I, Claudius (1976)

Meet the Roman Julio-Claudian dynasty of I, Claudius – the original dysfunctional family – and get ready for a history lesson unlike any you’ve ever had.

I, Claudius is one of the most beloved miniseries ever made and is a wonderful, blackly funny dramatization of the Robert Graves’ novel of the same name. It tells the story of the Roman Empire from the reign of the first emperor Augustus – a reign that brought a longed-for period of peace after over a hundred years of on-and-off civil wars – right up to the rule of the infamous Nero. It romps through seventy years of Roman history, all told through the eyes of an elderly Claudius as he records the history of his extraordinary family.

The BBC miniseries stars Derek Jacobi as our eponymous hero, although he doesn’t seem like much of one. Born with a club foot and terrible stammer, Claudius is alternatively mocked and ignored by his extended family. Claudius soon realizes the value of being underestimated, and as he grows, he hides his intelligence behind his physical disabilities and avoids politics as best he can. But in this family, even the ultimate underdog can’t hide forever.

I, Claudius features Brian Blessed as Augustus and Siân Phillips as Livia, the manipulative, conniving matriarch and Augustus’ wife. Indeed, this tale is as much Livia’s story as it is Claudius’. Livia is the true power behind the throne, delicately manipulating with a rumor here and a little poison there. She is the center of the wheel, turning her family’s fortunes and fate at will. Livia desperately wants her son, Tiberius, to follow in Augustus’ footsteps and become the next emperor of Rome. The problems with that grand plan? One: Tiberius is her son from an earlier marriage, not Augustus’ biological son. Two: Augustus has grandsons by his biological daughter, Julia, who precede Tiberius when it comes to inheriting. Three: Tiberius himself has no interest in being emperor – he’s a soldier through and through. But these minor impediments certainly don’t phase the mighty Livia. Despite her sins, Phillips manages to make you understand, if perhaps not sympathize with, Livia’s single-minded pursuit of power. There is a deeper motivation here beyond mere money and influence.

The miniseries also includes a young Patrick Stewart (with hair!) as Sejanus, the corrupt and power-hungry leader of the Praetorian Guard, and John Hurt in one of his most magnificently terrifying roles as the mad emperor, Caligula.

Bribery, corruption, murder, poison, blackmail, adultery, madness, lust – I, Claudius has it all.

Check the WRL catalog for I, Claudius.

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The Hour (2011)

The Hour, a recent BBC period drama, has flown somewhat under the radar (at least when compared with the roaring success of a series like Downton Abbey), and it wasn’t until a colleague recommended it that I even became aware of the series. Set in 1956 at the BBC Lime Grove Studios in London, it follows the launch of an hour-long weekly current affairs television show, simply titled, The Hour. 

The six-part miniseries stars Romola Garai as Bel Rowley, the independent (female!) producer of the show; Ben Whishaw (the new “Q” in Skyfall and star of Cloud Atlas) as her best friend, Freddie Lyon, a brilliant and passionate reporter; and Dominic West as the charming and well-connected anchorman, Hector Madden. This is the opportunity Bel and Freddie have been waiting years for – to be a part of a new breed of investigative news program that could change the face of news at the BBC.

But a chance meeting with a childhood friend and a hushed-up murder on the Underground thrusts Freddie right into the middle of a deadly Cold War conspiracy and the silent war being waged between MI6 and the KGB. As Freddie begins to investigate, the trio becomes embroiled in a tangled web of politics, ambition, and romance. But a controversial breaking story could spell the end for the program, just as it is beginning.

And in amongst all the secrets and spy-games, I even learned a fair amount about the Suez crisis in 1956 between Britain, France, Egypt, and Israel (something I wasn’t even particularly aware of prior to the show), as well as the rules regulating broadcasters at the time. To my surprise, there used to be a fourteen-day gag rule that prohibited news programs from debating or analyzing anything discussed in the Houses of Parliament until two weeks after the event. But our intrepid team manages to find a neat way around this limit to free speech.

The Hour is lushly produced with period sets and costumes and is a wonderful piece of escapist drama. It is full of quick-witted repartee and fast-paced dialogue. The love triangle at the heart of the story is nicely balanced by the Ian Fleming-esque intrigue that seems to follow Freddie wherever he goes. Best description? It’s like HBO’s The Newsroom crossed with John Le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. 

Check the WRL catalog for The Hour.

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Flambards

With the popularity of British TV series like Downton Abbey, I think it is time to draw attention to a wonderful television series from 1973, Flambards.  It is set in the period from 1910 through World War I, and it includes many of the same issues of the changing relationships between the British ruling class and the people they felt they ruled over.

