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New TV series: Britannia.

Started by Pinckle Wicker, January 11, 2018, 03:48:31 PM

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So, this is coming to Sky Atlantic on Jan 18 and looks potentially good (as always I expect to be let down though). The series is based round the Claudius led Roman invasion of Britain and stars David Morrisey as a Centurion I think and Zoe Wannamaker as a Tribal Queen, it is written by Jez Butterworth- who am not very familiar with at all.
I really enjoyed the HBO series of Rome and was disappointed that it ended on the 2nd series diue to high production costs. So my hope is that this takes a similar vein in terms of gritty violence and dastardly plotting as well as what I would have imagined ancient Romans to have been like. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britannia_(TV_series)

Glebe

When I first saw the trailer for this I actually thought it was a comedy at first.

Quote from: Glebe on January 11, 2018, 04:56:40 PM
When I first saw the trailer for this I actually thought it was a comedy at first.

How come, does it look cheesy?

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

I watched a preview copy of the first episode of this and it's... not bad. I have a pretty low tolerance for swords and sandals melodrama, but Britannia is so enthusiastically bonkers it more or less won me over.

It has a fair smattering of hallucinogenic fun with yer Druids and soothsayers and whatnot. Mackenzie Crook is good, campy value as the Nosferatu-like leader of a creepy cult, and David Morrissey is very droll as a blase Roman General. It's not a send-up as such, it's essentially a serious drama, but it does possess a knowing sense of the absurd. The characters swear a lot too, but then they probably would've done. Times were tough back then.

The theme tune is Donovan's elephantine psychedelic classic Hurdy Gurdy Man, which in itself gives you an idea of the vaguely daft tone.

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: Pinckle Wicker on January 11, 2018, 03:48:31 PM
it is written by Jez Butterworth- who am not very familiar with at all

A VERY versatile writer, but it could go either way.

Not really my cup of tea at all and would only really be watching it for Kelly Reilly and our man Crook.

kalowski


Glebe

Quote from: kalowski on January 11, 2018, 07:39:49 PM

First still from Amazon's Lord of the Rings series "does not inspire hope."


Viero_Berlotti

Pleasantly surprised to see Fortunato Cerlino (Pietro Savastano in Gomorrah) as one of David Morrissey's lieutenants.

mothman

Worth a torrent? Or is it one for "definitely watch it, but wait until it gets quietly ushered into your Amazon Prime free-to-watch shows?"

I would say so, yes. I am captivated by it so far as just watched 2nd episode. It looks like the first 5 eps are out there.

KennyMonster


Saw a trailer for this in the cinema a couple of weeks ago, looked like "Brexit - The TV Series!" to me.

"Stop the dirty Romans coming over here with their 'civilised' ways......."

There's some "Churchill wasn't a cunt" propaganda bollocks doing the rounds too.

jobotic

Quote from: Viero_Berlotti on January 21, 2018, 01:37:53 PM
Pleasantly surprised to see Fortunato Cerlino (Pietro Savastano in Gomorrah) as one of David Morrissey's lieutenants.

Blimey, he's only a year or so older than me. How old was Savastano meant to be? I dunno, this tv trickery.

wooders1978

Watched half of the first episode - pile of wank, although the druids have potential, everyone else was bollox

Sgt. Duckie

Fed up of the fucking adverts for this.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: wooders1978 on January 23, 2018, 10:47:04 AM
Watched half of the first episode - pile of wank, although the druids have potential, everyone else was bollox

That's how I felt after finishing the first episode. It feels like a miniature Game of Thrones without the magic but with added acid trips, but bar Mackenzie Crook I didn't care about the characters. Especially the young girl and her rogue-ish mate, and Julian Rhind-Tutt was pretty awful too.

Has anyone stuck with it, and if so, does it get any better? Though I think only a rave review will persuade me to stick with it at this point.

robotam

Series 2 of this has been put up on Sky. Series 1 ended up being good fun with lots of weird goofy shit. I think I prefer this type of stuff to the prestige HBO style drama. Plenty of hammy acting in the first episode of series 2 and it ends on a really obvious joke that still managed to make me laugh because the whole thing is so charming.
Also features Steve Pemberton on an elephant.

Warning: the last time I raved about a tv programme was the start of the most recent season of fear the walking dead and that ended up a bit shite

MiddleRabbit

I'm really enjoying this, daft as a brush as it is.

robotam

The main conflict of Season 2 episode 5 seems to be that Divis is worried he might be a bit of a paedo guy. which is strange even for this show