caldicott   Episode  1.    I built a Special  File to keep it in. lol  Good to see the old  gang  again   and noticed a very , very young  Tessa  Peake - Jones .  She is currently in  Grantchester  playing  Mrs.  Chapman  and is soooo  matronly  looking   now , if that's the correct  term  .   If ya find any more   link'm to me. As for the Thursday Murder  Club  cast  I  find Helen  Mirren  is good in  this  role  but the rest I can take or  leave ,  I would say the most miscast  is  Pierce  Brosnan ...  just  don't seem to  be a good fit for a place like that  where as  Celia Imrie  (  who is totally  unknown to me )  seems to  blend  quite  well.  As for   Professor  T   ,  he is so  odd  (  his  OCD's )  I'm  starting to  like him more ,  it's that mother of his I could do without. 

Solar, first and foremost, do you remember how many times we wished that we could find a clear visual copy of "Charters & Caldicott" when all we could get was that grainy, almost unwatchable one that someone uploaded on "The Tube". I think that copy was uploaded from someone's homemade video tape. Believe me, it was appreciated that the effort was made, but it was quite difficult to watch.

Then there was the bootleg edition on line - which I think you purchased - and that wound up to be visually no better, to your disappointment. Finally, they put the series out on DVD - hooray!, but we then find they cut out parts of it, and in particular, one of your favorites. Another disappointment. 

Now, here we are many years later and someone was kind enough to resurrect the series... in its' original TV format, AND in high definition quality. We can't say that wishes don't come true -  it took awhile, and I am kind of in disbelief because I gave up on it, but here we are. 

I am up to E3 and enjoying every minute of it immensely. I am trying not to binge it all, so I am forcing myself to take it in slowly. I will tell you that I found E3 to be difficult to hear clearly at times, not because of the remastering (which is brilliant) but because Charters and Caldicott mumble so much. You lose so much if you can't catch their dry wit. Their banter is the best part of the series. 

So, I put my earbuds on and listened to the video like it was an audiobook and it was great. I could hear everything clearly, picked up on the stuff I missed and it was very enjoyable to listen to. Wasn't redundant or boring to listen to it a second time this way. 

Speaking about that, through the years I have probably watched the series three times or so, although it has been a while since I last did, and I honestly don't remember that much of the story - which I am kind of glad about. 

I am streaming it from "The "Tube" on to my TV, so I am getting the whole original experience of when it was first aired in all its sharp visual glory (probably even cleared than back in the day).  Such a win.

All the episodes are available. I will link the next few for you so you can put the in your file!

Hi all...I hate when rl interrupts my time here, sorry all. 

solar, thank you! Thursday Murder Club sounds up my alley. Wish Judi Dench were in the mix, hope she's okay.

Brit, not enamored of this season's Marlow Murder Club yet, but it will grow on me, I'm sure. Speaking of which, Ben Miller is growing on me (!), and I'm even okay with the twists and turns they're taking from the original (still the best) Professor T.

Of the few other shows which I like, I hope Madame Blanc comes back for another season.

Here's to our 20th year ........ and beyond!!!

Solar,  Episodes #2 & #3...

https://youtu.be/EX-lTGpBc1M?si=5RRyPRgHDp5C1WLE

https://youtu.be/NhG1ljLCNPQ?si=rZ5T7zBozlhgFUex

the rest to follow!

Deedee! 

So great to hear from you! 

Regarding the "Thursday Murder Club", it is getting good reviews, the one thing that keeps coming up is what Solar said/feels - he hit the nail on the head, because I am reading this same thing time and again...

 "I would say the most miscast is Pierce  Brosnan ...  just  don't seem to be a good fit". 

I have long watched Celia Imrie in many series over the years, I would expect her to work well in this, as Helen Mirren. Dee, your thought of Judy Dench is brilliant, unfortunately because of her eyesight issues I would think she is more curtailed these days in what she can get involved with professionally. 

Speaking of which, Ben Miller is growing on me (!), and I'm even okay with the twists and turns they're taking from the original (still the best) "Professor T".

I know! I only watched by accident, it was on when I clicked on the channel and I found myself staying and watching to the end. Totally surprised I would do that because I wasn't all that enamored with Ben Miller in the role in the beginning. You never can say never (I am reminded of... again 😄). 

Yes, it is rather remarkable that all these years later we are still standing. We have been through a lot together. Looking forward to this year and moving in to our 20th! 🎉

dee  ...  your   back  ..  good ta hear  from  ya.  Speaking of  Judi  Dench .   Love ta watch   Eps. of  ' As Time  Goes  By '  , love the banter between  Judi  and  Geoffrey  Palmer  , each one played beautifully off the other with perfect timing .   Think Judi ( without looking it up ) is around   90  or  92  now.  

Thanks  Brit  for the two additional Eps. of  Charters  .........  this seems to be my  time of year for  nostalgia  viewing .....  not only am I  getting  reacquainted with Charters  and  Caldicott   but  my   PVR  Memory is at it again .  Quite unexpectantly  I noticed a  ' Downton  Abbey '   had  been  downloaded.  When I checked closer I saw it was the very first  Ep. from  back in  2010.  So I watched .  Once again that old  Downton magic began to flow .   Have four  Eps.  now  with one dropping  down every week day afternoon.  Suspect it is because of  the light shinning on Downton because of the latest  works   The Grand  Finale  opening in theatres next  week.  

Professor Jasper   (  oddball  )  Tempest  keeps rolling  along at my  delight  solving  one murder  after another  between  criminology  classes  at  Cambridge  University  of  course.  lol

Solar, I caught a few episodes of "As Time Goes By" (on Prime's "on now" channel) of late myself, purely for nostalgic reasons. It ran repeatedly on one PBS channel or another for most of my adult life, but it hasn't been re-aired by me in a few years. Watching those episodes felt like coming home. I know them all by heart.

Just wanted to tell you, you were correct about giving "Unforgotten" more time. The second episode was pretty good. It gave us more info about the suspects and did not get overly emotional. We will see what comes with the third, which I will watch in the next few days.

I have really warmed up to "The Marlow Murder Club". Enjoyed the first story and looking forward to the next. 

I finished E4 of "Charters and Caldicott"... had to watch it twice to get all the info in as this episode was chock full of detail and again I had a hard time hearing it all the first time around. I will drop the remaining links for you below.

Episode #4

https://youtu.be/yuGY0ue6LmQ?si=Sb2gQTRP_8tr1bvF

Episode # 5

https://youtu.be/uOvjCeiXCNg?si=SY1cxUHhSs8Cpw-N

Episode # 6

https://youtu.be/1HBWutdo4bY?si=IGB5f0cGo2bHV6Zv

Thanks  Brit   for the additional  Charters   Eps .   The    ' slow  burn '   continues on  Unforgotten  with  the tie in between that  autistic  guy and the  cold case  murder victim.  Gotta  admit , that one puzzled  me for a bit. Still waitin '  for that   tie - in  between the  illegal   migrants  and the  murder  vic.  (  if it has already dropped ,  I didn't  catch  it ) .

In the  Marlow  Murder Club  that was a  neat way the killer dropped that  drinks  cabinet  on the vic .  when it was proven that no one else could have been in the  room but the victim.