Christina is a teenage orphan who is passed around from elderly aunt to elderly aunt living in genteel but shabby conditions until Uncle Russell calls for her to be brought to  Flambards, the family’s crumbling ancestral home.  Christina is a child of her times, who obeys unquestioningly and misses all the deeper family currents.  She has been sent to Flambards because she is an heiress who will come into her fortune when she turns 21.  Uncle Russell requires her fortune to save Flambards which is crumbling into disrepair as he has spent all his money, time, and energy on fox-hunting.  In Uncle Russell’s mind the logical solution is for Christina to marry his eldest son, Mark, who is also her first cousin, and they will spend her fortune to save Flambards.

Uncle Russell is obsessed with fox hunting, even though he is confined to a chair and in constant pain after a hunting accident.  He lives through his sons as they hunt, which is fine for Mark who is only interested in hunting, drinking, and girls. His brother, Will, hates hunting.  Will is an intelligent, sensitive boy who wants to learn to fly in the new airplanes that are being developed.  Christina spends time with both her cousins, but Will is easier to get along with and she enjoys talking to him about planes.  The interest of the handsome groom, Dick, adds to the romantic tension, while the increasing drunken brutishness of Uncle Russell raises the drama.

Flambards is based on the series of novels by K.M. Peyton, which started with Flambards published in 1967, then went on to The Edge of the Cloud (1969), Flambards in Summer (1969), although the TV series doesn’t cover Flambards Divided (1981).  Our library doesn’t currently own the books although they are still in print.  As usual in comparisons between the screen version and the book, the books have more depth and background, but they cannot provide the  the gorgeous scenery, the galloping horses, and the wondrous early planes.

As I already said, Flambards is a good choice for fans of Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs, but also I recommend it for lovers of romance and horses.  Oddly for a historical romance, I also recommend it for aviation fans.  Early planes like the Bleriot are integral to the plot of the story so the series creators made and flew radio controlled model working replicas of these early planes.  I actually thought that they made full-size planes until I researched it for this blog post, so they did a good job of hiding the planes’ size.  Either way, their flimsy, splindliness and air of imminent disaster is fascinating!

Flambards also has wonderful music, written by David Fanshawe.  As I am typing this I have the whistling refrain from the credits going through my head, and I’m anticipating spending some quality girl-time re-watching some of my favorite episodes.

Check the WRL catalog for Flambards

 

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The Duchess of Duke Street

Created in the 1970s by the BBC and the producer of Upstairs, Downstairs, this two-season period drama bases its story of a Cockney cook, caterer, and hotelier on the life of Rosa Lewis, known as the “Duchess of Jermyn Street.” Although I am a sucker for stories about cooking, upstairs-downstairs memoirs, and the Edwardian era, I’d never tried this series, because… well, I remember the ’70s. Many aspects of the ’70s have not aged well. I am pleased to report, though, that Duchess of Duke Street holds up decades later, thanks not only to good storytelling but to detailed costuming and set dressing.

In the last years of Victoria’s reign, if you wanted the Prince of Wales to come to your dinner party, you let him know that Rosa Lewis would be cooking. (Whether it was only Lewis’s cooking that Edward admired was a subject on which she would not comment.) Having begun life in service, Lewis parlayed her skills in the kitchen to a career as caterer to aristocrats and proprietor of the Cavendish hotel, a place where the wealthy could find a discreet rendezvous with, or away from, their loved ones.

While the BBC series changes the names— to Louisa Trotter and the Bentinck Hotel—many details come straight from Lewis’s memoirs, including the doorman who vets customers according to whether Fred, his terrier, approves of them. While Lewis never elaborated on her history with the Prince of Wales, the series spins an engrossing story of how their association might have caused and then destroyed her first marriage. When that marriage implodes, Louisa Trotter drags herself out of debt to build a career and a clientele at the Bentinck,via hard work and high standards for everyone, but especially for herself.

The hotel makes a perfect setting for episodic stories, functioning as a more genteel, old-fashioned Fawlty Towers with both an eccentric cast of regulars and visiting guest actors such as a young Anthony Andrews. Class issues are frequently the centerpiece of a story: a clerk with only a short time left to live decides to spend his savings living like a lord; a wealthy woman leaves her estate not to her gadabout nephew, but to her chauffeur, who needs My-Fair-Lady style lessons to handle his new status in society. Throughout the series, Louisa and her maybe-soul mate, Charlie, Lord Haslemere, circle around one another, separated by issues of both class and trust—and eventually by the fact that he has married a Gothic Heroine, oops. I’m still watching my way through series 2, where the War is on the horizon.

Gemma Jones plays Louisa Trotter with great force of character, square-shouldered physicality, and fantastic dresses. The supporting cast are enjoyable as well, particularly John Welsh as Merriman, the hotel’s scowling, curmudgeonly butler. His deadpan reactions to the behavior of the younger generation—which is everybody else on the show—are some of the show’s best moments.

