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March 28, 2024, 08:02:01 PM

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Sixth series of Line Of Duty on BBC 21st March

Started by Fambo Number Mive, February 27, 2021, 10:19:18 PM

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Phil_A

#60
Quote from: BlodwynPig on March 22, 2021, 08:16:18 AM
shit actors - turning around with the big doey eyes ALL THE FUCKING TIME. Even my mum mentioned it.

Worst acting was from the bloke playing the handler who refuses to give up the name of his informant. He only had about four lines but he was so flat it was like he was doing a readthrough in rehearsals.

BlodwynPig

Quote from: Phil_A on March 22, 2021, 08:28:36 AM
Worst acting was from the bloke playing the handler who refuses to give up the name of his informant. He was had only about four lines but he was so flat it was like he was doing a readthrough in rehearsals.

I noted that - cookie cutter BBC actor - better off on CBeebies... Dr. Who level acting, just bland. I have to say that Kelly was probably the only convincing actor in it. Her girlfriend was poor. Just horrible stuff - even when she was going mental, as convincing as a sixth form school play.

jobotic

The worst actor was Kelly McDonald's boss.

I get that he may be "acting" in the show - and that the bollocking he gave her was a performance for the rest of the team, but he was awful anyway.

Fambo Number Mive

He was the famous Buckles wasnt he? The useless copper who somehow rose to Superintendent over the course of six seasons.

jobotic

Fair enough. I watched all these but can't remember a thing about them. I'll keep quiet i think!

(he was still crap)

Fambo Number Mive

Sorry, I didn't mean it as a criticism - I'm not 100% sure myself if he was the same character as it's been a while since he was in the series.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

The problem with Line of Duty - and please excuse me while I adjust my lectern - is that Jed Mercurio, a crackerjack thriller writer, started to think that he'd authored a British version of The Wire: a top to bottom expose of institutional corruption and social inequality.

He adopted David Simon's famous "fuck the casual viewer" stance and thought to himself, "Yes, exactly!"

The problem is, Line of Duty only ever works when it's operating on the level of an entertaining twist-strewn thriller. It's not an important piece of sociopolitical commentary. Which is fine, but the more it goes on, the more Mercurio thinks he has to tie it all together into some sort of epic statement. That minor character from series one? Well he's involved in the massive conspiracy I'm making up as I go along.

Of course he didn't have it all planned out from the start, but you know what I mean. Cheers.   

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

The problem with Line of Duty - and please excuse me while I adjust my lectern - is that Jed Mercurio, a crackerjack thriller writer, started to think that he'd authored a British version of The Wire: a top to bottom expose of institutional corruption and social inequality.

He clocked David Simon's famous "fuck the casual viewer" stance and thought to himself, "Yes, exactly!"

The problem is, Line of Duty only ever works when it's operating on the level of an entertaining twist-strewn thriller. It's not an important piece of sociopolitical commentary. Which is fine, but the more it goes on, the more Mercurio thinks he has to tie it all together into some sort of epic statement. That minor character from series one? Well he's involved in the massive conspiracy I'm making up as I go along.

Of course he didn't have it all planned out from the start, but you know what I mean. Cheers.

chveik

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on March 22, 2021, 01:29:51 PM
It's not an important piece of sociopolitical commentary.

yeah of course. it's still interesting to watch it in the light of recent events. according to the series, getting rid of corruption in the police is an uphill, never-ending struggle and any cop is potentially a corrupt one. and the way each case is presented, cops tend to ruin people's lives instead of helping them (in this episode, the unnecessary shooting of the kid, the suspect's treatment). but the show shouldn't stop there, it goes far beyond fighting individual bad apples, the institution in itself is rotten to the core. if you really want to take the subject seriously, you need to have different perspectives than cops inside your series (journalists, activists).

still, maybe the H stuff is a cover up for an ACAB grand finale.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Well yeah, I agree with all of that, and I think Mercurio should be applauded for making a series that - superficially - addresses those issues. It's really quite satisfying that one of the most popular dramas on British television is about corrupt authoritarianism. I admire the intent, but I don't think Mercurio is entirely up to the task.

As you say, to take this issue seriously, it requires a different perspective. Good cops vs bad cops isn't a very helpful message, but it's a  palatable way of addressing it at 9pm on BBC One.

And before you have a go at me or the BBC, Blodwyn, I'm not excusing the BBC for doing that, I'm merely commenting on the way things are. It's not an endorsement, just an observation.

The continuity announcer before it started called it Jed Mercurio's Line of Duty, was that new or have they been tying it that heavily to Mercurio before? I suppose it reduces the chances of it ever becoming a Silent Witness style procedural institution being churned out annually forever as discussed on the first page

Ballad of Ballard Berkley


Ballad of Ballard Berkley

But yeah, it's presumably an attempt to give it some authorial gravitas. Mercurio is a big TV name. It's also a pleasing name in its own right.

