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Television programmes 18th-22nd May 2009
Mon-Fri BBC1 2:15pm - Moving On (one-off dramas)
Wed BBC2 9pm - Why Poetry Matters
Fri BBC2 9pm - Off By Heart (first national poetry recitation competition for schoolchildren - anything to do with you, Liz?)
Wed BBC2 9pm - Why Poetry Matters
Fri BBC2 9pm - Off By Heart (first national poetry recitation competition for schoolchildren - anything to do with you, Liz?)
Comments
Thanks for highlighting it Jay.
Don't forget, there's another one on today, Tuesday.
The story itself was well driven, if a little patchy in places with some uncertain editing - various cuts made a hash of keeping the viewer emerged and engaged, but I understand that some of this was to do with the time of day the play was shown.
Character wise it's difficult to fault anything Sheila Hancock does, even if at times the script felt centred on her, with various other characters living 2D lives in sypher kind of way. The son and the daughter, well played by both, seemed to struggle with the lack of good dialogue and the lack of emotional ranges. They were either "kids on the make" or "kids being angry" - grown up kids that is. The grandchildren also seemed woefully underused.
But this is all from a writers view point. From my viewers viewpoint (if you will) I was never bored, always interested in what would happen to the characters, and never felt the plot left the bounds of reality... As I said above, some of the directional and editing decisions jerked me from the story, as did some clunky dialogue, in particular the reference to Gekas being paid mercenaries (a moot point, but is there any other kind of mercenary?), but by and large I enjoyed this very much.
Looking forward to the one for today (Tuesday), but I need to record it as I am off to watch Stiffy in Oxford.
Well they had an hour and other programmes manage in that time... I don't think it was a lack airing time, it looked to me more like a lack of production time, or perhaps money, which is essentially the same dog but with different fleas.
The second one that I watched, about the two families living opposite each other, going to DefCon2 in a bout 5 minutes worked a little better, perhaps because the subject matter felt a little more focused. The ending though was again a little too twee for me... Difficult to believe these two men would just carry on as before considering all that had passed between them.
"I know you spray painted my car."
"I know you grassed me to my missus about that tart I had on the side."
"I know you called the police around on me."
"I know you threatened to kill my son...."
Together "but let's just be friends...."
Not really there is it? Even with the cracks hinted at by the two women looking at each other right at the very end, just before they closed their doors and moved on with life...
The estate agent one was a little "by the numbers" for me. The drug mule plot line was both obvious and dull, which just left the dialogue, which was largely pants, but well delivered by some classy acting. But again the direction and the editing was pretty bad, leaving the actors to turn in just okay performances when they could have been outstanding!
I think if the BBC wants to do this again, they need to look at production values, which in places like direction and editing showed a lack of time and polish.
Still, looking forward to the one later today!!!
PS - Film in Oxford was called Shifty not stiffy !!! Ooops!
Odd really, this has been a really good idea that seems to have been flogged to death by the production department, who either didn't give a toss about production values, or simply couldn't be bothered to give it any respect, looking at the series as a CV entry for themselves.
What's the famous line? A camel is a horse constructed by a committee. Moving On is a great idea, reduced to an average week of plays by poor production and a lack of attention to detail. Shame!
And don't forget tonight's poetry. LIZ, WHAT WERE YOU WEARING - THE COLOUR, I MEAN? SO WE CAN LOOK OUT FOR YOU.
I was wearing purple! And I was on the right, as you look at the audience, near the end of a row on the right, and sitting next to Miles Chambers, who we gave a lift to, and he's very big and black. I saw myself once while the 11 year old was on near the start, not smiling i don't think, but then forgot to look again, and my friend said she saw me once and I was smiling and looked about 21. So clearly not like me at all!
There's a repeat of Off By Heart at 6pm; and a programme about TS Eliot at 9:45pm.