Check the WRL catalog for The Duchess of Duke Street

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Zen

You just can’t help feeling sorry for Aurelio Zen.  A Venetian by birth, living and working in Rome as a homicide detective, he has always put honesty before advancement.  While this may be an admirable trait, it hasn’t exactly done wonders for his career in the Roman police force.  As a government minister aptly puts it, “Your scruples do you credit, Detective, but really, it’s no way to get ahead, is it?”

Zen is a three-part mini-series, based on the celebrated mysteries by Michael Dibdin.  Originally produced by the BBC in 2010, it was broadcast as part of Masterpiece Mystery over here in the U.S.  Each hour and a half episode is based on one book and features a different mystery.  Vendetta begins with the cold-blooded murder of a judge on a country road outside Milan.  Back in Rome, Zen, played by the enigmatic and exceptional Rufus Sewell, finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Thanks to his “reputation for scrupulous integrity,” he’s been tapped by a government minister to prove the “innocence” of a businessman with friends in high places, who has been indicted for a triple homicide.  But at the same time, his gruff, no-nonsense boss at the Questura demands he close up the holes in the case and prove the police have arrested the right man.  What’s a detective to do?

Cabal, the second episode in the series, feature the apparent suicide of an Italian nobleman.  This time, both the Questura and the Ministry are happy for this death to be neatly wrapped up as such, but, unfortunately for Zen, he’s convinced the man was murdered.  In the third episode, Rat King, Zen is tasked with rescuing a wealthy industrialist, who has been kidnapped, and finding out why the man sent to pay the ransom was inexplicably shot dead in the street.

All career problems aside, things aren’t exactly going well for Aurelio Zen at home either.  His marriage has failed, his wife wants a divorce, and he’s back living at home with his mamma, even though he’s almost forty.  But somehow, Zen manages to juggle the competing demands of his conscience, the Questura, and the Ministry.  Each time he finds himself in an impossible situation, up against systemic bureaucratic corruption and civil servants who give new meaning to the word “oblique,” he manages to land on his feet, like a cat with nine lives.  But is it skill or sheer dumb luck?  For me, the jury is still out.  Sewell plays Zen with just the right dose of cynicism and wry humor, even as he finds himself entangled in a web of deceit, politics, and corruption.

The series was shot entirely in Rome and the city is as much a character in the story as Zen, his colleagues, or the criminals.  But this isn’t meant to be a tourist promotional video of Rome and the directors made a point to film in areas that are not so familiar to British and American audiences.  One such place is the EUR – a residential and business district just south of the city center, begun by Mussolini and famous for its fascist architecture.  This is the Rome where pedestrians block traffic, that is crowded, infuriating, and crumbling around the edges.  But don’t worry; there are still plenty of sporty little Fiats racing around the city and men in slick, stylish suits with the requisite skinny ties and snazzy sunglasses.

Zen is a very stylish, compelling and intelligent drama – it feels like a Hitchcock adventure, but with a modern noir feel, where the stakes are high, but the story is still delivered with a great deal of wit and wry humor.

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Doctor Who

I am taking another risk this week and recommending one of my favorite TV series. But I am finding that Doctor Who is more difficult to write about than The Pinhoe Egg. How do I even attempt to distill the world’s longest running science fiction TV series into a single blog post? *

Doctor Who has everything you expect from a sci-fi series: aliens, spaceships, monsters, distant planets, distant times and, of course, chases and explosions. Unusual from other sci-fi series I have seen, I care deeply about the characters and their lives. The Doctor is a nine-hundred year old, two-hearted, human look-alike alien who is nearly indestructible. He travels around in a retro wooden blue police box time machine, “the TARDIS – a Time and Relative Dimensions In Space” machine, with one or two young and good-looking companions, saving the universe from evil of all sorts. Despite his power The Doctor likes humanity and some humans in particular. He likes us for the same reason I like humanity – for our capacity for love, laughter, and compassion.  He has seen us from our start in caves to our distant future as the universe is ending. Like a good parent he accepts our failings and challenges us to improve. Perhaps his character is best summed up by a quote from the 2010 Christmas Special, “In nine hundred years I have not met anyone who wasn’t important.”

If your spaceship can travel through both time and space you can go anywhere, anytime, and see anything. And The doctor does. Sometimes he goes to strange worlds with strange aliens but often the setting is a near contemporary earth. Doctor Who is unashamedly British, getting in a few jabs at Americans. It visits many British cultural icons in varying episodes that focus on Dickens, Shakespeare, Queen Victoria, the Blitz in London during World War II, Winston Churchill, and Agatha Christie.

Doctor Who aired its first episode in 1963 in a black-and-white series with clunky props and a much slower storyline.  It was taken off the air in 1989 and then it was revived in 2005 in a season packaged misleadingly as The Complete First Series. The stories have improved, special effects have improved, even the monsters have improved. The Doctor has been played by eleven different actors over the years, a dramatic convenience explained away by The Doctor regenerating if he is killed. Each actor manages to add dimensions to his character, so I am not sure who is my favorite.

