BBC

[BlodwynPig]

Bodyguard

Sixth form rubbish. Starch stiff acting. Predictable. Emotive piano

Black Earth Rising

Sixth form rubbish. Diversity box ticking. Ooh look big name Americans. Boundary pushing into the predictable soup. Emotive piano

[BlodwynPig]

If you want beige positive reviews, i hear Sammy Wollaston is looking for work

[mothman]

It's all very uninspiring, I have to admit. When did they last do something truly great? The Detectorists, I guess...

[a duncandisorderly]

>disappointed< thought BBC stood for summat else these days....

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Black Earth Rising

Sixth form rubbish. Diversity box ticking. Ooh look big name Americans. Boundary pushing into the predictable soup. Emotive piano

It's a drama about the Rwandan genocide, so I'm not sure what you're getting at here.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

It's all very uninspiring, I have to admit. When did they last do something truly great? The Detectorists, I guess...

Killing Eve is terrific. A black comedy thriller written by Phoebe Waller-Bridges of Fleabag renown. All eight episodes are available on iPlayer.

Is it truly great? I'd hardly describe it as a masterpiece, but it's odd, funny, surprising and fairly subversive.

[Mobius]

What's wrong with Bodyguard?

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Sixth form rubbish, apparently.

[Mobius]

Ah fair enough! I find it excellent but I suppose it is on the BBC and they probably slagged off Russia once or something so everything they make is fucking shit

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Bodyguard is really quite impressive. The biggest BBC drama of the year, and it's a direct, angry attack on the British government's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, its failure to adequately care for soldiers suffering from PTSD, and its arrogant refusal to accept any culpability for terrorist attacks on British soil, a position that walks hand in hand with its duplicitous "we know best" erosion of civil liberties.

Millions of viewers are watching this at 9pm on BBC One every Sunday. That's cause for celebration, not snide, reductive dismissal.

it is on the BBC and they probably slagged off Russia once or something so everything they make is fucking shit

Yep.

[bgmnts]

It's a drama about the Rwandan genocide, so I'm not sure what you're getting at here.

Yeah I didn't grt it.

[jobotic]

Black people on TV = diversity box ticking



That can't be what you meant surely?

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

( Some spoilers on here, I'm not doing that irksome white writing thing )


Bodyguard doesn't help it's noble intentions by being massively implausible, with yer man needing a few stitches above his eye after running towards, and being in extremely close proximity to, an explosion which outright killed a couple of other folk. Also not a good idea for his employers to allow  him to carry on doing his job ( and being allowed to conduct a somewhat important interview with that suicide bomber he done thwarted ) after all that,  (which probably didn't do his  ptsd a world of good ), and it was also blatantly obvious that he'd had a go at blowing his bonce off with his especially hidden naughty gun ( pre- relatively packed with blanks by some cunning types out there ), yet when asked about it , gave a patently ridiculous " The dog ate my homework " type excuse. Admittedly, Mrs. Brittas finally said " Erm....you'd better stop working for us for a bit, mate. "to him on Sunday's episode. Also, no need for him to have clichedly been shagging the Home Secretary, surely empathy with the enemy could have been established in a more sophisticated, less hackneyed fashion ? I'm with Blodders on this one.

Also, Killing Eve is like a fucking cartoon. Is it * supposed * to be not the least bit believable ? Is it much more satirical black comedy , as opposed to drama ? There's no way for a second anyone can believe that those jokers work for MI5, with our  crossant- munching hungover heroine uttering an admiring " cool " at the adventures of the sexy child- upsetting psychopath while being briefed. Also, what was that scene wherein the kooky killer jumps into A FUCKING SUITCASE in order to hide at the mafia feller ' s joint all about ? a " Sweet Movie " homage ? I'll carry on watching it, cos it's quite enjoyable, but it's complete hokum.

So, I think both of those programmes are overrated, basically.

[im barry bethel]

Danny Boyle's Trust looks pretty good so far then I realised it's not a BBC production

[Funcrusher]

Yeah, the BBC is wank.

The Park-chan Wook Le Carre adaptation might rescue it from total mediocrity.

[BlodwynPig]

It's a drama about the Rwandan genocide, so I'm not sure what you're getting at here.

Yeh, took about 15 minutes to get to that nub.

[BlodwynPig]

Black people on TV = diversity box ticking



That can't be what you meant surely?

No, not when I eventually realised it was about Rwanda. I don't even know why I wrote that. It is a bug bear when diversity is a quota to meet - a conscious decision to be inclusive rather than an organic process. *Larry David gets coat*

[BlodwynPig]

Bodyguard is really quite impressive. The biggest BBC drama of the year, and it's a direct, angry attack on the British government's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, its failure to adequately care for soldiers suffering from PTSD, and its arrogant refusal to accept any culpability for terrorist attacks on British soil, a position that walks hand in hand with its duplicitous "we know best" erosion of civil liberties.

