Eternal Law (ITV1, series starts 05/01/2012)

[Maurice]

9pm ITV1 05/01/2012
New fantasy drama about two unusual barristers:

On BBC Breakfast TV (4th Jan), one of the writers argued that angels are not simply "pious", but have a variety of human emotions.

He said that concept of an angel was inspired by A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946).

[Steve Crook]

In an interview in the Daily Mail:

Filmed on location in York, Eternal Law is the brainchild of Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes creators Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah. But as Matthew admits, it took a little divine inspiration to give them the idea for the series in the first place.

'I was watching the classic Powell and Pressburger film A Matter Of Life And Death – about a wounded World War II pilot whose life is hanging by a thread - and was struck by the power of the courtroom scenes in heaven,' says Matthew.

'Both Ashley and I were intrigued by the idea of heavenly law and the concept of the spirit world being run on a set of rules and regulations. We thought, "What a great idea to modify it and bring these down to Earth." But while there are courtroom scenes, Eternal Law is primarily a love story, with Zak caught between his duties as an angel and his love for Hannah.'

Steve

[Nick Dando]

It was the discussion on Front Row yesterday evening that persuaded me to give it a go, as the team seemed to give it the thumbs up. And it's got Sam West in it, so it can't be all bad! They were also talking about AMOLAD, and Wings of Desire, as possible influences.

Nick

[faginsgirl]

I`m looking forward to this, I first thought it was set in America, finding out it is British I am even more happy to watch it now

[faginsgirl]

It took me half an hour to give up on this. Not what I thought it would be.

I knew as soon as the titles reminded me of of Desperate housewives that it wasn`t going to be my cup of tea.

I thought it would be more gritty, less silly. I wasn`t excited by it at all.

[Freddy]

Was hoping against hope for this series but like Faginsgirl disappointed. A great shame because the series isn't lacking good actors, but this first story was so implausible with so many questions that in the end scenes any emotion the director was expecting the viewer to feel went straight out of the window.

My worry was that the angel wings would replace good writing and plot, sadly for me I was right. Fortunately the excellent Manchester legal drama North Square is still on 4od. If anyone wants intelligent writing then head straight there.

[Windthrop]

Have to agree with the above on the whole. It was a good idea that just didn't gel at all and it was difficult to care or feel involved in the drama. Part of the trouble is Sam West who is a fine actor but not very charismatic. Nice idea to set a series in York and now I know why on several occasions last year I spotted West and his parents there last year.

[Tonch]

Living reasonably near to York - a beautiful city which I often enjoy visiting - I too was looking forwards to this and that little pleasurable frisson of recognition you get when familiar locations pop up in TV dramas or films.

Recorded it on my Sky+ planner but unfortunately I was thwarted thanks to my box shutting down then my handset (AND a spare one) both going kaput. In trying to re-set things etc I lost parts of the recording which, thanks to the erratic handset, was then deleted rather than played... not to worry, ITV + 1 I thought.... further glitches partially kiboshed that recording too, although I was able to play back the recorded portion and got the gist of it. In view of the feedback it's getting on here perhaps Angelic intervention was doing its damndest to spare me the full viewing ordeal, but what I saw didn't seem too bad - although I completely agree with Windthrop about Sam West - good actor but something about him just switches off the interest button.

The basic premise is neat though, in a Life On Mars sort of escapist way which isn't surprising... I'd seen the Breakfast telly interview with Matthew Graham and he'd gushed about the inspiration from A Matter Of Life And Death which whetted my appetite.

I think I'll persevere with it.

[Steve Crook]

Living reasonably near to York - a beautiful city which I often enjoy visiting - I too was looking forwards to this and that little pleasurable frisson of recognition you get when familiar locations pop up in TV dramas or films.