Although the monsters may be too scary for small children, Doctor Who can be enjoyed by most of the family. There is no sex (attraction is sometimes implied), no gory violence, lots of suspenseful action but the good guys ultimately win. As the actor David Tenant said in his portrayal of the tenth Doctor, “Defending the earth. Can’t argue with that.”

*Although some will argue that because Doctor Who wasn’t running from 1989 to 2004 that Star Trek wins the longevity prize.

Check the WRL catalog for Doctor Who

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While you are waiting

Downton Abbey is one of the most popular British television series at our library right now.  With a long waiting list on the first season and the wait building on the second, I thought I would offer a few alternatives.  Here are four titles sure to please, while you are waiting….

Berkeley Square:  This series is set in the early 1900’s in  Berkeley Square, a wealthy neighborhood in the west end of London.  The story focuses on three nannies who meet in the adjacent park and become friends.  The nannies come from very different backgrounds and circumstances. Their personal issues begin to encroach on their work lives, putting each woman in compromising situations. While the storylines of this series mostly revolve around the help and their relationships, the following recommendations tend to focus more on the wealthy family members.

The Forsyte Saga (2002):  Based on the novel by John Galsworthy, the Forsyte Saga series was originally produced in 1967.  This updated adaptation is a much shorter, abridged version of the story.  This saga follows several generations of the wealthy Forsyte family through many difficulties: unhappy marriages, infidelity, and disownment.  Although the saga is dark at times, eventually, many of the family members find some happiness after years of strife.  This series is issued in two parts.

Gosford Park:  This feature film is an American production, written by British screenwriter Julian Fellowes, who later created the series Downton Abbey.  It’s a  murder mystery is set in the English country manor, Gosford Park. Several family members and friends are invited for a shooting party; each brings their own servants for their stay at the manor. As the story unfolds, we begin to learn the secrets of many of the characters. This sets the stage for multiple suspects, from upstairs and down. The film will keep you guessing right to the end, but eventually, the murderer and motive are revealed for a surprising conclusion.

The Grand:  This series begins on New Year’s Eve, 1919.  The Grand hotel has recently reopened after expensive renovations, which sets the stage for financial trouble from the outset. This is quickly resolved through a partnership between the Bannerman brothers, who have very different ideas and intentions.  While the Bannermans have their own issues to contend with, the guests’ and staff’s lives also bring intrigue and drama to the hotel. This series is issued in two parts.

Search the WRL catalog for Berkeley Square, The Forsyte Saga, The Forsyte Saga: Series 2, Gosford Park, The Grand, and The Grand: Series 2.

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Sherlock (2010)

I feel a little guilty, actually, like I’ve been cheating on Jeremy Brett, but over the course of three 90-minute episodes, I have fallen head over heels for another actor’s Sherlock Holmes. This latest BBC production stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the iconic consulting detective and updates his Edwardian surroundings to modern-day London. (Watson has a blog; Sherlock has a smart phone. He taunts Scotland Yard by text message with the same fervour that Holmes sent telegrams.)

With looks that are alternately angelic and alien and a voice that the Times describes as “like a jaguar hiding in a cello,” Cumberbatch settles into the role of Sherlock Holmes like he was born to it. Brilliant and petulant, dangerous when bored, Sherlock depends on the puzzling and the forensic to distract his high-performance brain from the tedium of daily life.

Fortunately, roommate John Watson is there to remind him that at the other end of his latest delightful puzzle is a terrified human being waiting for rescue. Now, I’ve always had a thing for Holmes, but this is the first time I’ve been quite so smitten with Watson, whose past portrayals have ranged from merely self-effacing to utterly incompetent. Martin Freeman’s Watson, alternately admiring and exasperated, provides exactly the counterpoint, in head shakes and eye rolls, that Sherlock deserves. It’s some kind of feat of acting that Freeman easily holds his own, with the most minute gestures and facial expressions, against Sherlock’s grandstanding dramatics.

Elements of “A Study in Scarlet” and “The Bruce Partington Plans” are just the jumping-off point for these new mysteries, which fly by just slightly faster than the speed of logic. For those who know their Conan Doyle, there are plenty of in-jokes and nifty twists (the identity of Sherlock’s archnemesis, for one). The supporting cast includes Rupert Graves as longsuffering DI Lestrade and Sherlock’s exceedingly swirly, dramatic coat, which all but earns its own line in the credits.

Sherlock was concocted by Doctor Who writers Stephen Moffat and Mark Gatiss, and if you’ve watched any New Who, the rapid-fire dialogue and the chemistry between a brilliant eccentric and his loyal companion will seem quite familiar. I wouldn’t have been particularly surprised to see Sherlock pull out a sonic screwdriver along with his magnifying glass, or to find that there were Daleks lurking behind Reichenbach Falls all along.