Quote from: Wayman C. McCreery on February 28, 2021, 05:48:45 PM
I was always happy to suspend my disbelief while watching this, and with that in mind I thought the last series was as good as any other. Until they fucked it with the morse code twist at the end. Unless Ted dismisses that theory as bollocks in the first ten minutes of the new series I'm not sure I'll make it past episode one.

Did Kate effectively do that with the "What kind of knobby signal was that?" comment after Arnott flashed his cards lights in morse code to attract her attention?

Last night's episode was good, but it really is spoiled by the expectation that none of it will come to any sort of satisfying conclusion.

gib

I guess the murdered journalist was a kind of Jill Dando reference.

Fambo Number Mive

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on March 22, 2021, 02:29:09 PM
Peter Kay's Line of Duty.

"D'you remember Space Hoppers, fella? D'you remember committing a murder last night? And then you went home and ate a plate of garlic bread."

(turns to Steve)

"GARLIC BREAD! GARLIC BREAD!"

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: gib on March 22, 2021, 03:03:37 PM
I guess the murdered journalist was a kind of Jill Dando reference.

And a lad with learning difficulties being framed for her murder.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on March 22, 2021, 03:14:17 PM
"D'you remember Space Hoppers, fella? D'you remember committing a murder last night? And then you went home and ate a plate of garlic bread."

(turns to Steve)

"GARLIC BREAD! GARLIC BREAD!"

"For the purpose of the tape, the gaffer is sliding across the floor on his knees."

Quote from: gib on March 22, 2021, 03:03:37 PM
I guess the murdered journalist was a kind of Jill Dando reference.

The recent (ish) murder of a NI journalist also comes to mind.

chveik

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on March 22, 2021, 01:58:20 PM
Good cops vs bad cops isn't a very helpful message, but it's a  palatable way of addressing it at 9pm on BBC One.

sure, and I think the problem is also material (in terms of format). 6 episodes series focusing on a different case each time without much continuity apart from the core cast of 3 characters (and a vague conspiracy) makes it impossible to have a wider scope and tackle those big issues. in series like The Wire or The Shield, you'd have a constant shift between the day to day operations on the ground and the political ambitions of the hierarchy and the strategy/goals set by it. without the depiction of the internal stuggles at the top, you can't really say anything meaningful about the police. that aside (and some actors' performances), it's still entertaining. I don't really expect it to be more than it is, in my mind it's more a symptom that shows there's still a lack of realistic perspectives on the police in pop culture.

mjwilson


BlodwynPig

Quote from: Ballad of Ballard Berkley on March 22, 2021, 01:29:51 PM
The problem with Line of Duty - and please excuse me while I adjust my lectern - is that Jed Mercurio, a crackerjack thriller writer, started to think that he'd authored a British version of The Wire: a top to bottom expose of institutional corruption and social inequality.

He clocked David Simon's famous "fuck the casual viewer" stance and thought to himself, "Yes, exactly!"

The problem is, Line of Duty only ever works when it's operating on the level of an entertaining twist-strewn thriller. It's not an important piece of sociopolitical commentary. Which is fine, but the more it goes on, the more Mercurio thinks he has to tie it all together into some sort of epic statement. That minor character from series one? Well he's involved in the massive conspiracy I'm making up as I go along.

Of course he didn't have it all planned out from the start, but you know what I mean. Cheers.

Agree with this post but not the one above it :)

Ballad of Ballard Berkley


jobotic

Quote from: Fambo Number Mive on March 22, 2021, 01:27:25 PM
Sorry, I didn't mean it as a criticism - I'm not 100% sure myself if he was the same character as it's been a while since he was in the series.

Don't worry, I didn't think you did!

Ballad of Ballard Berkley


gib

it's 1 of 2, is that what 1/2 means on the Twitter? What do you have to click to get to see 2/2?

Lisa Jesusandmarychain

I, too, am glad that the continuity announcer cleared up that " chis" thing at the end of the programme. It kept putting me off every time they mentioned it, I kept thinking of Ronald Searle.[nb] I know that L F Barfe is back and occasionally reading threads on 'ere, so should qualify that really I should have been put in mind of Geoffrey Willans.[/nb]

Hey, mebbee the announcer could have made a reference for all us in - the- know comedy fans by preceeding her announcement with " As any fule should kno ..." !!! 😹

BlodwynPig


Ballad of Ballard Berkley


rjd2

I always assumed Unforgotten is a bag of wank due to been on ITV, would that be correct?