Recorded it on my Sky+ planner but unfortunately I was thwarted thanks to my box shutting down then my handset (AND a spare one) both going kaput. In trying to re-set things etc I lost parts of the recording which, thanks to the erratic handset, was then deleted rather than played... not to worry, ITV + 1 I thought.... further glitches partially kiboshed that recording too, although I was able to play back the recorded portion and got the gist of it. In view of the feedback it's getting on here perhaps Angelic intervention was doing its damndest to spare me the full viewing ordeal, but what I saw didn't seem too bad - although I completely agree with Windthrop about Sam West - good actor but something about him just switches off the interest button.

The basic premise is neat though, in a Life On Mars sort of escapist way which isn't surprising... I'd seen the Breakfast telly interview with Matthew Graham and he'd gushed about the inspiration from A Matter Of Life And Death which whetted my appetite.

I think I'll persevere with it.

Have you tried watching it online?
www.itv.com/itvplayer

Steve

[Steve Crook]

I'm still trying to figure out what it's all meant to be about, let alone what any connection to or inspiration from AMOLAD is meant to be

Who is the woman who Sam West keeps bumping into meant to be? Why does he keep advising her to leave town?
Did he actually bring her back to life at the end?
Who is the landlady meant to be? An ex-angel? Why does she have the wings in the box?
Who is "Mountjoy" meant to be? God?

Steve

[CaptainWaggett]

I'm still trying to figure out what it's all meant to be about, let alone what any connection to or inspiration from AMOLAD is meant to be

Who is the woman who Sam West keeps bumping into meant to be? Why does he keep advising her to leave town?
Did he actually bring her back to life at the end?
Who is the landlady meant to be? An ex-angel? Why does she have the wings in the box?
Who is "Mountjoy" meant to be? God?

Steve

Do you normally expect to understand every mystery in a six part series by the end of episode 1? You must have really hated Life on Mars

I liked it - it's intelligent, literate, has Sam West and enough puzzles to keep me watching

Will Mr Mountjoy turn up and if so will he be played by Mr West Sr?

[Tonch]

Have you tried watching it online?
www.itv.com/itvplayer

Steve

That's my intention before the next episode comes around Steve

[Tonch]

I'm still trying to figure out what it's all meant to be about, let alone what any connection to or inspiration from AMOLAD is meant to be

Who is the woman who Sam West keeps bumping into meant to be? Why does he keep advising her to leave town?
Did he actually bring her back to life at the end?
Who is the landlady meant to be? An ex-angel? Why does she have the wings in the box?
Who is "Mountjoy" meant to be? God?

Steve

I rather like this type of drama which seemingly joins a time stream mid way through then gradually ties up the little "puzzles" further down the line, rather than making everything clear from the outset then watching the drama unfold in the hands of established characters.

But if YOU were confused, imagine how I felt seeing a brief recording of the end of the episode first then accidentally deleting that before catching a partial recording of the repeat an hour later (with a power cut gap at the start and in the middle, and the end missing).

On the breakfast TV interview Matthew Graham explained his AMOLAD inspiration as the heavenly courtroom scenes and the interesting prospect of an afterlife being very ordered and tightly regulated, with grumpy/serious angels carrying out detailed work and not just frivolous or spectacular magic. When pressed he did hint that Mr Mountjoy could be God.

Which is quite a promotion, since the last time saw him he was a Welsh snooker player wearing a frilly shirt in the 1970s.

[Steve Crook]

I'm still trying to figure out what it's all meant to be about, let alone what any connection to or inspiration from AMOLAD is meant to be

Who is the woman who Sam West keeps bumping into meant to be? Why does he keep advising her to leave town?
Did he actually bring her back to life at the end?
Who is the landlady meant to be? An ex-angel? Why does she have the wings in the box?
Who is "Mountjoy" meant to be? God?

Steve

To answer some of my own questions ...
Further research leads me to an article about it which says:

Providing earthly temptation for Zak is Hannah, a woman he fell in love with on a previous visit and remains smitten with. ‘It could be a fatal attraction,’ admits Sam, the son of actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales. ‘Angels may be immortal, but falling in love with a mortal being can have apocalyptic consequences for them.’