Check the WRL catalog for Sherlock.

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A Ghost in the Machine, by Carolyn Graham

Unless you live under a rock, you’re probably familiar with the popular British television mystery series Midsomer Murders, featuring John Nettles as Chief Inspector Barnaby. As popular and long-running as the series is, it’s easy to forget that Caroline Graham’s novels came first and served as the inspiration for the series. The Killings at Badger’s Drift (1987) was the first and won three separate mystery awards for Best First Novel.

The television series does a great job with the main characters, especially Chief Inspector Barnaby. In the books, however, minor characters are much more deeply explored than in the show. Graham gets into the characters’ heads and reveals human complexity rivaling that of P.D. James’s Adam Dalgliesh series. The show has a more cozy, lighthearted tone than the books but you’ll find the books are much meatier.

I read A Ghost in the Machine, the seventh entry in the series. In the village of Forbes Abbott, a beloved eccentric is gruesomely murdered with one of the bizarre military contraptions in his macabre collection. Several villagers have motives for killing Dennis Brinkley. The narration alternates between the suspects and the investigating officers, Chief Inspector Barnaby and Sergeant Troy. As usual, a second murder serves to complicate matters – although the total body count, at two, seems quite modest compared to a typical episode of Midsomer Murders.

If you’re a cozy village mystery fan, or a Midsomer Murders fan, definitely check out Graham’s books. If you’ve read her books but never tried the TV series, you’ll find them great fun. But you’d better get cracking — there are thirteen seasons and counting!

Check the WRL catalog for A Ghost in the Machine

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Pride and Prejudice (1998 BBC)

I am currently listening to the audio version of this book, but I want to recommend the film produced by BBC Television in association with A&E Network. I have probably watched this film a half dozen times; admittedly, I can recite lines along with the cast. Until recently, I had never read the book, but enjoyed the story immensely. Now that I’m listening to the original work, I realize just how faithful BBC was with this production. Much of the dialog is verbatim from the book. The sets capture the time period so accurately. The homes, furniture, and costumes transport you to the 19th century English countryside. The actors do a wonderful job depicting the mannerisms and propriety of British society.

For those unfamiliar with the story, the central characters are the Bennet family—father, mother, and five daughters. Because there are no sons to inherit the estate, at least one of the Bennet daughters must marry well to provide for themselves and the rest of the family. The two eldest, Jane and Elizabeth, are both attractive and smart young ladies, which is more than can be said of their three younger sisters. Very early in the film, a wealthy young gentleman (Mr. Bingley), his even wealthier friend (Mr. Darcy), and his two sisters rent a nearby large estate for the summer. Mrs. Bennet is determined to ensure her family’s fortunes and insists her husband become acquainted with their new neighbor. The Bennet family finds Mr. Bingley amiable and very agreeable, while Mr. Darcy is snobbish and proud. The story continues with various encounters between the Bennet daughters and Bingley and Darcy. A few scandals occur, certain people show their true personalities, and the story ends with a satisfying, albeit predictable, conclusion.

After watching the BBC production numerous times, I was disappointed with the newer (2005) version, created as a two hour feature film. The BBC version is considerably longer at 310 minutes, but definitely worth the extra time.

Check the WRL catalog for Pride and Prejudice.

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Monty Python’s Flying Circus

“And now for something completely different…”  The legions of Monty Python fans out there will be quick to recognize this quote, and I repeat it here because Monty Python’s Flying Circus is so very different!  Monty Python (as the creators of this show are known) features the writing, performing, and artistic talents of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.  This sketch comedy show is replete with the absurd—a veritable host of improbable characters in surreal situations.   Sheep infest the walls of a suburban home, a gang of grannies terrorizes a defenseless neighborhood, an intrepid group of hairdressers attempts to climb Mount Everest, etc, etc.  (Far be it from me to make assumptions about anyone’s recreational habits, but I often find myself wondering what mind-altering substances these guys were on when they wrote this stuff.)

No subject is safe from the Monty Python’s mockery, and squeamish watchers should be aware that nudity, foul language, and violence all appear on a regular basis (not recommended for the faint of heart).  Honestly, there are times where Monty Python is hit and miss.  Sometimes I can watch a sketch or two without cracking a smile, only to lose control when a line or sketch suddenly jabs my funny bone.  I also think the unending absurdity of Monty Python’s Flying Circus makes it unsuitable in large doses.  I wouldn’t try watching more than two shows in a row, as I once tried to do. (At some point your brain will start rotting, and your desiccated head will eventually roll right off your shoulders.  Trust me on this.)

I was first introduced to Monty Python while I was in college, when I saw the feature film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  (This loose parody of the Arthurian legend is a good starting place for hesitant neophytes.)   As I sat in the theatre, listening to others around me repeat by heart lines that I had never heard, something about the insanity struck a chord deep inside me.  Not every viewer will react the same way, but I encourage you to give Monty Python’s Flying Circus a chance.  Best enjoyed with a large group of close friends.