Millions of viewers are watching this at 9pm on BBC One every Sunday. That's cause for celebration, not snide, reductive dismissal.

Yep.

Still crap I'm afraid. The wooden Scottish lead is a real drag to watch, the plot seems like 90s Spooks at best, the ensemble are just handpicked from the BBC's former glories. At least this Black Earth Rising seemed to mix it up (Tamara Tunie!).

[Sebastian Cobb]

a lot of it's wank but it's still a cut above the dross most commercial stations are churning out.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Also, Killing Eve is like a fucking cartoon. Is it * supposed * to be not the least bit believable ?

Yes.

Is it much more satirical black comedy , as opposed to drama ?

Yes, that's exactly what it is. It's an entertaining comic book spy thriller primarily defined by dry, black comedy.

[shh]

There's a definite lack of original voices in BBC drama and documentaries. No matter the subject matter or theme there is the inescapable bland BBC aesthetic - characterisation, dialogue, visuals, soundtrack.

In terms of documentaries, only Jonathan Meades and Adam Curtis off the top of my head have any flair or distinctiveness (and the latter is a sub-Godardian conspiracy theorist). Fairly recently I've seen things like Boys from the Black Stuff and the early Mike Leigh films, it almost staggers me that the BBC was once capable of producing such programmes. Even Channel 4 (Channel 4!) used to commission films by Peter Greenaway and Jan Svankmajer though. The past is a foreign country...

[BlodwynPig]

a lot of it's wank but it's still a cut above the dross most commercial stations are churning out.

So the BBC still has some love around these parts. The most refreshing 'mainstream' series I've seen in recent years has been Scott & Bailey (ITV) and also that other piece of fluff that Suranne Jones was in about the affair (was that BBC?), I also enjoyed The Missing.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Yes.

Yes, that's exactly what it is. It's an entertaining comic book spy thriller primarily defined by dry, black comedy.

Oh, fair enough, then. It 's a bit odd that something that is basically Deadpool* is getting all this hype and reverential reviews,  though * I haven't seen Deadpool.

[BlodwynPig]

There's a definite lack of original voices in BBC drama and documentaries. No matter the subject matter or theme there is the inescapable bland BBC aesthetic - characterisation, dialogue, visuals, soundtrack.

In terms of documentaries, only Jonathan Meades and Adam Curtis off the top of my head have any flair or distinctiveness (and the latter is a sub-Godardian conspiracy theorist). Fairly recently I've seen things like Boys from the Black Stuff and the early Mike Leigh films, it almost staggers me that the BBC was once capable of producing such programmes. Even Channel 4 (Channel 4!) used to commission films by Peter Greenaway and Jan Svankmajer though. The past is a foreign country...

Characterisation past and present

BBC1 Then - Eerie, serious, and dramatic
BBC1 Now - Middle Class Shades of Beige

BBC2 Then - Surprising, late night titters
BBC2 Now - Fixing some old lampshade with a fixed sum of cash

C4 Then - Titties and Gore
C4 Now - Loud

[Sebastian Cobb]

People always forget all the shit that was on bbc 1 back then. Your 2.4 childrens, that wank one with the thick one from Father Ted, Keeping Up Appearances.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Edit: fucked up a post.

[Dr Rock]

I also enjoyed The Missing.

Ooh me kid's gone missing... shit happens, move on mate.

[BlodwynPig]

People always forget all the shit that was on bbc 1 back then. Your 2.4 childrens, that wank one with the thick one from Father Ted, Keeping Up Appearances.

That was BBC Nowish. The real slump began late 90s. Some people on here will know about changing personnel, risk management, dwindling coffers, but I suspect many factors but primarily a desire not to offend led to tv shows like My Hero being commissioned and shows like Look and Read never seeing the light of day again.

Saw a couple of late OFITG a few days ago and even in 1994 there was an ill-wind blowing, mind you Brass Eye was still possible and Partridge and Iannucci made some innovative stuff well into the 00's, so there is obviously no room for sweeping generalisations about our glorious entertainment broadcaster.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Still crap I'm afraid. The wooden Scottish lead is a real drag to watch, the plot seems like 90s Spooks at best, the ensemble are just handpicked from the BBC's former glories. At least this Black Earth Rising seemed to mix it up (Tamara Tunie!).

I wasn't really suggesting that Bodyguard is a stellar piece of drama - I think it's pretty good, if flawed, for what it's worth - just that it's really quite pleasing to see such a blatantly anti-establishment drama on BBC One. It feels like a rare "fuck you" to the government.

Whether you like his writing or not, this is what Jed Mercurio does. Line of Duty - a similarly massive hit - was the same.

Nothing wrong with Richard Madden's acting either, I think he's very convincing as a PTSD-sufferer struggling to hold it together. He's subtle, not wooden.

[BlodwynPig]

Ooh me kid's gone missing... shit happens, move on mate.

I don't know why it was so enjoyable but I did enjoy it. I think the French guy.