Their housekeeper, Mrs Sheringham, is herself a former angel made mortal again after a forbidden romance, and Richard Pembroke is a dark angel who turns out to be Zak and Tom’s nemesis on Earth.

One person we won’t get to see is Zak and Tom’s boss, God – or Mr Mountjoy, as they call him. ‘We wanted to create the idea of Zak and Tom’s boss being unseen, but having a very definite, definable character, rather than just this celestial entity, God,’ explains Matthew.

‘Will we ever see Mr Mountjoy? Possibly in series seven, and quite possibly played by Stephen Fry. We think he would be perfect casting…

Steve

[CaptainWaggett]

To answer some of my own questions ...
Further research leads me to an article about it which says:

Providing earthly temptation for Zak is Hannah, a woman he fell in love with on a previous visit and remains smitten with. ‘It could be a fatal attraction,’ admits Sam, the son of actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales. ‘Angels may be immortal, but falling in love with a mortal being can have apocalyptic consequences for them.’

Their housekeeper, Mrs Sheringham, is herself a former angel made mortal again after a forbidden romance, and Richard Pembroke is a dark angel who turns out to be Zak and Tom’s nemesis on Earth.

One person we won’t get to see is Zak and Tom’s boss, God – or Mr Mountjoy, as they call him. ‘We wanted to create the idea of Zak and Tom’s boss being unseen, but having a very definite, definable character, rather than just this celestial entity, God,’ explains Matthew.

‘Will we ever see Mr Mountjoy? Possibly in series seven, and quite possibly played by Stephen Fry. We think he would be perfect casting…

Steve

Except for the fact we won't see Mr Mountjoy (and please, no, to Stephen Fry ), wasn't that all fairly clear? I do like the Lucifer-angel but is it going to be like Perry Mason with the same prosecution and defence in every episode? Though I suppose the York bar is quite small...

[Freddy]

My problem wasn't with the angelic/life after etc. question, it was more to do with the storyline.

  Spoiler:

How did a child (13/14) get a sniper's rifle, (let alone pay for it )

How did she get the rifle through the streets, up the stairs and onto the roof without being seen.

Had she taken firing lessons, would there have been a kick back when fired, it seemed to me every shot hit a target.

At the next incident how did she smuggle the gun into the courthouse or the vicinity, I'm assuming the first gun would have been taken by the police so how did she get another one.

Assuming the doors were closed to the actual court room, how could she aim, where was the normal security outside the courtroom, the ushers,
guards etc.

Why didn't she just drop the gun and run like she did the first time.

Lastly, when Sam West let the bride see the future, good or bad, why in the good future was the child with them, as she would be in jail, quite rightly, doing time for the attempted murder of a number of citizens.

This was truly awful.

[Windthrop]

Will Mr Mountjoy turn up and if so will he be played by Mr West Sr?

When I saw Sam West having an evening off from filming he was with his father so you never know

[Steve Crook]

My problem wasn't with the angelic/life after etc. question, it was more to do with the storyline.

  Spoiler:

How did a child (13/14) get a sniper's rifle, (let alone pay for it )

  Spoiler:

It was her father's rifle

How did she get the rifle through the streets, up the stairs and onto the roof without being seen.

In a golf bag? I a roll of carpet? There are many ways that could be done

Had she taken firing lessons, would there have been a kick back when fired, it seemed to me every shot hit a target.

The kick back doesn't affect the targeting. If you're shooting into a crowd it's easy to hit someone with every shot. Maybe not the person you were aiming at, but someone

Assuming the doors were closed to the actual court room, how could she aim

The courtroom had windows

[Freddy]

Cheers Nick, exasperation with the programme made me careless.


Paul

[Nick Dando]

Trouble is I've seen some of the comments, but not taken them in (I hope), as I've still to watch the programme. But first some Harry Fowler - Hue and Cry tonight!

Nick