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The Vicar of Dibley

The Church of England ordained its first female ministers in March of 1994. Before that year was out, while churchgoers were still adjusting to this new development, The Vicar of Dibley debuted on BBC. Their old vicar has passed away, and the residents of the fictional village of Dibley are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the man who is to be their new spiritual leader. Only—guess what—he is actually a she! And not just any she, but a liberated, intelligent, outspoken she!  Geraldine Granger, chocolate lover (as I’m sure she would like to be described), is either the answer to the villagers’ prayers, or a woman ready to lead them down the highway to hell.

Luckily for everyone involved, it turns out to be the former. Geraldine is a refreshing breath of fresh air for Dibley, and a strong bond soon grows between her and her eccentric parishioners. The main players are the members of the parish council: David Horton, staunch conservative and occasional blowhard; Hugo Horton, dimwitted but sweet son of David; Frank Pickle, the most boring man alive; Owen Newitt, foul mouthed and foul smelling farmer; Letitia Cropley, “culinary genius” and inventor of such perennial favorites as lard and fish paste pancakes; and Jim Trott, a ditherer with a weakness for the ladies. Add one verger to the mix, dimwitted and sweet Alice Tinker, and you’ve got some entertaining chaos. (Does my description of Alice make you think of another character? Hmmm….a match made in heaven perhaps?) The supporting actors in this series are all talented, but the boisterous Dawn French (Geraldine) is the lynchpin that holds the series together.

Even watching as many British comedies as I do (and having been to the UK twice), I’m occasionally stymied by references to unfamiliar British products and British celebrities, but these cultural barriers don’t detract too much from my appreciation of this show. Also, I feel I should mention to wary viewers that this show is respectful to both Christianity and Christians. I’d happily recommend The Vicar of Dibley to even the most devout of my acquaintances (and all the rest of you too). This is one of my favorite Britcoms!

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As Time Goes By

It’s the early 1950s.  Lionel is an army officer, and Jean is an army nurse.  They meet.  They fall in love.  Then Lionel gets shipped to Korea.   Communication lines break down, and their relationship ends.  End of story?  Nope.  It’s just the beginning.

As Time Goes By begins forty years later, when this lucky pair is given a second opportunity.  A chance meeting puts them back in touch with each other, and their relationship begins anew.  The story of the couple’s rekindled romance is slow-paced and tender, liberally sprinkled with gentle humor.   Jean (Judi Dench) and Lionel (Geoffrey Palmer) have a delightful chemistry, and their relationship seems very loving and real—their playful banter, their arguments, their loving endearments…the whole shebang.  (The character of Lionel is about twice my age, and he’s not exactly a Greek Adonis, but I still find him attractive.  It’s just weird that my husband doesn’t feel threatened by this fact…)

Jean and Lionel’s lives aren’t just about each other, of course.  A wide range of supporting characters add interest to the storyline–Alistair, an overenthusiastic, and often annoying publisher, and Rocky, Lionel’s unrestrained and adventuresome father, are among the many gems.  (Some of these individuals are more over the top than the very relatable Jean and Lionel, but they still don’t exist outside the realm of possibility.)  After Lionel and Jean’s relationship is well established, many of the later episodes follow relationships involving these secondary characters.

This is a long series, featuring an impressive nine seasons of episodes.  I would recommend that new viewers start the series at the very beginning, so they can follow the progression of the storyline and the development of the characters.  It may take a while to finish all that viewing, but a quality, well-scripted show like this one is worth every second!

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Coupling

The basic premise behind this series should seem familiar to American viewers.  Six twenty-somethings (3 men, 3 women), each with their own entertaining eccentricities, experience the highs and lows of life and love, sharing all their adventures in the milieu of their mutual friendship.  Sounds a lot like Friends doesn’t it?  Well, it  is…but it’s not.  For one thing, Coupling spends a lot time on the subject of sex, and since BBC television is far less censored than American television, things can get pretty explicit (not vulgar, mind you, but definitely explicit.)  Take, for instance, a comment from Jeff, a character who spends a great deal of time obsessing about boobs, bottoms, and everything else to do with women’s bodies, “Oh, wouldn’t that be great… being a lesbian. All the advantages of being a man, but with less embarrassing genitals.”  Or for another Jeffism…“Sex…. It’s just like cuddling – only damper.”   (The series abounds with great quotes like these, and the actors deliver them with all the necessary panache.)

The central arc of the story is the relationship between two characters known as Susan and Steve, but the supporting characters–Jeff, Jane, Sally, and Patrick…and later Oliver, who replaces Jeff in the fourth season (not entirely successfully)–start to gain more depth and prominence as the main storyline advances.  The writers spend a lot of time exploring different viewpoints, and it’s common for a misunderstanding, or even several misunderstandings, to lie at the root of the group’s dilemmas.  Surprisingly, while the characters often display farcical extremities in their attitudes and behavior, their interactions ultimately seem both believable and realistic.  (Actually, I guess it’s not that surprising—my life is chock-full of farce.)

Release your inhibitions and try some Coupling today; I’m sure you’ll find it an enjoyable experience.  :)

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BlackAdder

I’m trying to write this post, and all that keeps running through my head is the catchy theme song to this silly series.  The words change on a regular basis, but the tune remains basically the same…and since I watched several BlackAdder episodes over the weekend to prepare myself for blogging, the chorus line is running through my head like a herd of stampeding wildebeests.    No coherent thoughts can remain standing against the onslaught, but nevertheless, I shall attempt to persevere…

BlackAdder is really five shows in one.  Each season is set during a different time period and follows the adventures of that generation’s BlackAdder, a man with few, if any, redeeming qualities.  Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) shows his range and talent as he portrays each BlackAdder in turn.   The series and characters change over the course of the show’s development, so I’m going to take a moment to break it down by season:

BlackAdder I:  These first six episodes are set in the Dark Ages, during the reign of King Richard IV (Never heard of him?  Don’t worry; many eminent British historians haven’t either.)   Richard’s youngest son, Edmund, takes the name BlackAdder following the Battle of Bosworth field.   BlackAdder seeks to put himself on the throne, and to do so must rely on the help of his two companions, an idiotic nobleman named Percy and a slightly wiser peasant named Baldrick.  The sniveling, insipid little man in these early episodes bears little resemblance to BlackAdder’s later incarnations, and these shows are generally not as well received as the later seasons.  Even so, I found myself laughing aloud several times.

BlackAdder II:  Time jumps forward about a hundred years, and the next Edmund BlackAdder is a favorite in the court of Queen Elizabeth.  BlackAdder is much, much cleverer this time around, but he needs to be in order to survive the lunacy of Elizabeth’s court.  Baldrick is still a sidekick, as is Percy, but while the character of Percy remains much the same, Baldrick has lost several I.Q. points over the years.  BlackAdder’s new intelligence makes the show more interesting, and without this crucial transition, I doubt the show would have had the cultural impact that it ultimately did.

BlackAdder III:  BlackAdder is now a butler to the Prince Regent, the son of George III.  Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, at least for BlackAdders machinations), the Prince (played by Hugh Laurie, familiar to Americans as the star of the TV series House) is a doddering idiot.  Baldrick and BlackAdder have to work overtime to keep their idiotic master out of trouble, but BlackAdder is often driven to distraction by his own selfish goals.   Laurie is a welcome addition to the cast, and I think this season is one of the best.

BlackAdder Goes Forth:  Set in the trenches during WWI, this season is not only funny, but also makes a commentary on the ridiculousness of war.  BlackAdder is a captain on the front, where he is “assisted” by fellow officer George (a goofy Laurie again) and the ever-faithful Baldrick.  There seems to be a bit more “gross out” humor in this season, which is not as much to my taste, but I love watching the interplay of the three main characters.

BlackAdder Back and Forth:  Really this is just one episode, and a slightly disappointing one at that.  The twentieth century BlackAdder tries to con his dinner guests (played by actors who appeared in earlier seasons) by convincing them that he has constructed a time machine.  Unfortunately for him and Baldrick, the time machine actually works, and they end up bumbling their way through history.  It all comes off as a little contrived, but there are still a few funny moments.

The BlackAdder series is an entertaining mix, and the different settings provide it with some welcome variety.  The supporting cast is excellent, and many stars went on to other successful projects.  It does help for viewers have a little knowledge of British history, but it’s not unapproachable to those who are unfamiliar to the background.  Bawdy humor and some questionable language makes this series inappropriate for younger viewers, but older teenagers should be able to enjoy the show alongside their parents. 

Now, back to the song running through my head…. “BlackAdder, BlackAdder…with many a cunning plan…BlackAdder, BlackAdder…you horrid little man.”  Watch a few episodes, and you’ll be ready and raring to join me in song!

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Fawlty Towers

Fawlty Towers is British comedy at its very best. It features John Cleese as Basil Fawlty, the owner and manager of a hotel he has a knack for mismanaging on many levels. He is rude to his guests, he is inept at doing the most basic things (like hanging a picture), and when called upon to run a special event you can be sure he will muck things up in a fine fashion.

There is a wonderful cast of supporting characters to help Basil lose his mind one episode at a time. There is Manuel, the Spanish waiter (Andrew Sachs ) who speaks very little English and understands it even less. There is Sybil Fawlty, his wife (Prunella Scales), who is bossy and full of contempt for her husband as she tries to undo his many foibles. Polly Sherman the maid (Connie Booth) is the only sympathetic character on the show who has just enough sense to know what to do to keep things from completely falling apart at the hotel.

The show ran for two seasons for a total of only twelve episodes. Several of these are really exceptional and are worth noting here. In “A Touch of Class” from season one, Basil fawns over a guest who says he is Lord Marbury and neglects his regular clientele only to find out that said guest is a con artist who attempts to steal his money and take his antique coin collection. In “Gourmet Night” Basil must find a way to feed a roomful of hungry socialites when he finds his chef to be stone drunk. His adventures attempting to drive his old car across town are especially funny in this episode.

This show has won many awards and is considered the #1 comedy in the top 20 comedy list put out by the British Film Institute. Several actors also won or were nominated for awards for their performances in the show, including John Cleese and Andrew Sachs. If you haven’t experienced Fawlty Towers yet, you should definitely give it a try.

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Keeping Up Appearances

Keeping Up Appearances is one of my favorite British sitcoms about one Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced “Bouquet” to her), a pretentious social climber who never fails to get herself into one sticky situation after another. There is much for her to worry about (and for us to enjoy) as she tries to climb that ever elusive ladder of social status.

First, there is her family. She has her two low-life sisters, Daisy & Rose, as well as Daisy’s husband, Onslow, who always show up at the “Bouquet” residence at the most inopportune times. Then she has her sister Violet, whose residence she is quick to note to anyone standing nearby has a Mercedes, sauna and room for a pony. There is her Daddy, who is always running away, sometimes in his old war uniform and sometimes with nothing at all. There is her husband Richard, who is most patient and rarely ever crosses her. There is her son Sheridan, who is forever phoning home and asking for money.

Second, there are all the people who are most unfortunate to cross her path. There’s Elizabeth and Emmett, her neighbors, who avoid going out during the day so as not to be noticed by Hyacinth. Hyacinth’s tea times with Elizabeth are hysterical, as are her attempts to get an invitation to sing in one of Emmett’s musical events. Then there is the young vicar and his wife who have learned to dread the site of the “Bucket woman” as well as her sister Rose, who has a not-so-secret crush on the vicar.

Third, there is a long list of characters who pop up in her life and pose all kinds of challenges to her social ambitions. There is the Major, one of my favorite characters, who is forever trying to seduce Hyacinth and never fails to get her into one awkward situation after another. There is the mailman, who can never slip by without being noticed. There are the people who call her, thinking they have reached the Chinese take-away, and rather than getting won tons they get a lecture they won’t forget anytime soon.

The acting here is top-notch. Patricia Routledge is a very talented actress who has won many prestigious awards. The show itself was nominated for 2 BAFTA awards (BAFTA = British Academy of Film & Television). Three of my favorite episodes that you won’t want to miss are “Driving Mrs. Fortescue,” “Riparian Entertainments” and “Country Estate Sale.”

 

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Yes, Prime Minister

Yes, Prime Minister is one of my favorite British sitcoms that features lots of political satire , witty humor and fun power plays. This show, which ran for 2 seasons in the 1980’s, is ranked 3^rd in the Top 20 comedy shows and 9^th in the top 100 television programs by the British Film Institute. It’s all about a Mr. Jim Hacker, a bumbling Minister of Administrative Affairs who suddenly finds himself promoted to the top job on 10 Downing Street. His attempts to come to terms with his new position and make a difference at the top is met with resistance from a Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Cabinet Secretary, who will do anything to keep Hacker from interfering with the machinations and copious red tape of the Civil Service.

This is one of the few shows that actually gets better with repeated viewing. The performance from the 3 principal actors is excellent. Nigel Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey is especially funny when he makes remarks in “bureaucrat-ese” in response to simple questions from the PM. Paul Eddington is a very believable and funny Prime Minister Jim Hacker. Derek Fowlds, as Hacker’s Private Secretary, is perhaps the most comic actor of the show, who must walk a fine line between helping the Prime Minister but also keep in step with Sir Humphrey, who far outranks him in the Civil Service bureaucracy.

Each show is full of witty dialogue that brings much amusement even after repeated viewings. Some of the best lines of the show come from the supporting cast. Jim Hacker’s wife has lots to say about what its like to live in 10 Downing Street, and most of it is not very favorable. Sir Arnold Robinson, the former Cabinet Secretary, has lots of gems of worldly wisdom to pass on to Sir Humphrey in several scenes that I think are some of the best of the show.

My favorite episodes are ones where PM Hacker gets the upper hand on the scheming Sir Humphrey. This includes “The Key” from season one, where Hacker’s political advisor convinces Hacker to reassign Sir Humphrey (thus locking him out of 10 Downing Street) so that he will be pressured to let her have her own office. Perhaps the best is “The Tangled Web” the last episode of season two, when Humphrey’s attempts to blackmail the PM backfire when he himself is caught on tape saying a little too much for his own good.

 

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